Chapter 13.18
Predestination
Revisited
FIVE POINTS of the Fate
Debate – Intellectual Gymnastics
Did God make some destined for Hell? - Who is
Righteous?
Change in the Priesthood; Change in the Law - New
Covenant
First Word
Another Twist to an already
controversial subject: Does God hand pick some to go to Heaven and
others to go to Hell?
Predestination or Calvinism teaches that EVERYBODY is predestined to go to Hell, but God in His grace chose to SAVE SOME from that
fate. God did not send the rest to Hell;
they were
Dead – Dead - Dead
DEAD: Man is so dead in his sins that he can’t even
reach for a life preserver even if it’s floating right beside him,[1] but
God has chosen to “make it possible” that he CAN reach out.
The Fate Debate:
ü Arminius say men have to make a choice; man has part, but
can resist God[2].
ü Calvinist says no, that’s not right; it’s all God; man can’t do anything… Man cannot resist
the calling of God.[3]
ü Hybrid versions... Taking some parts from each doctrine.
Intellectual Gymnastics: Did God choose
us or did we choose Him? … I think Yes… Both are right. In my BS it seems to me there is an action on God’s part
to draw men, and an action on man’s part to come…
Or maybe not.[4]
Which blade in a
pair of scissors is the most important?
The
Big Question; does God under the New Covenant draw ONLY SOME men or are His ways just past our finding
out? [5]
Yeah, but what about this?
Does God as the creator or
potter make some people purposed for heaven and others for Hell?[6]
Muslim’s believe this:
ü
Sura 3:129 – Allah has predestined some to paradise and some
to hell.
ü
Sura 32:13 – Allah sends to
hell whomever he wants. He created a
multitude of spirits and men specifically for the purpose of sending them to
hell.
In the strictest sense of Christianity,
Heaven or Hell
When
I became a member of the Presbyterian Church of America, they explained to me
about “Predestination”
and I told them I hung my hat on John 3:16, that “whosoever will” may come. They said that was fine, but they just wanted
me to know what they taught.
What I read in scripture is that, we as
followers of Christ have been predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
and that He who has BEGUN this work of “conforming”
us will complete it.[9] What is the Image of His Son? Christ has a heavenly
calling… He is in the presence of God…
He will rule and reign forever.
The
justified Christian in a glorified body; will be called to Heaven
into the presence of God, face to
face with Jesus Christ, to rule and
reign with Him… We have
begun.
Romans 8:29-30 – Predestined to be conformed to
the Image of Jesus
29 For whom He foreknew, He also PREDESTINED
TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON,
that He might be
the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom He PREDESTINED these
He also called; whom He called, these He also justified;
and whom He justified,
these He also glorified. NKJV
So what’s the Point?
The
word “predestination” is found only
four times in the Bible and it is when Paul was addressing two groups of believers. The first group is called WE” and
is the Jews;
the second group is called “YOU” who are the Gentiles;
both groups known as “US” were followers of “The Way”; Jesus Christ.
In my BS, I have no problem in embracing the thought
that in the Book, God hand selected and predestined “these men”
for His glory, before the foundations of the earth; both Jew and Gentile to be
the first among many to receive “The Promise”
of salvation.
Ephesians
1:11-14 – Two groups; Jews and Gentiles
11 In him WE (Jews) were also chosen, having been PREDESTINED according to the plan of him who works out
everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
12 in order that
WE (Jews) who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
13 And YOU (Gentiles) also
were included in Christ when YOU heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation. Having believed, YOU (Gentiles)
were
marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a
deposit guaranteeing OUR (all the followers of The
Way),
inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the
praise of his glory. NIV
Ephesians 1:4-5 - He predestined us to be to be
adopted as his sons
4 For he chose
5 He PREDESTINED US to be adopted as his sons through Jesus
Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will NIV
The
ü
POINT
ü
POINT
TWO –
Predestination is not about individuals, but about groups; Jews[13]
and Gentiles… (Gentiles meaning everybody else that is not a Jew.) “Believers” in both groups are predestined to be adopted as sons of God. The once separated two groups have become one
humanity in Christ.[14] There is now no difference between believing
Jew and believing Gentile.[15]
ü
POINT
THREE –
Those that call upon the name of the Lord and believe in their heart are predestined to be saved.[16] It is NOT every Jew; the
natural children of Abraham who are God's children, but it’s the children of the
promise;[17]
Jews as well as Gentiles who put their faith in Jesus Christ.
ü
POINT
FOUR –
Predestination does not alter mans “Free Will” to choose although God already
knows his decision. The hidden wealth of
the Gospel was always there for the Gentiles and is only now being revealed;[18]
but it’s up to THEM to seize the opportunity.
ü
POINT
Predestination is the revelation of God’s hidden plan to
extend the gospel to the “Dirty, Rotten, Low Down, Scumbag Sinners; the Rejected,
Revolting GENTILES;” that
would be me.
Those that “call on His Name” are predestined to become Justified, Glorified, Holy and
Blameless. Gentiles
are predestined to have the same “opportunity”
as the Jews
to come into the Kingdom of God. They
have been “grafted
into the branch” and now have JEWISH
ROOTS.[19]
Change in Priesthood
I’m
In; you’re
Out; The Old Covenant eligibility for “The Promise”
was determined by your birth; you had to be descendent of Abraham whose seed
gave us the “Levitical
Priesthood”.
Jesus was NOT from the tribe
of Levi
therefore He could not be a Levitical Priest. There was a change in the Priesthood when
Jesus was made a Priest after the order of Melchizedek,[20] a
higher and older order than that of the Levitical Priesthood.
The Book says
that when there is a change in the
Priesthood there
MUST be a change in the Law; a new covenant.[21]
The New Covenant begins not at
the birth of Jesus, but at His death… Jesus was born “Under the Law” of the Old
Covenant. He referred often to the Torah,
the writings of Moses and amplified those laws to show that they could not possibly be obeyed. His teachings were directed to those who were
still “under
the law”.
He taught that they must be born again; “Out from under the Law”… that He would give
them a new heart and put His Spirit in them.[22] He said, even if they drift away, He would not
disown them, but would remain faithful.[23] His death demolished the wall between the Jew
and the Gentile drawing
We serve God now without being subject to
the Old Laws. There are only two New
Covenant Commandments or Laws; 1) Love God with
all your heart, soul and mind, and
2) Love your
neighbor just as you love yourself.[28]
Righteous
Are
you as righteous as the Disciples or Paul or maybe Billy Graham’;
How about the Pope? Was your response; NO…? Well the scriptures say YES... We are as righteous as Jesus
Christ; we are clothed in His righteousness. [29]
This is not a blasphemous statement,
its scriptural
The
believing Gentiles (us) are no longer under the law
and
have been PREDESTINED by God’s Grace
to
be included with the BELIEVERS of the Nation of
The
doctrine of Predestination; you can take it
or leave it.
If
you repent,
confess
with your mouth, that "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart
that
God raised Him from the dead; you will be saved. [30]… PERIOD
Jesus plus nothing else
The Take Away
God loved the world
so much that he gave his one and only Son,
so that EVERYONE who BELIEVES in Him will not
perish,
but will have
eternal life. John
3:16 (NLT)
[1] Ephesians 2:1-2 – We were
DEAD in our transgressions;
our sins
[2] John 6:44 – It is God
that draws man to Him
[3] John 6:65 – It is God
that enables man to come
[4] Romans 9:16 - It does
not, therefore, depend on what we do, but by God’s mercy.
[5] Romans 11:33 – God’s ways
are past finding out.
[6] Isaiah 64:8 – We are clay
molded into vessels as God chooses -- Jeremiah 18:6 – God the potter can do as
He pleases with the clay -- Romans 9:21 – Some pottery made noble and some made
common
[7] Romans 9:15 – God will
have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and will have compassion on whom He will
have compassion -- Romans 9:18 - God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy,
and he hardens whom he wants to harden
[8] Jeremiah 27:6 – Israel’s
enemy Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon was called God’s servant
[9] Philippians 1:6 – He who
begun the work in us will complete it
[10] Romans 9:25 - I WILL CALL THE GENTILES MY PEOPLE WHO
ARE NOT MY PEOPLE
[11] Romans 9:30-31 – Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness, ATTAINED
righteousness;
Jews pursuing righteousness, HAVE NOT
ATTAINED righteousness,
[12] Romans 9:22-24 – Jews and
Gentiles alike were prepared in advance for destruction; the objects of his WRATH; now known to
be the
objects of
his MERCY
[13] Romans 9:6-7 – Not all descendants
from Israel are True Israel -- John
10:16 – I have sheep that are not Jews, but are Gentiles
[14] Ephesians 2:14-16 – God
created one humanity out of two, Jew and Gentile
[15] Romans 10:12 – There is
now no difference between Jew or Gentile
[16] Romans 10:13 - EVERYONE who calls on
the name of the Lord will be saved -- Romans 10:9 – CONFESS with your mouth
and BELIEVE in your heart
and you will be saved
[17] Romans 9:8 – It’s the
children of the PROMISE
that are predestined
[18] Ephesians 2:11-13 – The
Gentiles once separated now brought near --
Ephesians 2:19-22 – The Gentiles are no longer
foreigners.
[19] Romans 11:17 – Gentile
Believers, now have Jewish Roots.
[20] Hebrews 6:20 - Jesus was
a Priest after the order of Melchizedek
[21] Hebrews 7:12 – When there
is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law Change in Priesthood
[22] Ezekiel 36:26-27 – I will
give you a new heart and spirit.
[23] 2 Timothy 2:13 - Even if
we drift away, He will remain faithful
[24] John 12:32-33 – Lifted up
on the Cross drew ALL men unto Him
[25] 2 Corenthians 5:21 –
Jesus without sin, took our sin
[26] John 3:3-7 – You must be born again to see the Kingdom of God
-- Philippians 2:13 – God’s Spirit in us gives us the desire to do good. --
Hebrews 8:10 – He put His laws in our hearts and mind
[27] Hebrews 10:14 – We have been made perfect forever -- 2 Peter 1:4 – We can now participate in His Devine Nature
[28] Matthew 22:37-40 – TWO COMMANDMENTS ONLY; ‘Love your neighbor as yourself; `Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
[29] 2 Corenthians 5:17 – When we believe, we are a
new creation -- Galatians 3:6-7 – When we
are a new creation, we become righteous --
2 Corenthians 5:21 – We have the righteousness of God
[30] Romans 10:9 -
IF
YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT JESUS IS LORD AND BELIEVE IN YOUR
HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED IT’ IN THE BOOK
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