Predestination Explained

One of the most controversial subjects in Christian theology is the idea of “predestination.” Unlike the words “trinity” and “triunity,” the word predestination is actually found in the Bible. It makes sense, therefore to figure out what it means and what it refers to.

The word itself is used primarily in the writings of the Apostle Paul. In Romans 8:29–30 Paul tells believers that they were “foreknown” and “predestined” to be “conformed to the image” of God’s Son. In Ephesians 1:4-6 Paul states that Christians are “chosen in Him before the creation of the world to be predestined for adoption to son-ship” (becoming children of God). This is, of course, good news for Christians.

Is there a downside for non-Christians? If Christians are predestined for salvation, are non-Christians predestined for condemnation or destruction? This became quite the subject of debate, especially during the Protestant Reformation, with some of John Calvin’s disciples coming up with a view that others find extreme – that yes, some are predestined for destruction with no allowance for free will.

If God chose “before the creation of the world, let’s go at least all the way back to the establishment of human civilization. When Adam and Eve sin against God by taking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God pronounces judgments on Adam, Eve and the serpent.

What is of interest here is that in Genesis 3:15 God says to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” From that point on there would be conflict between people who follow God and people who follow the serpent.

This is literally a judgment from God that would affect all of human civilization. Remember that God is saying this to the serpent, not specifically Adam or Eve. Even though this conflict involves human beings, the judgment is targeted specifically at the serpent. The result of this judgment will be a crushing defeat of the devil after a non–lethal wound to the “offspring” (literally, “seed”) of the woman.

In case that is not clear, Jesus confirms that there actually is “offspring” of the serpent among humans. A group of Pharisees was arguing with Jesus and were deciding (though not out loud) to kill him. Jesus tells them, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Using a semantically equivalent phrase, both John the Baptist and Jesus call the religious leaders a “brood of vipers,” as recorded three times in Matthew’s Gospel. Starting from Cain, there have always been “sons of serpents” among us who fight against God.

God establishes two competing strands within human society. One is pro Creator God and the other, far larger, is anti Creator God. According to Paul, God chooses those who become pro Creator for a specific purpose: to become, akin to Jesus, “children of God.”

Even Jesus claims in John 6:44 that nobody can come to Him unless His Father draws them. Taken at face value, Jesus is saying that the Father chooses who becomes a Christian. It’s not just anybody who can become a real Christian.

God sovereignly chooses Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, and chooses to harden Pharaoh’s heart to make it more difficult. This was all part of a fulfillment of a 400 year prophecy to Abraham. Prophecy of this kind is a type of predestination. There is nothing unusual in God intervening in ways that He predicts ahead of time.

The quandary is in understanding how a loving God will deal with those He predestined to not accept Jesus during their lifetime. What about those whose hearts are hardened against Him? Can that hardness ever to be resolved in God’s favour?

The first hint is found in Genesis 3:15, promising that the “seed” of the woman will “bruise” the head of the serpent even as the serpent is “bruising” his heel. The head wound is obviously fatal. The serpent will lose in the long run because of the woman’s offspring.

Paul also makes the bold claim that “in Christ all shall be made alive in 1 Corinthians 15:22.” Most theologians and scholars will reduce the effect by claiming that it is only those “in Christ” who will live again. I find it odd that the context is the all who die in Adam. Is it possible that everybody who ever lived might live again?

Paul goes on in the following verses to note that each will live again in a certain order, beginning with “Christ the firstfruits.” This is followed by “those who belong to Christ” at His “coming.” This is followed by “the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.”

Both Revelation 20 and Ezekiel 37 speak of a time when those long dead come back to life for judgment or salvation. Revelation calls the resurrection of the saints at Jesus’ return the “first resurrection.” The judgment involves “the dead, great and small” who are “given up” by Death and Hades and the sea.

In other words, “in Christ all are made alive.” Just like the books of the acts of each person, the book of life is open. Why wouldn’t this be the first opportunity for many to really meet his or her Maker?

Here is the key: if the wages of sin is death, and you have already died, what happens if, by grace, God brings you back to life? Are you still condemned if you have already paid the price? What is your “sin status” at resurrection. Are you redeemable?

Ezekiel 37:13-14 puts it this way:

“And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

If you have stayed with me so far, I hope you will see that predestination is not about the result of judgment, but rather about the timing of everyone’s opportunity to come to Jesus. Christians in this age are called in the here and now. What about all others? The intended result, according to Paul in Philippians 2:9-11. Speaking about Jesus, Paul says,

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

It is interesting that Paul includes even the “knees” that are “under the earth” bowing to Christ as Lord. He’s not just talking about people mining things under the ground.

Why are those predestined to be Christians called now while others await a post-mortem period of judgment? That’s a subject for another session.