I had to cringe. Read that hymn
when you get a chance, I Surrender All. Wow, that's a whole lot better. I'm thankful for that. We will observe the Lord's table
tonight. The Lord said, this do as oft as you do it in remembrance
of me. And what a blessing it is to
meet together and to observe the Lord's table in remembrance
of Him. I can't emphasize how important
that is. Also, we will have a church dinner
Sunday, June 26, after the morning service, and there will be no
evening service that night. And volunteers are still needed
to help with Vacation Bible School, June 14-16, and if you're able,
please sign up in the foyer. Ephesians chapter 1. I've entitled this message, Glorious
Predestination. Glorious Predestination. Look in verse 5 of Ephesians
chapter 1. having predestinated us. Having predestinated us. Look
in verse 11. In whom also we have obtained
an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
A predestination. You can't deny that the Bible
teaches it. I just read the scriptures regarding it. Predestination
could be the most maligned, misunderstood, and misrepresented doctrine in
all the Word of God. Although, a case could be made
that that is true regarding every other doctrine of scripture. Let me give you some misrepresentations
of predestination. And I've heard all of these. Before time began, God predestinated
some to heaven and some to hell. Now, if God did do that, he's
God. And whatever he does is right.
And whatever God does, I don't have any problem with. Do you?
But you know the Bible never says he predestinated anybody
to hell. It doesn't say that. That's a
misrepresentative of predestination. Misrepresentation of predestination. You see, predestination always
has to do with salvation. Always. Here's another misrepresentation. If you're predestinated, you
will be saved no matter what. Whether you hear the gospel or
not, if you're predestinated, you'll be saved. That is not
predestination. That's not what the Bible teaches.
Here's another misrepresentation. If you're not predestinated,
you can't be saved even if you want to be. You can say, Lord,
save me, have mercy on me. Nope. You don't want to predestinate.
Ain't gonna happen. That is not found in the Scriptures. Now the word predestinate is
found in the New Testament six times. Four times it's translated
predestinated. One time it's translated ordained
before the world. And another time it is translated
determined before. And we're going to look at all
six of those verses where the Bible actually deals with the
subject of predestination. Now the meaning of predestination
is found in the word. Predetermined. Determined beforehand. Now this morning, you know what
you did? You predetermined that you were
going to come to the Todd's Road Grace Church to hear the gospel.
You made that decision. When a plane takes off, it doesn't
just take off and then try to, which way am I going to go? No.
Its destination has already been determined, hasn't it? That's
what predestination is. You're determining beforehand. And that's part of our everyday
life, isn't it? I mean, you're probably planning on what you're
going to do for lunch today. You predestinated what you were
going to do. It's a part of everyday experience. We always determine what we're
going to do. We don't just wake up and think,
well, where the spirit moves, that's where I'll go. Nobody
thinks that way. We determine what we want to
do. Now, there's a big difference
between me predestinating something and God predestinating something.
If I predestinate something, number one, I don't have the
power to make sure it comes to pass. And number two, I don't
know what the future holds. I don't know what will happen
that could prevent my plans from taking place. Now, like I said,
predestination is a part of your life and it's a part of mine.
Tomorrow you plan on going to work. Tomorrow you've got plans
of doing certain things. I mean, we all have our plans
and our purposes. But here's the difference between
me and God. There's a whole lot of difference between me and
God. You know that. But God has the power to make
sure whatever He determines takes place. I don't, but He does. Because He is all-powerful. And He's not bound by space and
time the way I am. He sees the future. I don't.
He does because everything in the future He has determined
before to take place. He's never taken by surprise.
Everything that happens, He is in control of. He's purposed
everything. Known unto God are all His works
from the beginning. Turn with me for a moment to
Isaiah chapter 46. Verse 9, Remember the former things of
old, Isaiah chapter 46 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. Don't you love that? No one can
even be compared to Him. Declaring the end from the beginning. He declared the end from the
very beginning. And from ancient times, the things
that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I
will do all my pleasure, all my will. Calling a ravenous bird
from the east, the man that executes my counsel from a far country,
yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass. I have
purposed it, I will also do it. Now that's who God is. The meaning of predestination
is easy to understand. It's not hard at all. It means
that God, before time began, predestinated who would be perfectly
conformed to the image of His Son. They're the only ones who will
be. Now there's nothing hard to understand about that. Somebody
says that's high and deep. It's just so. It's who God is. He predestinated who would be
saved. And it's an exact number. It's
an exact number. It can't be added to. It can't
be subtracted from. The number of the elect is an
exact number. It's a great multitude. But those
whom God has predestinated, determined before to be saved, they will
be saved. Now look in Ephesians chapter
1 verse 11. I want to look at each one of these verses where
predestination is used. Verse 11, Ephesians 1, In whom
also we have obtained and inheritance, not earned one but obtained one,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will. Predestination is God being God. Let me repeat that. Predestination
is God being God. It's a necessary consequence
of God being God. If there's no predestination,
really the only alternative is atheism. Predestination is God
being God. God. It's about God's purpose. It's about God's counsel. It's
about God's will. And it's about God's glory. Now
listen real carefully. The God of the Bible is God of
purpose. And we know that all things work
together for good to them who love God, to them who are thee
called according to His purpose. for the children not being not
yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose,
the purpose of God according to election might stand, not
of works, but of him that called us. He saved us. He called us with a holy calling,
not according to all works, but according to his own purpose. and grace which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. When he predestinated us according
to this text, he did so according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel, after the will of his own will. I love predestination. I do,
and it's because I love the God of predestination. Anything less than a God of absolute
predestination is a weak pygmy God, the figment of man's depraved
imagination that isn't even worthy of worship. But oh, I can worship
the God of absolute predestination. Now there's two things that predestination
secures. Number one, it secures that he
gets all the glory and salvation. That's his purpose. And predestination
secures the glory of Jesus Christ. And secondly, predestination
secures the salvation of the elect. Now, why do I say that? Well, turn with me to Romans
3. Romans 3, beginning in verse
9, what then? Are we Jews? Are we better than
they, the Gentiles? No, in no wise, for we have before
proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. Now here's what that means. As
it's written, there is none righteous, no not one, there is none that
understands. There's none that seeketh after
God. They are all gone out of the
way. They are together become unprofitable. There's none that
doeth good. No, not one. Now, with regard
to these people I've just read about, what kind of chance do
they have of being saved if they're not predestinated? If they're not righteous, if
they don't understand, if they don't even seek God, If they
can't do good, what chance is there of them being saved if
God doesn't predestinate them? You see, predestination's unto
salvation. If there were no predestination,
none of us would be saved. Thank God for predestination. Now, since God has predestinated
a people, there will be a people that are saved. that are perfectly
conformed to the image of Christ, that are saved from their sins. Can you say from your heart,
thank God for predestination. This is who He is. I turn to
1 Corinthians chapter 2. Verse 7, But we speak the wisdom of God
in a mystery. Now a mystery is that which would
have never been known unless God was pleased to make it known.
A mystery is not so much understood as believed. How would you ever
know that God was one God in three distinct persons, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. Could you have figured that out
on your own? Could you have thought, you know, I think God must be
a Trinity. He must be one God in three persons. I mean, that
only makes sense. No! The only way we know that is
because God was pleased to make it known. Now, the mysteries
of Scripture. It's that which God has been
pleased to make known that we would have never known unless
God was pleased to make it known. Now, let's go on reading. But
we speak the wisdom of God, even in a mystery, even the hidden
wisdom. You know, a lot of people don't
see this. God's hid these things from them. Remember what the Lord said,
I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
you have hidden these things. from the wise and prudent, and
revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. The Lord thanks his Father that
he did this. Go on reading. We speak the wisdom
of God in the mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained
before the world. And that's the same word, predestinated. Same word. Here it's translated,
ordained before the world. which He predestinated unto our
glory. Now, from the Word of God, from
the revelation of God, I can say I know God's will. Well,
that seems presumptuous. You know God's will? Yes, I do.
Yes, I do. Ephesians 1, 9, look at this
with me. Have He made known unto us the
mystery of His will. I know it's God's will to glorify
Himself. I know it's God's will to glorify His Son. I know it's
God's will for all the elect to be saved. I know God's will. He's made known unto us the mystery
of His will. And you think of the mysteries
of Scripture that He's made known. I've already mentioned the mystery
of the Trinity, but what about this? Ephesians 5.32. This is
a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.
And there he's talking about union with the Lord Jesus Christ.
God's elect have always been one with Him. The two shall be
made one flesh. Not two real close together.
Not two glued together. But one. I've always been one
with Christ. This is a great mystery, but
he has revealed it. 1 Timothy 3, 16, great is the
mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the spirit, seen of angels, believed on in the
world, received up into glory, preached to the Gentiles. What
a mystery. What about the mystery of the resurrection? This is
a great mystery, Paul said, speaking of the resurrection. Behold,
I show you a mystery. And how would you ever know that
the dead are raised? Man's going to die, he's going
to be raised from the dead, some to everlasting glory, some to
everlasting condemnation. This is a mystery that he has
revealed. Colossians 1.27, the great mystery
of Christ in you. the hope of glory. You know what? In a way it freaks me out to
say this, but Christ is in me. That's a hard thing to get hold
of, isn't it? Christ in you, the hope of glory. I live, yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life that I now live
in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. Now that God predestinated that
I would know this mystery. It's all a part of His great
predestinating purpose. We even read in Revelation 17,
5 of the mystery of the great harlot. false religion, this
woman that looks so beautiful that the world has taken up for.
I see the mystery that man's religion is nothing more than
a harlot. And that's what God has revealed. He's predestinated
that all of his people know the mystery of the gospel. Would you turn with me to Romans
chapter 8? Third time. Verse 29, For whom he did foreknow. Now, what's that mean? Adam knew his wife Eve. Didn't mean he knew what her
name was. Didn't mean he knew stuff about
her. Didn't mean he was acquainted
with her. It means he came into this intimate relationship of
oneness with her. That's what foreknowledge means.
He loved beforehand. Remember that crowd? He said,
depart from me, ye that work iniquity. I never knew you. Now
he knew all about them. He knew everything they did.
He knew their names, but He said, I never knew you. I never was
one with you. I never loved you. I never knew
you to love me. I never knew you. Now, remember
that when we look at this passage of scripture with regard to God's
foreknowledge. It doesn't simply mean He knows
events. He does know events. God knew
that happened. I know He did. He determined
it. But that's not what foreknowledge is. Whom He did foreknow. This is His forelove of His people. 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. God took another look at his
only begotten and well-beloved son, in whom he was so pleased
with and said, I'm going to have a great multitude just like him. They're going to be perfectly
conformed to his image. This is what predestination is.
Being predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son. Now predestination, I've already
said this once, it has to do with salvation. It has to do
with salvation, not damnation, not reprobation, but salvation,
being made just like Christ. Now, with regard to all of those
who are predestinated, you have been destined to have His nature,
partakers of the divine nature. You have been predestinated to
have the same relationship with the Father that He has, your
Son. You're a son, a son of God. You are predestinated to have
his character. When he shall appear, we'll be
like him. For we shall see him as he is. We're predestinated to have his
inheritance, joint heirs with Christ. All that Christ has coming
to Him, we have coming to us. Predestinated to have His glory. He said, the glory which thou
gavest me, I have given them. Predestination has to do with
salvation. It has to do with being mapped out. Purpose that
God is going to make you just like His Son. Glorious predestination. Listen carefully. There is such
a thing as vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. There is such a thing as ungodly
men who were before of old ordained to this condemnation. There are
those who, as Peter says, stumble at the Word, being disobedient,
whereunto also they were appointed. There is Judas, the child of
perdition. There are Pharaohs. Remember
what God said about Pharaoh? Even for this same purpose have
I raised you up. that I might show my power in
thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the
earth. There are those to whom the scripture
says in 2 Thessalonians 2 10 God shall send strong delusion
that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned
who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. There is such a thing as reprobation. God giving someone over to a
reprobate mind. There is such a thing as God
hiding these things, the things of salvation from the wise and
the prudent, and revealing them unto babes. What's all that mean? Just what it says. I don't, I'm
not going to apologize for it. It's in the Word of God. And
whatever God does is right. And he says these things. I just
quoted nothing but pure scripture. Do I understand it all? No. I
know this though. If a man goes to hell, it's all
his own fault. It's all his own fault. You don't
go to hell because you were not elect or predestinated or because
Christ didn't die for you. You go to hell because of your
sin. But if you go to heaven, it's all God's fault. Every bit
of it. Every bit of it. You're in Romans 8, look in verse
30. Here's the fourth scripture we'll
consider. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also
justified. and whom he justified, them he
also glorified." Predestination secures all the rest of salvation. And that's the fourth meaning
of predestination. Predestination secures all of
the rest of salvation. You see, if you're predestinated,
you know what? You'll be called. You'll be called
by invincible, irresistible grace. Lazarus, come forth. He that was dead came forth. Zacchaeus, you make haste, come
down. Today I must abide at thy house. You know what Zacchaeus did? He made haste, he came down,
and he received him joyfully. Now, if you're predestinated,
you'll be called by the grace of God. You'll repent. You'll
repent of all those ridiculous things you believed. And you'll
believe the gospel. You'll come to Christ. You'll
lay hold of Him. You'll persevere all the way
to the end if you're predestinated. Whom He predestinated, them He
also called. And here's why He called you.
Them He called, them He also justified. You see, if you're
predestinated, you're justified. You're justified before God.
You are without sin before God. That's what justification means.
No guilt. No sin. Nothing to be condemned
for. Nothing to even feel guilty about. Justified by Christ. That's the glorious end of predestination. Justification. All of God's elect
are justified in the Lord Jesus Christ. Eternally. Eternally. Now, you don't know
anything about that until you believe the Gospel. I'm not going
to give anybody any hope that he's justified until you bow
the knee to Christ and believe the gospel. We wouldn't say,
well, you might be justified even though you don't believe.
No, I'm not going to say that at all. But I know this. If you're predestinated,
you're called. And if you're called, you're
justified. And look how complete this is. This is how complete
this is. Whom he justified, them he also
glorified. That's not talking about future
tense. That's what I'm talking about right now. Glorified in
the Savior, whom He justified, then He also glorified. So this
predestination. Don't you love predestination?
It means I'm glorified. I'm justified. God's going to
call me and I'm going to lead me to myself. I'm going to believe
the gospel. Predestination secures the salvation
of all of God's elect. Now turn back to Ephesians chapter
1. Now remember the chapter divisions
and the verses are man-made. The Bible was not written in
chapters and verses, so sometimes the placing of words between
verses is not real good, and I think this is an example of
it. Verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places, in Christ, according as he has chosen us in him before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before him. Now, I believe, and I think many
others believe, in love should be part of verse 5. In love! having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ himself according to the
good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his
grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Predestination is about his love
and about His glory. This predestination has something
to do with the praise of the glory of His grace in love having predestinated
us. Those He loves, He predestinates. Now, please listen carefully.
To say that God loves all men the same is to make God's love
utterly meaningless. To say He loves all men the same
and some of those He loves are saved and some of those He loves
are damned means His love didn't do anything for those that were
damned. It means that his love was powerless within, that it
didn't do anything. Now, to say something like that
is to completely deny what the love of God is in the first place.
Somebody who brings a message, God loves everybody and Christ
died for everybody and God wants to save everybody, they don't
know God. They're false prophets. They don't have a clue as to
what the gospel is. Predestination is about God loving. having loved his own which were
in the world. He loved them to the end. Doesn't mean there was a time
he quit loving. He loved them to the everlasting. Now, if you and I are predestinated
to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be
the firstborn. Now, this predestination, I want
to say this carefully, but me and you are just, we're not that
big a deal in predestination. He is. He is. We were predestinated that He
might be the firstborn among many brethren. Now, we get the
blessing of it, but God's purpose in predestination wasn't so much
to save you as to glorify His Son. That's God's purpose. I like it that way too. You have
any problem with that? I like it that way. We're predestinated
to the praise of the glory of His grace. This is about God's
love, His saving, glorious love. That's where things begin is
foreknowledge. Foreknowledge We can't say anything chronologically
with God, because it's all at the same time, because He dwells
in eternity. But logically, love comes before predestination.
Those He loves, He predestinated to be conformed to the image
of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren,
that He might get all the glory. He's the firstborn among many
brethren. Behold I and the children which
you have given me. All we will be is a testimony of free, sovereign,
saving grace. Turn with me for a moment to
Colossians chapter 1. Now this is God's agenda. Colossians chapter 1, beginning
in verse 14. in whom we have redemption, we
have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins,
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn, remember
Christ is the firstborn, of every creature. For by him were all
things created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible
and invisible. Whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities
or powers, all things were created by him and for him. And he is before all things,
and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body,
the church who is the beginning. the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased
the Father that in him should all fullness dwell." And you
know somebody else it pleases? Everybody in him. Everybody in
him. I love that scripture, the kingdom
of heaven is likened to a certain king that made a marriage for
his son. And that's what predestination
is all about. It's about the glory of Jesus
Christ. Lastly, turn to Acts chapter
4. Let's begin reading verse 24. This is the early church. This
is just a few days after Pentecost. This isn't people who've been
studying the scriptures a long time. These people were just
saved. Hear what they had to say. Acts chapter 24, verse 24,
and when they heard that, They lifted up their voice to
God with one accord and said, Lord, thou art God which has
made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is,
who by the mouth of thy servant David hath said, Why did the
heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 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 hast 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 predestinated."
That's the word. Same word. Determined before. to be done. Now remember, Christ
is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Before there was ever a creation,
He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth. Now
these men who crucified him were doing exactly what they wanted
to do. They were not coerced into this.
They were not forced to do this. They did what they wanted to
do. They hated Jesus Christ and wanted
Him to be put to death. When they drove those nails in
His hands and His feet, when they pressed the crown of thorns
upon His head, when they mocked Him and spit on Him, they weren't
saying, Oh, the devil's making me do this. I don't want to do
it. No, no. They were doing exactly what
they wanted to do, weren't they? I think of that scripture, Him
being delivered. by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, you have taken and with wicked hands have
crucified and flamed. Now while these men were doing
precisely what they wanted to do, they were doing nothing more
than what God had predestinated them to do. You see, God's in control. He
controls everything and everybody. And nothing is outside the range
of His absolute predestination. I'm glad you said that, aren't
you? What part would you like to have not under His predestinating
rule? He is in absolute control. Now, God's purpose in letting
this take place is to have many sons in glory, perfectly conformed
to the image of His Son. These men meant it for evil,
but God meant it for good. And you know what comes out of
this? Here's why I want to close with
this thought. Paul says in Romans 8.28, and
we know We know. This is not something
we're guessing about. This is not something we hope
will take place. We know. Somebody says, well,
I don't know that. I do. I do. A believer is someone who says
we know. And when I'm saying we know, I'm not saying, well,
I know. That I'm saved or I'm a Christian. I'm not saying I
know Christ died for me. I'm not saying I know I'm born
again. I'm not saying I know any of those things. I believe
I am. You know, sometimes I can't say
that with that much confidence. I know I'm one of the elect.
I know Christ died for me. Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute.
I still am amazed by that. That Christ would die for me?
I sure hope he did. And we know, not that we're saved,
although I believe I am, but that's not what he talks about.
We know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the cobbled according to his purpose.
Now people use that verse, I just believe everything is going to
turn out for good. This is not optimism, this is
we know. We know. That all things work together
for good, not to everybody, but to them that love God, to them
who are called according to His purpose. We know that. And the reason we know that is
because 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, do I have any problem with
this? Do you? Not at all. Not at all. As a matter of fact, I love this.
I love this. Now what does this say about
God, this thing of predestination? It says God is God. He's not
a God in word only, but in deed and in truth. He controls everything. And what should our response
be to the God of predestination? Number one, worship. Oh, worship the King, all glorious
above. Number two, confidence. Confidence. God's on the throne. If God be for us, Who can be
against us? Number three, courage. Courage. God's in control. I
don't have any reason to be anything but courageous regarding whatever
is facing me. God is on the throne, ruling
and reigning. How we love the God of predestination. Let's pray. Lord, we thank You that You're
the God of predestination. And Lord, how amazed to think
that Your people are predestinated to be perfectly conformed to
the image of your Son. Lord, give us the grace to simply
trust you. Not to question you, but to trust
you and to rest in your Son. Lord, deliver us from misunderstanding and abusing
predestination or any doctrine of your scripture. Lord, give
us all the grace to call upon thy name to save us. Lord, you said, whosoever will,
let him call upon the name of the Lord. And Lord, we're calling
upon thy name. Save us by your grace. Save us
by your sovereignty. Save us by your justice. Save
us by your love. Save us by your power. Save us
by your wisdom. Save us by who you are. Lord,
save us. Don't leave us to ourself. Save
us from our sins for Christ's sake. I bless this word for your
glory and for our good. In Christ's name we pray. What do you got, Glenn?