What is Predestination?
The word predestination can be divided into two namely, “Pre” meaning “before” and “destination” meaning “point of final arrival.”
To predestine something is to determine beforehand where it will end up.
Predestination is simply a doctrine of predestining or the condition of being predestined. It is a belief that God has predetermined who will receive salvation and who will not.
What is the biblical meaning of Predestination?
It means God has a predetermined plan for all things especially the election of certain souls to eternal life. Predestination is a biblical word. The word of the Lord in Romans 8:29 says
“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.” God had scheduled our entry into His family long before we were ever born.
The bible speaks often on this topic and understanding predestination is important to understanding works, faith, salvation, and many other scriptural principles that direct us.
Concerning this, we can say predestination means that God chooses those who will be saved and determines in advance that their final destination will be heaven.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ in the New Testament presents us with predestination in Roman 8:28-30 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 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. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
Apostle Paul is saying that God’s will works through that of humans to accomplish salvation. Hence, God wants all to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Predestination is promising when our justification is kept at the center because God promises to bring us to dwell eternally in his presence – a glorification that is without end.
Freewill versus Predestination
Freewill is an unconstrained and voluntary choice. No matter how much we might desire freedom, it will always be constrained by sin. Due to sin, man is enclosed in wickedness which goes down to every part of our bodies, minds, and wills.
Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that the heart of man is desperately wicked this makes our natural self, carnally minded and not spiritual and a carnal mind is an enmity with God which makes us not to submit to God and His will.
For this reason, we cannot choose what is holy and right for ourselves. We cannot save ourselves, we are in God’s hands and grace.
Predestination, on the other hand, is the belief that everything that happens has already been determined by God — It doesn’t matter if we like it or not. It is what it is. God has got a master plan.
The prime purpose of those who preach predestination is to declare human impotence. He chooses whatever way He pleases because it is according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace.
Bible verses that supports Predestination
In both the Old and New Testaments, we find out where God made mention of people He sets apart to be His apostles and prophets even before they were born.
The scriptures mentioned below are about God choosing people’s destinies. There are many bible verses that seem to support predestination and there are others that are clearly against it.
Isaiah 45:12-13
“I have made the earth, and created man on it. I—My hands— stretched out the heavens, and all their host I have commanded. I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; He shall build My city
And let My exiles go free, Not for price nor reward,” Says the Lord of hosts.
John 15:16
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you..”
Psalm 65:4
“Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.”
Proverbs 16:4
“The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.”
Matthew 24:31
“And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Luke 18:7
“And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?”
Acts 15:17-18
“So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does all these things.’
“Known to God from eternity are all His works.”
Romans 8:28-30
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 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. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
Romans 8:33
“Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
Romans 9:11
“(For the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls)”
Romans 9:15-16
“For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”
Romans 11:2
“God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,”
Romans 11:5-7
“Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.”
I Corinthians 2:7
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory
Ephesians 1:5
“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”
Ephesians 1:11
“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will”
I Thessalonian 1:4
“Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.”
II Thessalonian 2:13
“But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctifying work of the Spirit and belief of the truth:?”
Titus 1:1
“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness”
I Peter 1:2
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
Revelation 13:8
“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”
1 John 2:2: “And he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.”
Romans 9:15-18
“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”
Bible verses against Predestination
Matthew 6:10
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
II Timothy 3:16-17
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
Romans 9:33
“As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
Matthew 16:25
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
II Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
Doctrine of Predestination
Jesus Christ did not choose who He wanted to go to heaven and hell, it was man’s choice, they can choose where they want to go. Jesus gave us a freewill to choose whatever we want but admonished us to choose life according to Deuteronomy 30:19
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”
The doctrine of predestination asserts before the creation of the universe. Certain theologians of predestinations argued against this view that it eliminates humanity’s freewill because it denies human beings the choice to accept or reject salvation.
This doctrine came into existence in the early church and one of the famous teachers of predestination was St Augustine of Hippo who contended that we are free to do whatever we desire, but we are not free to determine our desires, While John Calvin believes that this doctrine of predestination was drawn from God’s sovereignty and omniscience.
He possesses power over all His creations. Therefore, He has the freedom and ability to choose what to do with that creation. God is all-knowing, He is omniscient. He knows the present past and future.
Because He knows the future even over mundane things, the future must unfold according to his knowledge.
Martin Luther believed that we have freedom over everyday things such as choosing beef or chicken. But our eternal life is in the hands of God. We are saved by faith, but faith is the gift of God to whomever He wills.
He further said he wished the term “free will” had never been invented. It is not found in scripture and is properly applied only to God.
When asked how to begin to be godly, he replied that there is no beginning except when Christ enters because everything we begin, begins, and ends in sin.
Jesus Christ never predestined people to Heaven and hell, before the foundation of the world, this is a false doctrine taught by the Calvinists. They always establish their entire false doctrines in a few verses but leave out tons more that have more details.
You can’t just use the verses you think are useful for your doctrine and leave out the rest. They always like to use verses such as John 6:44: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
But fails to mention John 12:32 that says, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw ALL MEN unto me.”
John 3:16 tells us “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”
He so loved the WORLD that He died for the sins of the whole WORLD (not “some certain people” as claimed by Calvinist). He loved us before there was anything and wants ALL men to come to repentance.
Our involvement in every spiritual blessing is a matter of the predestination of God because the blood is the symbol of every covenant blessing.
Predestination is concerned with the destination of a specific people determined by God. Their destination, God decides. It is to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.
Contrary to the Calvinist false doctrine that wants to make God look bad. Do not fall for this doctrine.
Types of Predestination
Conventional and Unconventional Election
It is believed that God chooses for those whom He foreknows will have faith in Christ Jesus. It emphasizes the importance of a person’s free will.
Unconventional is when God chooses whomsoever He wills, based on His purposes apart from an individual’s freewill.
Corporate Election
God does not choose the individual He will save before creation. Instead, God chooses the church as a whole. This choice is not primarily about salvation from eternal destruction but it’s about God’s chosen vessel in the world.
The corporate election is of the view that the foreknowledge of God does not determine the outcomes of individual freewill. Such individual will have human freedom in terms of whether they become members of the church or not.
Middle Knowledge
is a belief that exists under a doctrine called Monilism. It attempts to deal with the topic of predestination by reconciling God’s sovereign providence with the notion of Libertarian freewill.
Libertarians believe that free will is incompatible with causal determinism, and agents have free will. They therefore deny that causal determinism is true unlike middle knowledge which believes that God knows true pre-volitional counter facts for all free creatures.
Double Predestination or Double Decree
It is the doctrine that God actively reprobates or issues damnation of some, as well as salvation for those whom he has elected. This can also be referred to as Calvinism doctrine.
This type of predestination adopted by John Calvin states that “By predestination, we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen concerning every man.
All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestined to life or death”
