PREDESTINATION

Transcript:

0:00 Intro

The ones who were appointed to eternal life, that is, chosen by God from before the foundation of the world, the ones who were chosen to eternal life, believed. 

Today's video is on the topic of Predestination. Looking for some answers, Kyle and I went to Trinity Reformed Church to get Pastor Van eyk's thoughts on the subject. This is Faith to Film. Predestination is God's determination before the foundation of the world, whom he would choose to enjoy eternal life with him and whom he would allow to persist in their disobedience, leading to their eternal death. Predestination has to do with God's determination of our ultimate destination or destiny 

0:50 On what basis did God make his choice?

Some Christians believe that God's choice of individuals to salvation is determined by His foreknowledge. So, He saw from before the creation of the world what they would do when they came into contact with the gospel of Christ. That they would choose for Christ and seeing that they would choose for Christ, God then chose them to salvation. But the bible teaches something different. The bible teaches that God's choice of individuals is not determined in any way by anything they do or don't do, will do, or won't do. That God's choice is determined by his own sovereign pleasure. He chose some to eternal life because He loved them with an electing love. In fact, the bible tells us that outside of God's choice of individuals to salvation, no one would ever choose for Christ. No one would put their faith in Him. That sinners untouched by God's regenerating grace would always resist the Lord Jesus, would never embrace Him as their savior. And so the only ones who will do that are those whom God has chosen from all eternity whom He then in time gives the gift of faith so that they embrace Jesus Christ. Luke tells us in acts 13:48 that some of the gentiles believed. Which ones? The ones who were appointed to eternal life, that is, chosen by God from before the foundation of the world, the ones who were chosen to eternal life believed. 

2:30 Why did God not choose all to salvation?

This is a deep, and it can be a perplexing question. I think the first thing to say is that God is God and God can do whatever God wishes to do. Paul says in romans 9 that God will have mercy on whom He has mercy and God will have compassion on whom He has compassion. It's God's prerogative to do what He wills with his creatures. I think it's also helpful to understand that none of us deserve salvation. All of us deserve condemnation. The elect receive mercy, those who do not believe in Jesus Christ receive justice. No one is treated unfairly and the unbeliever goes to his eternal condemnation not because he wasn't chosen by God but because he rejected the offer of God in Jesus Christ and refused to bow down and worship Him. 

3:31 How should the doctrine of predestination affect us?

To those who have been saved, this doctrine should humble us and comfort us. Humble us because we recognize that salvation is at God's initiative and had nothing to do with us at all. Comfort us because we know that if God has chosen us from before the foundation of the world, nothing will thwart His purposes and we shall be eternally secure in His sovereign will and choice. If we are not Christians, this doctrine should not put us off at all because it is a demonstration of God's desire to save people from their sins and of His kind disposition to sinners. And it should encourage us to embrace Jesus Christ as He is freely offered to us in the gospel. That we might enjoy eternal life with God