Predestination
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There are denominations out there that teach that man does not have a free will to choose to accept Christ or not. They use passages of scripture that use the word “predestinated” to teach that God picks those that he wants to have eternal life.

But the scripture never tells us that we are predestinated unto eternal life. Yes, those that have trusted Jesus Christ are predestinated, as you will soon see, but you will also see that God has given man a free will to accept eternal life.

First of all, let’s take the position that God does pick and choose those people that he wants to have eternal life. Let’s say you have ten people and let’s say that God picks five of them to have eternal life. There is nothing they can do about it, God has chosen them and they will have eternal life whether they like it or not.

Now let’s look at the other five. What will happen to them? They will have eternal damnation whether they like it or not. By not picking them to have eternal life God has picked them to have eternal damnation. How would you like to be one of these five? You see it works both ways, if God chooses some to eternal life, that means he chooses the rest to eternal damnation. Let's look at this simple chart.

Remember when you were a kid at school on the playground and when it came time to pick teams to play a game? If you didn’t get picked to play on team 1 you had no choice but to play on team 2. Playing on team 2 might not have been the choice that you wanted, but you had no other choice.

If God does not pick you to have eternal life, it’s because he wants you to have eternal damnation. If he didn’t want you to have eternal damnation then he would pick you to have eternal life.

I’m sure you are starting to see the problem here. Those people that teach that God picks some to eternal life don’t realize that they are also teaching that God is picking the rest to have eternal damnation.

But the scriptures plainly tell us that God wants everyone to be saved. In 1st Timothy chapter 2 it says,

“3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Is it God’s will for all men to be saved? Yes it is. Will they all be saved? No. In 2nd Peter chapter 3 it says,

“9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Is God willing for people to perish? No. He wants all to come to repentance, but will they? No. Yes, there will be many, many people that perish but that is not God’s will.

Now let me ask you this, if God picks some to eternal life, why didn’t he pick them all? Isn’t his will that none should perish? Isn’t his will for all men to be saved? God could very easily accomplish his will by picking everyone to have eternal life. Do you see my point?

But the scriptures clearly indicate that God gives men a choice about their salvation. In Romans 10:9 it says,

“9 That IF thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

What IF you do? Then you will be saved. What IF you don’t? Then you will not be saved. Pretty simple here, nothing complicated. You can clearly see here that God has given man a choice.

Here’s another question that runs through my mind, at the white throne judgment, someone that doesn’t receive eternal life can clearly say, “I’m going to spend all eternity in the lake of fire because God did not pick me to have eternal life.” How would you like to be one of these people? You want to have eternal life, you don’t want to spend eternity in the lake of fire, but you have no choice in the matter because you were not picked. Does that seem just? Is God a just God?

God is a just and righteous God. He said that these people will be judged according to their works. In Romans 2 it says,

“5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”

Now please understand that the things that Paul writes here are not about the body of Christ during the dispensation of grace but rather people in time past. Under grace our salvation is not based upon our works. It is very clear to see here that God is going to give them eternal life based upon their works, not whether he picks them or not.

So what we have so far is that we see that in time past God will give them eternal life based upon their deeds (works). During the dispensation of grace, God will give them eternal life based upon whether they trust Christ as their Saviour or not.

So what is this predestination thing all about?

First you have to believe the bible means what it says. It never says, “…being predestinated unto eternal life.” But rather it says something quite differently. Let’s go to Ephesians chapter 1, where it says,

“4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”

In verse 4 it says, “…chosen us in him before the foundation of the world…” Now here is a good question. Who is the “US”? Is he talking about particular individuals or is he talking about the church the body of Christ as a whole?

Let’s go on. In verse 5 it says, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children…” Does it say, “Having predestinated us unto eternal life?” No, it does not, but rather unto the adoption of children. There will be many more people that have eternal life besides the church the body of Christ, but the body of Christ was predestinated unto the adoption of children whereas others will not. More on this later.

In Romans chapter 8 it says,

“29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Now does this scripture say, “…he also did predestinate unto eternal life?” Nope. It says that he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son. This is something quite different. As mentioned before, there will be others that have eternal life but they will not be conformed to the image of his Son, but the church the body of Christ will be.

I was teaching a bible class one time and I gave these scriptures in Galatians 4,

“4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

After I read the scripture I asked this question, “ How many of you in here are the adopted sons of God?” Everyone in the room raised their hand except for me and my wife. And I told them, “Well, I’m not the adopted son of God and neither are you.” Needless to say, they did not take it very well. And I told them, “Watch and you will understand.”

Then I went on to explain to them that the adoption had not taken place yet, therefore we are not the adopted sons of God: yet. There will be a time though when the adoption takes place and we will become the adopted sons of God. In Romans 8 it says,

“14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."

Notice in verse 15 where it says, “…ye have received the spirit of adoption…” We are the children of God and we have received the spirit of adoption but the adoption has not taken place yet. Paul said in verse 23 that we are waiting for the adoption, to wit (which is), the redemption of our body.

Question: When is the redemption of our bodies? This is commonly known as the rapture. Even though the word “rapture” is not in the bible, it is commonly used to describe the catching away of the body of Christ at the end of the dispensation of grace. This is when we will get our new bodies. In Philippians chapter 3 it says,

“20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."

Question: Even though the apostle Paul died many years ago, is he still waiting for the adoption? Yes he is, because it has not taken place yet. How about us which are still alive? We’re still waiting too. One day the Lord Jesus Christ will come and take us home and change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body. This is when we will be conformed to the image of his Son. The church the body of Christ is predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son, which takes place at the adoption (the rapture).

But what we have now is the spirit of adoption. This is God’s down payment of our inheritance that we will receive. The bible calls it the earnest of our inheritance. In Ephesians 1 again, let’s cover the scripture.

“4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”

Now down to verse 11,

"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:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

We have learned that the adoption has not taken place yet, but that we do have the spirit of adoption. We were given the Holy Spirit, which is the down payment, deposit, or earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. What is the purchased possession? In 1st Corinthians chapter 6 it says,

“19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

You have been bought with a price. That price was the precious shed blood of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. When you trusted Christ as your Saviour God bought you. You do not belong to yourself anymore, you belong to God. That body that use to be yours, now belongs to God. That body will be redeemed one day soon. It’s called the adoption.

The church the body of Christ was predestinated by God before the foundation of the world that the members would be conformed to the image of his Son at the adoption which is the rapture. God has given you a free will to accept or reject Christ as your Saviour. If you reject Christ as your Saviour, you will not be predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son. If you accept Christ as your Saviour, you will become a member of the body of Christ and thus you will become predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son.

This is how the apostle Paul can tell us in Ephesians 1 that we (the body of Christ) are predestinated and yet in Romans clearly show in several places that God gives you the free will to choose. Even Jesus said in Revelation 22:17:

“17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

And whosoever WILL, let him take the water of life freely. Jesus said, “whosoever will”. God has made salvation available to man, but as you can see here He definitely gives man the will to choose.

But let’s turn it back around and say God predestinates some people unto eternal life. Let’s go to Romans again and see the situation that arises. In Romans 8 it says,

“30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

Now just think and suppose we took this scripture and made it say that God predestinated some unto eternal life. Before the foundation of the world these people were predestinated. The bible says that not only did he predestinate them, he called them, justified them, and glorified them. Now before these people were ever born they were predestinated, called, justified and glorified.

Why do I need to go out and share Christ with people that are already justified? Wouldn’t that be pointless? If they are already justified then they are already justified. If this be the case, sharing Christ with people just doesn’t make sense and is a big waste of time. But this is not the case. Paul was very concerned about reaching people that they might be saved. In 1st Corinthians 9 Paul said,

“22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”

In chapter 10,

“33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."

In Romans 10,

“Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”

Did Paul seemed concerned about saving some? Yes, he did. If God picked who he wanted to have eternal life then Paul’s concern would have been for naught because it wouldn’t have mattered what Paul did, the only people getting saved would have been the one’s God picked and there would be nothing that Paul could do about the rest.

Do you see where it says that they might be saved? Doesn’t that sound like an option to you? Paul knew that people have an option about salvation. Jesus knows that people have an option about salvation. God the Father knows that people have an option about salvation. But some religious denominations teach that there is no option, they teach either God picks you to have eternal life or he picks you to have eternal damnation and as you can clearly see now that that is simply not true.

Once again, the church the body of Christ was predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son. When you trust Christ as your Saviour you become a member of his body and you become predestinated to participate in the inheritance of the body of Christ.

You do not become predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son until you trust Christ as your Saviour. The moment you trust Christ as your Saviour you become a member of the body of Christ and therefore become predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son which takes place at the adoption which is the redemption of our bodies. Therefore you become predestinated unto the adoption of children when you get saved.

Now let's look at this chart.

The Body of Christ (the one new man) was chosen by God before the foundation of the world that it's members would be predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son. This is not the case for all throughout history that will have eternal life. The old testament saints will not be conformed to the image of his Son, neither will those in the future after the one new man is taken out of here. Having our bodies conformed to the image of his Son is unique to the One New Man. When you trust Christ as your Saviour, you become a member of his body and therefore predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son.

“…believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”