PREDESTINATION
It may serve you well to read the study on Free Will in conjunction with this study. The reason is simple enough - those who cannot or have not accepted that there is a vast difference between responsibility of choice and a so called free will, may have a very difficult time in studying this thing called predestination.
But a keen sense of "rightly dividing the word of truth" ( 2 Tim 2:14) and acknowledging that "all scripture is profitable for learning (2 Tim 3:16), can certainly help. Many will say that the concept of this thing named predestination challenges or eliminates a person's right and/or ability to their free agency. It is for this reason that I have presented both studies with the intention of eliminating unnecessary arguments which serve only to cause divisions among people, instead of binding the body of believers more closely.
Let us begin then with the most appropriate passage of scripture to validate the term and concept of predestination.
Rom 8:29 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. KJV
G4309 (strong's number)
προορίζω
proorizō
Total KJV Occurrences: 7 predestinate
2 Rom_8:29-30 (3) predestinated, 2 Eph_1:5, Eph_1:11 before, 1 Act_4:28 determined, 1 Act_4:28 (2) ordained, 1 1Co_2:7
We already know that Jesus was the perfect man/God who from eternity would be the savior of the world. He led a perfectly sinless life, and accomplished a complete victory over the power of sin. In a very real sense then we can say he was predestined to become the King of Kings when Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven as punishment for their insurrection in the original Kingdom of God.
The hidden factor in all this is the predetermination/predestination if you will, is the destiny in the Lake of Fire, for Satan and those fallen ones. You see, there is in the plan of God, more than a simple fulfillment of dealing with the sin issuer and balance of power if you will, that must take place prior to the culmination of events that will eternally separate good from evil. Also to be considered is the area of scientific knowledge of how the universe functions. That is to say, there needs to be a balance or harmony in everything.
If we envision a scale, such as the "scale of justice" we see that both sides must be of equal weight/value in order to prevent an unbalanced condition. It is in this area we can open the door to understanding wider, and gain some very valuable knowledge.
EVIL ---->
<---- GOOD
<---- GOODThere
can be no doubt in anyone's mind concerning what imbalance or chaos
produces in either a society or a individual. The fulcrum
of the justice scale you see above is in the form of a cross. We
can see this as the one true divider of all that follows. That
divider is the cross of Jesus, for whoever will accept him, and the
deliverance from the clutches of the devil.
2 CO 6:15 and what fellowship to light with darkness? and what concord to Christ with Belial? or what part to a believer with an unbeliever? (Young's Literal Translation including the verses that follow)
Amo 3:3 Do two walk together if they have not met?
Psa 55:14 When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company.
Rom 6:4 we were buried together, then, with him through the baptism to the death, that even as Christ was raised up out of the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we in newness of life might walk.
So how do we reconcile all of this? Simply by accepting the simple truths.
1. There are those special people whom God has chosen, who will not leave their faith under any circumstances. They are members of the True Church. Their hearts and minds belong to Jesus and will remain specially empowered to steadfastness.
2. There are those people who will never care to seek out any religion (with the possible exception of the satanic forms) and as stated above, will even form their alliances with absolute dedication, to fight the very name of Jesus (Christianity) to the last moment before sentence is passed against them.
3. There is a vast (unknown to us) number of souls who must live and eventually die, as disciples (students) who are constantly struggling with which of the two sides they will make their alliance.
These people, when God feels the balances (numerical) of choices for or against the restored Kingdom (or more accurately - new Kingdom) is complete, are those who make up the replacements for those who fell away. We can envision this vast number of souls as the measures who will, upon redemption, supply the proper weight(s) to balance the scales!
Act 4:12 and there is not salvation in any other, for there is no other name under the heaven that hath been given among men, in which it behoveth us to be saved.' (YLT)
Copyright © 2003 Karl E. Uhlig2 CO 6:15 and what fellowship to light with darkness? and what concord to Christ with Belial? or what part to a believer with an unbeliever? (Young's Literal Translation including the verses that follow)
Amo 3:3 Do two walk together if they have not met?
Psa 55:14 When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company.
Rom 6:4 we were buried together, then, with him through the baptism to the death, that even as Christ was raised up out of the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we in newness of life might walk.
So how do we reconcile all of this? Simply by accepting the simple truths.
1. There are those special people whom God has chosen, who will not leave their faith under any circumstances. They are members of the True Church. Their hearts and minds belong to Jesus and will remain specially empowered to steadfastness.
2. There are those people who will never care to seek out any religion (with the possible exception of the satanic forms) and as stated above, will even form their alliances with absolute dedication, to fight the very name of Jesus (Christianity) to the last moment before sentence is passed against them.
3. There is a vast (unknown to us) number of souls who must live and eventually die, as disciples (students) who are constantly struggling with which of the two sides they will make their alliance.
These people, when God feels the balances (numerical) of choices for or against the restored Kingdom (or more accurately - new Kingdom) is complete, are those who make up the replacements for those who fell away. We can envision this vast number of souls as the measures who will, upon redemption, supply the proper weight(s) to balance the scales!
Act 4:12 and there is not salvation in any other, for there is no other name under the heaven that hath been given among men, in which it behoveth us to be saved.' (YLT)