Does the Word of God teach the doctrine of predestination, or is it the doctrine of devils? I have heard some men say that predestination is a Bible doctrine. And I have heard other men denounce it as a damnable doctrine of devils. Which is true? Is Divine, sovereign, eternal predestination a precious and comforting truth of Holy Scripture; or is it a lie of men, invented in hell.
We must turn to the Word of God for the answer to all questions of doctrine. My opinion, your opinion, and the opinions of men are of no value in these matters. What does God say in his Word? That is the only thing to be considered. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20). If something is taught in the Bible., we will believe it, submit to it, rejoice in it, and preach it. If it is not found in the Bible, we will reject it and denounce it. All we want to know is this, Does the Word of God teach the doctrine of predestination? "Let God be true, and every man a liar."
Listen to the Word of God. In Romans 8:28-30 we read, "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Hear the Word of the Lord again, in Ephesians 1:3-6 we read,, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him: In love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved." Again in Ephesians 1:11, we are told of our eternal, heavenly inheritance in Christ. "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." There is no question then, the Word of God clearly teaches us that in eternity God almighty sovereignly predestinated all that ever comes to pass in time. To reject such plain statements as these, to reject the Bible doctrine of predestination, is to reject the counsel of God against yourself.
Predestination is God's eternal purpose in which he sovereignly arranged all things that ever come to pass, so as to infallibly secure the eternal salvation of his elect people. God predestinated the sacrificial death of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as our substitute, to make an atonement for our sins. He was "delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23). He predestinated the time, place, and circumstances of our faith. Indeed, his predestination is the cause of our saving faith in Christ. It is written, "As many as were ordained to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48). It is comforting to hearts of God's believing people to know that God's eternal purpose of predestination is being accomplished.
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