31 Predestination

The term predestination, which follows those words, simply means to determine one’s destiny beforehand. This term has produced much division in the Church of Jesus Christ since He departed back to Heaven. Mostly though this heated up with the reformers in the sixteenth century. Many theologians and Bible teachers have engaged in intensive debate over this term and entire denominations have been formed and split around it. We will provide a comprehensive explanation so that we can understand what the Bible teaches on this subject and also what some denominations teach that is actually outside the biblical text. Most discussions of this topic produce too little light and too much heat. It is taught in seminaries as a part of Soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) within systematic theology.

Four very important truths must be first advanced.

1. God is entirely sovereign over His creation, is in complete control of it, and He can do whatever He likes (II Kings 19:15; Job 26:13; 38:4; Psalm 103:19; Proverbs 3:19; Isaiah 42:5; 44:6; 45:12; 66:2; Jonah 1:9; Revelation 1:8; 3:14; 4:11).

2. Man, living in time and space is incapable of realizing a full understanding of God and all His ways (Job 38 & 39 etc.).

3. Because He lives outside of time and space, He can look down the long corridors of time and see all events and decisions simultaneously. He knows what will be decided in the human heart and what will happen in the future before it happens (Isaiah 44:7-8; 45:21; Psalm 139; Genesis 3:15;)

4. Prior to salvation all humans deserve to enter Hell. Without God we cannot change and save ourselves.

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