 The title of our sermon this morning is predestined according to his purpose, predestined according to his purpose. Now this morning, again, we're in our ongoing series now entitled The Essentials. And in that series, we come to our subject of predestination. Again, our aim in this series by way of introduction is one sermon, one hour, one fundamental or foundational subject. Sermons that I pray will serve as helpful introductions to these subjects. That's all that they are, folks. It's just simple introductions. There have been volumes and volumes and volumes written about these. We've got one hour together to introduce this. I pray it's going to be helpful to you. I pray that for those of you who are new to the faith or new to our church, these subjects will help in your growth and development and your understanding and your worship. I also pray for my brothers and sisters that will be built up, that we'll have more knowledge of him who has saved us, that our worship would be fueled, that our praise would be informed. And these will serve as hopefully good reminders for our theology and practice here at our church. We, again, are loosely following the general course of our Confession of Faith, the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689. And so with that, we began our study of the Essentials with the Doctrine of Revelation. And we followed that with the Doctrine of God. And now under the Doctrine of God, we come to the subject or theme of predestination. Now, the first time that I ever encountered even the concept of predestination, I was aghast. Absolutely appalled. Those crazy Calvinists, that subject, how could that be? How could they believe such a thing? That's nowhere in the Bible. Where did that crazy idea come from? And then found out that it's the twisted logic of some outlier 16th century cloistered heretic named Calvin himself. But he wasn't the first one or the only one. There have been many who have held to this. What I thought at the time was a crazy idea, a crazy notion. That's certainly not what the Bible teaches. And in a vast majority of churches, the word predestination conjures up images of God as a puppet master, pulling all the strings, trampling over man's free will, trampling irrationally over all the whosoever wills in the Bible and the for God so loved the world texts in the Bible. Are they just going to ignore those texts? Certainly they know those texts are in the Bible. Have they not read those passages? This is just a crazy, couldn't believe that this was possible that somebody would actually think these things. God arbitrarily, it seems, picking a select few to make it into heaven. And then unjustly, arbitrarily also rejecting everybody else and giving them no opportunity to come to Christ and be saved even though many of them would want to. It's just not right. I get to choose. I get to, this is America. I get to choose. Most evangelical households, the two topics off the table in polite conversation are politics, not politics in religion, but politics and predestination. You can't even talk about it around the table. Most evangelical households, many a pastor has been fired for even the hint of it in their sermons. If you get the smell of predestination on you, you're out the door. Your days are numbered, right? Many a church has been split when their efforts to fire the pastor has failed or proved fruitless. Many churches don't even know what church discipline is. Adultery, fornication, lying, stealing, cheating, division, gossip, slander, all get a pass. But your days are numbered if you think that God chooses who will be saved. For many, predestination joins a short list of other curse words you can't say in church. And yet, there it is all over the Bible, all over the Bible. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11, in Him also we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will. John chapter 15 verse 16, Jesus says, you did not choose me but I chose you. Acts chapter 13 verse 48, the Gentiles were glad and they glorified the word of the Lord and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. Romans chapter 8 verse 29, for whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Romans chapter 9 verse 15, 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. Second Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13, God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. We could go on and on and on and on. Right? Passage is aplenty with respect to predestination. All asserting God's sovereignty in predestination. In fact, predestination is a subject that we find mentioned, asserted, addressed, explained and taught from cover to cover in the Bible, Genesis through Revelation. So predestination, whatever it is, predestination sounds like something the revealed word of God reveals. In the text, in the passages, it sounds like something that God's word reveals. If predestination is a truth then revealed in the word of God, then we're not at liberty to simply put it on the shelf like some theological curiosity or theological oddity. You're not at liberty to ignore it and you can't use the defense of what you think is right to ignore those texts that assert it or ignore that good theology. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you think is right and it matters what the word of God says. We're not at liberty to continue walking in darkness and some with an effort to avoid this subject just want to insist on walking in darkness. This is shadowy something I can't quite understand. Listen, walking in darkness because it confronts their bad theology. They bristle against the truth of what God's word is asserting and they'd rather walk in darkness than confront the theological truth the Bible is revealing. We must labor to understand what God's word reveals to be true. Now, why would it be? Why would it be that people would want to ignore or avoid this subject? Many think that the study of the doctrine is not all that important anyway. The study of doctrine is not that important. Give me something practical, they would say. One will avoid studying the Bible. One will avoid books that get them into the Bible because they want just something practical. Give me something practical. Help me with my day-to-day life. That's the objection, isn't it? Automatically putting a doctrine like predestination in the category of not practical. How is this going to benefit me in my everyday Christian life? Someone might ask. My answer to that would be much in every way. Much in every way. Much in every way. It is intensely practical, this subject of predestination. Why is the study of God's revealed truth pertaining to predestination so important? Why would we take time to consider a doctrine like this? Because all that God reveals in his word pertains to life and godliness. He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. His revealed word and what God reveals in his word pertains to our life and godliness. It's important. Practically important. What he reveals is meant to glorify himself and we were created to glorify him. We should glorify him with informed understanding of what God reveals. What he reveals is meant to humble us and don't we need humbling. What he reveals is meant to cultivate our faith in him. It's meant to inform our worship, promote the holiness of his people. It leads to awe and wonder and joy and hope and peace and believing. It leads to a knowledge of him and our knowledge of him leads to our worship of him, our glorifying of him, our living for him. It's very practical in many ways. We'll talk about that as we go. I was appalled, aghast when I first was confronted with the subject of predestination. But like so many believers before me who had come to understand this truth from the Bible, I began to see the doctrine of God's sovereign predestination as immeasurably sweet, as immeasurably wondrous and glorious and good. Helps us to understand the nature of God's electing love, the nature of God's loving kindness, covenant keeping, faithfulness. It's been a great comfort to me in times of difficulty. When you go through adversity and trial, when you're battling discouragement or despair, this doctrine is immeasurably sweet, immeasurably good. It has caused me to see my right relationship to God and my need, ongoing need for grace and mercy and all things terminating in his glory. John Calvin himself said this. He said, this great subject is not as many imagine a mere thorny and noisy disputation nor speculation which wearies the minds of men without any profit, but it's a solid discussion eminently adapted to the service of the godly because it builds us up in sound faith, trains us to humility and lifts us up into an admiration of the unbounded goodness of God toward us while it elevates to praise this goodness in our highest strains. So in our time together this morning, I want to give you a brief introduction of the subject of the doctrine of predestination. I pray this introduction will spur you on to further study. The doctrine, the study is well worth your time and effort. And we're going to begin as we get into this subject. We're going to begin with an explanation of the doctrine from the text of Scripture. We're going to look at the relevant texts, some of the relevant texts, and then we're going to consider the application of the doctrine to Christian life and practice. Let's begin with an explanation now and look at some texts to help us understand. When defining the doctrine from Scripture, particularly this doctrine, it helps us to look at the words themselves. We need to understand the words involved and how they lead us to understand the doctrine of predestination. With that, turn with me to Acts chapter 2. And bear with me now as we begin to look at the words themselves that are given to us in the text of Scripture and how we are to understand them. As you're going, I encourage you to take notes, put these things together so that you can go back on your own and look at how these things lay out, right? They're very helpful to help us understand or form a biblical doctrine of predestination. Acts chapter 2. Drop down with me to verse 22. And let's begin there. Acts chapter 2 verse 22. Acts chapter 2, Peter is preaching his sermon at Pentecost. And in verse 22, Peter says this, Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God, to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through him in your midst as you yourselves also know, him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. It's an important statement. You have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death, whom God raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be held by it. Now, the first words that I want to draw your attention to are found in verse 23. Determined purpose and foreknowledge. Now, think with me, determined. The word determined is the Greek word orizo. It means to decide. He determined. He decided. Right? Pretty clear, pretty straightforward. Determined orizo means to decide. Purpose there is the word bule. It refers to God's will, God's intention. It refers to God's decree, what he decided. Right? His purpose, his will. Foreknowledge is the word prognosis. We have an English word, it's actually a Greek word. It essentially means a very similar thing, prognosis. It means predetermination, planning in advance of acting. It's what the word means in the Greek there. Determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. In other words, we use this example. This is a preeminent example in Scripture of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, central to our faith. And even in that, the most grievous sin, the most grievous display of worldly wickedness in all the Bible, the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. What does Peter assert? Jesus Christ, verse 23, was delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. The most heinous, grievous wickedness that could ever be done, the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ was according to the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. Now listen with me. These three words work together, verse 23, to convey a specific meaning here. God predetermines or plans in advance what will happen. That's foreknowledge, prognosis. It does not mean, it does not mean that God merely knows what will happen in the future. But God in advance plans, determines what will happen in the future. The action is decided or determined, or readzo, in accord with God's will, bule, what God intends to take place. Those three words together, determined, purpose, and foreknowledge, what you don't get is the idea that this was somehow a grand accident or that God merely foresaw what would happen in the future and somehow got good use out of that. Now what you get from determined purpose and foreknowledge here, even a first-time listener, you took someone who had no interest in the Bible, no understanding of the Bible, and you read that to them, how would they understand those words? God planned it, made it happen, brought it to pass, right? The determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. Now put yourself in the first century, the first century sandals, so to speak, those men of Israel hearing Peter's sermon. How would you have understood Peter's words in verse 23? There's no confusion. It's not shadowy. It's not doubtful. There's no room for misunderstanding. It's crystal clear what Peter is trying to say. Two things. One, the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ was determined beforehand by the will of God. Determined purpose and foreknowledge. Do you see? Secondly, they're responsible for it. Their lawless hands have undertaken this wickedness. You've taken Peter says, by lawless hands, you've crucified, you've put him to death. In other words, they're responsible. What this speaks of is God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. Now we're going to get into man's responsibility more and even the issue of free will as we get into future sermons in this series. For purposes right now, just to introduce this doctrine to you, remember the doctrine of concurrence that we talked about under God's providence. Man's responsibility here falls under that doctrine of concurrence. Man acts. Man acts freely. Man chooses. Man decides the actions that he's going to take. And man is morally responsible for the actions that he takes. At the same time, in the actions that men take, God's will is done. And that's a great mystery how those things fit together. God's sovereignty and man's responsibility, but that's precisely what the scriptures reveal. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ determined beforehand by the will of God and they are responsible for their lawless part in it. Notice with me from Acts chapter 2 there, verse 23, that foreknowledge is not the same as foresight. Not the same as foresight. Some would say that, many would say, that God merely foresees what will take place and that predestination is related to what God foresees. That's not the case. Not what the Bible teaches. Now notice with me the contrast with David in the verses that follow. Look at verse 25. In verse 25, for David says concerning him, I foresaw. You see that from David. God determines wills predestines David foresees. With God there is foreknowledge, a planning previous to acting. With God there is a will that is decreed and then carried out by his orizo determined purpose. With David, David foresees. For David says concerning him, verse 25, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken. The word translated there foresaw in verse 25 is not orizo, which is determined, but it's prognosis. The word is pra-or-a-o. Pra-or-a-o, pra meaning before or-a-o, meaning see, fore-see. God, pra-or-a-o, determines before, David, pra-or-a-o, sees before. Do you see the difference between the two, the contrast between the two? God's action, and then what? David, David is a prophet. David's not God. David doesn't will things that come to pass. David foresees. He, pra, before, or-a-o sees. Foresees things that will come because he's a prophet and God reveals that to him. God is the one who pra-or-i-zo predetermines, do you see? Now, the text doesn't use that word for God, pra-or-a-o. Scripture continuously uses the word for God, not merely seeing before, but determining before. In other words, God is not a mere spectator of human events. In no way is God a mere spectator of things that come about. God initiates, God determines, God decrees all things whatsoever that come to pass. God's not a mere spectator. God doesn't respond to things that come about in history. Why? Because God is immutable. God is unchangeable. God has decreed all things whatsoever that come to pass. And then God is working out his decree through providence in time and space. God in his sovereignty, in his power, in his omniscience governs the scope of human affairs. David doesn't determine before, as a prophet, David merely sees before. Look at verse 29, drop down to verse 29. Men and brethren, Peter says, Let me speak freely to you of the patriarch, David, that he is both dead and buried and in his tomb with us to this day. Therefore, verse 30, Being a prophet, knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne. He, foreseeing Praorao, not Praorizo. Praorao, David, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ that his soul was not left in Hades nor did his flesh see corruption. There are many who would say that God in his sovereignty, God, according to predestination, looks down the corridor of time, foresees what will come about, and then predestines in accord with what he foresees. Not the case. You can't get that from the words used in Scripture of what God is doing. God is predetermining. God is planning before. God is not merely Praorao. God is Praorizo. Flip the page and look at Acts chapter 4. Acts chapter 4. Drop down there with me. Acts chapter 4 to verse 27. And Peter essentially making the same point, bringing about these same words again now, beginning in verse 27, where the Bible says, for truly against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together, verse 28, to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done. That is a staggering, astonishing statement of the sovereign control of God, the sovereign scope of God's control over the affairs of men. Look at verse 28. In verse 28, the word for purpose again is bule. It's God's will. Referring to God's will or intention, bule or God's will, psalema is another word, is what God intends to come about. And he intends it before it comes about. You see? He intends. That's his will. And the word therefore determined before, in verse 28, is pra-orizo. Same word. It's a word that means predestined. What he predestined to take place, what he determined before, or predestined to happen. Now that would have, they would have understand, would have understood these events to be clearly, to be determined or decided beforehand by God. Look at the context with me. Not merely there the crucifixion was decided beforehand by God, but all the events that led to that determined beforehand by God. Herod, Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles, the Romans, the people of Israel. They were all gathered together. Who were they gathered together by? Gathered together by God. They were all gathered, and they were gathered together by their own willful decision to gather themselves together and do something evil, right? They had their own evil intentions. It was said that the Jews delivered up Jesus because of envy. They delivered him up because of envy. That was their own envy. God didn't have to reach into their heart and work envy in their heart to make them do this wicked thing to fulfill his purposes and plans. They did that on their own. It was the overflow of their own wicked heart that produced that envy, and they acted in accord with their envy and they crucified the Lord of glory, right? Here, all that they did, all that they did, this is again the doctrine of concurrence, all they did was by the predetermined will of God. And what they did was whatever, that's verse 28, was whatever God had ultimately decided before to be done, predetermined, predestination, okay? Proorizo, determined before. There's simply no other meaning given to this word, and you can't argue with words, right? And what they're intended to communicate. Now, ordinarily, when we discuss a doctrine like this, it's not uncommon to find relative agreement when it comes to this understanding of God's sovereign predestination of human actions and events. The scriptures are very, very clear, and it's all over the Bible. God is sovereign. The Bible says that God works all things together after the counsel of his own will. So predestination, predestination is an operation of God's sovereignty, right? God is sovereign, and so he predestines, you see? He brings about his predetermined will then through providence, a subject that we discussed together earlier. So far, so good, right? So far, so good. Second London Baptist Confession of Faith, 1689, Chapter 3, Article 1, asserts this truth. I want to read it to you. God hath decreed in himself from all eternity by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably all things whatsoever that come to pass straight out of the Bible. Yet, so as thereby is God neither the author of sin, nor hath fellowship with any therein, nor is violence offered to the will of the creature. He doesn't have to, you know, puppet master them and turn them into little robots to get him to do what he wants them to do. They're acting freely. No violence is done to their will, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. We also talked about that in our Sermon on Providence, in which appears his wisdom in disposing all things in power and faithfulness in accomplishing his decree. Good definition of predestination. God decrees wills for ordains, predestines, virtual synonyms, operations of God's sovereignty, and he brings about that decree through Providence. Chapter 3, Article 2, although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet hath he not decreed anything because he foresaw it as future or is that which would come to pass upon such conditions? In other words, God does not look down the corridor of time, spying out all of history, as though he were watching some play without a script, right? And then based upon the quote-unquote free actions of people make his determination based upon those things, God doesn't do that. God doesn't do that. Many having affirmed the obvious and clear teaching of the Bible with respect to these two statements, and many do, then rise up in protest against the third. Chapter 3, Article 3, By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ to the praise of his glorious grace. Now we have a problem, right? All of a sudden now, is this a democracy or isn't it, right? What happened to my choice, right? Others, even more bristling against this last statement, others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation to the praise of his glorious justice. And we have the two primary and preeminent components of predestination, namely election and reprobation. Those who are predestinated for ordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ to the praise of his glorious grace, others left to act in their sin to their just condemnation to the praise of his glorious justice. In other words, that which is predestined or the destiny which is determined beforehand by God involves those who go to heaven and those who do not. Do you see? And if God is sovereign, if he predestines all things whatsoever that come to pass, certainly the scope of all things includes salvation or the reprobation of men and women. God predetermines, pra or ridzo, predetermines those who go to heaven and those who do not. The destination in view when concerning the doctrine of predestination is heaven or hell. The primary concern of predestination that is the difference, really the difference between election, election, God's electing love. We'll talk about that in a sermon next week and reprobation, reprobation election has to do with God's choosing beforehand. Those who may predestines for eternal life through Jesus Christ to the praise of his glorious grace and has been called election. It's been called the crown jewel of the doctrine of God's sovereignty and reprobation. Reprobation has to do with God determining beforehand to leave others to act in their sin to their just condemnation and to the praise of his glorious justice. We'll look at some texts that talk about that in just a moment, right? God determines all these things beforehand. Now, even that fact is so clearly stated in the Bible that many simply concede that God does in fact choose some and leave others. It's just so clearly stated in the Word of God. You cannot get around it such that many will agree and concede that God does in fact choose. Why? Because the Bible says God chose. The real issue then, the real issue up for debate then becomes how God chooses. The real issue with predestination becomes how God chooses. Does God look down the corridor of time to foreseen faith in the person and then choose that one based upon their faith? It's called the prescient or prescient view of predestination. Pre-science or knowledge before based upon God's knowledge beforehand. Does he then predestine or does God determine beforehand those who would place their faith in Jesus Christ? They end up putting their faith in trust in Jesus Christ because it was predestined by God that they would do so. You see the difference between the two? This second view, God before the foundation of the world, before time began, before you were born, before you had any opportunity to do anything good or evil entirely apart from any foreseen good or evil in you, entirely apart from any foreseen merit, any foreseen goodness, any foreseen action. Entirely apart from that, God decided then whether he would bring you to faith in his Son or not bring you to faith in his Son. Your eternal destiny is predestined. Do you see? One reason for this given in Scripture is that man is dead in trespasses and sins. Man is dead in trespasses and sins apart from God's free-electing love, apart from God's grace, His working of grace, no one would come to faith in his Son. No one. No one. Salvation requires if we, if God's people are to be redeemed, then redemption, salvation requires, necessitates an intentional and active work of God's grace by which the dead sinner is given new life in Christ and is only then that they are able to repent and believe the Gospel. The basic question pertaining to these two views of predestination, among many questions with respect to this doctrine, is this? Is this? Is the determination of salvation in the final assessment, in the ultimate assessment, is the determination of salvation made ultimately by man? Or is the determination made ultimately by God? That's what it comes down to. Whatever views that you look at, there is the biblical view that that determination is made by God and there is every other view that is some form of a determination made ultimately by man. We have to decide between those two. That's the thrust of the debate. Not that God chooses. Most people, if they read their Bible, are going to agree that God chooses. It's how God chooses. Does God choose ultimately in response to an ultimate decision by man or is God the one who ultimately determines? Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. And let's look at the text that was read earlier in your hearing. Ephesians chapter 1. You guys are going to have to listen faster. We are running out of time. Ephesians chapter 1. Look there beginning in verse 3. I'll just talk faster. Verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Praise God. He did all of that. Right? He did all of that. Verse 4. Just as He chose us in Him. Pretty clear. I don't have to, you know, do sort of linguistic gymnastics to help us understand what that's saying. Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, when were names written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world? There's this old hymn. I'm trying to remember the name of that hymn now that talks about how when someone comes to faith in Christ they walk that aisle, right? And when they give their heart their life to Christ their names are written down in the Lamb's Book of Life. That guy needs to read his Bible. It's a clear passage. Their names were written down in the Lamb's Book of Life before we can write a new hymn. We need to do that. That'd be a good exercise. Before the foundation of the world, for the purpose, verse 4, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. You could say that we were predestined to be holy and without blame before Him in love. The word translated in verse 4, He chose that verb is eklegomai. It's where we get our word elected from. Election, speaking of election. It's an heiress for you Greek guys. An heiress tense. An heiress tense is in the middle voice. In the middle voice it means that He chose for Himself. He chose on His own behalf. You could say in accord with His own will for His own purposes. He determined in Himself for Himself, right? Terminates on the glory of God alone. In fact, Paul, verse 4, pushes divine election and God's saving plan and purpose all the way back before creation, right? Before creation into eternity past where God alone existed. He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, before creation. Now, notice the language of predestination in verse 5. Having predestined us predetermined, pra oridzo. Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, for Himself, you see? According to their foreseen faith, no? According to the good pleasure of His will. There it is again. His intention. His thilema. Thilema, right? Verse 6, to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the beloved. Look at all the work that God does. All the work that God does. Look here that we do. Nothing so far. All done by God. All of grace. Now, notice verse 5. Predestined verse 5. Pra oridzo determined before, not pra orao, or seen before, but pra oridzo determined before and solely according to the good pleasure of His will. Again, there were those who would argue that predestination concerns the church corporately or that predestination concerns nations and groups of people. But notice how personal and how individual these blessings are in Ephesians chapter 1, right? Verse 7. In Him we have redemption through His blood. We have forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace which He made to bound toward us in all wisdom and prudence. Now, when Paul uses the word us, he shows whom God has blessed with these spiritual blessings, right? And notice how personally these things, how personal they are, right? He chose me. He gave me every spiritual blessing. He predestined me. I am an adopted son in the kingdom. You are an adopted son or an adopted daughter in the kingdom. How personal, right? How intimate. Now, we're not talking about nations and organizations and the church corporate. Of course the bride has been predestined. But He means you personally, you individually, right? To the praise of His glory, He made me, you, accepted in the beloved if you've turned from your sin and put your faith and trust in Him alone, right? Notice how personal and individual. Verse 7. In Him we have redemption. We've been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. The forgiveness of sins, my sins, not just the sins of the church at large, my sins, your sins. If you're in Christ, your sins have been forgiven according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward me, toward you in all wisdom and prudence, right? Through the person and work of Jesus Christ, I am redeemed. I am forgiven of my sin. I've been adopted. I have obtained that inheritance. Verse 11. Verse 13. When I heard the word of truth, I believed Him and I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, with the spiritual and personal. Now look at verse 9 of them. Having made known to us the mystery of His will, His intention, the lemma, according to His good pleasure, not anything foreseen in us, not anything that merits it, according to His good pleasure alone which He purposed that word is pro-teethaming, planned, purposed, or the word teethaming means setting, put in place. It's set before hand, pro-teethaming. Purposed, set, placed before, predestined, in other words. It's a sin and aim for predestination. He predestined this in Himself. Verse 10. That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him. In Him, verse 11. Also, we have obtained an inheritance being predetermined, predestined, pro-orezzo, according to the purpose pro-thesis, pro-thesis. You've heard of the word thesis before, haven't you? When you're going to write a paper, you formulate a thesis and then in that paper, you work out your thesis. Your thesis is what you've determined to prove. You're going to prove your thesis. Well, God forms a thesis. This is what's going to be and that thesis is determined beforehand. Pro-thesis is a similar way to what this word means in the Greek. He works this, being predestined according to the purpose, this beforehand thesis of Him who works all things according to the council of His will, the lemma. Just synonyms piled upon synonyms all making the same point. In other words, you can make this statement, you can make this point with one phrase or as Paul is doing in Ephesians 1 verses 3 through 14 to drive home to prideful, arrogant, foolish, worldly wise men that God is the one in control here and God is the one determining all things whatsoever that come to pass. He is going to writing this dead horse. You see? It's pounding this to say God is sovereign. God is sovereign. It's only then in verse 13 that anything we do comes into the picture. In Him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation in whom also having believed you were passive, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession purchased in Christ's own blood to the praise of His glory. All of this is rooted and grounded in God. Now we'll discuss the doctrine of election more fully next week. I want you to see though through this Ephesians chapter 1 and turn with me now to Romans chapter 8, I want you to see that predestination in the Bible clearly extends to the salvation of sinners. Romans chapter 8 and look there with me at verse 28 Romans chapter 8 verse 28 Paul says, now we know we know why do we know? We know because the Bible asserts that it is so. We know because the Bible has revealed that this is true. We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called, the claytoss, the elect according to His purpose, prosthesis His purpose, His predestining you could say for verse 29 Whom He foreknew prognosco that again, planning prior to acting it's God's intention is what is met by the word foreknew there. Not for see pro arao but for knowing in terms of intending purposing and then acting. For Whom He foreknew He also predestined predetermined to be conformed to the image of His Son that He might be the first born among many brethren moreover Whom He predestined pro arizo these He also called Whom He called these He also justified Whom He justified these He also glorified William Perkins repeated to be the first Puritan described this as the golden chain of salvation. The golden chain of salvation because there's a chain of actions here. There's a chain of actions that takes place. Notice first in this change, in this chain there is a sequential order given to these actions foreknowledge, predestination calling, justification, glorification there's an order a sequential order given to the actions. Notice second the same group is involved throughout the same group is involved you could use all those and it would carry the sense of the passage all those He foreknew are predestined all those He predestines He calls all those He calls He justifies and all those He justifies He glorifies. You could put all for the group there that is necessary the implication of the text. In other words the text breaks down doesn't make any sense if you put some doesn't work not what's intended. Some of those He foreknew He predestined. Some of those He predestined He called. No it's not the point of the text the point of the text is that all of those that He's at work at in this way all of those are foreknown predestined called justified and glorified. Now that order that order begins, this is a summary if you will of the Order of Salutus the Order of Salvation is a summary way of talking about this. The order begins in verse 29 with foreknowledge but not for see or seen before but prognosco. He knows, intends plans, determines before and think about this with me for moments chapter 8. God doesn't predestine unknown people. That would make absolutely no sense. God doesn't predestine anything unknown to him. In other words, the mind of God comes before the decree of God in a natural order. He knows everything that he will bring to pass by his determined will. God doesn't predestine unknown people. All that God determines before, he knows before that which he intends in his mind and his wisdom. He then plans, purposes predestines what God decrees he knows and then he carries out his decree through providence in time and space. This text is often used, strangely enough, often used to defend the corridor of time argument against predestination. The prescient view of predestination, it can't be done. I think with me, we have to put our thinking caps on for Romans chapter 8 here. God foreknew a certain group of people. He foreknew a certain group of people. He doesn't foreknew all people because if you follow the order, not all people are justified, not all people are glorified, right? He foreknows a certain group of people. Those whom he foreknows he predestines them, predetermines them. And those whom he has predestined, God then calls. The word called here used in several ways in the Bible. Jesus himself said that many are called fewer chosen. There is an external call of the gospel given to all people. The gospels preached to all. It's a gospel call to all. It's an external call to the gospel, okay? Some believe it, some reject. What he can't be referring to in Romans chapter 8 is the external call to the gospel. In other words, if everyone who heard the gospel was then called, everyone who heard the gospel would be then predestined, called, justified and glorified. He's not talking about the external call. What is he talking about? He's talking about the internal call. The work of the Holy Spirit on the heart of an unbeliever to cause them to be born again, to turn from their sin, to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Those are those whom God has called. The internal call of God is what transforms their heart, right? The work of the Holy Spirit in them causing them to be born again. This calling is contrary to justification. It's a prerequisite. It comes before justification and it comes before justification in the order in our text. We are justified, we know from Scripture, by faith. Justified by faith alone in Christ alone. Only those who have faith are justified. That means that only those who have faith are then glorified. Do you see? The order in the flow of the text. This means that if the call of verse 29, if the call of verse 29 is the external call to the gospel, then everyone who hears the external call of the gospel is justified. We know that not to be the case. We know that's not true. There are many who hear the gospel and are not saved. So then verse 29, speaking of the internal call of God, but only those only those who respond inwardly in faith to the outward call of God are justified and then glorified. Notice now then. The internal call comes after foreknowledge and after predestination. In the prescient view, God knows all of those who will respond to the external call of the gospel and then he predestines and in time he justifies. In other words, the order is twisted. Where's the call? The verse explains that God predestines people to be called inwardly and then those called inwardly are then justified and glorified. You see how that fits together? We need to think about that. Meditate on that this afternoon in your fellowship. Over your lasagna, think about Romans 8, 28, 29 and the order in which God works and the prescient view of predestination simply falls apart. God predestines those whom he will call. Those whom he calls are those, all of them, who are justified. The idea that God has simply foreknown people who will decide in the future and then responds with justification simply aborts the call. There's nowhere that the call fits in with that prescient view of predestination. Flip the page. Look at Romans 9 quickly. Romans 9. Let me give you another example of this. Romans 9, verse 19, Paul says, you'll say to me then, verse 19, why does he still find fault? For who has resisted his boolema, will, his intention? The rhetorical question, who resists him? No one resists him. No one resists his will. He does what he pleases. But indeed, verse 20, Paul brings this out. Indeed, oh man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing form, say to him who formed it, why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another vessel for dishonor? Election and reprobation. You know, if you go through, for example, Paul's letter to the church at Rome and just answer those rhetorical questions with the answers that the rhetorical questions intend and Arminianism is destroyed, falls apart. Here, election and reprobation clearly asserted from verse 21, two primary components of predestination. We'll talk about that soon. Verse 22, what if God wanting to show his wrath to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, purposed for destruction and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had prepared or purposed beforehand for glory speaks to predestination even us whom he called, not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles. It's not that God actively, again, not that God actively works sin and rebellion in the hearts of men that's a heresy called equal ultimacy that in the same way that God works in the sinner's heart to cause them to be born again gives them regeneration, works in them faith works in them life that God works in the sinner wickedness and death that is a heresy called equal ultimacy that's not what God is doing God works in the hearts of those whom he will predestined to be called justified and glorified he leaves as the confession states he leaves the others to act in their sin to the praise of his glorious justice he says in Hosea verse 25 I will call them my people who were not my people and her beloved who was not beloved he's talking about the Gentiles there applying that text from Hosea to the Gentiles it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them you are not my people, there they shall be called sons of the living God all according to God's predetermined plan what could we say what could we think with respect to application of these truths again I want to invite you to consider how this might impact the way that you think about God the way that you think about our redemption the way that you think about our worship of him who he is and what he has done so much more could be said and Lord allowing we'll say those things in future sermons application of this doctrine lies in the fact that God's sovereign predestinating work is always and will forever be in accord with his divine character we know God's character to be right and true and good and holy and righteous and just and loving and kind and patient we know what the Bible reveals of God's infinitely good character God is love the Bible says and God elects in love we'll talk about that next week his sovereign work is always in accord with his divine nature will not the God of all the earth do right Abraham asks of course he will of course he will and we can trust him for that because of that thinking of predestination our salvation is sure and is as secure as he is faithful and he is infinitely faithful infinitely faithful Calvin said this there is not a more effectual means of building up faith than the giving our open ears to the election of God which the Holy Spirit seals upon our heart while we hear showing us that it stands in the eternal good will of God toward us and that therefore it cannot be moved or altered by any storms of the world by any assaults of Satan by any changes by any fluctuations or weaknesses of the flesh for our salvation is then sure to us when we find the cause of it in the breast of God that's predestination right our predestination is determined and established by God who is sovereign over all things whatsoever that come to pass all things there is not a stray molecule in this entire universe why because God is sovereign and predetermines all things whatsoever that come to pass if that's the truth then every difficulty every adversity of God to me for my good that is no accident not given a chance not given away to the whims of men or the actions it's all determined by a sovereign God who works all things together for my good why is it that he can work all things together for my good because he sovereignly decrees all things in the first place and then he being infinitely good toward his own withholding no good thing from them in his power and wisdom work all things together for their good predestination humbles us puts us in right relationship to God rather than thinking I think for a moment it's like again another Copernican revolution make the shift of mind from thinking that everything in the universe revolves around us to the truth from the bible that everything revolves around God you think about that Copernican revolution and you put yourself in right relationship to God in your salvation to think to yourself has God saved me has God done a work of grace in my heart has he known me for loved me it's a humbling truth to consider those questions before God you have responsibility to repent and believe you must repent and believe the gospel but we cast ourselves upon God for his mercy and it's God who shows compassion it's God who shows mercy that takes away from me any notion whatsoever just evaporates into thin air any notion that I can do anything to earn favor with him or to be redeemed by him that I could think to myself I'll just do this and everything will turn out okay no way predestination humbles us fourthly predestination glorifies him it's all to the praise of his glorious grace we have no other option but to look at these things in wonder of who he is and what he's done and to be just enraptured with the wonders of his grace that he would shower us with grace and forgiveness and kindness and compassion when we are so unworthy of it and in all of that to the praise of his glorious grace if you do not turn from your sin and embrace him in faith the Lord Jesus Christ for all that he's done for all who he is if you do not turn to him then you will forever be to the praise of his justice in God's justice his perfect inviolable justice according to his never changing word will be poured out upon you in hell for all eternity as he is magnified in that righteous act toward you turn from your sin God is gracious he has made provision for sin and the person in work of his son Jesus Christ all to the praise of his name for your everlasting good all praise honor and glory to the one who does for us what we could never do for ourselves amen let's pray take a few moments now and pray silently and consider this doctrine consider your relationship to him consider how this glorifies him and magnifies his grace and how it humbles us praying we'll pray together and we'll be dismissed let's pray Father we praise you for your sovereign work of salvation knowing that if it were left to us no one would be saved thank you Lord that you've made provision that you initiated this all your fore knowledge and predestinating work calling and justifying and one day glorifying we're grateful to you Lord great salvation to which we've been delivered grateful to you for the person in work of our Lord Jesus Christ who came to save sinners and grateful Lord that in that provision for sin you have worked by your spirit to give new life to dead sinners causing us to be born again in him new creations in him they've granted repentance and faith and one day Lord will consummate all things in him to the glory of your grace and praise and worship forever I pray for anyone here who's not saved Lord you would for the glory do your name you would save them to the praise of your grace that none here would be so foolish as to reject this wondrous gift and be held responsible for their rejection and rebellion against you persisting in their sin to their own eternal damnation and to the praise of your justice I pray that you'd be gracious Lord now please help my brothers and sisters help us to grow in our understanding of these things to grow in our knowledge of you to inform our worship of you to fill our minds with you that we may be filled with all the fullness of God and then in all of that Lord through work in us you again would be praised and glorified in revelation of yourself to us through your word by your spirit that we would be worthy worshipers obedient followers and enthusiastic extollers of your grace and goodness thankful to you Lord for all this that you do in us by your spirit that we could never do for ourselves it is a wondrous gift of your grace and we I prostrate and help us before you God in awe at how good you are to us through it all these things we pray in the name of and to bless the Lord Jesus Christ in Jesus name we pray amen