Does It Really Matter?

There are some Christians who sense or smell a doctrinal argument and almost instantly turn away…as if they are about to step into a pile of something that someone’s dog rudely left behind.
Some people conveniently ignore the doctrine of predestination…what does all this airy doctrine stuff have to do about everyday…practical life anyhow?

Is the gospel of God’s free grace important?

Does the gospel have to do with every day life…the stuff of practical living?

You better believe it!!
Let me show you how the teaching of predestination is very interlinked with the gospel of grace…as you look at the below test…don’t let yourself glibly brush off the conclusion of each answer.

Imagine…as you stand at heaven’s gates, about to enter in…you are asked by an angel, “why is it that you were saved, and your neighbor next door was not ?”
You answer…
Because I trusted in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior…and he did not…

The angel smiles and then asks…but “why did you trust Jesus and he did not?”
You realize that answering him is not an option…you can’t ignore the issue any longer.

You want to sound biblical, so you continue to answer him…“I trusted Jesus because I wanted to turn from my old way of life…I wanted to repent”, you say…hoping deeply that the interrogation is at its end…

Your smile quickly fades as you realize that the questioning is not finished… you also notice that as your smile has vanished from your face…the angel’s smile has widened slightly… “why did you repent…want to turn from your old ways…while your neighbor did not want to?”, he asks through his ever broadening smile.

You begin to feel somewhat frustrated, but do your utmost to hide this inner distress from the messenger before you… “I guess I trusted Jesus and repented of my sins because my heart was humble enough to see my need of salvation outside of myself, while my neighbor remained stubborn in his pride and sin”, you answer him, wincing at how boastful it sounded to hear yourself talk about how much more humble you were than someone else.


At this the angel’s smile vanishes and he merely stares at you with a bewildered look on his face…then you see his mouth begin to open, “And where did this extra humility come from, why was it that you had more humility then your neighbor?”, he asks while his eyes look deep into yours.

You do not answer him…you both simply stand there and look into each others eyes, your greatest desire is that you can find an answer that will stop all future questioning…

With this little game I hope we can see that with absolutely every aspect of our salvation we can ask the question…why did you have that certain quality, or perform that command, or trust that certain promise, while someone else did not?
Those who believe that the bible teaches that God has predestined all those who will be saved have an honest answer for that question.
A person’s faith, repentance, humility, desire to do good works, and the actual outworking of those good works are all results of God first choosing them, and working in them by His Spirit…giving them new life…giving them the new birth.

Those who believe in predestination believe that God chooses to save people NOT from anything that first comes from the person…
God did not look through the corridors of time and foresee that certain people would believe on Jesus…AND THEN…on basis of that information…on basis of their “works”…choose them.

No!
God saw that mankind was spiritually dead…Adam [the 1st representative of all mankind] chose Satan’s lie and at the same time chose death…and in this horrible choice…he plunged all of humanity into sins dark night…
…sin effecting every part of man’s being…his thoughts, his emotions, his will…everything!

The Bible doesn’t define fallen people as spiritually sick, or lame…it calls them “dead”.
Sin had separated man from God. God who is Spirit [John 4:24] and Life [John 14:6]…so man in essence was spiritually dead.

And as we ask ourselves the question…. “what can a dead person DO”, we already know the answer.

Theology of Mystery

God has revealed Himself in the Holy Scriptures



...He has revealed Himself as "the infinite One"...



...without boundaries...the unlimited One...



...self existent...the source of life, truth, love, goodness...wisdom/knowledge...every blessing.



As the infinite One His ways are higher than our ways...this is because "we" are not infinite...



...as creatures we are very limited...in our thoughts, power, location...in everything!

Because God is the Almighty Sovereign He can and does reveal Himself to us...and because He is infinitely higher...and greater than us...this revelation of Himself is often clothed in "mystery".

We can learn that God is One, and yet has existed in eternity community as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...and our finite minds begin to spark in confusion...how can this be?

...it is a mystery.

God reveals to us that the Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and yet fully man, in one person...but how we ask...how could the infinite God take on Himself a finite nature...how?

...we don't know...but we believe...because our God is not limited by our understanding of things.

...and how does God predestine absolutely everything...including the choices of mankind [whether these choices be unto salvation or damnation]...and yet have all of these choices be "freely" made by each person?

...it is a mystery...but remember...just because we [finite creatures] cannot understand how God does it...doesn't give us the right...or authority to shape and mold God into our finite understanding of Him.

...God can do what we cannot...

...the theology of mystery [God revealed mystery]

Is it really all about me?

Many of our struggles with God's predestination show us that the apple really hasn't fallen too far from the tree.



Adam didn't sin because he doubted the existence of God...did he.



No, instead, Adam sinned because he doubted God's good intentions...and maybe even doubted that God knew what was best for him.



Because if Adam really believed that God knew best, that everything that God did was good...because God is essentially good and therefore all that comes from Him can be only good...and that God had Adam's best interest in mind...



...then he never would have listened to the lie...

...the seed of the lie would have had no place to sprout...to grow...

...even though he was without a sinful nature...he followed the lie.

I believe that many Christians balk at the doctrine of predestination because of similar reasons.

Their theology has allowed them to remain, somewhat, at the center of their universe...it has allowed their say to be the ultimate say...the last say...or in other words...their theology has allowed them to think that they really have become "like" God.

...so when they hear someone say that "their" word isn't the ultimate word that dictates reality...their nose begins to move slightly to one side of their face...

...if God has planned history ahead of time...then...that is not fair...

...things would be much better if He kept His hands out of the matter...because how do we know if He really is good...and how do we really know that He does have our best interest at hand?

Seeing the Future?

Here is the question...

...can God see into the future...because He is above time...

...or does God know the future because He has planned it down to the smallest detail...even the choices that people will "freely" make?

In my journey with the Lord...I began understanding the Lord's predestination more in the first definition...God already saw what was going to happen and made His choices from certain foresight that He glimpsed from eternity.

...as the years have gone on...I have moved into the second definition...even though my mind cannot fully grasp how God does it.

God knows the future because He plans it...and because God can do many things that I cannot...it doesn't shock me that He can predestine or preplan history...without taking away from man's freedom of the choices that he will make...

...more on this later...

The Ultimate Plan

Do things happen "by random chance" with God merely watching over earth's events...trying to shape and mold all things for His honor and glory...and...for His people's good...



...or...Did God actually pre-plan [predestine] all things in earth's history...from beginning to end...large to small...for His own glory and honor...and...for His people's good..

Many Christians choose the first option...they view God as the cosmic "watcher" and "worker" within earths history...but not...

...the ultimate planner of earth's history...

Where do you stand on this issue...does it really matter what we believe on this subject...does it effect how we view God, ourselves...God's salvation?