Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Verse 29. For whom he did foreknow, know
beforehand, love beforehand. Whom he did foreknow, then he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name
that we might have your presence, your blessing, that you would
be pleased to speak to our hearts for the glory of your name. We thank you for the forgiveness
of sins. We thank you for the complete
acceptance and salvation there is in my son. May his name be
exalted and may we be enabled by your spirit, by your grace
to worship him. Lord, we pray. For your people,
wherever they meet together that you'd manifest your name to them.
Grant us the spirit of worship for Christ's sake. In his name
we pray, Amen. Predestination. I almost like to repeat that
word. Predestination. Now I was thinking that I would
love for everybody in the world to hear this. Predestination. It's one thing to see the logic
of predestination, and really it is logical. Anything else
doesn't make sense. Nothing else lines up with the
character of God. It's one thing to see the logic of predestination. I like what Stephen Hawking,
the physicist said, he said, if there is a God, there's no
such thing as free will. There must be absolute predestination. It's only logical. But it's one
thing to see the logic of predestination, and it's another thing to love
the God of predestination. And that's what I pray that me
and you will be able to enter into, loving the God of predestination. Now, in verse 31 of our text,
it says, what shall we say then to these things? If God be for
us, who can be against us? If he be for us in foreknowledge,
whom he did foreknow, if he be for us in predestination, he
also did predestinate. Now this is biblical. This is biblical. Whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate. Now what is predestination? Well,
when you got in your car this morning to come over here, You
didn't think it would just randomly end up somewhere, did you? You
predetermined that you'd be here, right here, this morning. Every
day we use predestination. God determining beforehand your
destiny, your destination. Every day we predestined to do
something. When a plane takes off, it's
got a predetermined destiny, doesn't it? It doesn't just randomly
go and land somewhere. No, it's got an arc that it stays
on to get to that predetermined destination. That is predestination. Now, God is the God of absolute
predestination. He has determined that everybody
he foreknew, we considered that last week, foreknowledge. Whom,
not what, but whom he did foreknow. He determined that everybody
he foreknew, he predestinated their destiny. That they would
be perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Now that's what predestination
is. God determining beforehand. that those whom he foreknew would
be perfectly conformed to the image of Christ. And there's
something totally different about God predestinating something.
When me and you predestinate something, we don't know if it's
gonna take place or not. We don't have the foresight, we don't
have the power, we don't have the understanding to make sure
what we want takes place. God does. He's all powerful,
He's all wise, and listen to this statement, His will cannot
be thwarted. Let me say that again. His will
cannot be thwarted. If He wills something, it must
come to pass. That's who He is. He's God. Most people, if you would ask
them if they believe in predestination, they'd probably say no. But they
would have some kind of vague, well, I think everything works
out. And now, well, they always quote half that scripture. I
think there's a reason for everything. Everything works out. And they
don't quote the rest of that scripture. But let me give you
three things that people say about predestination that are
not so. The Bible does not teach these
three things. The first is this, most people
would say that before time, that means before time, God predestinated
some to heaven and some to hell. The Bible does not teach that. The Bible does not teach that. The second error people make
with regard to predestination is if you are predestinated,
you will be saved no matter what, even if you don't believe, even
if you don't hear the gospel. If you're predestinated, you'll
be saved, use the term, no matter what. That's not so. That's not what the Bible teaches. A third error people make with
regard to predestination is if you're not predestinated, you
will not be saved even if you want to be. Like there are some
who wanna be saved. Sorry, you haven't been predestinated. Ain't gonna happen. You're gonna
have to go to hell. Bible teaches nothing like that. That is not
the scripture teaching on predestination. Now, I have heard people talk
about predestination in this light. Why? If you believe in
absolute predestination, if you believe God is in control of
everything and you believe in absolute predestination, you're
making men no more than puppets on God's string. Okay. If you deny predestination,
You make God a puppet on man strings. This is who God is. Predestination is God being God. Anything less than absolute predestination
is a false concept of God, a God men have invented in their own
depraved imagination. Now, I must say this. When the
Bible uses the word predestination, it always has to do with salvation.
Every time without exception, predestination has something
to do with salvation. It's used six times in the scripture. And it's always with regard to
salvation. Now the Bible does say it speaks
of vessels of wrath fitted for destruction in Romans chapter
nine. It speaks in 1 Peter chapter
2 of men who were, let me find it, those who stumble at the
word being disobedient, wherein to also they were appointed.
They were appointed in fact. Bible says that. Jude verse four
says ungodly men who were before of old, before time began, ordained
to this condemnation. Now the Bible uses language like
that with regard to those who are not predestinated. Here is
the point I want to make. If you are damned, it will not
be because you were predestinated to be damned. You will be damned
because of your sin. I will be damned because of my
sin. That is why I would be damned, not because God predestinated
me to be damned, but because of my sin. Now that is just the
truth. When people look at God's predestination
as God just arbitrarily saying, well, I'm going to say that one,
I'm going to damn that one. No, if you are in hell or if I am
in hell, I will not be able to say, well, I'm here because God
predestinated me to be here. I'll be in hell because of my
own personal sin against God. Everybody that believes God says
amen to that. They really believe that whatever
God does is right. Now, the actual word predestination
is used six times in the New Testament. And before we look
at these six verses, because we're going to look at all six
verses, I want to remind you that a God that is not The God
of absolute predestination is a figment of men's imagination. It's a non-existent God. I asked
Lynn if she remembered who Harvey the Rabbit was. She said no,
so maybe, does anybody here remember who Harvey the Rabbit is? Surely. Yeah, I mean Jimmy Stewart, the
movie, remember he had that imaginary figure? Yeah, I imagine, I think,
come on folks, you know, I know it. But Jimmy Stewart had that
Harvey the rabbit, that imaginary figure, a God that is not the
God of absolute predestination is no different than Harvey the
rabbit. Non-existent. He is not there. Now, only predestination lines
up with the character of the God of the Bible. If God is eternal,
Absolute predestination is a divine necessity. If God is immutable, absolute
predestination is a divine necessity. If God is sovereign, Predestination
must be. I mean, this isn't even up for
debate. This is who God is. If God is,
absolute predestination must be. Anything else is the figment
of man's depraved imagination. Now I want us to look at the
six times this word is used in the scripture. First turn to
Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians chapter one Now I want you let's read verses
four and five together and I hope the Lord will give us some Ability
to read this right according as he hath chosen us in him Ephesians
1 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world that we should be holy and without blame before
him Now this, in love, I think would have been better placed
at the beginning of verse five. Remember, men made these verse
distinctions and these chapter distinctions. It reads this way,
in love, having predestinated us. In love, having predestinated
us. And that's the exact same thing
as we considered last week, whom he foreknew. whom he foreloved,
then he also did predestinate. Now the predestination finds
its origin in the love of God. In love having predestinated
us. Now man's religion presents God's
love as a love that can fail to save. If you believe in heaven and
hell, and you believe that God loves everybody, you believe
in a love that fails to save. There's somebody that God loved
that is in hell. What if your child was out playing
in the street, and you love that child? And there's a car coming. And you say, get out of the road. You're going to get run over
by that car if you don't get out of the road. I love you,
and I don't want you to be run over. But I'm not going to violate
your free will. If you don't decide to get out
of the road, you're going to get run over. And all of a sudden,
a car comes and hits your child and kills your child. You loved
that child, didn't you? No, you didn't. No, you didn't. As a matter of fact, you know
what happened to you for that kind of love? You'd be put in
prison. You'd be charged with some form of manslaughter. You
could have prevented that and you didn't do it. And to think
that God could love somebody, really love somebody, and let
that person go to hell, why? That's evil. That kind of love
is non-existent. If God loves you, he predestinated
you to be just like Christ, and it's going to happen. It must
happen. Now, the second place this is
used, and let's look in verse 11 of this same chapter. In whom, verse 11, in whom also
we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated, there's
the word, remember it's used six times in the New Testament.
Here's the second time we're considering it. In whom also
we have obtained inheritance being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will. Predestination is a declaration
of the sovereign will of God in salvation. That's exactly
what it is. You were predestinated according
to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel
of his own will. Now let me tell you what that
means. That means if you're saved, God willed your salvation. You're
not saved because you willed your salvation, you're saved
because God willed your salvation. This is a declaration of the
sovereign will of God. I repeat, predestination is God
being God. He works all things after the
counsel of his own will. It's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Now turn to Acts chapter four. Verse 26, the kings of the earth stood
up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and
against his Christ for of a truth. against thy holy child Jesus,
whom thou has anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles
and the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever
thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. Now that word
determined before is the same word translated predestination,
same thing. They were gathered together to
do whatever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to
be done. Now, this is so important with
regard to having some understanding of predestination. It has to
do with the cross. You can't divorce it from the
cross of Jesus Christ. You see, Christ is called in
Revelation chapter 13, verse eight. And I really believe the
whole Bible is interpreted in light of this verse. Christ is
called in Revelation chapter 13, verse eight, the lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. And every man that lifted up
a hand with his hammer to drive the nail in his hand, it's because
God predetermined for that to be done. You see, God created
the universe. God purposed the fall of Adam. You saying God purposed the fall
of Adam? Yes, I'm saying it. It wouldn't have happened if
he didn't purpose it. God's in control. I make no apology for
saying anything like that. Somebody says, well, you're making
God the author of sin. I hate it when people say stuff like
that. God's able to take care of himself. I say that, I hope
reverently, but trying to charge it. What do you mean you aren't
God's judge? Whatever he does is right. Because He does it. He doesn't have a law over His
head saying you have to do this. What God does is right. What
God does is just. What God does is holy. What God
does is true. Whatever He does. You saying
He purposed the fall? Yeah, I'm saying it. In the day
you eat thereof, you shall surely die. God purposed that. And He
purposed it for the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see
the cross, Christ dying on the cross is the most God-like thing
God ever did. What He accomplished in that
glorious thing. And you can't divorce predestination
from the glorious cross of Christ. Everything that happened, was
predetermined, predestinated by God for his own glory, for
the manifestation of his attributes. Predestination has to do with
the cross, doesn't it? You see, like I said, every time
the word is used, it's used with regard to salvation. It's used
with regard to God saving people all the time. Can you say thank
God for predestination? Thank God for predestination. What a glorious God. What a glorious
gospel. Now this is, let me say this,
you will only worship a God of absolute predestination. If you
can manipulate him, you've never worshiped him. You worship the
God of absolute predestination. Like I said, this is logical.
I see that, but I think it's weird the way very intelligent
men, when it comes to religion, they leave, they check their
brains out. It seems like I can believe just anything ridiculous
and foolish. This is logical, but that's not
why we believe it. We believe it because it's scriptural.
And we believe it because it's who God is. And everything with
regard to the cross of the Lord Jesus' cross was predetermined,
predestinated by God. Now, turn to Romans 8. It's used
twice in this passage of scripture. We've looked at three different
passages, but look here in Romans 8, where I initially read, Verse 29, for 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. Now, God determined,
here's what predestination is, God determined to have a bunch
of sons just like His only begotten and well-beloved Son. He determined
to have a vast multitude of sons perfectly conformed to His image. That's what predestination is.
It's God determining that you're gonna be perfectly conformed
to the image of His Son. Anybody got any problems with
that? Oh, I'm so thankful for that. That's my destiny, to be
just like the Lord Jesus Christ, that He might be the firstborn
among many of us little brethren, perfectly conformed to His image. Now look in verse 30. Moreover, Whom he did predestinate, then
he also called, whom he called, then he also justified, whom
he justified, then he also glorified. Predestination is the guarantee
of calling. Predestination is the guarantee
of justification. Predestination is the guarantee
of already being glorified. That's how complete this salvation
is. Predestination reaches every
aspect of salvation and says it's already done. It's already
done. We're not looking for anything
else. Now turn to 1 Corinthians 2.
This is the last one. Verse seven, but we speak the wisdom of God
in a mystery. Even the hidden wisdom which
God ordained before the world and to our glory, now that word
ordained before the world is the same word translated predestinated. We speak the wisdom of God in
a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God predestinated before
the Lord unto our glory. Now, a mystery is that which
we would never have known unless God made it known. The mystery of the scripture. You know, this book is a mysterious
book. Now, by mystery, that's not like
a, You know, mystery novel, whodunit, nobody knows. That's not what
this word mystery means. It's something God has revealed
that we would have never known had not God made it known. The mystery of the scripture. Now, I'm gonna give you a quote
by Albert Einstein. Somebody says, why? Well, I think
you'll know after I give you this quote. This is Albert Einstein. What did he know? Did he believe
God? I don't know. I've heard different
things about him, but he did make this statement and I like
this statement. The most beautiful thing we can
experience is the mysterious. Something that you just It's so glorious, you believe
it, but you, it's mysterious. The most beautiful thing we can
ever experience is the mysterious, the mystery of the gospel. It's
the source of all true art and science. The mystery of God. The mystery of God. And he has
predestinated The mystery, all the mystery revealed in the scripture. Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh. The great mystery of Christ in
you, the hope of glory. Is that mysterious or not? What
about the church being one? I speak of great mystery, but
I speak concerning Christ in the church, the oneness, the
union that exists between Christ and the church. This is all the
predestinated mystery of God. Thank God. Praise God for His absolute predestination. Amen.