Divine Predestination

By Daniel E. Parks

Ephesians 1:11
... predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things
according to the counsel of His will ...

A lady in a church I previously pastored expressed to a co-worker her appreciation for divine predestination.  That gentleman, although a professing Christian, denied divine predestination, and bet her a sum of money she could not find it in the Bible.  She had listened to me preach on that doctrine, and rejoiced in it, and therefore immediately showed it to him in God’s Word.  (She did not accept the money he bet against divine predestination.)

It is not surprising that even professing Christians are unaware of the doctrine of divine predestination.  Many preachers deny that divine predestination is in God’s Word.  (Their denial speaks of their lack of Biblical knowledge and/or personal integrity.)  Many preachers, while admitting that divine predestination is in God’s Word, do not preach it because they do not understand or believe it.  Many preachers deny the Biblical doctrine of divine predestination because they know it is contrary to their own doctrine of man’s “freewill”.  Many preachers deliberately misrepresent divine predestination as heathenish fatalism and determinism.

But faithful Christians praise God for divine predestination.

I. We praise the Father for predestining us to be His children, and therefore choosing us unto salvation in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-7): “... the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ... chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

II. We praise God for predestining our eternal inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:11): “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”

III. We praise God for predestining us to be conformed to Christ, whom we desire to be like (Romans 8:29): “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

IV. We praise God that through His predestination “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28-31): “... For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.  What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?”

V. We praise God for predestining every event (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15): “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven .... That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been ....”  For example, Jesus Christ was born at the predestined moment for the predestined purpose which He fulfilled as predestined (Galatians 4:4f).

VI. We praise God for predestining even the wickedness of evil men to redound to His glory and our salvation (Acts 4:27-28): “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.”  As God predestined, wicked men shed the blood that redeemed, saved, justified, and sanctified God’s predestined people as God predestined.

VII. We praise God for predestining that His wisdom be revealed to us, for otherwise we would be ignorant of Him (1 Corinthians 2:7ff): “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

VIII. And we praise God that we believe His gospel and trust in Christ because He predestined us to do so (Acts 13:44-48): “... And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”

Do you?

– Daniel E. Parks (May 19, 2013; #818)