Apologetics PREDESTINATION (V

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Hero of faith SOWING THE GOSPEL IN

PREDESTINATION (V)

Rev. Luis M. Ortiz

God arranged, ordered and predestined His eternal purpose for it to be executed on Earth and be fulfilled in heaven. His purpose was foreordained and predestined.

Those who reject Christ, his sacrifice and his precious blood shed on the cross of Calvary have made a decision and have condemned themselves, “for God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” ( John 3:17-18).

DIVINE SEQUENCE Let us see the divine sequence of God’s eternal purpose as stated in the previously mentioned biblical verses.

First: God’s purpose is basic, fundamental and eternal. Nothing would have been created had there been no purpose.

Second: God “searcheth the hearts… 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 8:27-28).

Third: God foreknowing those He called (Romans 8:29) means that He already knew them and knew that they would answer His calling, because God “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose…” (2 Timothy 1:9), as they were “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father…” (1 Peter 1:2).

Fourth: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate…” (Romans 8:29). None of the five biblical verses of the New Testament in which the term “predestine” is used refers to the salvation of the soul, but they do to post-salvation blessings.

God never predestines human beings neither for salvation nor for damnation. God has given humans free will so that they make their own decisions.

Whoever decides to believe in Christ, to repent their sins and to accept Christ as their Savior is saved and becomes a child of God, predestined for greater glories, for things “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

But whoever decides to reject Christ, to live in sin and to die in sin is predestined for hell, as they will not be on the book of life, and will be cast into the lake of fire “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

ETERNAL PURPOSE Although God does not predestine anyone neither for salvation nor for damnation, He does predestine man to start, develop and execute His eternal purpose.

God arranged, ordered and predestined His eternal fourfold purpose: His creative purpose to create the human race, His redemptive purpose to save sinners, His

APOLOGETICS

sanctifying purpose to makes us holy, and His glorifying purpose to make us coheirs with Christ for all eternity.

Luke 22:22 claims that Jesus was turned in to the authorities “as it was determined” by God’s purpose.

EActs 2:23 reads that Christ was “delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.”

Romans 8:28 says that God calls “according to his purpose.” 2 Timothy 1:9 states that God “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling… According to his own purpose.”

The Bible tells us about “the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom… Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself,” in other words, His purpose (1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:8-9).

This means that God first arranged, ordered and predestined His eternal purpose for it to be executed on Earth and be fulfilled in heaven. His purpose was indeed foreordained and predestined.

Then, the Logos, the eternal Word, our Lord JesusChrist, included himself in God’s eternal purpose and He was predestined for suffering and redeeming work. Let us see:

Luke 22:21-22 says, “But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined,” by God’s purpose, of course.

In Acts 2:23, the apostle Paul said to the crowd on the day of Pentecost: “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.”

An in Acts 4:24-28, Peter and his brothers gathered and prayed, and said, “Lord, thou art God… The rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ… For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”

The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:10-11: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God… According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord…”

Finally, 1 Peter 1:18-20 reads: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold… But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world.”

Therefore, our Lord Jesus-Christ included himself with his redeeming work in God’s purpose (Isaiah 6:8; Psalm 40:7-8).