08 You Pick ‘em Series – “What the
Bible Says About…Predestination (part 1)”
Romans 8:28-30
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – May 11, 2008
Prayer Introduction: This morning comes another sermon by request – the first sermon topic requested by more than one person: “What does the Bible say about Predestination?”
Last week I told you that the topic of “God & Technology” was “right in my wheelhouse.” So is this. The truth of the matter is that I struggled with the doctrine of predestination for more than 2 years; but when I settled on it, my life was changed dramatically.
This is one of those doctrines that is not essential to the Christian faith; but once embraced it will essentially change your faith.
I cannot convince you of the truthfulness of predestination; but it is true. I also could not convince you of the truthfulness of assurance of salvation or family values; but they are true. The only way to be convinced that God’s Word is true, and therefore what God says in his Word is true, is for God himself to convince you by His Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with His Word.
So let’s go to the Lord Himself in prayer, and then in the Scriptures…We pray now for the preacher in the pulpit. He is not worthy, but by your grace he is able. And so it is through Jesus Christ that we pray – Amen!
READ
I. Defining the Terms
But before we can see the purpose and promise, we need to define the terms. Perhaps you’ve heard the joke: “How many Calvinists does it take to change a light bulb? None. God has predestined when the lights will go on and off.”
The word “predestination” doesn’t refer to light bulbs in general – but only the light bulb of salvation (when the “lights go on” in our soul, right?).
Predestination is the word God uses to refer to his sovereignty when it comes to salvation.
Indeed, God is a Sovereign God. “The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass” (Westminster Shorter Catechism #7).
Whatever happens, happens because God has decreed it to happen. Light bulbs burn out according to God’s will; and it is God’s will to foreordain who will change the light bulbs. So how many Calvinists does it take to change a light bulb? All of them. God uses all of his people to accomplish his perfect will.
Most of this comes by what some would call “the ordinary circumstances.” Indeed God “executes his decrees in the works of creation and providence” (WSC #8).
Much of God’s decrees happen by the natural work of nature. If I drop a pen, it falls to the ground – as God has decreed it – through the creation of gravity.
This time of year is a miraculous time of year as flowers and trees bloom – and gardens come to life. Much of this comes naturally, without any effort from man.
And so God executes his decrees in creation, but also in His “works of providence (which) are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions” (WSC #11).
God is sovereign – ruling over all that happens in creation, and by those he has created. And yet, God is neither the author or approver of any sin that proceeds from his creations (cf. WCF V.4).
Sin is the corruption of God’s creation. He didn’t create sin; it is a corruption of his good creation. What God created was good; but he is still sovereign over his corrupted creation.
This is difficult to grasp. And there isn’t time to work all of this out. A lot has been written on predestination; but volumes have been written on “the problem of evil.” Next week will look at bit more at free will and predestination.
R. B. Kuiper once used the following illustration of God's sovereignty and human responsibility: “I liken them to two ropes going through two holes in the ceiling and over a pulley above. If I wish to support myself by them, I must cling to them both. If I cling only to one and not the other, I go down. I read the many teachings of the Bible regarding God's election, predestination, his chosen, and so on. I read also the many teachings regarding ‘whosoever will may come’ and urging people to exercise their responsibility as human beings. These seeming contradictions cannot be reconciled by the puny human mind. With childlike faith, I cling to both ropes, fully confidant that in eternity I will see that both strands of truth are, after all, of one piece.”
What we need to unveil, at this point, is the wrong thinking about predestination that has come because of corrupted creation. So let’s go to the text.
II. See the Purpose –
Notice it is “in all things” but not for “all people.” God works “in all things” for the good of “those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
So God works for the good of the elect. The elect are those whom God has predestined, elected, to receive salvation. And so it is God who works for the good of the elect…as God defines good.
Notice how God defines good, by stating his purpose in predestination (in verse 29) – “to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.”
It isn’t just about being predestined for salvation. It is about being predestined to be made like Christ – to be saved and changed.
Is God changing you?
Some have misunderstood verse 29 to say that God predestined those he foreknew would choose him. That is not what verse 29 says. Indeed God foreknew us (Ephesians 1:4), but God foreknew all people. Paul is using these terms more as synonyms – Those he foreknew ALSO he predestined.
Knowledge is meant in an intimate sense. You’ve heard the phrase, “I know her in biblical sense.” Foreknowledge speaks to the relationship that God has with us. He loves us.
Those God loves he has predestined.
When we miss that it is God who elects, and that it is God who defines good, we miss out on the goodness of this truth.
Some people say they believe that God is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), and omnipresent (present everywhere); but apparently not when it comes to salvation. If God is everywhere, knows everything, and is all powerful – then wouldn’t that be the case with a person’s salvation?
Let’s briefly look at two reasons for this inconsistency in people’s thinking. One is because it is easy to make general statements about God, but not apply them to the specifics of life.
For example, how often do we say God is forgiving, but don’t confess specific sins? Or say that God cares for our every need, but don’t bring specific needs in prayer? Or – as we’ve been looking at on Sunday nights (and Wednesday mornings) – God wants to make us more like Christ, but we don’t want God to change us.
We prefer to make general statements about a generic god.
Which is the second reason for inconsistency in what people say about God: a specific God is specifically in control. By our sinful nature, we don’t want God in control of our lives – we want to be in control of our lives. It is why we ignore so many commands of God’s Word:
Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy. “Oh come on, a whole day set apart for worship – and not engaging in our worldly labors? Do you realize how much I can get done on Sundays? It’s my only day to get those things done? I will take off Sundays when I can.”
Bring the whole tithe. “Are you serious?! I’m short on cash as it is, and you want me to give a tenth of it to the church? I’ll give what I can.”
Wives submit to your husbands. “Let’s get with the times, God. Today’s woman is liberated. She doesn’t have to submit.”
Love your enemies. “Have you met my enemies?”
If God is really in control, then we really must follow his commands – not when they make sense, or when it is convenient – but really follow his commands.
A generic god who gives generic guidance is much easier to palate than a specific God who gives specific commands. In the latter case, God is in control. In the former, I am.
By nature, I want to be in control.
By the Spirit, I surrender control to God.
Predestination means surrendering control to a sovereign God. And letting God define good means surrendering control to God.
I may have one idea of good; but God has a different idea. “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
What is good for us may not be what we think is good for us.
Medicine we don’t want to take – is good for us.
Submitting to a difficult command – is good for us.
Taking a test on a subject that you don’t think you’ll ever use in real life – is good for us.
Don’t you hate it when your parents (or others) say – this is for your own good? (Especially when we know they’re right).
Our Heavenly Father says, “I am working for what I say is good for you, not what you say.”
What we say is going to be wrong. We couldn’t save ourselves; and we can’t guide ourselves.
We need a Savior and a Lord who knows better than we do.
This past Wednesday I was asked to say the opening Invocation and
closing Benediction at the Lock Haven Clearfield graduation ceremony. I closed
with the words of
No doubt people like the first part of that – “God has plans to prosper me; alright!” Did you hear the second part as well? It involves seeking God with your whole heart. “Oh.”
The bottom line of this is the sovereignty of God. First, he causes His elect to love him. Second, he causes all things to work – according to his will and his definition – for the good of His elect.
A couple of years ago there was a visitor who talked to me after the worship service one Sunday morning. I thought he was looking for answers. Afterwards I realized he was really just looking for a fight. He asked about predestination, and we talked a bit. I was trying to give gentle answers, because I didn’t know him – and was trying to build a relationship. I now realize he never planned on coming back, and I should have been much bolder.
He concluded by saying, “I prefer to think that God offers salvation to all, but we can choose whether or not to accept it.” If I had it to do over again, I would have replied, “Yes, of course that is what you prefer to think; because then God doesn’t have to be God – you can be. Naturally, we much prefer the idea that we are in control – of our salvation, and everything else. But, in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit I rejoice more and more in surrendering control of my life to the Lord.”
III. See the Promise –
And so not only would I have you See the Purpose that God has predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son, I would also have you see the Promise of God – that He will finish what he starts.
Verse 30 is a statement of guarantee: “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
If God has predestined a person to be conformed to the image of Christ – it’s gonna’ happen. Those he predestined are going to be called. Those he called are going to be justified (declared righteous by the righteousness of Christ). Those he justified he will glorify (will go to heaven).
I have been predestined to inherit the glory of heaven. How do I know I’m going to heaven? Because I’ve been called and justified.
How do I know I’ve been called and justified? Because I’m being conformed to the image of Christ.
Do you see how the
truth of predestination brings us to the truth of assurance of salvation? I know
that I am saved, because I know that God “chose me before the foundation of the
world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (cf.
Before I was born, God chose me. Before there was dirt, God chose me. Before I had a name God chose me, so that I would come to know His name.
Those he predestined for salvation are going to receive it. Jesus himself said – “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:39-40).
It sounds all well and good to say that I am in control. But more and more I realize that when I’m in control, I screw it up.
How much better to surrender control to the God who never fails – and then realize I wasn’t really in control in the first place.
How much better to surrender control to a sovereign God whose plan is so much better than mine.
Nine months ago my sister called me up with the news that she was pregnant – thrilled to be expecting her second child. Two months later she called again – devastated because she had miscarried. Jen & I experienced a miscarriage and truly empathized with her. Shortly after that we were visiting Jen’s cousin in Colorado – who has had numerous miscarriages and stillbirths. We asked her if there were any books that she could recommend, which helped her. She wrote down a whole list. We came home and planned to order the books for my sister, but we lost the list and sort of forgot about it.
Two weeks ago I was on study leave, and planned to sit and read; but the church was having the carpets in the Pastor’s Study and Church Office cleaned – so I needed to empty everything from the Study. I decided that I would go ahead and do a major purge and cleaning as I moved stuff back into the study. In the midst of cleaning I found the list, but I didn’t recognize the handwriting – or the books – and my hand was halfway into the garbage can to throw the list away when I thought, “I should check with Jen and make sure this list isn’t something of hers.”
She gasped, “Oh my God, that’s the list of books for your sister!” She immediately ordered them and had them shipped to my sister with a note, “We are trusting that God’s timing is better than ours and are sending these books to you now.”
Two days later my sister called in tears: “You have no idea how perfect this timing was. It is one week before I would have been due. It is the first day of my period (and I’m still not pregnant). And my good friend just had a baby. This has been one of the worst days of the past nine months. These books could not have shown up at a more perfect time. I’ve already read one of the books – and I’m half-way through a second. Thank you.”
Do you see that only a Sovereign Lord – whose ways are higher than our ways – could have planned such a confluence of events? To lose a list. To find it, because carpets were being cleaned. To send them so that they arrived on the very day that the Lord knew – from all eternity – would be such a hard time for her.
Why would we not want to surrender control to such a perfect God?!
Why would we not surrender control of our salvation the salvation of others to the control of God?!
It is God who gets the glory, as we rejoice in amazement at such an awesome, loving God.
MAY THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE – AMEN!