Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 11,
in whom, in whom? In the Lord Jesus 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. I want to speak to you upon this
subject, Biblical Predestination. Let me read the verse again.
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated
according to the purpose of him that worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will. Biblical predestination. Now, the reason I entitled it
Biblical Predestination is because, number one, it is in the Bible.
I just read it. Somebody said, the Bible doesn't
teach predestination. I beg your pardon. Yes, it does.
I just read it. And the second reason I entitled
this Biblical Predestination is because there is a view of
predestination that is not biblical. Now, my reason for preaching
this message is not to convince you of the truthfulness of predestination. That's not my aim or my goal,
nor is it to try to straighten out people who have a non-biblical
view of predestination. My aim, my goal, is to preach
the gospel from this. I hope that's my aim every time
I preach. Paul said, Christ sent me not
to baptize, but to preach the gospel. And whatever the subject
is from the scriptures, it must be the gospel. Now you can preach
predestination and believe predestination and not believe the gospel. But this is equally true. You
cannot believe the gospel and not believe biblical predestination. Now I hope that you will pray
for me and for yourselves as we consider this glorious important
subject, biblical predestination. Now, before we go on, what does
the term predestination mean? The word is used six times in
the New Testament. In the King James Version, which
I love, it's translated four times, predestinate. and one
other time it's translated determined before to be done and another
time it's translated ordained before the world began, before
there was any time. To predestinate means to determine
beforehand. Now you and I do that every day.
This morning when I woke up I determined beforehand that I was going to
bring this message. Now, everything we do, generally
speaking, we're predestinating to do it. We're determining beforehand. Well, God determined what he's
going to do, but there's an infinite difference between God determining
what he's going to do beforehand and me determining what I'm going
to do beforehand. You see, I have no power, no
power. to make sure I can do what I
determined beforehand to do. You see, I might have gotten
a wreck and got killed on my way over here. There could be
some unforeseen circumstances that prevent me from doing what
I determined before to be done, but that's never the case with
God. God is all-powerful, all-wise, completely sovereign, and nothing
can prevent Him from doing what He intends to do. I want to read
a passage of Scripture from Isaiah 46, beginning in verse 9. Remember the former things of
old, for I am God. And there is none else. I am
God and there's none like me. If somebody says he's a God-like
person, no he's not. No one's like God. God is absolutely
independent. No one is like him. Now look
what he says. Declaring the end from the beginning. From the very beginning, he's
declared what the end will be. And from ancient times, the things
that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I
will do all my pleasure. Calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executes my counsel from a far country,
yea, I've spoken it. I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it. I also will do it." Now, I can't
speak with that kind of language, but he can because he's God.
He's incapable of failure. It's not possible for his will
not to be done if it's his sovereign will for something to take place.
None can stay his hand. Daniel 4.35 says, "...he doeth
according to his will in the armies of heaven, and among the
inhabitants of the earth. And none can stay his hand, none
can stop his will from being done. His will cannot be thwarted. Or say unto him, What doest thou? Give some explanation. He that
knoweth man an explanation." He is God and His will is always
done. Now, predestination is biblical. Let me read the verse again.
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated. There the word is. Predestination
is biblical. Somebody says, well, I don't
believe in predestination. Well, to be consistent with that,
you must also say you do not believe the Bible because you
can't possibly deny that it is in the Bible. You can ignore
it if you want, but you can't deny that it is in the Bible. God determining before what he
is going to do. Now, a God that is not the God
of predestination is a non-existent God. Predestination, listen,
predestination is God being God. If I don't believe in the God
of predestination, I believe in a non-existent God. There's not much, if any, difference
between believing in a God that doesn't exist and believing that
God does not exist. There's not much difference between
those two positions. You know, the only alternative
to the God of predestination is atheism. That is the only
alternative. Now, atheism is illogical, it's
irrational, it's unreasonable. The only logical explanation
for why there is something And not nothing is God. Now, I know atheistic views abound,
but they all begin with a leap in the dark. To believe there
is no God takes a leap into the dark. It's blind faith. Now, predestination is God as
He is. Stephen Hawking, the British
physicist, wrote in his book A Brief History of Time. He went
back and forth on whether or not he believed in God. Well,
God is whether he believes or not. But he did make this statement
in that book. He said, if there is a God, there's
no such thing as free will. And that's only logical. If there
is a God, God's will is done. He's sovereign. There's no such
thing as free will. God, if there is a God, God determines
everything. And that's what predestination
is. It is God being God. Now, we don't believe predestination
because it's logical, although it is. We believe predestination
because it's biblical. Predestination tells us of the
God of the Bible, not the God of human invention, but the God
of the Bible. Now, there is, and I want to
speak very briefly on this, but there is a belief in predestination
that is not biblical. It's usually called double predestination. It's man's logic at work. If God predestinated who would
be saved without their works, then he predestinated who would
be damned without their works. God chose some to be saved. He
chose others to be damned. That's called double predestination,
and it is not what the Bible teaches. It's what human logic
may teach, and I can understand why somebody could fall into
that error, because that only seems to make logical sense.
If he predestinated some to be saved, he predestinated others
to be lost. But that is not what the Bible
teaches with regard to predestination. Like I said, the word is used
six different times in the scripture, and all six times it has to do
with salvation, not with damnation, but with salvation. You see,
we're already condemned. And everybody would be condemned
without predestination. Predestination is unto salvation. And if a man is condemned, he's
not condemned because he was predestinated to be condemned
and predestinated to hell. A man is condemned because of
his sin. If I go to hell, it will be God sending me there
because of my willful sin against Him. Now, this is what the Bible
teaches, and I want to read a passage of Scripture from Revelation
chapter 20. And it's talking about the great white throne
of judgment that everyone, me and you, will stand before one
day. Verse 11, John said, and I saw
a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face
the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no
place for them. And I saw the dead, small and
great stand before God. That's talking about the dead
and sins. I saw the dead, small and great stand before God and
the books, plural. The books were opened and another
book, singular, was opened, which is the book of life, called in
Revelation chapter 13, eight, the book of life of the lamb
slain from the foundation of the world. Now in this book,
the names of all the predestinated are recorded. They're written
down in this book. The names of all of the elect
are recorded in this book. Now, he says the dead were judged
out of those things which were written in the books. according
to their works. Now, in these books, every sin
that an unbeliever has ever committed is recorded, and he is judged
according to his works. Condemnation is God paying his
debts. The wages of sin is death. God
always pays his debts, and if I'm damned, it's
because of my sins. You see, when somebody says,
well, you're damned because you're predestinated, it really takes
all the beauty out of the gospel. Christ is the reason for predestination,
and when you think of it in those terms, and the Bible doesn't
teach that, it just becomes some cold choice of God to save one
and damn the other, but the Bible does not teach that. Now, let's
go on reading. And the sea gave up the dead
which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which
were in them. And they were judged every man
according to their works. And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire. Now those people who were written
in the book of life, their salvation had nothing to do with their
works. Their salvation had wholly to
do with the Lamb slain. The Lord Jesus gave them His
righteousness. He put away their sins by His
death on the cross. And that is why they are saved. It has nothing to do with their
works, but His work. That is the salvation of those
written in this book. But the ones in the books, They
were judged according to their works. And you know, this book
is even spoken of in Daniel chapter 12. Now, there are some scriptures
that would seem to imply that God simply predestinates people
to hell. Romans 9.21 speaks of the vessels
of wrath fitted to destruction. Why is there wrath? Sin. That's why there's wrath. 1 Peter
2, verse 8 speaks of those who are disobedient and stumble at
the Word, whereunto also they were appointed. Well, don't miss
this. They were disobedient and they
stumbled at the Word. Yes, they were appointed to this.
God's in control of everything. And I love that. You know, Jude
speaks in Jude 4, certain men crept in unawares who were before
of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men changing the grace
of God into lasciviousness. But once again, sin is involved. predestination, it's never according
to our works. It is according to His grace. Now those who hold to double
predestination do not believe in biblical predestination. They distort both salvation and
and condemnation, and it's really been bringing Christ out of the
equations of salvation. It's just some kind of predetermined
choice for God to save one and damn another. It doesn't bring
honor to Christ, and that is wrong. However, predestination,
biblical predestination, is true. Now, is God being God? Let me
read our text again. In whom? It's in Christ. All
of God's purposes of salvation are in Christ, in the beloved.
We're accepted in the beloved. 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. Biblical predestination is God
being God. Anything less is a non-existent
God. Now, stay in Ephesians 1, verse
4 and 5, "...in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ unto Himself." Predestination is founded
in the love of God. Paul put it this way in Romans
8, verse 29, for whom he did foreknow, forelove, love beforehand,
know beforehand. That doesn't include every son
of Adam. Whom he did foreknow, them he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Now, predestination
begins with the love of God. Now God is eternal and in eternity
there's no sequence or order of events. Everything is the
same in eternity. You couldn't say God first did
this and then did that, but logically The love of God comes before
his predestinating purpose, whom he did foreknow. In love, having
predestinated us, Jeremiah 31.3 says, Behold, I've loved you
with an everlasting love. This is spoken of the elect.
Behold, this is spoken of the predestinated. Behold, I've loved
you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn me." Predestination is a part of the great chain
of salvation Paul speaks of in Romans 8, 28-31. Listen to these
words. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, them
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. What shall we say then to these
things if God be for us? Who can be against us? Now, all of salvation is included
in this great change. God's foreknowledge is for love,
predestination, calling. That's everything that happens
in time. If you're called in time, it's because you were predestinated
in eternity. And somebody says, well, that
means you're predestinated regardless of what happens. It doesn't mean
any such thing. All he predestinates, he calls by his gospel. They're
made to believe on Christ. They're all justified, given
a standing of sinlessness before God, all glorified. This is not
saying they will be glorified, but in Christ, I am glorified. I love what Paul said in 1 Corinthians
2 verse 7 about predestination. He said, "...but we speak the
wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained
before the world." That's the same word, predestinated unto
our glory. Now, do you see that? All the
mysteries of the gospel, the mysteries of the gospel are things
we could never have known had not God made them known. And
they're not things we so much understand as believe. I don't
understand how God is one God in three distinct persons, but
I believe God is one God in three distinct persons because he's
made it known in his word. And this is for our glory, talking
about those he predestinated. It's for their glory. Now, somebody
says, what's that all about? Well, the Lord said, the glory
thou has given me, he said this to his father, the glory thou
has given me, I have given them. Now, everything is included in
predestination. Let me read a passage of scripture
from Acts chapter four, and this is talking about the death of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, listen to these words, and
these are the words of the early church. They say in verse 26,
the kings of the earth stood up together and the rulers were
gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ for
of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou has denointed
both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people
of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand
and thy counsel determined before to be done. When these men drove
the nails in the hands and feet of our Lord, it was because God
had determined before for it to be done." Now, everything
falls under the umbrella, as it were, of predestination. Everything is for the glory of
Jesus Christ. And I might not see how it will
end up that way, but it will end up that way. Predestination
covers everything as far as what takes place for the salvation
of those people in Christ Jesus. Remember, Christ is called in
Revelation 13, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Listen, the universe was created for this. The fall took place
because of this. Before there was ever a sinner,
there was a Savior, and the Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world. Biblical predestination is nothing
less than God being God. Now, in love He predestinated
us. There's no understanding of the
love of God without predestination. If you think God loves all men
the same and some are saved and some are not saved, you're saying
the love of God didn't do anything for those who are not saved.
That's making the love of God meaningless. If you take away
predestination, you must believe that man has some ability to
save himself. But predestination is good news
to a man that has no ability to save himself. God has predestinated
people to be saved for the glory of his name, and saved they must
be. This opens the door wide for someone who cannot save themselves. Without predestination, there's
no understanding of the cross of Christ. Now listen to this
scripture, Matthew 121, first page of the New Testament, thou
shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from
their sins. That's called predestination.
God's purpose as to what Christ would do. And when he said it
is finished, predestination accomplished. Now, if I believe that Jesus
Christ had some kind of generic death, dying for all men without
exception, and some of them would be saved and some of them would
be lost, I make the blood of Jesus Christ meaningless. I say that he can die for somebody
and they still might wind up in hell. That is blasphemous. It makes the blood of Christ
meaningless. If Christ died for me, I must
be saved because all my sins have been put away through the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without predestination, there's
no salvation by grace. Predestination says salvation
really is all of grace. It begins with grace. God's choice
of his people before the foundation of the world and it's carried
on by grace. You take predestination away
and you no longer have grace. Thank God for predestination. Now there's a lot of people that
make a lot of objections about predestination. They say, well,
if you believe in eight, what's the point in witnessing? Well,
I'm witnessing right now, aren't I? That'll destroy your motive
for good works. No, it doesn't. All the objections
people make toward predestination are stupid. I'm gonna call it
that, stupid. They don't even make sense. Let
me say this in closing. Predestination does not shut
anybody out of the kingdom of heaven. There will never be someone
saying, well, I wanted to be saved, but I wasn't predestinated,
therefore God turned me away. Never happened, never will happen. Now, let me ask you two questions
about yourself. Number one, are you a sinner? I didn't ask you if you were
a good person. I didn't ask you if you were saved. I asked, are
you a sinner? Are you? And I'm talking about
what the Bible means by a sinner. Somebody who all you do is commit
sin. Even your righteousnesses are
as filthy rags. You've not kept one commandment
one time in your heart. No, you haven't. You are a sinner. Now, would that describe you?
And here's my second question. Are you a whosoever? Whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. God so loved
the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth
on him should not perish but have eternal life. Now, are you
a sinner and are you a whosoever? Oh, if you're those two, you
have the predestination opens the gates of heaven to you through
the Lord Jesus Christ. You see predestination. doesn't
damn people who would have otherwise been saved, saves people who
would have otherwise been damned. Thank God for predestination. He is the God of predestination. To receive a copy of the sermon
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