Lizzie McGuire departed this
life early yesterday morning, and she is now in a worship service
that's infinitely above anything we could imagine. And
the visitation will be at Clark Legacy Funeral Home Tuesday evening,
four to six, and the service will be Sunday, or I mean Wednesday
morning at 10. She's been such a blessing to
this congregation over the years, very dear woman. And Donnie Bell
will be preaching for us tonight. Ephesians chapter one, verse
11. In whom? Now that is such an incredibly
important word. In whom? The Lord said in John chapter
14, verse 6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father,
but by me. Word by is sometimes translated
in. I like both of those, but I think
I might like this better. No man cometh to the father,
but in me. When he comes to the father,
I'm in him. That's my only approach to God. is in him. There is no more important
phrase in all the Word of God than in whom, in the Lord Jesus
Christ. In whom also we have obtained
an inheritance. We, speaking of every believer,
all of those who have been predestinated in this verse of scripture, we
have also obtained an inheritance. Now, if you were in debt and
you knew that within maybe 24 hours, you're going to obtain
an infinite amount of money, an inheritance, you wouldn't
be too worried about what's going on right now, would you? We have obtained this infinite
inheritance. And I'm not talking about dollars,
obviously I'm talking about heavenly glory, likeness to the Lord Jesus
Christ. In whom we have obtained an inheritance
being predestinated, being predestinated. What a awesome, glorious thought. Being predestinated. That's the word. Being predestinated
according to the purpose of him. who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will. I've entitled this message Biblical
Predestination. I entitled it Biblical Predestination,
number one, because it is biblical. That's good enough reason, isn't
it? And number two, because there is a view that men hold of predestination
that is not biblical. Biblical predestination. Now my reason for preaching this
message, I hope, is not to try to convince somebody of the truthfulness
of predestination. That's not my aim. in bringing this message. And
I also hope that I'm not trying to straighten up people who have
wrong views of predestination. If that's my aim, that's wrong.
My aim, I hope by the grace of God, and I hope you'll pray for
me that this will take place. And I hope you'll pray for yourself
that this will take place. My aim is to preach the gospel. Now, before we go on, What does
the term predestination mean? Probably all of us have heard
the word and even had some thoughts about it. What does the word
predestination mean? Well, the word's used six times
in the New Testament, one that we just read, and four times
the word is translated predestinated, just like I read it. It's also
translated determined before to be done. And it's translated
ordained before the world. It simply means to determine
beforehand. To determine beforehand. Now you and I do that every day.
Unless you were forced to come here. And that was all a part
of God's determination if you were, but most of us, if you're
kids, you probably didn't think much about it. Your parents brought
you here, but most of us predetermined we would be here this morning.
When you got up, you predetermined I'm coming to church this morning.
You got in your car, you got here. That was your predetermination.
That's all predestination means. We predestinate things constantly. You're going to go to work tomorrow.
You're predestinating that you're going to go to work. That's your
intention. Predestination, predetermining what will take place. God determines what he's going
to do. That's what predestination means.
God determines beforehand what he is going to do. And there's
an infinite difference between me predetermining what I'm going
to do and God predetermining what he's going to do. What's
that difference? I have no power to bring to pass Whatever it
is, I'm predetermined to do. Now, when I woke up this morning,
I was thinking about being here, predetermined to be here, but
you know what? So easily, I could have died in a car crash on the
way here. Or some unforeseen circumstance
that I had no idea about could have prevented me from being
here. I might've determined to be here, but I have no power.
to make sure what I determine comes to pass. I think people
who are control freaks are interesting people. Any of them in here? What is interesting is we have
no control over anything. Somebody says, don't worry about
what you can't control. Well, don't worry at all then,
because you can't control anything. We have no power to bring our
will to pass, our determination to pass. God has all power to
bring his purpose to pass. It's called predestination. God predetermining what comes
Nothing can prevent God's determination from being done. Now I'd like
to read a passage of scripture from Isaiah 46. If you'll turn
there with me, Isaiah chapter 46. This is God speaking. Isaiah chapter 46, verse nine.
Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there
is none else. I am God and there's none like
me. Any thought you may have, God
is like this. No, he's not. No, he's not. He is altogether other. There is none like him. Verse 10. declaring the end, from the beginning. And from ancient times, eternity
past, things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall
stand, I will do all my pleasure, calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executeth 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. That is God. He doeth according to his will
in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth
and none can stay his hand. No one can prevent him from doing
his will. His will can't be thwarted because
he's God. He doeth according to his will
in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth,
and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? Predestination is biblical. There it is. Now you can choose
to ignore it if you want, but you can't say the Bible doesn't
teach it because I just read the word. Predestination is biblical. Biblical for someone to say,
well, I don't believe in predestination to be consistent with that. You
must also say you don't believe the Bible because we just read
the word predestination. Yes. Predestination is biblical. The God that is not the God who
predestinates is a non-existent God. Now, let me repeat that. A God that does not predestinate
is a non-existent God, a man-made God, a God men have made up,
but he is not the God of the Bible. If I do not believe in
the God of absolute predestination, I believe in a non-existent God. Now I'm not much sure. Which
is worse? I guess they're about the same,
to believe in a non-existent God or to believe that God does
not exist. It's the same thing. If I don't
believe in the God of the Bible, the God of predestination, and
I hope I can preach this message not in an academic or argumentative
way, but to just declare the glory of this predestinating
purpose of God. It's all in his son. I love the
way that verse began, in whom? If I was going to try to define
predestination, perhaps the best definition I could give is Jesus
Christ. In whom? All of God's blessing,
all of God's favor, all of God's predestinating purpose is in
the Lord Jesus Christ, in the beloved. The only option in not
believing the God of predestination is atheism. That is the only
option. Somebody says, no, it's not.
I can believe something else. Yeah, but what you believe is non-existent.
The only option to a God of absolute predestination is atheism and atheism, the belief that there
is no God is unreasonable. It's illogical. It is irrational. There's no reason for believing
that way. You see, the only explanation
for why there is something and not nothing is God. There is no other reasonable
explanation. If God is, and he is, predestination
is. Atheism, it's a blind leap in
the dark. It's blind faith. You got to
have blind faith. to believe in atheism. Somebody told me yesterday, there
is a national holiday for atheists. I said, when's that? He said,
it's on April 1st. I see that. Stephen Hawking, the British
physicist, said in his book that I found very interesting, A Brief
History of Time, and I wasn't looking for this and it really
shocked me. He said, if there's a God, and
he went back and forth on this. Sometimes he thought there was,
sometimes he thought there wasn't. He said, if there is a God, there's
no such thing as free will. It's impossible. And that's logical. But we don't believe in predestination
because it's logical, do we? It is logical, it just makes
sense. If God is predestination, it's an absolute necessity because
of who he is. He's not some kind of weak God whose will isn't
done unless we let him do it. No, that's a non-existent God. If God is, predestination is.
It's an absolute necessity, but the reason we believe it is because
of that verse of scripture I just read. Having predestinated us
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will. There is a belief in predestination
that is not biblical. Now, some of you may have never
even heard of this or thought about it, but I know several preachers,
even in this area that would hold this position on predestination. It's being called double predestination. And I want to spend just a few
moments on this double predestination because this is I need to say
it. Double predestination is the
belief that if God has predestinated some to heaven, it's only logical
that he predestinated others to hell. And it is logical, as
far as our logic goes. I mean, it only makes sense.
If God predestinated some to heaven, everybody else he predestinated
to hell. I've even heard one man describe
it as two sides of the same coin. Now, here's my question. It might
make sense, but does the Bible teach this? Now, the reason I
ask this question is because we are not allowed to think beyond
what the Bible actually says. Turn with me for a moment to
first Corinthians chapter four, verse six. And these things,
brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to
Paulus for your sakes, that you might learn in us not to think
of men above that which is written. Now notice of men is in italics. It was supplied there by the
translators. It was not in the original. Let's read it without
the of men that we might learn not to think above that which
is written. I'm not to even think, I'm not
to, well, this is true, this must also be true using human
logic. No, I'm not to think above or
beyond that which is only stated in the word of God. If I develop
a doctrine from a logical conclusion, that's all right. I'm not to
think beyond or above that which is written. Now in the New Testament,
this word is used six times And every time the word is used,
predestinate, is used with regard to salvation. Every time. The glorious salvation that is
in Christ Jesus. Now, if a man is condemned, it's
because of his sins. You know, double predestination
takes that away. Well, you're condemned because
God ordained your condemnation. No, man's condemned because of
his sin. A man goes to hell. And I hope I say that with fearfulness
every time I even think of that place, but a man goes to hell
because of his sin. Not because God predestinated
him to hell. A man goes to hell because of
his sin. Now, let me show you this in
the scripture. Would you turn to Revelation chapter 20? And while you're turning there,
one of the great objections is what about that scripture? It
says for the children being not yet born, either having done
any good or evil that the purpose of God, according to election
might stand not of works, but him that calleth. Well, salvation
is not by works, but of him that calleth. But does that mean your
damnation is not according to your works, but simply because
God decreed your damnation? You can't get that from scripture.
Revelation chapter 20, this is talking about the great white
throne judgment. Every one of us are gonna stand
in this judgment. This is your future. Verse 11, this is my future.
John says, 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. It's talking about the dead in
sins. I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And
the books, plural, were opened. And another book was opened,
which is the book of life. Now I want to hold your finger
there and turn back to Revelation 13. Let's see what this book
of life is. It's also spoken of in the Old Testament, the
book of Daniel. Verse eight, and all that dwell upon the earth,
Revelation 13, eight, and all that dwell upon the earth shall
worship him, this beast, this false prophet, whose names are
not written in the book of life. What we just read about in Revelation
20, of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Now there's a book. called the
Book of Life with the names of God's elect written in it. And
even then their standing was in the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. There's never been a time when
God viewed any of his people apart from the Lamb slain. That's the only hope I have.
The Lamb slain. He was slain before time. He
came in time to be slain. And there's a great multitude
of people whose names were written in that book That's the book
I want to be in. As far as church roles, you know,
do y'all have a church role? Well, there's a role in heaven
and that's the church role I want to be in. The name's written
in the Lamb's book of life. Don't y'all have a church role?
Well, everybody here that's a believer's a member. I don't know how to
say if you're not a believer, no, you're not a member. If you're
a believer, you are a member of the church of the Lord Jesus
Christ. So let's go back to Revelation
20. Verse 12, and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before
God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened,
which is the book of life that we just read about, and the dead,
The dead and sins were judged out of those things which were
written in the books. Do you know every sin you have
ever even thought is recorded in that book? I don't understand
the vastness of that, but the sin of everybody that's an unbeliever,
all sin is recorded in that book. And that's what you're gonna
be judged according, not because God, someone said, well, I wanted
to be saved, but I wasn't predestinated. I asked God to save me. He said,
no, never happened. Never will happen. The dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books according to their
what? Works. That's what the dead are
judged according to. According to their works. 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
what? 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, if I'm saved, it has nothing
to do with my works. Thank God for that. It has nothing
to do with anything that I've done. It has nothing to do with
anything that I've thought. If my salvation was dependent
upon anything in me, it's over for me. Thank God. Oh, if you're a believer,
you rejoice in this. Aren't you thankful that salvation
isn't dependent upon anything you do think or intend to do? You're saved for one reason,
Jesus Christ died for your sins. That's it. He has given his glorious
righteousness to you as your personal righteousness before
God. Your name was written in that
book of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. That's
why you're saved. It has nothing to do with anything
you've done. Thank God. Praise God. If you're lost, you will be rewarded
exactly according to your works. Salvation is of the Lord. Now I'm not going to say damnation
is not of the Lord in the sense that he's the one who condemns.
And he's the one we've sinned against. But if I'm sent to hell,
it's because of my sin. It's all my fault. Now I know there are scriptures
that somebody has thought about. Well, what about that scripture
that says in Romans chapter nine, verse 21, vessels of wrath fitted
to disruption. Why was there wrath? Because
of sin. First Peter chapter two, verse
eight, talks about those who stumble at the word, being disobedient,
whereunto also they were appointed. Now that's scripture. And it
has something to do with their disobedience, stumbling at the
word. I think of what Jude said, there's
certain men crept in unawares, privily, ungodly men who were
ordained to this condemnation. That's the language, that's scriptural
language. Who are they? Ungodly men, ordained to this
condemnation. You know what these men did? They changed the grace of God
into lasciviousness. Now that word is not that they
Taught, oh, sin salvation is by grace. You can live a lascivious,
wicked life and there's no consequences. Doesn't mean that at all. These
are men who translate the grace of God like this. If you really
believe that, that'll lead to sin. If you think that salvation
is altogether by grace and it has nothing to do with your work,
why, you're going to encourage men to sin. These are these ungodly
men ordained to this condemnation, twisting the gospel like that.
So all of these statements will really are, yes, God's in control of it all,
but it doesn't teach their predestinated damnation. Their damnation is
according to their works. Now, those who hold to double
predestination do not believe in biblical predestination. That's not what the Bible teaches.
And really the men I know that hold this are trying to prove
how sound they are. I hold to the sovereignty of
God in a much more powerful way than you do. No, you don't. It's
just another form of self-righteousness. Look at me, how good I am. I'm
real straight on sovereignty more so than these people, but
enough of that. Predestination. Listen to this
very carefully. Predestination is God being God. Such language is worthy of the
God of glory. Look back at our text in Ephesians
chapter one. When Tom was reading that passage
of scripture in Acts chapter 13, did you notice that 48th
verse? When the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad and as many as were ordained to eternal life
believed. Who believed? Those who were
ordained to eternal life. Now, in Ephesians chapter one,
verse 11, in whom? Predestination, apart from in
whom, is just fatalism. It's cold. It's lifeless. It
presents a distorted view of God. And really, it takes the
emphasis off Jesus Christ. You just think of this, yay or
nay, rather than all of God's favor and purpose and mercy and
grace being in Christ Jesus. In whom? This is the definition
of predestination. In whom? In whom? That's why Paul said, Oh, that
I may win Christ and be found in him. Not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faithfulness
of Christ, the righteousness, which is of God by faith in whom
also we have obtained an inheritance Heirs of God and joint heirs
with Christ being predestinated according to the purpose of Him
who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. This is who God is. He works
all things after the counsel, after the will of His own will. Verse four, this same chapter, according as he has chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated
us. You know what comes before predestination?
I know that chronologically God's eternal and there are no sequence
of events. There's no order of things happening. Everything with him is eternal. But logically, you know why somebody's
predestinated? Because God loves them. That's
God's purpose. In love. This is the doctrine
of divine love. In love. Having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according
to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of
his grace wherein he hath made us accepted. He has graced us. He's made us
accepted. I mean, accepted to God, pleasing
to God, perfect in God's sight. How? In the beloved. Behold, God said, I've loved
you with an everlasting love, a love that had no beginning. Therefore, with loving kindness,
have I drawn thee. Now, you can't separate predestination
and the love of God. It's not some kind of arbitrary
choice. I'm going to say this one, I'm
going to damn that one. No, it doesn't work that way. In love, having predestinated
us, I think of Romans, we're going to get there in a minute,
but what about Romans 8, 29? Whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate. Who he knew beforehand, who he
loved beforehand, them he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his son. As a matter of fact, turn with
me to Romans 8. Here we have the word used twice
once again, Romans chapter eight, verse 28. And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose 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 listen to this. What was God's purpose in predestination? He took another look at his only
begotten and well-beloved son, and he said, I'm gonna have a
bunch more just like him. That is predestination. Go on reading verse 30. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them he also called. Has God called me? Are you calling on him? Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved. When you're calling on the name
of the Lord, you're calling upon all of his attributes to save
you. Lord, save me by your justice. Save me by your grace. Save me
by your holiness. Save me by your will. Will my
salvation. If you're calling, you know why
he called you. whom he did predestinate, them
he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom
he justified, them he also glorified. This is all a part of the great
chain of salvation. Now, predestination is absolutely
necessary for my salvation. And yours too, if you're gonna
be saved. In 1 Corinthians chapter two,
the word is used, but it's translated differently. Would you turn there,
1 Corinthians chapter two, Verse 7, but we speak the wisdom
of God in a mystery. A mystery is that which you could
never have known had not God made it known. Oh, the mystery
of Scripture. But we speak the wisdom of God
in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before
the world unto our glory. Now, predestination has something
to do with God ordaining something before time began for our glory. Every believer now, somebody
says, what's that mean? I can answer that real simply. The
Lord said, the glory thou gavest me, I've given them. That's our
glory. And he ordained all the great
mysteries of the gospel, things that we believe, but we really
can't intellectually comprehend. We just believe them. for our
glory. Turn to Acts chapter four. I'd
like you to read this with me. Acts chapter four. This is the
other time the word is used. Acts chapter four. Now, what
I want to remember about this, this is the early church speaking.
This is the sixth time the word we've looked at, the sixth time
predestination is used. And this is people who were just
converted. They hadn't been saved very long. The day of Pentecost
had just taken place and they were converted during that message. Peter had preached on the day
of Pentecost and these were new believers, newborn believers. They had not been believers,
but just for a few days. I think this is interesting.
Acts chapter four, verse 25 or verse 24. And when they heard
that, they, the early church, these newborn
believers. 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 has said, why did the heathen
rage? And the people imagined a vain thing. The kings of the
earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against
the Lord and against his Christ for of a truth against thy holy
child, Jesus, whom thou has anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together
for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel predestinated."
That's the Word. It says determined before to
be done. The Word is predestined and what
this tells me is that every aspect of everything is a part of God's
predestinating purpose. When those men drove the nails
in the hands and the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ with cruel,
malicious intent, wanting his death, laughing at him, everything
they did was determined by God before to be done. Everything is included in God's
predestinating purpose for the glory of his son and the salvation
of his people. Now, let me close. Biblical predestination
is nothing less than God being God. Biblical predestination is the
love of God. The love of God that He gave
His Son. Now, most religion teaches that
God loves everybody the same. He loves the men in hell. He
loves the men in heaven. He loves everybody the same.
Now, if that's true, what's the love of God have to do with salvation? Nothing. If He loved the ones
in hell, and the ones in heaven, then it wasn't his love that
made the difference in salvation. It's something they did. It has
to do with salvation by works. Predestination has to do with
the saving love of God. You take away predestination
and there is no hope of salvation for man dead in sins. If you're dead in sins and have
no ability to save yourself, The only hope that you have is
that God gave you to a son before time began and he accomplished
your salvation. Without predestination, there's
no understanding of the cross of Christ. Here's predestination.
The pastor calls his name Jesus for he shall save his people
from their sins. That's predestination. And here
is the result of predestination. It is finished. He did it. Without predestination, there
is no salvation by grace. You can't believe in salvation
by grace, all of grace, without God's predestinating purpose
in Christ Jesus. You know, all the objections
men make to predestination are false and spurious. Why, that'll
lead to indifference. No, it doesn't. That'll lead
to fatalism. No, it doesn't. It just doesn't. Well, that'll give me a license
to sin. No, it doesn't. Those are all
false. And let me say this. The last
thing I want to say is predestination does not shut the door of heaven
to anybody. It opens the door wide for anybody
who needs God's mercy. You see, you don't have to have
any works to present to God to make him respond to you. The
door of mercy is open wide because of predestinating grace that's
in Christ Jesus. Now, let me ask you a question. Somebody says, am I one of the
predestinated? It's really not a good question. Believe on Christ right now. Don't think you have to have
some kind of, well, I need some proof I've been predestinated.
No, you're commanded. You are commanded right now.
Don't wait for anything. Don't wait to get better. Don't
wait to understand more. Don't wait for anything. You
are commanded to trust Christ to save you right now. Am I too young? Am I too old? Am I too anything? No. Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Now, two
questions. This is how you can tell if you're
one of the predestinated. Number one, are you a sinner? Are you a sinner? I didn't ask if you're a believing
sinner. I didn't ask if you're a repentant sinner. I didn't
ask if you're what the Puritans called a sensible sinner. I think
that's the dumbest thing. Sinners are stupid, aren't they?
Sensible sinner? Are you a sinner? Someone who
breaks God's law non-stop in your heart. Sin is the transgression
of the law. Are you a sinner? And here's my second question.
Are you a whosoever? Are you one? Whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Are you a whosoever? Whosoever
will. Not whosoever won't. Whosoever
will. Let him come and take the water
of life freely. Predestination does not shut
the door of heaven. Oh, I want to be saved, but I'm
not predestinated. No. Listen, if I'm not saved,
it's because I refuse to ask for mercy. If I'm not saved,
it's because I wouldn't take responsibility for my sin. I
blame it on God or somebody else or God's sovereignty or whatever.
No, if your sin is all your fault, you'll ask for mercy. And if
you don't ask for mercy, it's because you don't really believe
you're a sinner. Not really. Predestination, thank God for
predestination. The door of mercy is wide open
to all who call upon him. If there were no predestination,
that could not be true. Thank God that he is the God
of absolute predestination. And my soul, What a blessing
to know that my salvation really doesn't have anything to do with
my works on any level. If my salvation had been on my
works, I'd have no hope. But thank God for the predestinating
purpose of God in Christ Jesus. May the Lord enable every one
of us to praise the Lord for his predestinating grace. This is who he is. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you that all
of your salvation is in your son. All your predestinating purpose
of conforming us to the very image of your son, how we thank
you that you're the God. Not a weak God who wants things
that can't happen unless we do something to make them take place.
Lord, that's no God at all. We thank you that you're the
God of absolute predestination. And we thank you that your son
is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And Lord, I ask
in Christ's name that you would draw Lord, you said you'd do
this and that you would draw your people to him. Lord, I ask
that you would draw everybody in this room to thy son to find
in him their all in salvation. Now bless this message for Christ's
sake, in his name we pray, amen.