What is predestination?

Response

Romans 8:29-30 teaches us, “For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” Ephesians 1:5 and 11 proclaim, “He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will…In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.” Many individuals harbor strong opposition to the concept of predestination. Nevertheless, predestination is a scriptural doctrine. The crucial point is comprehending the biblical meaning of predestination.

The terms translated as “predestined” in the aforementioned Scriptures originate from the Greek word proorizo, which signifies “determining beforehand,” “ordaining,” “deciding ahead of time.” Therefore, predestination involves God determining specific events to happen in advance. What did God decide in advance? According to Romans 8:29-30, God predetermined that certain individuals would be conformed to the likeness of His Son, be called, justified, and glorified. Numerous verses mention believers in Christ being chosen (Matthew 24:22,31;Mark 13:20,27;Romans 8:33,9:11,11:5-7, 28;Ephesians 1:11;Colossians 3:12;1 Thessalonians 1:4;1 Timothy 5:21;2 Timothy 2:10;Titus 1:1;1Peter 1:1-2, 2:9; 2 Peter 1:10). Predestination is the biblical doctrine that God, in His sovereignty, chooses certain individuals to be saved.

Predestination is an explicitly biblical doctrine. However, the determination of predestination is not isolated from the rest of God’s unchanging character “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”, (Malachi 3:6). It is linked to His foreknowledge “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.”, (Romans 8:29, 11:2), His love (Ephesians 1:4-5), and His plan and pleasure “having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”, (Ephesians 1:5). God’s desire is that all would be saved and come to repentance “who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”, (1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9). Predestination is personal and relational, not capricious.

The most common objection to the doctrine of predestination is that it is unfair. Why would God choose certain individuals and not others? We must remember that no one deserves to be saved. We have all sinned “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”, (Romans 3:23) and are all worthy of eternal punishment “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”, <a href="https://www.bibliato

(Romans 6:23). Consequently, God would be completely just in permitting all of us to spend eternity in hell. Nevertheless, God chooses to rescue some of us. He is not unjust to those who are not selected because they are receiving their due. God’s decision to show grace to some does not treat others unfairly. No one is entitled to anything from God; hence, no one can complain if they do not receive anything from God. To illustrate, imagine a man randomly giving money to five people in a crowd of twenty. Would the fifteen people who did not receive money be disappointed? Most likely. Do they have a reason to be upset? No, they do not. Why? Because the man did not owe anyone money. He simply chose to show kindness to some.

If God is the one determining who is saved, does that negate our free will to choose and have faith in Christ? The Bible affirms that we have the choice—everyone who believes in Jesus Christ will be saved (John 3:16;Romans 10:9-10). The Bible never portrays God rejecting anyone who believes in Him or turning away anyone who is seeking Him «But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. », (Deuteronomy 4:29). The concepts of God’s sovereign predestination and human responsibility are not contradictory. Somehow, in the mysterious ways of God, predestination operates alongside a person being drawn by God «No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. », (John 6:44) and believing for salvation «For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also t

o the Greek. », (Romans 1:16). God predestines who will be saved, and we must choose Christ to be saved. Both truths are equally valid. Romans 11:33 declares, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”