We have began a new chapter, and in the 12th chapter of Don's book, The Basic Bible Doctrine, we discuss and consider predestination. And we know very familiar words over in the book of Romans, but we know that what it says, most of us can quote these words without even looking at them, but over in Romans chapter 8, verse 29 through 30, we read these words. 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. Then over in Ephesians chapter 1, we read these words, Verse five, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will, and then again in verse 11, in whom we also have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. So Don begins with those two, those verses in thought.

God Almighty, the one true and living God, The God of the Bible is a God of purpose. God does not just hang things out there, folks, and let willy-nilly take its course. Everything our God has purposed is coming to be right now as it always has been, as it always will be. Everything happens under the purpose of our sovereign, eternal, unalterable God. Everything that comes to pass in time is brought to pass by the hand of our God as it says in Ephesians chapter 311 according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This eternal purpose, writes Don, of God is what we call, in Bible terms, predestination. Predestination is the decree of God whereby he hath for his own glory foreordained whatever comes to pass. Charles Buck. Predestination is a Bible teaching as we just read in Romans chapter 8 and Ephesians chapter 1.

There is absolutely no question about the fact that the Word of God teaches the doctrine, the teaching of predestination. It is taught throughout scriptures and is clearly stated in numerous different passages of inspiration, and I want to begin with the first one in Matthew chapter 25. Now, Don has given us many, many different verses to look at, but we're just going to go through and look at maybe four or five. starting with Matthew chapter 25. Turn to Matthew chapter 25.

Now, it doesn't always use the word predestinated, but these are words that show us very clearly that the Scriptures are talking about God's purpose. Remember that. When we read the word predestination, or predestinated, anything to do with that means predetermined. Determined of God. You know, you could go to Acts chapter 2 where it says, by the determinate counsel of God, our Savior, but it was by His determining counsel. That's the same thing as predetermined, predestinated.

So here in Matthew chapter 25, look at verse 34. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom, what? Preparative. You see that word? That's the same meaning. That's predetermined. Something God has done. The Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. We see it very clearly. The predestination right there in Matthew is being taught there.

Let's look at another one, shall we? Turn over to 2 Timothy, if you would. 2 Timothy chapter 1. Look at verse 9. 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 9. Who hath saved us? and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Do you see the teachings of predestination here? The Lord is very clearly saved through Timothy here, who has saved us. predestined to be saved, called us with a holy calling, not according to our ritual, but according to His own purpose and grace.

Let's look at another one, shall we? Go over to Revelation chapter 13. No, I'm sorry, chapter 17. 17 verse 8. The beast that thou sawest that thou saw'st, and is not, shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition, and that they that dwell in the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life, from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. So again, we see it there. Let's look at another one, shall we? Go back to Proverbs this time. Proverbs chapter 16, verse four. Proverbs 16, verse four, the Lord hath made all things for himself, Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Two more, if you would, in the book of Acts, starting at Acts chapter 2.

And that's what I quoted a few moments ago. And like I said, Don gave several. I mean, there's a half a page of verses here that we can refer to. We can spend all morning long and half the day tomorrow looking at all of them. But we're just going to look at these few here in Acts. Actually, turn over to I've already quoted Acts chapter 2 verse 23, so turn over to Acts 13 if you would. Let's look at that one. Acts 13 verse 48.

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained predestinated to eternal life believe. So we see the doctrine of predestination is definitely a doctrine of the Bible. And Don goes on to say this, he says, the basis of our faith is the Word of God and the Word of God alone.

We do not believe the doctrine of predestination because it is logical or reasonable or a reasonable part of theological system, though it is both. We do not believe this doctrine, or any other doctrine for that matter, simply because it has been upheld or maintained by true believers throughout the ages, even though it has been. Christians have always taught God's sovereign predestination. This is a doctrine the Church of God has always maintained, yet neither logic nor history is the basis of our faith. I'd stop and think about that. I'd look out and you guys are kind of like, what's he reading? What's he saying? Let me finish. Let me go on. This is not the basis of our faith. The basis of our faith is this, the Word of God.

God declares it. That's what Don's bringing out here. We don't believe predestination or any other doctrine, as he's saying, just because the church has been believing it for all this time. We believe it because it's in God's Word. I have to read it in God's Word. I have to either hear it preached or read from God's Word for me to believe it in the heart, for God to apply it to our hearts. That's what Don is saying here. We believe this doctrine, we rejoice in it, we preach it from the housetops because it is plainly taught in Holy Scriptures.

The fact that predestination is a Bible teaching simply cannot be disputed in any way. I've been beat up again by those who say, John, that's all you ever preach. That's all you ever preach is predestination. Well, yeah, that's because it's Our God is a purpose, and a God of purpose. This teaching cannot simply be disputed in any way.

The only question that needs to be answered is this, what does the Bible teach about predestination? And I'm thankful Don asked that question for me. He goes on, and this morning we're going to look at one of four different things that the Bible teaches.

And one of the first things we're going to start with is What are the misrepresentations of predestination? What are the things that some people take predestination and misrepresent it with? It's a doctrine which is often, writes Don, deliberately misrepresented by those who oppose it and ignorantly, now catch this, ignorantly misrepresented by those who try to defend it. In fact, it's hard to say whether this doctrine the camp of its enemies or in the camp of its friends. So we'll begin this study by identifying four common misrepresentations of divine predestination. We'll finish with that this morning before we go on to the other subjects of this doctrine that is taught in Scripture. The first one Don brings out is the Bible does not teach that impersonal stoic philosophy which says whatever will be will be. You've heard that before, right? Oh, whatever's gonna be is gonna be. That's the way it is.

That sort of philosophical fatalism attempts to remove from man all responsibility for his actions and for his condition in life. We do not for a moment believe that a man is the master of his own destiny, yet the scriptures make every person responsible for his own soul. Our eternal destiny is our own responsibility. Secondly, the Word of God does not teach that religious fatalism which says the elect will be saved no matter what. stop at that and think to myself, what is Don talking about here?

The true elect will be saved. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. So what is Don saying here? He's saying is all of those who claim to be the elect, oh I'm one of God's chosen people. I know this because I do this, I do that, I believe this, and I believe that. The elect will be saved no matter what.

We believe and rejoice in the Bible doctrine of election absolutely. It is impossible to believe the book of God and not believe in election. However, the word of God never suggests or even allows the possibility that the elect will be saved no matter what. The Scriptures plainly declare that no one will ever be saved who does not hear the Gospel. That's in Romans 10-17. The Scriptures are very clear that those who do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as spoken of in Mark 16, 15-16, and those who acknowledge and confess their sin, as it says in 1 John 1-9, and those who repent from their sins, Luke 13,

5. So those are four points there that the scriptures very clearly declare that have to be done in the life of one of God's elect, one of the people who God went to the cross and died for. And perseverance of faith, that's another one. That's in Matthew chapter 10, verse 22. God has predestinated the use of specific means for the accomplishment of his purposes, and the use of those means is as necessary and as certain as the end itself.

Do you catch that? And I want that to sink in, because we've never, and we never want to be declared or charged with preaching or teaching that it's not okay, or that it's okay to walk in sin freely and willfully. Thirdly, Don brings out the Word of God nowhere teaches or implies that God has arbitrarily predestinated some to go to heaven and some to go to hell. The all-wise God never does anything arbitrarily. He has a wise and good purpose for everything He does and everything He's purposed from eternity. Without question, the everlasting condemnation of the reprobate was as much a part of God's decree as the salvation of the elect.

Now go over to 1 Peter 2, verse 8. And a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense Even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. One more, if you would, turn over to Jude. Jude verse 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained, prepared to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God. and our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible speaks as plainly about the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction as it does the vessels of mercy which had aforeprepared underglory as it states in Romans chapter 9, 21-24. However, we must never fail to recognize that God's predestination while securing the salvation of the elect by God's hand alone leads the responsibility for every sinner's damnation upon his own shoulders. The elect, the vessels of mercy, are prepared for glory by God's free grace in Christ. Whereas the reprobate, the vessels of wrath, are fitted to destruction by their own sinful, willful unbelief. Salvation is always set before us in the Bible as being God's fault and God's work alone. Damnation is always set before us in the Bible as being man's fault and man's work alone.

Fourthly and lastly, Don brings up, divine predestination is not based upon God's foreknowledge. Predestination is not God's foreknowledge of what would come to pass, but his purpose and determination of what must come to pass. It is not the result of what God knew man would do, rather predestination is what He determined He would do. The fact is nothing could be absolutely foreknown that was not absolutely predetermined. That which is foreknown must have been foreordained. God knew the end of all things from the beginning because He had predestinated the end from the beginning.

And to show that, let's look at three scriptures over in the book of Isaiah. If you're still there in Proverbs, just turn to the right a little bit. The first one we'll look here is at Isaiah chapter 14. Isaiah chapter 14, verse 24. Isaiah 14, verse 24. Surely, as I have thought, so shall it come to pass, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand. Another one, if you would, look at verse 26.

This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. Another one, if you would, at verse 27. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

Now turn over to Isaiah 46. In Isaiah 46, and we'll close with this, look at verse 9. Remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is none else. I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from the ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. country. Yay, I have spoken it. I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also