"In love he predestined us..."

The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination

When building a systematic definition of any doctrine, that definition is not built on a single verse in isolation. Christians must hold to the principals of Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), and to Tota Scriptura (All of Scripture) when forming any definition for doctrine. The Doctrine of Predestination, especially the reformed view of it, is a controversial topic amongst modern evangelicals. The Reformed view on the Doctrine of Predestination as defined by the The Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 3 is stated:

I. God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeable ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.

II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions; yet has He not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.

III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death.

IV. These angels and men, thus predestinated, and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.

V. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, has chosen, in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto; and all to the praise of His glorious grace.

VI. As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so has He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power, through faith, unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.

VII. The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of His own will, whereby He extends or withholds mercy, as He pleases, for the glory of His sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by; and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praised of His glorious justice.

VIII. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men, attending the will of God revealed in His Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election. So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God; and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the Gospel. [1]

Some simply do not understand this doctrine, others have completely wrong ideas when the hear the word “predestination”, and there are those who must go through hermeneutical gymnastics to make their theological systems fit when they are coming across passages that clearly attest to the glories of God’s sovereignty. The purpose of this paper (now blog) is to clearly define what predestination is and to define terms are associated with the doctrine, further I will also provide a summary Biblical case throughout this blog. Along with this I will address specific objections to the reformed presentation of the doctrine. The heresy of Hyper-Calvinism will also be addressed, “one of the best ways of learning orthodoxy is by learning what is false. In fact, heresy historically has forced the church to be precise, to define its doctrines and differentiate truth from falsehood.”[3] Finally, practical applications that stem from a proper understanding of the doctrine will be stated.

There are three different areas that are in question when it comes to the doctrine of predestination:

• Election, does God foreordain some to salvation?

• Reprobation, does God foreordain some to damnation?

• Predetermination, does God predetermine by divine decree all events in history to come to pass?

Predetermination

Predetermination, or also called causal determination, states that God is the author of all things in time, He is “the Beginning and the End” and “The First and the Last.” God is the author of time itself. The Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 3 section I states, “God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.” We see this idea being described in scripture:

• “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18)

• “but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;” (1 Corinthians 2:7)

• “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17)

• and most blatantly stated in the prophet Isaiah: “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure,’ Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely, I will do it. “Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, who are far from righteousness.” (Isaiah 46:10-12, italics added)

The most important predestined event in scripture is the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, we see this idea of this events and everything leading up to being deliberately ordained before the foundation of the world by God

• Acts 2:23 - “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”

• Acts 4:27-28 - “for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”

The fact that in scripture we have prophecy and fulfilled prophecy points to the truth of predetermination. For there to be prophecy that can be fulfilled, simply put, God would have to ordain these things to happen. If one tries to deny this by saying prophecy is simply based on God’s foreknowledge of possible events that could happen, this still puts them in the position of believing in some form predestination, “if God sees a future event and states that it will happen, then that event has essentially been predetermined because, if it fails to happen or if something else happens instead, then God is either unknowledgeable or a liar. If God prophesies it, it will occur; the course is set; the destiny is sealed.”[4] However, this view has created a system of predestination where God makes a decree based off of incoming knowledge he receives. In this system God is learning and make choices based off that learning, or in other words something outside of God is bringing a change to or adding to God’s knowledge. This formulation inherently denies the immutability of God that is clear in scripture:

• Malachi 3:6 - For I the LORD do not change;

• James 1:17 - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

J.I. Packer accesses the problem nicely in his Concise Theology:

The idea that God could know, and foreknow, everything without controlling everything seems not only unscriptural but nonsensical.

The decree itself is closely related to divine knowledge, God has necessary knowledge, which include all things that are to come to pass. Berkhof puts it beautifully:

This knowledge furnishes the material for the decree; it is the perfect fountain out of which God drew the thoughts which He desired to objectify. Out of this knowledge of all things possible He chose, by an act of His perfect will, led by wise considerations, what He wanted to bring to realization, and thus formed His eternal purpose. The decree of God is, in turn, the foundation of His free knowledge or scientia libera. It is the knowledge of things as they are realized in the course of history. While the necessary knowledge of God logically precedes the decree, His free knowledge logically follows it. [5]

Often predetermination is referred to as God’s divine decrees, but it is important to note that there are not multiple decrees that God establishes in temporal time, but rather it is one divine decree made from eternity, “There is, therefore, no series of decrees in God, but simply one comprehensive plan, embracing all that comes to pass.” [6] So though from a finite human perspective we might talk in terms of God’s “decrees” or even an “order to the decree,” there is a unity of the divine decree.

In God there is no blind decree, it is all intelligent and deliberate in His purpose. God’s decree can be characterized in seven categorized: It is founded in divine wisdom; It is eternal; It is efficacious; It is immutable; It is unconditional or absolute; It is universal; and it is permissive when it comes to sin.

 An important distinction is that God’s decrees are limited to the transitive acts of God and does not have anything to do with the Being of God Himself. God did not decree to exist as a triune being, to be holy and righteous, and did not decree any of His divine attributes. These things “are as they are”[7] and are not something that are dependent on the will of God. So, while the decrees of God are correlated to the acts of God, they are of course not limited to these, they also are involved in the actions of the Lord’s free creatures. Because these actions are a part of God’s decreed plan, it shows that are not forced in the same way that other things are,  “In the case of some things God decided, not merely that they would come to pass, but that He Himself would bring them to pass, either immediately, as in the work of creation, or through the mediation of secondary causes, which are continually energized by His power.”[8] God Himself takes the responsibility for these things to come to pass. What is important to delineate here is that there are things that God decrees but does not force Himself, such as the sinful acts of his free rational creatures. These would fall under what can be called God’s permissive decrees, which is not say that God does not have a hand in the fruition of these acts, “but simply that He permits them to come to pass by the free agency of His rational creatures.”[9] God takes no responsibility for these sinful acts (James 1:13). Another distinction to be made is the difference between the decree itself and the execution itself, for example there is a difference between the decree to create and the actual act of creation. This also helps create the distinction between how the actions of man come to pass, God orders the universe in a way that has man pursue a certain action, but these decrees are not achieved through compulsion on the will of man.

“What about man’s free will?”

This is a common objection that occurs when divine predeterminism is being discussed. The Reformed view does acknowledge man as a free creature, or a free agent that has the power of rationality. Man can reflect on matters in intelligent ways and can choose an action considering that reflection. However, given that we affirm the Sovereignty of God, and that He has decreed and determined all things that will come to pass. This includes the determination of the course of someone’s life. So how can divine determinism and mans free choice be reconciled?

Compatibilism answers this very question.

Compatibilism draws a big distinction between man having libertarian free will, and man being a free agent. Compatibilism defined is that divine determinism and man’s voluntary choice are not at odds with each other, or are “compatible.” Man is free to choose that which has been determined by his nature or by the laws of nature. For example, the laws of nature say that man cannot fly, but of course this does not mean man is not free. Theologically this holds true, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:7-8) Biblically the natural unregenerate man is “hostile to God” and completely refuses to obey God’s law. The natural man is even unable to come to Christ unless the Father draws him to Him, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” John Calvin states:

"...we allow that man has choice and that it is self-determined, so that if he does anything evil, it should be imputed to him and to his own voluntary choosing. We do away with coercion and force because this contradicts the nature of the will and cannot coexist with it. We deny that choice is free, because through man's innate wickedness it is of necessity driven to what is evil and cannot seek anything but evil. And from this it is possible to deduce what a great difference there is between necessity and coercion. For we do not say that man is dragged unwillingly into sinning, but that because his will is corrupt, he is held captive under the yoke of sin and therefore of necessity will in an evil way. For where there is bondage, there is necessity. But it makes a great difference whether the bondage is voluntary or coerced. We locate the necessity to sin precisely in corruption of the will, from which follows that it is self-determined. [10]

What is important to note though is that the natural man is still freely acting within his nature, he freely suppresses the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18) because this is simply part of the natural man’s nature, see Job 15:14-16; Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Jeremiah 13:23; and Romans 3:10-11. The Lord has divinely decreed the free actions of His vessels, but also man is none the less free and therefore responsible for his acts, a great example of this is in Genesis 50:20 where Jospeh tell his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

God did just not “use” the evil action of Joseph’s brothers, He meant their evil deeds for the good of Egypt. God decreed their evil actions for good. Joseph earlier even says to his brothers, “it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Genesis 45:8). This of course is shocking because few verses before Joseph clearly says that it was his brothers that indeed sold him into slavery (Genesis 45:4-5). From Genesis 45-50, the biblical narrative shows that:

• Joseph’s brothers had sent him to Egypt

• God had sent Joseph to Egypt

• Joseph’s brothers had evil intentions in sending him to Egypt, and God had good intentions in sending him to Egypt.

So, the question is, who sent Joseph to Egypt? The bewildering answer is that both Joseph’s brothers and God did. It was one action being carried out by two entities, the brothers and God doing it simultaneously. [11]

How about those who crucified our Lord? Scripture clearly teaches that they are responsible for the heinous crime that they committed on Calvary, while at the same time God predetermining the very actions of the men responsible. Berkhof puts it nicely:

It was determined that the Jews should bring about the crucifixion of Jesus; yet they were perfectly free in their wicked course of action and were held responsible for this crime. There is not a single indication in Scripture that the inspired writers are conscious of a contradiction in connection with these matters. They never make an attempt to harmonize the two. This may well restrain us from assuming a contradiction here, even if we cannot reconcile both truths. [12]

Isaiah 53 tells us that it “was the LORD’s will to crush Him”, so the question is who killed Jesus? Was it the evil people or was its God? The Biblical answer is, yes.

An objection is usually brought to the table regarding the above point,

“Doesn’t this make God the author of sin?”

Clearly this is not the case because scripture says that in God there can be no sin whatsoever, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” (James 1:13) It is clear “there is no unrighteousness in him” (Psalm 92:15), so how can the Reformed harmonize the predetermined sinful actions of man and the affirmation that God is not the author of sin? Remember, God created free agents who choose to make moral decisions. As we saw in the story of Joseph, God determined the sinful action of Joseph’s brothers for good and holy reasons. This again is touches on a permissive decree, as opposed to an active effectual decree. On some level the way God relates to sin is a mystery to us that we may right now be unable to reconcile, we must however not contradict the clear teaching of scripture,

“It may be said, however, that His decree to permit sin, while it renders the entrance of sin into the world certain, does not mean that He takes delight in it; but only that He deemed it wise, for the purpose of His self-revelation, to permit moral evil, however abhorrent it may be to His nature.”[14]

God’s Sovereignty is at stake when it comes to predetermination, if God did not ordain everything to come to pass is he really sovereign? Simply put, if God is not sovereign, then He cannot be God at all, or at least a god that we can worship, “If we self-consciously reject the sovereignty of God, we are rejecting the very nature of God and are not entitled to the term theist.”[15]

Election and Reprobation

         Election or also known as Predestination, states that God before the foundation of the world has unconditionally chosen a definite amount of people to be saved. The Ephesians 1:4-5 states this reality, “4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,” furthermore in Romans 8:28-30, the Apostle Paul expounds further what this election entails:

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

In both passages the Greek word for predestined is προορίζω (proorizo), which means:

• “to decide beforehand,”

• “determining beforehand,,” or

• “to decide ahead of time.”

Paul even tells the Thessalonians that the brothers and sisters are “loved by God, that he has chosen you,” (1 Thess. 1:4) and it was because they were chosen by God they received the gospel by the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 1:5). The act of predestination is an act of the the self-contained triune God, but the sovereign act of Predestination is attributed to Father in scripture (John 17:6,9; Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:2).

         The opposing act of Election is Reprobation, which defined is the sovereign act that some would be determined to damnation. This is one of the harder doctrines for most, because it triggers man’s finite sensibilities, Calvin even referred to this doctrine as a “decretum horribile” (“dreadful decree”). The Doctrine more accurately stated is, “that eternal decree of God whereby He has determined to pass some men by with the operations of His special grace, and to punish them for their sins, to the manifestation of His justice.”[16] The key here is that doctrine states that God “passes” some men and does not actively determine them to damnation. It is an active decision to not decide to save certain individuals. Romans 9 clearly presents this understanding. “So, then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.” (Romans 9:18)

         Three verses prior, Paul is setting up this conclusion. That God is not unrighteous in loving Jacob and hating Esau, and that God was in the right in how dealt with Pharaoh. According to the Lord’s sovereign will, He loves some and hates others, He hardens some hearts, and He softens some. He also chooses to do so before either were born and before had done any good or bad. This is what A.W. Pink says, “which is the most disgusting to the carnal mind.” [17] The Apostle Paul here is clearly speaking of active act to harden according will of God . We see this same language of hardening in John 12:37-40 when the Apostle quotes from Isaiah:

“37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,40 ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.’”

Later Paul use the analogy of clay to describe God’s acts of election and reprobation, what better to describe reprobation. What does clay do when you leave it alone? It hardens.

Paul in the next verse anticipates the push back on this teaching by asking a hypothetical question, ‘“Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?’” (Romans 9:19) Paul seems to anticipate the question that people even ask today regarding this doctrine. Paul then immediately answers this by quoting from Isaiah,

“20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory…” (Romans 9:20-23)

The plain text is so clear, God “has mercy on whom he has mercy,” and the creature has no right to question the supreme creator of the universe. God himself has prepared “vessels of wrath” to show his glory. As stated, before this hardening is not an active hardening, in a sense it is a passive hardening, we know this because God elects the chosen and passes over the reprobate. The doctrine of reprobation is a natural outcome of the doctrine of election, it simply is not logical to hold to a model of Single predestination where God only chooses to save some. If God chooses to save some, he naturally has chosen not to save others. Calvin states, “We call predestination the decree of God, by which He has determined in Himself, what He would have every individual of mankind become. For they are not at all created with a similar destiny, but eternal life is foreordained for some and eternal damnation for others. Every person, therefore, being created for one or the other of these destinies, we say he is predestinated either to life or to death.” [18]

“Does this mean this is “Double Predestination?”

Simply stated yes because single predestination does not logically make sense. However, the clarifier I would make is that I am not arguing for positive-positive double predestination (also known as equal ultimacy), in fact if I had my way I wouldn’t use the term “double-predestination,” but I recognize that it serves a clarifying purpose.  The equal ultimacy position (a belief often held by Hyper-Calvinist) that not only says that God actively effectuates the damnation of the reprobate, but also is the active effectual author of their sinful actions. This is clearly heretical and does not have place in scripture. The terms I prefer to use for precision sake are “Predestination and Preterition” because I am arguing for a positive-negative predestination. Sproul on these matters say,

“The Reformed view of double predestination is not this symmetrical positive-positive view, but rather a positive-negative view. When God made his eternal decrees of salvation and reprobation in light of the (still future) fall, His decision to elect some people was based on His knowledge that people would need salvation. …God, in his mercy, elected to save some and to visit them with His special grace of redemption. He positively intervenes in their lives to quicken them from spiritual death and to work faith in their hearts, thereby meeting the condition of salvation. The others He passes over, leaving them in their sin. He does not force them into unbelief.”[19]

Reprobation is therefore not an active act of God, but a passive act. Also, scripture makes it clear that the only elect from God are his chosen people, never does it refer to an elect reprobate.

“I’ll grant that God does predestine some to salvation, but what if it is because of the foreknowledge that some will choose him and other won’t?”

         This is what would be called a Conditional Election, as opposed to the Reformed view that teaches an Unconditional Election. The problem is we just do not find this in the Biblical text such as Eph. 1:4-5, and Eph. 2:8, in the latter passage the very faith that people have is a “gift of God,” so the idea that God looks down the corridors of time and chooses based on the people who have chosen to faith does not match the Biblical picture of how we have faith in God. The moment we make any condition for our salvation, we turn that condition into a work. Calvin comments on these passages from Ephesians, “By saying they were elected before the foundation of the world, he takes away all reference to worth. For what ground of distinction was there between persons who yet existed not, and persons who were afterward like them to exist in Adam?” [20] Further he says:

In the additional statement that they were elected that they might be holy, the apostle openly refutes the error of those who deduce election from prescience, since he declares that whatever virtue appears in men is the result of election…Where this good pleasure of God reigns, no good works are taken into account. The apostle, indeed, does not follow out the antithesis, but is understood, as he himself explains in another passage 1 Tim 2:9…You may, therefore, safely infer, if he elected us that we might be holy, he did not elect us because he foresaw that we would be holy.[21]

One might bring up Romans 8:29-30 to refute this position. Clearly in the passage foreknowledge proceeds predestination. In the Greek New Testament “πρόγνωσις (prognosis) is the word for “foreknowledge.” The verb form προγινώσκω (proginosko) can found in Romans 8:29, Romans 11:2, and 1 Peter 1:20. The meaning, as the Greek term is a compound of προ (before) and γινωσκω (to know) is to know beforehand. But what does it mean “to know?”

The key to understanding the Greek here is to understand the Old Testament Hebrew phrase “to know,” which is יָדַע (yada). We can see this word being used in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew (יָדַע) you, before you were born, I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” It is clear here that God’s knowledge is synonymous with the very anointing of Jeremiah as a prophet, and it does not mean merely that God foreknew the future action that Jeremiah would take before he was born. God is active in his knowing of the prophet. This knowing of God is extremely personal. So, in Romans 8:29-30, God is active in foreknowing his people, and is not passive. This understanding is confirmed in Romans 11:2, “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” 1 Peter 1:20 talks about Christ being foreknown by God before the foundation of the world, so the only conclusion can be an active knowing that is affected by God.

 When election is unconditional, it causes us to be humble, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise… so that no human being might boast in the presence of God... ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:27, 29, 31). There was nothing, we did to earn the love of God, “We love because he first loved us,” (1 John 4:19) so this should be a cause for us not only rejoice with praise, but it should be the motivation for our compassion, kindness, and forgiveness, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness . . . forgiving each other” (Colossians 3:12–13).

Election doesn’t erase our choosing of Christ. You really did choose him. Election shows the chronology of choice. God chose you before you chose him. You freely chose to put your faith in God because God had freely chosen to bring you to faith. We chose second because God chose first. [22]

“This is fatalism.”

Fatalism defined is the idea that no matter what humans do, things are going to turn out as they have been preordained. So therefore, it is futile to attempt to do anything of true significance because ultimately it will not bring any true meaning or significance. In this mechanic system our humanity is destroyed,

In a mechanistic system the picture is one of an impersonal universe in which all things that happen have been inflexibly determined by an impersonal force long ago, and the universe functions in a mechanical way so that human beings are more like machines or robots than genuine persons. Here also genuine human personality would be reduced to the level of a machine that simply functions in accordance with predetermined plans and in response to predetermined causes and influences.[23]

Except the New Testament does not paint this picture for us. The picture given to us a plan of redemption and salvation given to us by a personal and loving God, Ephesians 1:5 tells us He “destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ.” This is not an impersonal fatalistic election, but one that is entirely motivated by a pure divine love. God has so much love for his creatures, that he even is gracious to those who rebel against him, "As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his evil way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezek. 33:11). The Biblical text shows man being genuine persons with genuine choice, and not as a robot. Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28), in Revelation we are told, “The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' And let him who hears say, 'Come.' And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price” (Rev. 22:17). So, this is an invitation to that is extended to people who are capable of hearing the Gospel call and in turn respond with their decision.

“If true, what is the point of evangelism?”

         Only God knows who the elect are, man has no way of knowing what is only known by God. The Gospel call is for all men and women, and God’s elect will be saved through the Gospel that is proclaimed to them because “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Paul earlier states:

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! (Romans 10:14-15)

We evangelize because God commands us to (Matthew 28:18-20), and it is through the proclamation of the Gospel that sinners are reconciled with God. The Lord not only ordains the salvation of people, but He also ordains the means to how these people are saved. God has decided that people will be saved through this explanation of the Gospel. Christians are apart of the greatest rescue mission in history, that mission being the salvation of sinners, “Any version of Calvinism that lacks zeal for the lost is a counterfeit. It’s hypocritical. Real Calvinism runs on a Great Commission passion for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples in Christ the Lord.” [24]

“This Doctrine denies the universal passages.”

         The universal passages are passages that seem to show that salvation is for every and anyone, such as passages that talk about how salvation is for the “World.” So commonly it is interjected that the doctrine of predestination is in contradiction with the scriptures which do clearly say that Christ dies for “all men,” or for the “whole world.”

• Paul in 1 Timothy 2:3 says, “God our Savior, who would have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

• In Ezekiel 33:11 it read, “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”

• In 2 Peter 3:9 we read that God is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

The reality however is that there are those that are perishing, these passages are teaching of our Lords benevolence, and how He clearly does not delight in any suffering of His creatures. God however does not decree the salvation of all men, which is the heresy of universalism.

The word “all” can be used in different ways in scripture. We see this in:

• Mark 1:5 where it describes John the Baptist baptizing all of Judea and Jerusalem,

• Acts 4:21 after Peter and John heal the lame man we read “all men glorified God for that which was done.”

• Jesus tells His disciples that they would be hated by “all men,” (Luke 21:17).

• Paul was accused of "teaching all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place" (Acts 21:28).

• In John 12:32 Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself," it is obvious that He did not mean every single human being everywhere are drawn to him, and this clear throughout scripture and history.

  Christ means that a large quantity of different kinds of men and women from different nations, races, classes, etc. will be saved unto him (Revelation 7:9).

• 1 Corinthians 15:22 says, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive,” do all die in Adam or are all made alive in Christ? “In Christ” means to be a Christian, and clearly not all men are Christian. Boettner commenting on this passage says, “The only possible conclusion is that Christ's work was not co-extensive with that of Adam; that Adam represented the entire human race, but that Christ represented only those who are given Him by the Father.”[25]

Given this principal, let’s look how scripture uses the word “world”. The verse often used as an argument against predestination is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” Kosmoß (kosmos) is the Greek word for “world” that is used in the New Testament, if we take a glance at even a few passages we can see that the term does not always apply to the entire world.

• In Acts 17:24, Kosmos is used to refer all of God’s creation, “God the made the world and all things therein seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth.”

• Kosmos can be used to refer to the earth, for example: John 13:1, “13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that phis hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end;”

• and Ephesians 1:4, “4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”

• In Romans 3:19 Kosmos is used to refer to the human race, “19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.”

• Kosmos is often used for the system of the world, “31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.” (John 12:31)

• Kosmos can be used to refer to humanity minus Christians, “18 If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you,” (John 15:18)

• Lastly there are uses of Kosmos that mean to refer to believers only, “19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Like any word that we study in scripture, the word must not only be defined by its English equivalent, but the word also needs to be defined within the context that is being used.

Taking a closer look at the context of John 3:16, the main subject is that Christ is given as a gift of God. In the first clause we are told what is the motivation of God in giving His Son, it was His love for the “Kosmos” (World). But what is John referring to when he says “world?” It cannot be the world in a universal sense of humanity, because then how is God showing the love for those who are “perishing?” My argument here is that Jesus here is using the term world in a general sense. Some in the reformed would argue that world is only referring to the few elect, and I think this reading to much into the text. Pastor Wilson, comments on this interpretation, “Popular evangelicalism wants the atonement to touch every last man, woman, and child. But in order to get it to do so, the touch is made ineffectual. Pessimistic Calvinists want the touch to be effectual . . . for half a dozen people.”[26] The two possible meanings could be that 1) God loved his creation so much that, and out of that love comes the Gift of the Son to save all of creation (Romans 8:22-23); or 2) God loved the world, the future consummation of His kingdom when the whole world is Christian. We are then told that God sent His son for “whosoever believes,” so that everyone that does believe will “not perish but have everlasting life.” The Lexham English Bible translates this more accurately to what the Greek says, “in order that everyone who believes in him.” So, this offer is only for the ones that believe in Christ, not “whoever” believes in Christ. Furthermore, this is also in the context of a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisee Nicodemus, so when Christ is saying that “everyone who believes” are saved, he saying salvation is not only for Jews but for men and women of every tribe, tongue, and nation. The text never is referring to people who “may” believe, or to those that “can” believe, only to those who believe.

What the Doctrine of Predestination is not (Hyper-Calvinism)

Often the charge of “Hyper-Calvinism” gets used of anyone who is to Calvinist for them. Traditionally though, the term has been used to an extremist form of Calvinism that teaches that God saves his elect through His sovereign will without the use of any methods to bring those to salvation. It is an unbiblical over emphasis of Gods sovereignty, and complete rejection of man’s responsibility. Hyper-Calvinist doctrines can be identified by the following: that God is the first cause and author of sin and of evil; that men have no will; secondary causes are of no effect; that the number of the elect at any time may be known by men; that it is wrong to evangelize; that assurance of election must be sought prior to repentance and faith; that we cannot promise Christians who are possibly not elect assurance of salvation; that men who have once "sincerely" professed belief are saved regardless of what they later do; that God has chosen some races of men and has rejected others; that God does not command everyone to repent; and that only Calvinists are Christians. In the 1700s a man by the name of William Carey wanted to bring the Gospel to people of India, but was told by a preacher, “Sit down, young man. When God wants to reach the nations, he’ll do it without your help.” This is Hyper-Calvinism. I would like to address some of the most important issues that stem from this theology that specifically have to do with the doctrine of predestination.

Hyper-Calvinist will try to argue that it is unbiblical to indiscriminately preach to a crowd of people to “Repent. Believe. Come to Christ” because, we should not be preaching to the non-elect. Article 33 of Articles of Faith of the Gospel Standard Aid and Poor Relief Societies says, “Therefore, that for ministers in the present day to address unconverted persons, or indiscriminately all in a mixed congregation, calling upon them to savingly repent, believe, and receive Christ, or perform any other acts dependent upon the new creative power of the Holy Ghost, is, on the one hand, to imply creature power, and on the other, to deny the doctrine of special redemption.” This of course is unbiblical, because the Bible clearly tells us to preach the Gospel to all (1 Peter 3:15, 2 Corinthians 5:20, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 4:5, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:15), the Gospel call is a universal one (1 Timothy 2:3-4, Proverbs 8:4,5) and that the sheep will hear the Shepard’s voice (John 10:27). We as Christians are not tasked to figure out who specifically the sheep are, we are tasked to proclaim the richness and beauty of Christ, to pray for the conversation of sinners, and to plead for sinners to repent and trust Jesus Christ. God regenerates, grants faith, and raises the dead through the preaching of His gospel.

Conclusion

Predestination can be a beautiful and humbling doctrine, or at least it should be. What is more humbling than knowing that there is nothing we can do about our Salvation, that it is all of God and nothing from us? Many who hold to this view do not act humble, and in fact act in an arrogant way that is unbiblical (i.e., “the Frozen-Chosen”):

Many of us who love to love the “doctrines of grace” have not grown in showing grace, we have not become more gracious, kind, tender, and compassionate. And that can only mean one thing: we actually don’t know the doctrines of grace. Sure, we know the points and can rehearse the arguments and even recall verses to support the five petals of the TULIP. But an arrogant and argumentative Calvinist is just a Pharisee with a fresh coat of paint. [27]

The grace that is shown God’s son should be so humbling to one who proclaims to stand for this doctrine. The whole point of God’s election of his people is the glorious praise of the grace He has given us. This is a beautiful reality. That our personal loving God graciously choose us before the foundation of the world, for no merit of or own, is beautiful. God has complete control of History; nothing happens that God has not decreed. There are no accidents because he sovereign and in control. Predestination shows that God loves sinners. How stunning this statement is, it should be stunning to every believer. God uses weak vessels, weak clay pots (Romans 9) to accomplish His glorious mission, to preach the amazing news of Christ crucified. Man has no glory in this divine plan, Soli Deo Gloria, glory goes to God alone.

         Predestination means that our salvation was a part of God’s divine decree, and that our salvation is secure because God has chosen us. If our salvation is rooted in the Lord, then we cannot fall away (Romans 8:31-39). We will persevere to the end, and we will not be “snatched from his hands.” (John 10:28) Predestination shows us meaning to our sufferings and persecution but God works all things according to the good counsel of His will (Romans 8:28). Predestination is something that should make us humble and thankful because our lives could have been radically different, but by His grace it’s not. We have no reason to boast because salvation has nothing to do with what we can do. Predestination encourages us to evangelize, because we know that we can be successful at being on ends to His means. No matter how badly we screw up a Gospel presentation, God is the one that does the saving.

Predestination helps us answer the question, “why are you a Christian?”

Because God in his love and grace in eternity past choose to set his love upon us.

Works Cited

Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Banner of Truth Trust, 2021.

Boettner, Loraine. The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination. Nagasaki Press, 1936.

Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. James Clarke & Co, 1962.

Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. IVP, 2020.

GotQuestions.org. “What Does the Bible Say about Predetermination?” GotQuestions.org, 26 May 2016, https://www.gotquestions.org/predetermination.html.

GotQuestions.org. “Compatibilism.” GotQuestions.org, 24 July 2009, https://www.gotquestions.org/compatibilism.html.

Medders, J. A., et al. Humble Calvinism: And If I Know the Five Points, but Have Not Love ... The Good Book Company, 2019.

Pink, Arthur Walkington. The Sovereignty of God. Baptist Standard Bearer, 2018.

Sproul, R. C. Truths We Confess: A Systematic Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Reformation Trust, 2019

Sproul, R. C. What Is the Trinity? Ligonier Ministries, 2019

Wilson, Doug. “Savior of the World #1.” Christ Church, 5 Jan. 2018, https://www.christkirk.com/sermon/savior-wor.

[1] The Westminster Confession of Faith

[2] Sproul, R. C. What Is the Trinity? Ligonier Ministries, 2019.

[3] GotQuestions.org. “What Does the Bible Say about Predetermination?” GotQuestions.org, 26 May 2016, https://www.gotquestions.org/predetermination.html.

[4] Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Banner of Truth Trust, 2021. 

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid

[8] Ibid.

[9] John Calvin from Bondage and Liberation of the Will, pg. 69-70, Emphasis added

[10] GotQuestions.org. “Compatibilism.” GotQuestions.org, 24 July 2009, https://www.gotquestions.org/compatibilism.html.

[11] Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Banner of Truth Trust, 2021.

[12] Further read Eccl. 7:29 and I John 1:5

[13] Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Banner of Truth Trust, 2021.

[14] Sproul, R. C. Truths We Confess: A Systematic Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Reformation Trust, 2019.

[15] Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Banner of Truth Trust, 2021.

[16] Pink, Arthur Walkington. The Sovereignty of God. Baptist Standard Bearer, 2018.

[17] John Calvin quoted from Pink, Arthur Walkington. The Sovereignty of God. Baptist Standard Bearer, 2018.

[18] Sproul, R. C. Truths We Confess: A Systematic Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Reformation Trust, 2019

[19] Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. James Clarke & Co, 1962.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Medders, J. A., et al. Humble Calvinism: And If I Know the Five Points, but Have Not Love ... The Good Book Company, 2019.

[22] Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. IVP, 2020.

[23] Medders, J. A., et al. Humble Calvinism: And If I Know the Five Points, but Have Not Love ... The Good Book Company, 2019.

[24] Boettner, Loraine. The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination. Nagasaki Press, 1936.

[25] Wilson, Doug. “Savior of the World #1.” Christ Church, 5 Jan. 2018, https://www.christkirk.com/sermon/savior-wor.

[26] Medders, J. A., et al. Humble Calvinism: And If I Know the Five Points, but Have Not Love ... The Good Book Company, 2019.