The Road to Predestination

Recent months, I’m very interested in this word “Predestination” and what does Fundamental Baptist believe on this matter. It is indeed one of the most debatable topics on theology and also I believe has a great impact on how we Christians view Christianity.

Of course every denomination has its own view about predestination (I think), as what I have been trying to research on it. But what do we believe regarding “predestination?” To be honest, I’m still trying to capture the whole idea of it on my mind, but definitely it’s spinning my head off.

Predestination in the Christian belief is God foreknowing and fore determining of every events happening from the smallest molecule to the vast and infinite universe, from past to present and future (hope that was correct). In addition, we always connect this to Salvation of Christians, of which we attain by God’s grace through faith. Verses that talks about predestination of Christians are found on the following verses:

Ephesians 1:3-5 (King James Version)
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

Romans 8:28-30 (King James Version)
28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29For 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.
30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

One thing that may disturb us would be questions about the matter. Questions like “Does this mean we have no will of our own? Are we like then dummies? Or isn’t it unfair that God chooses who is to be saved?” these and other questions, which I actually myself have asked. These are the reason why I want to try and understand what we really believe about this.

But looking at God’s Word we find verses like Acts 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Here we too see that we ourselves have our own free will, to choose to believe or not to believe; to receive Christ or reject Him.

Now this is really confusing isn’t it? Hehehe! Although one of my readings stated, it shouldn’t. But instead, predestination and free will of man coexist or does not conflict at all. Regarding free will, we basically don’t have an absolute free will.

Romans 3:9-11
9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

From the verse itself, it says man, whether Jews or Gentiles, have no desire to, neither to look for God, nor even choose which is righteous. In other words, our nature is to sin. That is because of Adam’s sin, which was passed to all men.

Romans 5:12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Now that we have a sinful nature, we can no longer choose God, because man chose to sin. Now here is where we find the word GRACE, of which God has given us. Because of God’s grace He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die and bore the punishment of sin unto himself so that we might be made righteous once again.

Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Now this verse truly explains that everything regarding our salvation is all God’s work. And we have no part of it. One preaching I heard said “Even our Faith comes from God” (that is one hard thing to understand).

Although, one explanation I read that may be logical, is that: God definitely knows everything, even the past and the future. And we Christians, I believe, agree on that argument. Therefore still, he knows every action or reaction we have in every circumstances we encounter. Now even if indeed we have our own will, God still has all the right to control every circumstance and can therefore alter things and allow things so that His will, will come to pass.

Perhaps one good illustration or example is what happened to Joseph, the dreamer. Joseph experienced such tremendous and painful events in his life, like his brother selling him to be a slave, being put to prison and the like. But God allowed this thing to happen so that His will of saving His people, the Israelites, will be fulfilled. It doesn’t mean that he authored evil things and even the sin of Joseph’s brothers, but that he allowed things to happen so that “His Will” will be done.

Definitely this doctrine of Predestination is so too much mind boggling and creates more questions. But perhaps one thing I learned from this all, is to thank God for choosing us to be His child. With this we can understand how Gracious God is. For we, who are worthy of nothing but trash, was made to be worth as His adopted child.