CHAPTER THREE
Predestination

Perseverance my be historically rooted in predestination.

What does that mean? It means that it’s logical to believe that if God predestined you to salvation, then you will be saved, and nothing can keep it from happening.

Well then, what is predestination? It’s the belief that God chose some people to be saved. The idea comes from Romans 8: 26, which says, “those whom God foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”

Note a couple of things about this passage. First, it may imply salvation, but that is not specifically what it says. We may also read it to mean that God intends those who are converted to grow into the likeness of Jesus. Second, the concept never bothers Paul as it does us. Instead it introduces one of the most joyful passages in the Bible, including “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Related Areas

We find this problem, not only in theology, but in many disciplines. Psychology has determinists. They argue that if we had complete knowledge of a person, we could accurately predict everything they do.

And the question arises in daily life, “How much freedom do I have?” Do I really have free will? I think I do, but do I really? Am I pre-determined to marry this person, take this job, buy this house, or stop at the diner for a sandwich?

As far as the Biblical discussion goes, Scripture doesn’t touch on other areas being predestined. You’re on your own what you believe about those.

Salvation and Mission

Old Testament scholars speak of a doctrine of Election. This idea includes several things, but basically it speaks of the freedom of God, He does what He chooses. In the OT He chooses particular people. The first is Abraham, who is chosen to found what became the Jewish race. He chose Moses to deliver the people from Egypt, establish a nation, and give them the Law.

In the same spirit, He stopped Saul on the road to Damascus, and elected him  to follow Him, and serve as a missionary to Gentiles. To interpret Paul, one does well to remember the power of his conversion experience. Paul was not seeking God; at the time he believed he already had found Him. Rather, God powerfully sought out Paul.

I choose to believe Paul has in mind his conversion when he talked about predestination. God knew ahead of time Paul would obey, so He stopped him in his tracks and called him. That gave Paul the assurance that God would support him in the mission He gave him.

And to Paul, this means God also knew you would receive Christ and endorsed that by calling you to follow Him. And if God did that, He will not allow His will to be thwarted by losing you.

Double-Barrel Predestination

Most theologians who believe in predestination say only that God elected some to be saved. But doesn’t that imply that God is thereby choosing the rest to go to hell? Most theologians sort of shrug and say Scripture only speaks of predestination in a positive way.

But there are others who take the bull by the horns and claim that God does indeed choose both groups, electing some to go to heaven and others to go to hell. This view has been called double-barrel predestination. It takes courage to state this and a type of honesty.

And yet, the thrust of Scripture is the call to repentance and the call to discipleship. Jesus called his disciples, who left whatever they were doing and followed Him. He called the “rich young ruler” and allowed the man to go away by his own choice.

Always keep in mind the first part of that verse: whom God foreknew, he predestined. It makes all the difference. To the Lord, past, present, and future are all before Him. We are free to choose, and faced with the choice to receive or reject, but He already knows which way we will make that choice.

Remember that predestination strengthens two things. First, if God knew you would be saved and predestined you, then you can rest in the confidence you are in His hands. Second, being predestined to conform to Christ’s image means you will continue to grow as a Christian, understanding more and more, and finding yourself more and more effective in His service.