1-­‐3 Predestination Dealing with some issues Predestination is characterised as troublesome, divisive and distracting. However it’s taught in Scripture (Romans 8, 9; Ephesians 1; John 6; Acts 13:48 etc) and it is taught for our edification. We do well therefore to consider it, reflect on it and embrace it. It is revealed to us that we might not only be humbled before God but that we might have great confidence in him to save us and keep us, that we might recognise that it is to him alone the thanks goes for our salvation, that we might deal with suffering in hope, that we might continue in godly ministry, and so on. We ignore it at our peril. It is a truth that only comes with a firm recognition of whose world it is. He is the potter. We are the clay. He has the right to do with us as we please. Having accepted this truth there are still many questions. For instance, what of the invitation in John 3:16 that “whoever believes in him will have eternal life”? Doesn’t this imply salvation is open to any and all, rather than just the chosen? How does predestination square with the words of God in which he declares his desire that all be saved (1 Tim 2)? What then of prayer? If God has predestined those that are his, why pray? How am I to think of my unconverted children, or parents, or spouse? Should I just accept that they aren’t chosen and so get over the loss (an horrendous thought)? These questions, and some others, come to mind. This paper will seek to answer some of these issues although it is only an inadequate guide to foster right directions in thinking rather than a full and complete word. Further, we must remember, we are dealing with the very character of God. There is much in this that will be beyond us. Not all of it will fit neatly into some package. This ought not surprise us since we serve a creator beyond even the comprehension of the greatest minds. Our task is to be true to Scripture not our fallible logic. We will, with Paul, be left ultimately saying “who can understand the mind of God...” What of John 3:16? Doesn’t this teach salvation is for all? Yes and no! Jesus in John 3:16 (and many other places) assures us that any and all who repent and put their trust in Christ will be accepted by God. God will in no way turn aside any who come to him in repentance and faith. This we must affirm loudly and clearly because God affirms it. The call to come to Christ is for all. However, there is more to Jesus’ words in John 3:16 than just this. Not less, but certainly more. Just a few sentences before Jesus utters these famous words he speaks of the need to be born again (v5). That is, a radical newness is necessary before a sinful person can enter God’s kingdom. Actually Jesus is even more emphatic: Unless we are made new we won’t even see the kingdom (v3). Such is the state of human depravity that left on our own we would not see the kingdom let alone turn and repent. New birth is required. The image itself is a significant one. It underlines our utter dependency on God for our salvation. Like our physical birth, we are dependent on the will of another. No one initiates their fleshly birth and no one initiates their spiritual birth. It comes by the working of the spirit who “blows wherever [he] pleases” (v 8). Jesus, in other words, is pointing out that God is sovereign in salvation. This dependency on the will of God for salvation is a strong theme in John’s gospel. It’s not just there in chapter three but right throughout. For instance, the introduction to the gospel states that our birth as the children of God is not something that comes by “natural descent, nor human decision or a husband will” but rather comes from God (1:13). Later in Chapter six, Jesus speaks of those the father “has given me” (6:39) and that only those the father draws can come (6:44) and he can say he has previously taught them that “no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him” (6:651). It is in this context that we must place John 3:16. Jesus is as clear as the apostle Paul. Our salvation is dependent on the will of God. Unless he first moves in us (“enables” us, or gives us birth) we will never respond in belief. Belief is necessary to be saved and any who believe will be saved. But saving belief is dependent on the prior work of God by his spirit to arouse this faith. This is the context of John 3:16. Other passages link these two ideas also (God’s sovereignty and our faith), Acts 13:48 being one. Paul’s ministry to the gentiles bears fruit with their 1 Incidentally, at this teaching many turned their backs on Jesus and no longer followed him (v 66). 2-­‐3 conversion. Luke sums up the incident like this “and all who were appointed for eternal life believed”. Belief is necessary but it is dependent on the prior choice of God to bring to birth that belief in us. The Scriptures never place the necessity of belief in opposition to the truth that God ordains us to that belief. Rather one is dependent on the other. Faith is necessary and whoever believes will be saved. However our belief is not finally our own but is a dependent on the sovereign work of the spirit of Christ. An old illustration may help at this point. Over the gateway to heaven is an arch. Written on this archway are the words “whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the son will not see life but God’s wrath will remain upon him” (John 3:36). To enter the kingdom we must believe and it is incumbent upon all to take seriously the need to respond. So we respond and enter. However, having entered, we turn and look on the other side of the arch and find inscribed there these words “no one can come to me unless the father has enabled him” (John 6:65). A decision we thought was ours alone, we find was in fact God’s sovereign work. We fall on our knees and give thanks that God had always had his hand on us. We were never alone but God had in fact set his love upon us before creation itself. It was a truth we could not feel, or sense or apprehend in anyway except that God assures us it is so in his word. What a wonder it is. How does this square with the stated desire of God that all be saved? 1 Timothy 2:4 says that “God our saviour ...wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth”. Surely the doctrine of predestination flies in the face of God wanting all to be saved? If we face full on the fact that not all will be saved we are left with a difficulty whatever position you hold on predestination. God desires that all be saved. Why doesn’t he just save all then? He could if he wanted to (he is after all God). 1 Timothy says he wants to. Why doesn’t he? Over the years I’ve been asked this exact question. People realise the horror of hell. They read of God’s desire to save all. They wonder “why doesn’t he just do it?”. It’s a good question. The only conclusion possible is that there must be something even more important to God (another ‘want’ that supersedes the ‘want’ expressed in 1 Tim 2:4) that means he doesn’t act on his desire that all be saved. All Biblical Christians are agreed at this point. Where we differ is what that greater ‘want’ is. The anti predestinarian says that that greater ‘want’ is that we remain independent and free in our choices. This, they believe, is the reason God doesn’t just save all though he could and though he wants to. They conclude it matters more to him that we are independent than that we are all saved. So in other words they read 1 Tim 2:4 to be saying – God wants all men to be saved… but not at the cost of imposing on human freedom. Because he cares more that we are free in our decisions than that all are saved. In contrast, the predestinarian answers “the greater want that supersedes even God’s desire that all be saved (as true as that is) is that God desires the full range of his glory be manifest in both mercy AND wrath. It is not just the salvation of sinners that brings God glory (although it does abundantly). It is the judgement of those who reject him that also brings him great glory (many of the Psalms celebrate this fact). Therefore God doesn’t act upon his stated desire to save all, not because he values our freedom more than the salvation of all but because he values the full manifestation of his glory more than the salvation of all. This view, rather than the alternative, is actually taught in Scripture. Romans 9:22-­‐23 states that the election of some to salvation and the passing over of others was done so that God might make his power and glory known in his actions toward both groups. (Note. This ought not be pushed to imply God toys with us. He does what he does righteously. Those that are judged are judged justly. He never condemns the innocent to make himself look good -­‐ as if this would. God is entirely right to condemn those that reject him and is shown to be righteous by doing so.) There is a further reason God doesn’t act on his desire to save all and that is so that those that are saved by his sovereign will might be thoroughly humbled before him and give all credit to him for their salvation. This again is taught in Scripture (1 Cor 1:27-­‐29). God desires all be saved. Yes. But he regards his own glory and our humility as even greater goals than universal salvation and so does not act on his first desire -­‐ the salvation of all. The natural man again rebels doesn’t it? We can accept that maintaining human independence is worth the price tag of many not being saved, but we struggle to see God’s glory as being worth that same price tag. The plain fact 3-­‐3 is however, that according to Scripture, God’s honour and glory are more important than anything -­‐ even the salvation of all (you might be interested to read Ezekiel 36:22-­‐23). God’s glory is foundational to life, creation, everything (Romans 11:36; 1 Cor 10:31; Colossian 1:16...). We were made for his sake, not our own. It is God’s prerogative to bring glory to himself in salvation and judgement. What of prayer? Doesn’t predestination make prayer pointless? No. The reverse is true. If God is not sovereign in our conversion prayer is pointless. Why pray to God for the salvation of anyone if he doesn’t actually act to save anyone but rather leaves the choice to us? There’s no point praying since God won’t do it! All we could hope for is that God might manoeuvre situations to make it more likely someone will respond but we could never actually ask him to save anyone (and further, there is no point thanking God for someone’s salvation since he didn’t bring them to himself but rather waited till they made their own choice). It is interesting that we still pray. It testifies to the fact that whatever we actually say we believe, we still in our hearts recognise the sovereignty of God in salvation. When we pray we show we know it is God who gives new birth, who enables, who draws and gives repentance and faith. It’s not our strength but God’s. But still the question remains! Why pray if God is not just sovereign but has in fact foreordained who will be his before creation? Won’t he just bring who he brings without my prayers? He will bring those that are his, but not without the means he has appointed to enact his sovereign will. The God who has appointed some to eternal life has also appointed prayer and preaching as the means by which he sovereignly brings people to himself. It is in response to the prayers of his people that he enacts his electing purposes. You see this at the end of the book of Job. Job’s comforters have failed their task and need the forgiveness of God. God says they will receive it, That is he ordains their forgiveness. But he says it will only come in response to the prayer of Job. “MY servant Job will pray for you and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly.” God ordained their forgiveness, but ordains that it would occur only in response to the prayer of Job. There are certainly mysteries but don’t let them distract you. God has revealed he is sovereign in election. He has revealed he responds to our prayers (James 4:2 is another place which affirms this. “...you do not have because you do not ask”). God has revealed our prayers are part of his plan to bring his elect to salvation. So Pray!! How are we to think about our unconverted friends and family? If family members or friends aren’t converted are we to conclude they aren’t elect? Not at all! God has revealed he saves those that he has chosen but he hasn’t revealed to us who they are. The secret things are his. We do well not to speculate. We do even better to assume every person we speak to is one God’s hand may well be on. God requires that we persist in preaching and prayer to all as the ordained means he will use to bring his chosen to life. We are to do it remembering that even the most hardened can be turned in a moment. No one is too far from God that he can’t bring them back. Humanly speaking there may appear to be no hope, but until a person dies in unrepentance we cannot know what God might do. Keep putting your trust in God (no your own efforts, or the circumstances). He is the one who can make light shine in the darkness and bring dead people to life. This is one of the wonderful fruits of predestination. My confidence is in God alone. There is no need to ‘sell’ the gospel to make it attractive. We don’t need to distort it or use secret ways. We can proclaim it fully, faithfully and plainly in the knowledge that God will bring life where he pleases. Conclusion Predestination raises many issues. However don’t lose sight of the reasons God reveals this truth to us. We must be ready to let him be God. It is his world. He is the potter. We are the clay. Be humble before him. Give thanks to him. In Christ he has rescued us from our own sin and rebellion. He has done this, not because of anything in us, but because of his mercy. It is by grace we have been saved. Andrew Heard