If I had picked a song for Judy
to sing before this message, I could not have possibly picked
one that would more prepare our hearts to hear what I believe
God has given me for this morning. My subject is this. What does
the Bible teach about predestination? Some men say that predestination
is a Bible doctrine and others denounce it as a doctrine of
devils. Some people love to talk about
it. Others are infuriated by the bare mention of the word
predestinate. One of our ladies was talking
to someone at work. I've forgotten whether it was
Carla or Shirley, somebody was. Folks just got real upset. You mean you believe in predestination?
I used to believe that silly stuff before I was saved, they
say. Folks get infuriated by it, which is true. Is divine predestination a doctrine
of comfort to the believer, a doctrine of Holy Scripture, which the
people of God should rejoice to know? Or is it the doctrine
of devils, a lie born in hell, which God's servants must denounce? The answer to those questions
must be found only in the Word of God. My opinion, your opinion,
the opinions of other men, the opinions of other churches are
of absolutely no importance. In all matters of doctrine, this
book, this book alone is authoritative. What does God say in His Word? That's all I want to know. Nothing
else matters to the law and to the testimony. If they speak
not according to this word, it's because there is no light in
them. If something is taught in the
Bible, we submit to it, we believe it, we rejoice in it, and we
preach it. If it is not found in the Bible,
we must reject it and denounce it. It's just that simple. If
this doctrine of predestination is taught in the book of God,
God's servants are going to be found preaching it. If it's not
taught in the book of God, God's servants are going to be found
denouncing it. If it is taught in the book of God, you must
hear and submit to the instruction of those who preach the doctrine. If it is not found in the book
of God, you must denounce and reject those who preach it as
being themselves false witnesses of God. In all matters of doctrine,
we simply want to know what does God teach in his book. Is predestination
a doctrine of this book? That's all that matters. Let
God be true and every man a liar. Turn with me, if you will, to
Romans chapter 8. Romans the 8th chapter. We're all very familiar with
verse 28. Romans chapter 8 verse 28. I say we're familiar with
it. Everybody has it memorized. Very few people understand what
it says. And we know. We have an intuitive knowledge
because we are taught by the Spirit of God. We know from within. We know by the inner witness
of the Spirit through the Word of God and through experience.
We know with positive assurance. That all things, all things,
what does that mean? All things, that's what it means,
all things, work together for good, eternal spiritual good. To them that love God, to them
who are the called, now notice the next words, according to
His purpose. This is what Paul says. Everything
works together for good to those who love God. But the verse doesn't
stop there. To those who are the called ones. Those who are called by divine
grace. And the verse still doesn't stop
there. All things work together for good to these called ones
according to His, that is, God's purpose. God's purpose. Read the next verse. For whom
God did foreknow, that is, whom he did know in love beforehand,
whom he did lovingly foreordain, he also did predestinate. The verse might be read like
this. I'm not stretching it at all. For whom he did predestinate,
he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son. For
whom he did foreknow, them he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son, the Lord Jesus, that he, Christ Jesus,
might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate." There's the word again. Whom he did predestinate,
them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified,
and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Now, if you will,
turn over to Ephesians, the first chapter. The book of Ephesians
chapter one. I'm reading to you merely those
verses of scripture where this word predestinate or predestination
is used. There are many other passages
in the New Testament and old alike, where words such as ordained
and such like are found, or the determinant counsel of God or
the decree of God is found. But we're interested simply to
stay with what we have in our English Bibles. Here in Ephesians
1 and verse 5, Paul is telling us of our eternal inheritance
in Christ. what God in eternity has done
for us and purposed for us. In verse 5 he says, let's begin
with the last two verses, our last two words rather, of verse
4. In love, that ought to be in verse 5, that's how it should
read. In love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. That is, God Almighty, in eternal
love, chose us to be his own. And in that same love, he predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will. Now, in verse 11, he says, In
whom, that is, in Christ Jesus, we have obtained an inheritance. Notice the language. It has already
done. In Christ we have from eternity
obtained an inheritance. An inheritance being predestinated,
there's the word again, according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will. Now, there's
no question then. The word of God plainly and pointedly
teaches the doctrine of predestination. It is not a doctrine born in
hell. It is a blessed truth of God, plainly taught in Holy Scripture. Next time you hear a man stand
up and denounce this doctrine and he says, I don't believe
in predestination, that's a damnable doctrine, I'm telling you, that's
a damned man. Somebody says, well, that doctrine's
born in hell. The man who says that is perishing
and headed for hell, and God will have to teach him otherwise,
else he will surely perish. Now, this book plainly teaches
the doctrine of predestination. Somebody may not understand what
the book teaches, but not understanding, it's no excuse for denying it.
The book teaches the doctrine. We are, in this place, what folks
call predestinarian. We preach the doctrine, we believe
the doctrine simply because it is taught in the Word. We do
not believe this doctrine because it's logical and reasonable as
a system of theology. I'm not interested in whether
or not it fits into a proper system, but it does. It is a
most logical, reasonable doctrine. But the basis of our faith is
not logic and it's not reason, it's thus saith the Lord. We
don't believe the doctrine because it has been historically preached
and taught by God's church and God's servants throughout the
ages of Christianity, though it has. You read a little bit
of church history, you'll find out there were some heretics
along the way who deny every aspect of divine truth, but those
men who spoke plainly for God, John Bunyan, George Whitfield,
C.H. Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, John
Gill, Augustine, John Calvin, John Knox, the list go on and
on and on. Those men who spoke plainly and
boldly in the name of God in days gone by were all men who
believed and preached the doctrine of divine predestination. But
the basis of our faith is not the fact that God's people in
the past had believed it. We want to believe and preach
precisely what God in His Word declares, that and no more. We believe the doctrine simply
because the Bible teaches it. You've read the text for yourselves.
You read them in your hearing. There's no denying what the Word
of God says. The only question to be answered
then is this, what does the Bible teach about predestination? This
doctrine is frequently misrepresented by those who oppose it. If you
hear one of the preachers in town describing what Don Fortner
says about predestination, you would come away with the notion
that he was some kind of a green-eyed monster with horns going out
of his head and and a long tail and a pitchfork in his hand.
Well, I don't believe what folks say I believe about predestination,
but I'm not too much concerned about what they say. Men who
are liars are liars by choice, and they don't care too much
about how they lie. But the doctrine is also frequently
misrepresented by those who claim to believe it and who do indeed
believe it, endeavor to support it and defend it. But it's misrepresented
by them because of ignorance, because of overstating or understating
things that are plainly taught in the Scriptures. Someone said
it's hard to tell whether this doctrine has suffered more in
the camp of its enemies or in the camp of its friends. For
that reason, I want us to carefully examine what the Word of God
does and does not teach about divine predestination. To begin,
there are four things. Four things commonly taught by
men concerning predestination which the Word of God does not
teach. Number one, we do not teach, we do not believe for
a moment that impersonal stoic philosophy that says whatever
will be, will be. Now I recognize that there is
an element of truth in that. Certainly we do not believe whatever
won't be, will be. But we are not mere philosophical
fatalists. You've all heard Dinah Shore
sing that song, Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be, the
future's not ours to see, and so on. Well, she sings that because
she's a fatalist. Fatalistic philosophy says, well,
if this is going to happen, it's going to happen. Nothing we can
do about it. We don't believe that. Nobody really believes
it. If you did, you'd cross Main Street downtown on Friday afternoon
at 5 o'clock without turning your head to see what was coming.
Nobody really believes that. They act like it. They say they
believe it because it is their intention, their desire to excuse
themselves of all responsibility for their actions in life and
for their condition of life. That fatalistic philosophy that
says whatever will be will be says I'm not responsible for
what I do. I'm not responsible for what I am. I'm telling you
the Word of God doesn't teach such a thing. Wes Roseboom, you're
responsible for what you are and you're responsible for what
you do in every aspect of life. Not only is that so, everybody
here, everybody here. We do not lay blame to ourselves
or lay blame for what we are and what we do to ourselves.
We lay blame everywhere else. Well, that little old boy, I'll
tell you why he stole that car. He was a good boy, but you know,
he was raised in a bad neighborhood. And if that fellow driving the
car hadn't left his keys in the car, that good boy wouldn't have
gone bad. That's the advertising on TV,
isn't it? What it says is, you leave your
keys in your car, some fella steals your car, that's your
responsibility, not his. He wouldn't have done it if you
hadn't done what you did. Oh no, no, no, not at all, not
at all. What we're saying is, what the
book of God declares is, that you and I, we're responsible
for what we are, we're responsible for what we do, we are exactly
what we choose to be, and we do exactly what we choose to
do. Now that's the way it is in this
world. If a man's a bum, it's because he chooses to be a bum.
If a man's a thief, it's because he chooses to be a thief. If
a man's a murderer, it's because he chooses to be a murderer.
If a man's diligent, it's because he chooses to be diligent. It's
just that simple. And you're responsible under
God for what you are with regard to spiritual matters as well.
If you would believe the gospel, you would be saved. But you will
not believe, therefore you will perish, and your perishing is
your responsibility. Don't lay it off on what circumstances
you had experienced when you were a boy. My soul alive. If circumstances determined what
a man would be, no telling where any of us would be. No telling
where any of us would be. Secondly, we do not teach that
religious fatalism which says that God's elect will be saved
no matter what. I have had a few people over
a course of the years to tell me that there was no need for
us to get too concerned about evangelism, about preaching,
about sending missionaries other places. They say, after all,
if God's elect are in those places, God will save them. You don't
have to worry about it. Now listen to me. No, listen
to God. Listen to God. in the doctrine of divine election.
I not only believe it, I delight in it. I rejoice in it. I preach
it. I hardly ever preach but what
I preach it. It's plainly taught in the word
of God. And we certainly rejoice in and declare this gospel doctrine
in all its fullness, laboring with confidence, with absolute
confidence in this fact. We are absolutely certain that
all of God's elect will indeed be saved. No matter where they
are, no matter what they experience, no matter what dark hidden corner
in the earth they're found in, God's elect will of a certainty
be saved. But God Almighty, who ordained
the salvation of His elect, has ordained the certain means by
which He is pleased to save His elect. And that means is this,
faith cometh by hearing. and hearing by the word of God. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. I recall years ago when
I was in college, the only person I could hear preaching anything
at all concerning the gospel of God's grace was a primitive
Baptist preacher out of Cincinnati. I used to listen to him over
WCKY every Sunday night at 1030. There was nobody else around
saying anything. So I'd go out to my car, couldn't get him on
my house radio. I'd go out late at night, sit down in my car,
tune that thing in, all the static and buzz carrying on, but I'd
listen to it. One Sunday night, I heard the
man declare that he had preached the funeral of a man who died
in a drunken stupor, who never had any interest in Christ, and
never had any interest in the gospel, never had any interest
in the things of God, But he said, I was able to comfort the
family because I could tell them that his hopes with God were
as good as mine. He's in the hands of a sovereign
God. Let me tell you something. Let
me tell you something. Men are never saved, never saved
apart from hearing and believing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Never, never. Say, well, What
if God's got one of his elect down in Africa somewhere, and
there's no preacher there? Somehow or other, God'll get
a preacher to that man, or get that man to a preacher. Otherwise,
that man's not elect. It's just that simple. You have
so many examples of it in the scripture. God never bypasses
the means. Never does he bypass the means.
Here's the Ethiopian eunuch. He is going in this direction.
Here's Philip down here in Samaria having a good time. God says,
Philip, leave this place and get out here. And God translated
him into the desert on the Gaza Strip. And there he declared
to that eunuch, Jesus Christ and him crucified. And the eunuch
believed. And until Philip declared it,
he couldn't believe. He couldn't believe. And look
over in the scriptures, 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2. Oh, yes, we believe in divine
sovereignty and we believe in divine election. But I'm telling
you that election does not make a church or the people of God
irresponsible. No, sir. No, sir. We believe
in divine predestination, but we do not believe for a moment
that God's elect to be saved no matter what. We believe, yes,
God's elect to be saved by God's certain ordained means. I hear
people say, well, preaching predestination will dry up a church's missionary
zeal and interest. I defy anybody. I defy anybody
anywhere to find a congregation of this size that does more for
preaching the gospel than Grace Church in Danville does. I defy
anybody anywhere to do it. And I defy you to find anybody
who preaches it any stronger. There's the proofs in the pudding.
The proofs in the pudding. We'll receive our missionary
offering again today. I call upon you. I urge you.
I urge you if you have to go without clothes on your back
to give for the support of the gospel. I urge you to do it.
I urge you to give generously because we believe in God's ordained
means. Is that right, Merle? This is
God's means of saving his people. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13. We're
bound to give thanks all the way to God for you, brethren
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth. That's what it says. God from
eternity chose you. He chose you and ordained you
to eternal life. He chose you through sanctification,
that is, through the regenerating work of the Spirit of God unto
eternal salvation. In other words, you're not going
to be saved apart from the Spirit sanctifying you in His work of
grace and belief of the truth. If the Spirit of God calls you,
if the Spirit of God regenerates you, if the Spirit of God sanctifies
you, you're going to believe the truth. You're going to believe
the truth. That's God's ordained means. There Paul says now in
verse 14, Whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look in 1 Thessalonians
1. 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 4. Knowing, brethren beloved, your
election of God. How on earth did Paul know these
folks were elect? He hadn't read the book of God's
decree. How did he know they were elect?
He hadn't read the mind of God. He hadn't entered into heaven
and seen whose name's written in the Lamb's book of life. How
did he know they were elect? Because our gospel came unto
you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance, as ye know what manner of men we were
among you for your sakes. And ye became followers of us
and of the Lord." Oh, now I know. Now I know how to determine who
God's elect are. I preach the gospel, and if that
gospel comes in life giving power to a man's heart, causing that
man to follow Christ, he's chosen of God. Just that simple. Just that simple. Mr. Spurgeon
said if the Marminian was talking to him one day, arguing with
him, and he said, well, if I believed what you do, I'd just preach
to the elect. He said, I would too. Instead, you watch. You
go paint a yellow streak down their backs, and I'll go lift
up shirt tails and find out who they are. And I'll just preach
just to the elect. But until you can tell me who
the elect are, I'll preach to everybody. And when a man believes,
I'll say there's one chosen of God. There's one chosen of God. And until you believe, there's
not any reason to faintly suspect you're chosen of God. No reason
at all. Well, I've got to hurry. Thirdly,
we do not teach. that God has arbitrarily predestinated
some to go to heaven and some to go to hell. I want you to
mark it down and learn it well. We do not teach. I don't care
what we're accused of teaching. Don't pay any attention to the
babblers who tell you what you believe. This is what we believe.
This is what I believe, what I preach. This is what this book
teaches. We do not believe that God has arbitrarily predestinated
some to go to heaven and some to go to hell. God Almighty does
nothing arbitrarily. He has a good purpose for everything
He does, and His purpose is always holy, wise, just, and good. It is plainly stated in the Word
of God that God has predestinated some of Adam's race to salvation
and eternal life in Christ. But it is nowhere written in
this book. It is nowhere written in this
book that God Almighty has predestinated any individual to eternal damnation. Search it out. Search it out.
I've been reading it now for 20 years. Is it in there, Merle?
It's not in this book. It's nowhere written in this
book that God Almighty has ordained and predestinated any individual
to eternal damnation. I know what people say, but Don,
is it not logical to assume that if men are predestinated to heaven,
then certainly others are predestinated to hell? It may be very logical
as an assumption. It may be a very reasonable deduction,
but it is not a biblical fact. There you have it. And we do
not build our doctrine. on logical, reasonable deductions. We don't try to box God into
a corner so we can get Him all figured out and tell men exactly
what He is and who He is and what He does. We simply bow to
the revelation of divine scripture as God Himself has given it.
This is what we believe, what God says, no more, no less. That's it. This is the place
where Baptists historically have differed from Protestants and
Catholics alike. We do not build our doctrine
on thus saith the Lord, plus tradition, plus reason, plus
custom, plus what works. We do not build our doctrine
on what the Lord says in his word, plus anything. We build
our doctrine only on what God says in his word. That's all. That's all. And fourthly, we
do not teach that divine predestination is based upon the foreknowledge
of God. There are multitudes, generally
men who try to escape what God says in His Word. They read the
book and they say, well, I can't just stand up like a fool and
say the Bible doesn't teach predestination. I can't do that. How are we going
to get around this thing? Well, I'll tell you what, this
is how it is. in eternity just knew. He just knew who was going
to be saved and who wasn't. He just knew who would believe
and who wouldn't. He just knew who would repent
and who wouldn't. And so, looking down with a long
telescope of omniscience, he said, let me see now. Today, August 16th, 1985, there'll
be this fellow, this woman, Grace Church in Danville who'll believe.
I'll choose him. No, no, no, no. Wouldn't be any reason for
you to praise God if that's the case. God be taking credit for
something he didn't do. He'd be taking credit for something
he didn't do. Be a cheat, a liar. No, no, no,
no. Predestination is not based on
God's previous knowledge, on God's eternal omniscience, not
at all. In fact, God's omniscience, now
listen to me. God's omniscience of all things
is omniscience precisely because He has determined all things. You can't know everything unless
you determine everything. You can't know everything unless
you cause everything. You can't know everything unless
you control everything. Do you see that? Do you understand
that? Yes, omniscience is an attribute
of God and God knows the end from the beginning because God
determined the end and he began to do it. That's how omniscience
is. God Almighty knows what tomorrow
shall hold and what tomorrow shall bring because God from
eternity purposed tomorrow. He from eternity purposed the
events of tomorrow and he sovereignly controls the events of tomorrow. Do you see that? Is that clear
to you? Predestination is not based on God's foreknowledge.
No, sir. Predestination is simply God from eternity determining
what must and would be done. What does the Bible teach then
about predestination? These four texts that we have
read clearly teach this fact. God has sovereignly predestinated
all of his elect to be conformed to the image of Christ, and he
accomplishes his purpose of predestination by his immaculate sovereign grace. God's plan and purpose cannot
fail. Both his wisdom and his power
secure the accomplishment of his eternal decree. And his immutability
forbids any possibility of alteration or change. Now listen to me,
if you just, if folks wouldn't leave their brains at home when
they go to church, they might not be so easily fooled by these
fellas. If you just stop and think, just stop and think for
a minute, is God or is he not immutable? Tell me, is it possible
for the Almighty to change? Or is He that One who says, I
am the Lord, I change not? Is it possible for God to change? Or is He the Father of lights
with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning? Now
tell me, if it is not possible for God to change, it's not possible
for His will, His pleasure, His purpose, His decree, His plan,
His ordination, it's not possible for Him to change anything. It'll
all be accomplished. It'll all be accomplished. This
is what God himself says. I am God. There's none else. There's none else. You stop.
You start thinking about God. I guarantee you if you get some
idea of who and what God is, you won't put up any signs on
your car that says God's like Pepsi Cola. He's the real thing.
You won't put up any kind of bumper stickers and declare that
God's like this or God's like that. He says, I'm God. There's
none else. There's none like me. There's none like nobody
and no one is like me. He says, I'm God. There's none
like me. Declaring the end from the beginning. And from ancient
times the things that are not yet done. Saying, my counsel
shall stand. And I will do all my pleasure. Now listen. I haven't spoken
it. I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also do it. That's what God declares, Isaiah
46, 9 through 11. And I want, by the grace of God,
to show you three or four things from the Scriptures that God
does teach with regard to divine predestination. Number one, eternal
predestination is God's sovereign work. Turn back to our text in
Romans 8. Eternal predestination is God's
sovereign work. 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. 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."
Now, I hope you noticed the emphasis on that word, he, he, he. He, He, He, our God, is the original
source and cause of all things. And you mark it down, and you
mark it down. He who is God is the original
source, the cause, the fountainhead, the spring of all things. From Him, everything that is
came to be. He did predestine. The Scripture
says in Romans 11, 36, for of him, and through him, and to
him are all things. What does that mean? It means
exactly what it says. It means, Bobby, that everything
came from him, everything's done by him, and everything's for
him. Everything. Everything. He's the source of
everything. Particularly, salvation comes
from him. He's the source. He's the cause. He's the originality of salvation. Not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. That's what
Paul's telling us in this passage. The Lord God, our Savior. He
is the one who rules all things. He is the one who governs all
things. He's the one who saves his people.
I'll tell you what. You can form true or false doctrine
in every aspect of Holy Scripture with the opening words of this
holy volume. Here they are. In the beginning,
God. In the beginning, God. He's before
all things, and by Him all things consist. And everything's dependent
on Him, and everything flows from Him. It is not in the beginning
God and Satan. It is not in the beginning God
and man. It is not in the beginning God
and angels. It is not in the beginning man.
It is not in the beginning free will. It's in the beginning God. Now you find that to be true,
you won't go wrong anywhere else. You reject that, you miss everything
else. Specifically, predestination
is God's eternal purpose of grace toward his elect. Now, I'm well
aware. I'm well aware of the fact that
God's sovereign purpose and decree includes everything, all people,
all events, all circumstances, all things. Nothing ever comes
to pass in time that God has not purposed in eternity. He
is in control of all things. He worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will and according to the good pleasure of his will.
Yet the Bible speaks of predestination only as it relates to the eternal
destiny of God's elect. Predestination is God determining
our destiny before the world began. Predestination arranges
all things for the salvation of God's elect. The Lord our
God determined the ultimate end and destiny of his elect people
before the worlds were made. So sure, so certain is the salvation
of God's elect in Christ that it's spoken of as having been
already accomplished from eternity. Read this text right here in
Romans 8 again. What does the scripture say? Verse 30. Whom he did predestinate,
Them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified,
and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Boy, what does that mean? Well,
if our minds were not so perverted with our many and free will junk,
we would understand very clearly what it means the minute you
read it. When God predestinated us, he called us, justified us,
and glorified us in Christ Jesus. That's what it means. I mean,
it was already done. For God's will is the accomplishment
of the thing itself. God's purpose, God's decree has
been absolutely, most certainly fulfilled from eternity. Preacher,
that can't be. We weren't born yet. We hadn't
been redeemed yet. We hadn't experienced anything
yet. I know all of that so. I know
that we must come to experience justification and we must come
to experience calling. And blessed be God, we shall
come to experience glorification. But in the mind and purpose of
Almighty God, the work was done before the world was made, for
he decreed it." How could that be? Exactly the same way that
Abraham sacrificed his son Isaac. Exactly the same way. Did you
know that Abraham took his boy Isaac up on Mount Moriah and
stabbed him to death? He killed him. He killed him.
He killed him dead as a hammer. He killed him. And no, he didn't,
preacher. Yes, he did. God said he did. God said he did. What do you
mean? There wasn't an ounce of blood
shed. It was in Abraham's heart. It was in Abraham's heart. And
in God's heart from old eternity, Jesus Christ is the lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. Though not an ounce of blood
had been shed in the heart of God, his life was poured out
and we were justified and we were glorified before the world
was ever made. That's what the book of God teaches.
God Almighty predestinated us unto eternal life and salvation
in Christ. And his purpose of predestination
is so sure that in God's heart, it's already accomplished. It's
immutable. It's unchangeable. It's fixed. It's unalterable. What God has
purposed, he will surely do. He declared from eternity, I
will be their God. But what if What if they're not
willing? What if they're not around when
the preacher's preaching? What if? What if? What if they
die before the time when the preacher brings the gospel to
them? What if? What if? All the what ifs are
wiped out with this word, I will. I will. God says, I will. Let all hell say, what if? God said, I will. I will be their
God, and they shall be my people." Read the book of God. Read it
again. God doesn't say, I will maybe,
and they shall possibly. God says, I will be their God,
and they shall be my people. And it's going to be just that
way. It's going to be just that way. Some say that God predestinated
a certain number of nameless faces, you know. I had a professor
when I was in school, he said, God predestinated salvation in
the church, but he didn't determine who'd be in the church. That's
all foolishness. God's gracious purpose to save
us is founded upon his special everlasting love for us. He said,
I've loved you with everlasting love. Therefore, with a loving
kindness have I drawn you. My friend, salvation is accomplished
by God's power according to God's eternal decree of predestination. It's not my will that saves me.
It's God's will. And it's not your will that saves
you. It's God's will. It's not of him that willeth
nor of him that runneth. It's of God that showeth mercy. Scripture says in Acts 13, 48,
As many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And I'm telling
you here this morning, you listen to me. I'm opening in your hearing
the Word of God. the Word of the Living God. And
I'm opening this in your hearing with the full confident assurance,
with absolute assurance, that as many as God from old eternity
ordained to believe this Word, right now, this hour, you shall
believe. That's right. That's right. So
a preacher. What if a fellow chooses not
to believe? then God from eternity didn't ordain that you believe.
Just that simple. It's just that simple. For if
God ordained that you believe, somehow under God... I don't
know how. I can't explain it. I'm not in
the explaining business, Brother Richardson said. I'm just telling
you. Somehow under God, if God ordained that you believe, you
shall believe. He'll see to it. He'll see to
it. And if you believe, I'm telling
you, don't pat yourself on the back. It's because God caused
you to believe. It's because God caused you to
believe. The means and method of our salvation was resolved upon in God's eternal
counsel long before he made the world. Let me go a step further. The reason God made the world
is because he had determined to save a people. I'm telling
you, the reason God made the world is because he had determined
to save a people for the glory of his name. God made Adam in his own image
and after his own likeness. He made Adam in the image of
that man who was to come the second Adam. He made him in the
image of Jesus Christ, whom he had ordained to be a savior before
ever Adam was made. And God Almighty, while he did
not force Adam to do anything in the garden, while he did not
force Adam to go against his will, while he did not force
Adam to eat of that forbidden fruit, God said, Adam, when you
eat the tree, you're going to die. When you eat. In the day thou eatest thereof.
I'd sure like some of these Arminian free will, I better say jack
legs. I'd sure like to hear someone
explain that sometime. God didn't say if you eat, did
he? Read it for yourself. God didn't
say, Adam, now I planted this tree out here and if by some
freak thing that happens, maybe one of these days you eat that
tree, I've got to tell you, you're going to die." That's not what
he said. Darwin, he said, in the day you eat, you're going
to die. Why? Why did God allow things
to happen that way? Why is it that God puts up with
this world and puts up with the insanity and the ungodliness
of this world? I'll tell you why. Why is God
long-suffering with all the religious junk that goes on in this world?
Why doesn't He sweep this world clean right now? I'll tell you
why. Because God has an elect seed that comes from the loins
of Adam whom he's determined to save before the world was
made. And before the world was made,
he said concerning that elect seed, deliver him from going
down to the pit. I've found a ransom. I've laid
help upon one that is mighty. I've exalted one chosen out of
the people. And those people must be saved. They must be. God's glory's at
stake. God's glory's at stake in the
salvation of his people. The death of our Lord Jesus Christ
was ordained of God from old eternity that God might be just
and yet justify the ungodly. Our Lord Jesus did not die by
an accident. Not at all. Not at all. He was delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. God determined when he would
die, where he would die, and how he would die. God determined before the world
was made whose lips were going to kiss him in betrayal and how
much he was going to be sold for. You read the book of God. Turn over to Acts. Acts chapter
2. Let me show you a couple of texts. Acts chapter 2. I ain't going to come near getting
done this morning, but I believe I've got some things said that
need to be said. Acts 2 verse 23. The apostle Peter is telling these
Jews, yes, you took your wicked hands and you crucified the Lord
of glory, but he was delivered by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God. That is, God from eternity determined
to deliver him into your hands and foreordain that he die by
your wicked hands. Turn over to chapter 4, Acts
4, verse 27. 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 before determined
to be done." Do you see that? You mean what Herod did and what
Pontius Pilate did? was ordained of God. Those fellows
could not have more perfectly fulfilled God's decree if they
had opened up John Gill's exposition of the Psalms and read what they
were going to do. I'm just telling you. Over in
chapter 13, Acts chapter 13, verse 27. They that dwell at Jerusalem
and their rulers Because they knew him not. If they had known,
Peter said, they wouldn't have crucified the Lord of glory.
They wouldn't have crucified him if they knew who he was.
Thank God they didn't know who he was. Because they knew him
not, nor yet the voices of the prophets. They didn't understand
the scriptures, which are read every Sabbath day. They have
fulfilled them in condemning him. You mean they fulfilled the scriptures
when they nailed the Son of God to the tree? That's what this
book says. And they found no cause of death
in him, yet they desired Pilate that he should be slain. Now
look at this. And when they had fulfilled all
that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and
laid him in a sepulcher. God determined how his son would
die, why his son would die, when his son would die, and God determined
the results of his son's death. If you never understand that
God determined that Christ should die, that God determined when
he should die, where he should die, how he should die, and why
he should die, you won't have any problem understanding that
God determined the results of his death. It pleased the Lord to bruise
him. For thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. This
is what God says. This is what God says. He shall
see his seed. He shall prolong his days, and
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall
see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied, and by
the knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justify many,
for he shall bear their iniquities. That's the result of his death.
Those people for whom he died shall be with him justified and
glorified. Here's another thing. Whatever
predestination affords, brings and accomplishes is for God's
elect. I challenge you again to read
the book of God. Predestination concerns God's
elect and God's elect alone. It secures our adoption, our
salvation, and our eternal glory in Christ. I do not say, I do
not say that the only thing predestinated by God is the salvation of his
elect. Not at all. Not for a moment.
All things that are, have been, or shall be were ordained of
God. But I do say this, everything
that was predestinated of God and ordained of God was predestined
and ordained of God for the accomplishment of our salvation. Everything. Everything. That's what Paul
means when he says, we know that all things work together for
good. to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to His purpose. Everything, everything
in the world, everything is working for the good of God's elect. Predestination has nothing to
do with the unbeliever. The Word of God never speaks
of men and women being predestinated to hell. In the Bible, Reprobation
is always spoken of as being a judicial act. Always. Listen to the scriptures. Ephraim
is joined to his idols. He's heard the prophets. He's
heard the prophets. He's heard the prophets, but
he chooses his idols. Therefore, God says, let him
alone. Proverbs chapter one, the Lord
God says, I've called and you've refused. I've stretched out my
hand, you've not hearkened. I've called unto you and you
would none of my reproof. He said, if you'd heard me, I'd
pour out my spirit unto you, but you wouldn't, you wouldn't
hear. Therefore, I'm going to laugh when your calamity comes.
The time is going to come when you're going to want me And you
can't have me. You're going to seek me and you
shall not find me. I tell you, my friends, listen
to me. Listen to me. God help you to hear what I'm
saying. Don't you flirt with Almighty God. Don't you toy with
God's dear son. Don't you play games with the
eternal God. You hear the word of God, you
had better obey that word and obey it right now. I mean, right
now. Right now. God's not like you think He is.
God does not trifle with men who trifle with His Son. He doesn't
do it. He doesn't do it. God sent Noah
and that generation, and He said, Noah, you go and tell this world
judgment's coming. You tell them. You tell them,
get in the ark. Get in the ark. Get in the ark.
For 120 years, Noah said, get in the ark. Get in the ark. But
nobody hear him. Nobody pay any attention. And
when God put Noah in the ark, he shut that door before a drop
of rain ever fell. You stop and think about it. Judgment hadn't yet come. When
Noah went in the ark, everybody and his brother was poking fun
and laughing at Noah. Noah, you old fool, what are
you afraid of? Noah, you old fool, why do you
act this way? What are you doing, Noah? He
said, God said it's fixin' to rain. God said it's fixin' to
rain. And all of a sudden, all hell
broke loose and the heavens poured down with fire and thunder and
rain. And everybody clambering to get
in that ark. Everybody wanted to get in the
ark. Open the door! God shut the door. And they were damned while they
lived. And I'm telling you, He still does the same thing. Our Lord stood over Jerusalem.
He said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets
and stonest them that have sinned unto thee, how oft would I have
gathered thee even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings,
and you would not. Therefore, your house is left
unto you desolate." Now, you go try to find somebody who knows
God in that land. I mean, when God sends judgment,
judgment's there. The Apostle Paul tells us that
in the last day, because men receive not the love of the truth,
God will send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie,
that they should all be damned because they believe not the
truth. If any man's lost, if you perish, I'm telling you,
if you perish, oh, my soul, if you perish in your sins, it's
your fault. It's your fault. There's not
anybody in this building without excuse. Nobody. Nobody. You've heard the way of life.
Repent. Believe the gospel. Bow down to King Jesus and worship
at his throne or you'll perish forever. Now you've heard the
way. You've heard the way. And in the day of judgment, this
preacher will stand before you. And in those days, these weeping
eyes will no more weep for you. And I'll say, Yes! They heard
the word and would not believe. Their damnation is just. I'm
saying to you, get in the ark. Get into Christ Jesus. Sue right
now for mercy. Or forever bear your own judgment. And in hell you'll know that
it's your own fault. God's predestined nothing except that which is for the
good of his elect and the glory of his own great name. I'll hurriedly give you the last
two points. The purpose of God and predestination. is that we who believe, we who
are His elect people, should be conformed to the image of
His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what God's doing
in this world. I saw a sign, and I don't like
the humor in it, but I like the sign. I like the word behind
it. I just don't care for humor with
regard to the things of God. Somebody had a sign up where
I was staying recently, said, be patient with me. God's not
done yet. Well, that's true. Be patient
with me. God's not done yet. He's confirming me to the image
of his son and he's going to do it. In the end, the scripture
said we shall be like him, but we shall see him as he is and
like him we shall be. And the ultimate end of God in
predestination is this. It is the glory of God in Jesus
Christ. Here in Romans 8, Paul says he's
predestinated us that we should be conformed to the image of
his son, that he, the Lord Jesus, might be the firstborn among
many brethren. The word firstborn means the
chief one, the head of all, the glorious one. In our society,
we have a hard time understanding the language of Scripture with
regard to the firstborn. It doesn't mean the first in
time, though that's included. It means the first in preeminence.
The firstborn son possessed the whole inheritance of his father. The firstborn son was the governor
of the family. The firstborn son told the slaves
what to do. The firstborn son told the other
sons what to do. The other sons looked to the
firstborn son for all protection, all provision, and all guidance.
The firstborn son in the house, he was the chief one. And I'm
telling you that in our Heavenly Father's house, he who is the
firstborn of God, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, he's the chief
one. And it shall be that way forever. In the last day, this is what's
going to happen. This is what's going to happen.
You know, you read the book of God and folks say, well, I believe
in this thing about prophecy and that. Man, if you don't believe
in sovereign predestination, you can't believe anything God
says. Can you? I mean, you can't believe any
promise of the book if you don't believe in sovereign predestination.
Because if God doesn't control it all, if God hadn't predestined
it all, how on earth is he going to fulfill anything? Everything's
up in the air. Everything depends on a roll
of the dice. Everything's just a crapshoot, nothing more. Listen
to me. We know how it's going to turn
out. This is God's purpose. In the end, the whole host of
God's elect sing a new song. They say thou art worthy to take
the book, to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, tongue,
people, and nation. and has made us unto our God
kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth." That's not
all. The angels all joined the course,
and they said, worthy is the Lamb. That's not all. Every creature
of God Everything that is or has been or shall be, every creature
of God, in heaven, in the earth, and in the sea, everything says
concerning Jesus Christ, blessing and honor and glory and power
be unto him that sitteth on the throne and unto the Lamb forever
and ever. And I say amen. That's what God's
ordained. That's what I look for. That's
what I desire. That's what shall be.