GOD DID PREDESTINATE
Bill Jackson (Deceased)
In such passages as Romans 8:28-30 and Ephesians 1:3-12, we find the doctrine of "predestination" mentioned by inspired writers. We have before us one other illustration of how God can be so plain as to his meaning regarding a word or doctrine, and how confusing and difficult men make it when they put their hands to it. There has been a general abuse and misuse of such words as "predestination," "Foreordination," and "election." In the misuse, men have concocted doctrines, and in so doing they never can be right!
WRESTING THE SCRIPTURES
So men took the view that God, before the world was made, looked down the stream of time and saw you and me, individually, and pre-determined our destiny--heaven or hell--prior to our even being in this world. Having thus declared, they then came up against the doctrine of man having free will, and, true to the hold that man-made systems have on men, they rejected free will in order to hold to their own created doctrines. That is how sectarian systems are created in order that the doctrines can be spread abroad.
THE HARMONY OF TRUTH
But man does have freedom of will, as seen first in Genesis 2:16-17, and in 4:7. Then, if man has freedom of will, how is it that God did predestinate? Whatever the answer is, it must be compatible with free will, and we do indeed find it so. Two points help us: (1) God can, and did, predestinate by CLASS (the wicked going to torment, the righteous to bliss), leaving freedom of will to work in every individual. Then, (2) the texts themselves, Romans 8 and Ephesians 1, indicate that involved in God's work was the providing for the Christ, the gospel, the gospel's call to man, man's hearing and responding obediently or man's refusal to hear and/or respond in obedience. In Romans 8, it is made clear that God did call (verse 30) and justify. God predestinated that men could be like his son (verse 29)--and how is that done? By man's obedience to, and living by, the gospel! The same in Ephesians 1, where Paul speaks of God choosing, predestinating, that we should be his own, living godly lives, and being his children. How is that done? He continues to speak of God's working, providing us the GOSPEL OF OUR SALVATION (verse 13)!
SAVED WITHOUT GOD'S POWER TO SAVE?
If what men have said about "predestination" were so, then men would be saved long, long before any gospel was provided. Yea, saved by God's decree toward the individual, even before the creation of Adam! Once more, man has made the mater difficult, by his perversions!