It is not that I did choose to Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Niver. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 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. I've entitled the message for
this morning, Glorious Predestination. Now predestination is a biblical
word. The word is found six times in
the New Testament. And if I'm going to believe the
Bible, I'm going to have to believe in the glorious predestinating
grace of God. Now, what is predestination? We're going to look at all six
places where it's used in the New Testament. Now, predestination
could be the most maligned, misunderstood, and misrepresented doctrine in
all of the Word of God. Although a case could be made
that that's true with regard to every doctrine of the scripture. But let me give you some misrepresentations
that people make of this doctrine of predestination. Some people
say before time began God predestinated arbitrarily, some to heaven and
some to hell. Now, the Bible does not teach
that. That is not predestination. Another misrepresentation is
if you are predestinated, you will be saved no matter what,
even if you do not believe and do not hear the gospel, You'll
still be saved if you're predestinated. Now, the Bible teaches no such
thing. Here's another misrepresentation. If you're not predestinated,
you will not be saved even if you want to be. You may ask the
Lord to save you and he says, no, you're not one of the predestinated.
The Bible teaches no such thing. Another misrepresentation of
predestination is, well, if you believe in predestination, that
means you believe that babies are predestined to hell. If they
don't hear the gospel, they'll end up in hell, and the Bible
doesn't teach that either. Now, I think it's interesting
The Bible does give some indication that if a baby dies in infancy,
it's saved. It gives some implications by
that, you know, of David when he said concerning his child
that died, he can't come back to me, but I'll go to him. And
so we have some hope there, but I see the wisdom of God in not
making clear definitive statements about what happens with infants
because if he said positively, they're all saved, somebody would
get the idea that the best thing we can do is kill them before
they grow up because this will guarantee their salvation. And
can you imagine the despair it would create if someone lost
an infant and they had some kind of scripture that said, well,
they're in hell now. People couldn't deal with that. So you see the
wisdom of God in keeping us in the dark about that. Now, as
I said, this word is found six times in the New Testament, four
times it's translated predestinated, once it's translated before the
world, and once it's translated determined beforehand. Now, the
meaning is found in the word, predestinated. pre-determined,
determined beforehand. Now I dare say that you have
predestinated somewhere where you're going to go today. You've
determined I'm going to go to the store or I'm going to go
to the movies or I'm going to go to work, you have predetermined
something that you're going to do. You don't just go out the
door and say, well, we'll see what happens. I don't know where
I'll end up. No, we have a destination in mind. It's part of our everyday
lives. If you get on a plane, that plane
has a predetermined place it's going to land. It doesn't just
go up in the air and think, well, We'll see where we land. No,
it's got a predetermined place it's going to land. Predestination
is a part of our everyday life. We're always predetermining what
we're going to do. Now here's the problem with me
and you predestinating something. Number one, we can't see the
future. We may determine something, but
we don't know what's going to happen. in the next minute. We may determine something, but
what happens may make sure that what we predetermined does not
take place. And also, we don't have the power
to make sure what we predestinate takes place. We make plans, but
we can't make sure those plans come to pass because we don't
have the power to make them come to pass. Something might happen
to us and totally change that. But here is the thing about the
glorious God of predestination. He sees the future. He knows
everything that's going to take place because it's all according
to His purpose. Whatever takes place is His purpose
that He made before time began taking place. It's not blind
fate. It's God determining everything
that will take place. Known unto God are all his works
from the beginning. We read in Isaiah chapter 46
beginning in verse 9, remember the former things of old for
I am God and there's none else. I am God and 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, if God predetermined something
to be done, He doesn't have to worry about something happening
that'll cause it to not be done because He's in absolute sovereign
control of everything. And He has the power to make
sure His will comes to pass because He's omnipotent. He's not bound
by time. He's not bound by space. He's
God. God is the God of predestination. That's why predestination is
so glorious. Somebody says, I love the doctrine
of predestination. Well, I do too, but the reason
I do is because I love the God of predestination, the God who's
in absolute control. Now, predestination is not hard
to understand. You understand what I'm saying?
Now, you might not receive it, You might not like it, but it's
not hard to understand God predestinated before the foundation of the
world who would be saved. Romans 8, 29 says, 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,
Then he also called whom he called, then he also justified. And whom
he justified, then he also glorified. Now predestination, you listen
to this statement. Predestination is God being God. That's all predestination is.
It's God being God. Really the only alternative to
a God of absolute predestination is atheism. Now, I know people
speak of a God that is not a God of absolute predestination, but
he's a weak God. He's a pygmy God. He's a God
not worthy of worship. He's a God who's not in control.
But thank God the Bible teaches the God of absolute predestination. Predestination is about God's
purpose. It's about God's counsel. It's
about God's will. You see, God is a God of purpose.
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. Romans 9, 11 says the children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to election might stand. 2 Timothy 1.9 says
He saved us and He called us with a holy calling not according
to our works but according to His own purpose and grace which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. God is
a God of purpose and He works all things according to Ephesians
1.9 after the counsel of His own will. Him being delivered,
talking about the death of Christ by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God. Everything that happened to Christ
was according to God's purpose. Christ is called the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. Now, I repeat, I love predestination
because I love the God of predestination. Anything less doesn't even deserve
to be called God. Now, there are two things that
predestination secures. Predestination, God's predestinating
grace, his predestinating purpose secures him getting all the glory
in salvation. He begins it. Man gets no glory
in salvation. All the work of salvation is
his work. And another reason I love predestination
is it makes sure some people will be saved. If God didn't
predestinate us to be conformed to the image of the Son, speaking
of every believer, nobody would be saved. Thank God for predestination. If there were no predestinating
grace, no one would be saved. Now listen to this scripture.
Romans chapter 3, verse 10, there is none righteous, no, not one.
There's none that understands. There's none that seeks after
God. They've all gone out of the way. They've together become
unprofitable. There's none that doeth good,
no, not one. Now that describes me and you.
There's nobody righteous. There's nobody that understands.
There's nobody that even seeks the living God. There's nobody
that does good. Now, the only hope somebody like
that has is the predestinating purpose of God. Thank God for
predestination. Now, in 1 Corinthians 2, verse
7, we read these words, and this is the second time we read a
predestination. Verse seven, but we speak the
wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained
before the world unto our glory. Now that word ordained before
the world is the same word translated predestinated. We speak the mystery
of God. Now I love the mystery of God. The gospel is a mystery. That
doesn't mean we don't know what it is. It means it's a truth
we would have never known had not God revealed it. God reveals
himself in the mystery of the gospel. Now, for instance, how
would you ever know that God is one God in three distinct
persons? The doctrine of the Holy Trinity,
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. How
would we know that that's true apart from God revealing this? He made known this mystery. Read of the mystery of union
with Christ in Ephesians 5.32. I speak of great mystery. The
two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but
I speak concerning Christ and the church. Christ and the church
have always been united together. Before time began, they were
one. If I'm a believer, I've always
been united to Christ. Now, that's a great mystery that
was predestinated by God before time began. We read of the mystery
of the resurrection. We read of the mystery of godliness.
We read of the mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory. We
read of the mystery of Babylon, the great harlot, the representative
of human works religion. And all these mysteries of the
kingdom were predestinated by God before the foundation of
the world. God predestinated these mysteries
would be made known to the church, every believer. And if you're
a believer, if you're somebody for whom Christ died, God predestinated
that you would know everything you know of the mysteries of
the kingdom. Now, in Romans chapter eight,
we read of God's purpose in predestination, beginning in verse 29, for whom
he did foreknow. Notice it doesn't say for what
he foreknow, for whom he did foreknow. And that word foreknow
means who he knew beforehand, who he loved. Adam knew Eve. That doesn't mean he knew who
she was. They entered an intimate relationship. And that's what
foreknowledge is. That's God's knowledge of his
people beforehand, his love of them beforehand. Behold, I've
loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving
kindness have I drawn thee, 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 here's God's predestination.
He took another look at his only begotten and well-beloved son,
the son of his love, and he said, I'm going to have a bunch more
just like And so He predestinated a great multitude of men to be
perfectly conformed to the image of His Son that He might be the
firstborn, the preeminent one among many brethren. You see,
predestination has to do with salvation. It has to do with
being made just like Christ. It doesn't have anything to do
with damnation. It has something to do with salvation. Every time
the word is used, it's used with reference to salvation, God's
predestined purpose to have many sons just like Christ. Now, he predestinated the elect
to have his nature, partakers of the divine nature. He predestinated
those whom he foreknew to be just like Christ, to have his
likeness. We shall be like him for we shall
see him as he is. We're predestinated to have his
relationship, a son. We're predestinated to have his
inheritance. predestinated to have His character,
predestinated to have His glory. Predestination has to do with
being made just like Christ, to be perfect, to be holy, to
be sinless, to be perfectly conformed to His image. Now, that's the
destination of every believer. I'm going to be made just like
Jesus Christ. Oh, how glorious predestination
is. Predestination has to do with
salvation, not damnation. Now, that doesn't take away from
the fact that there is such a thing as people who are vessels of
wrath fitted to destruction. Romans 9.22, Jude warns us of
ungodly men who were before of old ordained to this condemnation. Peter speaks of those who stumble
at the Word being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. Judas was called the child of
perdition. Pharaoh, God said, even for this
same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power
in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the
earth. This is true. Do I understand
this completely? No. God does, God's in control,
and I'm not going to call him into question for what he does.
Whatever he does is right. If Pharaoh is raised up to magnify
God's justice, so be it. Whatever God does is right. Shall
not the judge of the earth do right? Now, we read where God
shall send some strong delusion that they should believe a lie.
that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but
have pleasure in unrighteousness. That's found in 2 Thessalonians
chapter 2. There's such a thing as reprobation,
God giving a man over. There's a time when the lights
go out on the road to hell and you couldn't hear if the preaching
was perfect. Now, that's not predestination,
doesn't deny those things. And like I said, I'm not going
to apologize for God, but whatever he does is right. You know, the
Lord said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
you have hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed
them unto babes, even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy
sight. And if it seems good in God's
sight, it is good. Now, the fourth place I want
to look at predestination being used is in Romans 8.30. And this
is the reason for it. 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. Predestination secures all of
the rest of salvation. Summarized by calling. If you're
predestinated, God will call you, just like He called Lazarus.
Lazarus, come forth! He that was dead came forth.
Zacchaeus, make haste and come down. Today I must abide at thy
house. Zacchaeus made haste and came
down and received him joyfully. You see, you're going to be called
by the almighty, irresistible, invincible power and grace of
God. You're going to repent. You're
going to believe. You're going to hear the gospel.
You're going to rest in Christ. You're going to love Christ.
You're going to be justified, whom He called, then He also
justified. You're going to stand before
God without guilt through the justifying work of Christ on
the cross. Him taking your sin to Himself
and Him taking His righteousness and giving it to you, and you're
going to be glorified. That's how secure salvation is
for the believer. Those who have been predestinated,
they're already glorified in Christ because they're in Christ.
As He's seated in the heavens, so are they. Every believer will
be saved in every aspect of salvation. because they've been predestinated.
Predestination secures this. And then in Ephesians chapter
1, we read beginning in verse 4, according as he hath chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be
holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated
us. 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. Now predestination is about the
love of God. It's about the will of God. And it's about God getting all
the glory in salvation. In love, having predestinated
us. Now, if you love your child,
if it's in your power, you're going to make sure everything
works together for their good. But it's not in your power, but
it is in God's power. Those he loves, whom he did foreknow,
Those he loves, he predestinates. This is about the love of God.
Now, if you make God's love to be some kind of general, generic
love, God loves all men the same and wants to save everybody the
same and salvation's up to you, though, whether you receive his
love and accept his love and accept his offer of salvation,
all that kind of foolishness, and that's what that is, it makes
God's love meaningless. Everybody God loves, He saves. He predestinates them to be saved. It's about His will and His purpose
and His counsel. Having predestinated us to the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to
the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 1.9 says, having made
known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure
which he purposed in himself. Verse 11, in whom we also have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the
purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his
own will. I love this. God's will is always
done. Now, when I sin, I can't say,
well, it was the will of God for me to do it. It's not my
fault. No believer has that kind of attitude. But ultimately,
God is in control of everything. And those who are predestinated,
it wasn't because he foresaw they would believe, it was simply
according to the counsel of his own will, to the praise of the
glory of his grace. This is about God getting all
the glory in salvation. Now that's what predestination
is all about. It's about God getting all the glory and salvation.
It's about His saving love. It's about His sovereign will.
And it's about Him getting all the glory and salvation. Who
gets the glory in your salvation? Only those who believe in predestination
believe that God gets all the glory in salvation. If you reject
predestination, you reject God getting all the glory in salvation. Now, the last place I want to
look is in Acts chapter 4. I want to begin reading in verse
24, and this is shortly after the Sermon on Pentecost. The
Lord hadn't been crucified all that long ago. This is the early
church in prayer in Acts chapter 4, and we read beginning in verse
24, and when they heard that, They lifted up their voice to
God with one accord and said, Lord, thou art God, which has
made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is,
who by the mouth of thy servant David hath said, Why did the
heathen rage? And the people imagined vain
things. The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were
gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, Both Herod and Pontius Pilate,
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together
for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before
to be done." Now, that's the same word, whatsoever your hand
and counsel predestinated to be done. Now, when those men
drove the nails and the hands and the feet of the Lord Jesus
Christ, it was predestinated, determined by God for this to
be done. Everything is under God's predestinating
rule. There's nothing that happens
that happens outside of his predestinating purpose. He's in control. Now,
I think of what Peter said on the day of Pentecost. He said,
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, you have taken and with wicked hands have crucified and
slain. Now, predestination doesn't take
away from our responsibility. We're responsible for our sin,
and when we sin, we're doing exactly what we want to do. But
thank God, He is in absolute control. And when Christ was
put to death. Men were doing what they wanted
to do because they hated him and they didn't want his rule.
They didn't want his lordship, but they were doing neither more
nor less than what God predetermined for them to do. He is in absolute
control. Now, this is how we know that
all things work together for good. to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose, because God is
a God of absolute predestination, and we love it that way. Now,
how should we respond to this, the doctrine of predestination,
or more accurately said, the God of predestination? How should
we respond to this? Number one, worship. Worship. Now, you're not really going
to worship a God that you can control. You're not going to
worship a God that you can manipulate. You're not going to worship a
God that you can get Him to respond to you by something you do. There's
no worship there. You only worship a God in whose
hands you are and He can do with you whatever He's pleased to
do. He's the God of absolute predestination. How do we respond? First of all,
worship. Second, confidence. Confidence. If God be for us, Romans 8.31.
If God be for us, who can be against us? Now, this was Paul's
response to predestination. Let me quote the scripture to
you again. 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. Whom he called,
them he also justified. Whom he justified, them he also
glorified. What shall we say to these things? If God be for
us, who? can be against us. What courage
to know that God's in control. There's nothing to fear. Oh,
how glorious is the predestinating purpose of God. This is Todd
Nyberg praying that God will be pleased to make himself known
to you. That's our prayer. Amen. To request a copy of the
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