As I said earlier, the message
this morning will be concerning God's predestination, the predestination
of His elect. I've heard men and women say,
at the mention of the word, just read the verse or quote the verse,
at the mention of the word, they stop you, right there, and say,
now, I don't believe in predestination. Let me tell you something. If
you don't believe in predestination, you don't believe God. Somebody needs to tell you that.
You don't believe God. This is God who speaks of predestination. Now, you might disagree with
what I have to say about it. or what somebody else has to
say about it. But just to make a blanket statement, I don't
believe in predestination. You don't believe God. Predestination is vitally connected
to the gospel. I've heard men say that. Now,
we just need to leave these deep things off, this predestination. Leave those things aside and
preach the gospel. You can't preach the gospel apart
from predestination. Predestination is vitally connected
to the gospel of God's grace and it's declared by the Apostle
Paul both to the church at Rome and to the church at Ephesus.
And not at the end of his letter but at the beginning. Predestination is a biblical
doctrine and he that believeth not God hath made him a liar. There's three places in the scriptures
where the Holy Ghost inspired his servants to write about predestination
and use the word itself. And in every instance that it's
used, it's used in connection with our salvation in Christ,
every time. There's three accounts in the
Word of God concerning predestination, Romans 8, 29 and 30, Ephesians
1, 5, and Ephesians 1, 11. And there's many examples of
it in the scriptures. I read to you one in Isaiah 46,
and then several applications of things that are owing to God's
predestination. I want us to read all of the
verses where the term predestination appears, and then I'll attempt
to make some comments about it. First of all, in Romans chapter
8, and beginning with verse 28, you can actually go back even
further than that when he said, creation was made subject to
vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who subjected the
same in hope. And from that point forward,
this whole rest of Romans chapter eight is talking about God's
predestination. But he begins to sum things up
here in Romans eight verse 28, and he said, and we know that
all things, every act of providence, every situation and circumstance
that arises, every trial, everything in time and eternity, that we
know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose. Four, here's
the basis behind this knowledge. Now what's the knowledge? The
knowledge is that all things, things that God did in eternity,
things that are not yet done, That's what he said back there,
isn't it? I'm God, there's nobody to compare me with. I declare
the end from the beginning, and things that are not yet done,
saying my counsel shall stand. So here's what we're talking
about, all these things in time and eternity, all working together
for good to them who love God, to them who are called according
to his purpose, for, here's the basis, 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. Conformity
to Christ is the object of God's predestination. He predestinated all that. But the reason he did it is our
conformity to Christ. Conformity of Christ is the great
object of predestination. Moreover, verse 30, whom he did
predestinate, them he also called. And to shorten things up, he
did also justify and glorify. All right, now let's read a few
verses from Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians chapter one, verse
three. 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 hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love or before him being
loved, having something he's already done, something that
is the cause behind our election, behind our holiness, behind our
being loved of God, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. That's predestination. And then
down just a few verses. In verse eight, he said wherein,
that is in this election and in our acceptance and in our
redemption and in God's abounding toward us, listen to this, wherein
he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. This is referring of course to
our election and justification and all these things. Verse nine,
having made known unto us the mystery of his will according
to his good pleasure which he's purposed in himself that in the
dispensation of the fullness of times, that word dispensation
means the act of dispensing or giving out and the arrangement
by which something is dispensed, the stewardship of Christ, that
in the dispensation of the fullness of times, that is, that in the
arrangement by which all things are dispensed and in the fullness
of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ,
things which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him,
in whom, that is by way of this grand and glorious stewardship
of Christ, in whom also we have obtained
an inheritance, now watch this, being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will. And then all of this to this
end, Ephesians 1 verse 12, that we should be to the praise of
his glory who first trusted in Christ. Or maybe a better rendering
might be who first trusted the stewardship of all these things
to his son for his own glory. So what then is predestination
and what is its relationship to the salvation of sinners?
Why should I even consider predestination? Predestination is the everlasting
will and purpose of God to have a people just like His Son, and
to have them for His own glory, to manifest the glory of His
great name. And to this end, Paul said, God
worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. Everything that's working is
working to that end. So what is the relationship of
predestination to the salvation of chosen sinners? Well, as God
has found his son to be a fit steward of his redemptive will
and a fit image by which his people should be conformed, so
he says in verse 13, in whom ye also trusted after that you
heard the word of truth. What word of truth? What he just
said. what he just said. You see, predestination,
this is the beginning. This is the beginning. This takes
in the entire scope of everything that God intends to do, predestination. in whom you also trusted after
that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
and whom also after that you believed you were sealed with
that Holy Spirit of promise, the promise of God's eternal
purpose and will that you be conformed to His image. Now watch
this, verse 14, which is the earnest of our inheritance until
the redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of
His glory. Now let's go back to our first
account of predestination in Romans chapter eight, verse 29.
Verses 29 through the end of chapter eight are all in answer
to verse 28. These things working together
were good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose. All these things work together
for good. All things are not good in themselves. They're not good. The death of
Christ was not good in itself. Stand there and watch this innocent
man being railroaded through a kangaroo court and then nailed
to a cross and die in agony on that cross. These things are
not good in themselves. but they work together for good. To whom does God work all things
together for good? I've heard this verse quoted
by men and women so many times at the funeral home about men
and women that I know had no interest in Christ. No interest
in God, never donned a door of a church, and if they did, it
was on Mother's Day or something. So Paul skirts the declaration
with this, to them that love God. Had they come to love God,
we love Him because He first loved us. So here he's talking about enlightened
sinners. They're enlightened as to their
predestination. They're enlightened to who Christ
is. To them that love God, to them who are the called according
to His purpose. You know, Paul told Timothy,
he wrote to Timothy in his first epistle, I think it's chapter
1 and verse 9. He said, God saved us. That's
predestination, isn't it? God saved us. It's something
already passed. God saved us, and then he 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. That's predestination. So all these things, we know
that these things are all working together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
And then he tells us here in verse 29, for whom he did foreknow. Now false prophets, they love
it. I've heard them on TV so many times. They get so theatrical
about it and they talk about God looking down through the
telescope of time and seeing who would and would not love
him and who would and would not seek him and who would and would
not walk that aisle and accept Jesus and all this kind of nonsense. But he uses that word again,
that exact same word for no, he uses that very same original
Greek word over in the book of Peter. And he's talking about
Christ. And he said, you know, we weren't
redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold, but with
the precious blood of Christ as a lamb, as a lamb. who barely was four or dying
do you know that's the same word that he uses here in romans chapter
eight of why i would he right one place for now and in another
place for our day because what god for now he for our day that's
what he wants us to understand that I've heard this verse quoted
by men and women who had no interest in Christ, no love of God, or
hope in eternity as a blanket statement. Is Romans chapter 8 a blanket
statement for all mankind? Are all things working together
for the good of all mankind? Not according to our Sunday school
lesson this morning. He said, these shall all have
their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. All
these. It wasn't working together for
their good. He said of Judas, it'd been better if he hadn't
been born. All things wasn't working together for good for
him. Esau sought repentance with tears and never did find it.
All things wasn't working together for good for him. But they did
for Joseph. And they did for Jacob. And they
did for Moses. And they did for Elijah. And
on and on the list goes. False prophets like to explain
this word foreknowed by saying that he foresaw all these things. But that's not what the word
means. All right. What did God predestinate
concerning these four ordained sons? He says to be conformed to the
image of his son, that his son might be the firstborn among
many brothers. Everything that God has done
in time and eternity is geared to conform and elect people to
the image of Christ. They're gonna be just like Him.
Just like Him. Not as the second person of the
Godhead, but as the image of God manifested by Christ in this
world. God's whole character was manifested
in His Redeemer. And that character which was
manifested in the Redeemer is that image into which we're going
to be conformed. God's love, God's mercy, God's
grace, God's kindness, His generosity, His long-suffering, God's righteousness,
justice, and goodness. John said, we know that the Son
of God hath come and given us an understanding. And he said,
it don't appear right now. It does not appear right now
what we shall be. You can't look at me and see
what I'm gonna be then. It doesn't appear. But he said,
I know this. When Christ appears, I'll be
just like him. Just like him. Oh, my soul. What would it be like to have
the compassion of your Savior? What would it be like to have
the mind of Christ? But isn't that what Paul urged
us to do? Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus our Lord. He thought it was not robbery
to be equal with God. But he made himself of no reputation. Took on him the form of a servant
and was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. Walk a perfect walk, live a perfect
life. Oh my soul, what would it be
to be conformed to the image of Christ? Well that work has
already began in believers. Sure it is. That spirit of Christ
that's in you. That's why Paul doesn't encourage
them to obey the law. He encourages them to walk like
Christ. Be like Him. Whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. And
then, moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he called. Who'd he call? Everybody he foreknew, everybody
he predestinated. Who's he gonna call? Everybody
he foreknew, everybody he did predestinate. An Arminian preacher
told Henry Mayhem one time, he said, if I was you, I'd just
preach to God's elect then. He said, I would if somebody
go put a mark on them. Because I'm wasting my time with
everybody else. Whom he did predestinate, them
he also called. Whom he called, he also justified. Who did he justify? All his elect. Who are his elect? Those having
predestinated them unto the adoption of sons. And whom he justified,
them he also glorified. Now, what are we going to say
to these things? What are we going to say to this
predestination of God? What are we going to say to this
doctrine that incorporates the whole scope of God's salvation
to me? What are we going to say to these
things? I'll say, what are you going
to say? If God be for us, who can be against us? Yeah, that's
what I'm going to say. If God be for me. He didn't say
if I be for God. We will be after he calls us. but not before. But God, He was
for you before your calling. Huh? He was for you way back
in eternity. What are you going to say to
these things? What's the believer going to say? Is he going to
swell all up with pride and say, let me tell you what I know,
and start talking about all these deep doctrines and all these
things, Now, that's not what he's gonna say. Here's what he's
gonna say. That man who understands predestination, receives it and
rejoices in it, he's gonna say, if God be for me, who can be
against me? He's gonna say it in his trouble,
and he's gonna say it when he's on the mountaintop. To God be
the glory. Great things he hath done. What shall we, we who now know
what is never entered into the heart of man, those things which
God has prepared for them that love him. What shall we who have
the mind of Christ and walk after the Spirit and are led of the
Spirit say to these things? What shall we who now know ourselves
to be heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ What are we
going to say to these things? What shall we, who've grown within
ourselves, waiting for and longing for the redemption of our bodies,
what are we going to say to these things? I know what false religion says,
and I know what this world says, but what do we say to these things?
Well, here's what we say. If God be for us, who's going to be against us?
You got lost relatives, lost friends, lost loved ones. If
God be for them, who can be against them? Just go do what he said
to do. Go preach. Go worship God. He told that woman at the well,
when he'd finished his discussion with her, he said, now you go
back to your own home and you tell what great thing God done
for you. Listen to this. He that spared
not, this is Romans 8, 32. We're still talking about predestination. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? God's predestination is the dispensing
of all these spiritual blessings that he was given to us by way
of his son, our Lord Jesus Christ. All spiritual blessings in Christ
according as he chose us in him before the foundation of the
world. God spared not his own son. This is the greatest evidence
of God's predestination, the coming of his son. He spoke about
it early in the book of Psalms and he spoke of it again over
in Acts chapter four. He said the Gentiles and the
Jews and all of these people, all these governors, they're
all gathered together to do what God's hand and God's counsel
determined before to be done. That work of salvation which
Christ accomplished on that cross is the evidence of God's eternal
predestination. He prayed to the Father in earnest
from his heart and he said, Father, let this cup pass from me. And
then again he prayed and he said, what shall I say? Spare me from
this hour, but for this hour came I into the world. You wanna know what predestination
is? It's evidenced at the cross. He said, I must be about the
father's business. And what is the father's business?
To conform us to the image of his son. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all. Not all men, but for all those
called according to his purpose. And if Christ, who is God, and
He says He is, and He come and accomplish the redemptive will
of God, then how shall He not with Him also freely give us
all these other things? The greatest gift, the unspeakable
gift, is Christ on the cross. And that precious faith that
He gives us in the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, if he gives us those things,
how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? In Romans 5 verse 10, Paul said,
for if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by
the death of his son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by his life. What in the world is he talking
about? By his resurrected life. He's not in the tomb anymore.
He's seated at the right hand of God. He sat down expecting
until his enemies be made his footstool. If he reconciled us,
if we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, how
much now more being reconciled or we're gonna be saved by his
life. And Paul follows that argument right through Romans 8. He said,
who is he that condemneth? It's God that justifies. And you can't condemn this man.
You can't lay anything to his charge. It's God who justifies.
And who is he that condemneth? Christ died, yea rather, he risen. He's even at the right hand of
God. His resurrected victorious ascended
and enthroned life. Paul said in Hebrews 1, 3, Christ
being the brightness of the Father's glory and express image of his
person and upholding all things by the word of his power when
he had by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand
of the majesty on high. How shall God, who spared not
His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, with Him now freely
give us all things? And then, who's going to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord?
Huh? God's predestination is His eternal
purpose and will to have a people conformed to the image of His
Son. It concerns their adoption in Christ to be heirs of his
grace according to the good pleasure of his will. And the scriptures
tell us that this is how every son discovers his adoption, because
God worketh all things after the counsel. Now what he says
there in Romans 111, I read it to you awhile ago. In him we have obtained an inheritance
being predestinated. You mean predestination had to
do with my calling? Sure it did. It had everything
to do with it. Whom he predestinated, them he
also called. Salvation is not somebody feeling
sorry for the pitiful, defeated reformer he heard preached and
then needed his decisions to make his blood and righteousness
effectual. I tell you, if you ever understand
what I'm telling you, it'll make you sick to listen to him on
the radio. Make you nauseous. Oh, without his help, everything
he did gonna be for naught. No wonder he calls them an abomination. Paul said, in Christ 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. Want me to mention a few of them
all things? Here's one of them. Everybody he predestinated, every
one of them, he had only hear the gospel. God predestinated. God told them in Thessalonians,
he told that church, he said, God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation. through sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto He called you by our
gospel. God predestinated that. You're
here this morning, you may be hearing the gospel for the first
time in your life. God may have given you some ears
to hear. If He did, it's because He predestinated
it to be so. Isn't that right? My own brother
told me one time, he said, if I believe what you believe about
those things, I wouldn't bother to preach. I said, well, it's
the very opposite. If I believe what you believe,
everything depends on man. You have to talk to man. You
have to plead with man. You got to wait on man. You got
to find some way to inspire man. If I believed that, I wouldn't
bother preaching. But if I believe there's a sovereign
God in glory who's predestinated a people to be conformed to the
image of his son and predestinated all the means. Now I'm gonna
preach because God can't fail. Now let me say this and I'll
quit. Who wants and needs to hear a
message about predestination? Huh? I remember years ago, I preached
this for the first time. I was struggling, I wouldn't
even call it preaching. But I tried to preach it. And
I brought that first word, predestination, I saw everybody and oh. Who wants
and needs to hear a message about predestination? Helpless, hopeless,
Sinners. Huh? You in that company? Helpless,
hopeless sinners. Fallen, depraved sinners. Sinners
who have seen their inabilities and experienced their lack of
love and conformity to Christ. I need to hear that! It's not
my determination. It's not my will. It's not my
gripping my teeth and clenching my fist and saying, I'm going
to do this. God predestinated this. Huh? I tell you, predestination,
good news to chosen sinners. It shows the loving care and
provision of our Father for His children. Predestination. Now I want you to listen, you
might wanna write this down if you're taking note. Predestination
is the impelling force behind the believer's conformity to
Christ. It's behind every provision God
has made. All those spiritual blessings
that he blessed us with in Christ, having predestinated, they all
been predestinated. God created this world by the
hand of our Redeemer. Huh? He predestinated that. You
ever wonder why God had the Redeemer create? Paul tells us in Colossians 1.16
that all things were created by Him and for Him, that He was
before all things and by Him all things have a continuance. He further tells us about this
creation in Romans 8 verse 20 that was made subject to vanity
and God gonna deliver it from that vanity. Would not predestination the
reason behind the fall? If God had not predestinated
my falling Adam, I could never have been raised again in Christ
Jesus. and was not predestination. If
man had not fallen in Adam, he could never have been redeemed
in Christ. And so surely God hath made known the riches of
his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had aforeprepared unto
glory. Isn't that predestination? Can we not see the hand of predestination
in the death of Christ? He says this in Luke 22, 22.
This is a passage I've never paid much attention to before,
and it was just, the Lord just had me zero in on it. Listen
to this. Luke 22, 22. And truly the Son of Man goeth
as it was determined. Huh? Oh, my soul. And of those who crucified him,
they did what God's counsel determined before to be done in our calling
and all these things, the preaching of the gospel. And faith. He tells us, by grace are you
saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the
gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For, now
listen to this, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God had before ordained that
we should walk in them. Predestination's in your good
works. Why in the world would a man
suddenly start to seek God owing to God's predestination? owing
for that inward work of grace in his heart. All of those things
fixed in the counsel of God before the world was. Now I tell you,
I truly, a man who understands something of his depravity and
inability, predestination, and I'm gonna tell you this, this predestination of God is
not deep doctrine. It's milk. Am I telling it right? This is the milk. When God first
began to do a work in me, the first thing he revealed to me
was God's sovereignty and predestination. The very first thing. It was
like mama's milk. You ever seen a hungry baby?
They don't breastfeed much anymore, but those years ago, they breastfed
them babies. I tell you, you get that baby
in your arms, and wow, he just goes after it. He wants that
milk. He wants that sincere milk of the word. Talk to me about
predestination. Tell me what it is. Oh, my soul,
here's my hope. God has made provision for me
and his son. And it's fixed. It's fixed. It's unchangeable. It's everlasting. Nothing can defeat it. Nothing
can change it. Nothing can push it out of the
way. It's sure and steadfast. That's predestination. May the
Lord reveal to you in your hearts what it is and give you a hunger
for it and a thirst for it. Thank you.