Paul's Problem with Predestination

For our study this morning, I ask for your full attention. If there is anything you need to do outside, please set it aside for now and attend to it after our service. I pray that all of us are here for a single purpose: to grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus.

In the passage we have just read, the Apostle Paul, speaking from God Himself, exhorts us to pray for all men. He even specifies "for kings, and for all that are in authority," such as our mayors and governors. And why should we pray for all people? Because, as verse 3 says, "this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour." And what is His will? Verse 4 tells us plainly: "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." It is written in the Bible that God's will is for all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

He continues in verse 5, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." Notice the specific wording. The doctrine and truth that Christ is a "ransom for all" is not for all time, but is "to be testified in due time." There is a difference. This doctrine was not taught in every age, but only in the time appointed for it. We all have bills with a due date. I am sure most of us do not pay before the due date; we might even pay after it has passed. The point of a "due" time is that a payment is required at that specific time. In the same way, the testimony of Christ as a ransom for all was appointed for a specific season.

This is why Paul says in verse 7, "Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle... a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity." This morning, we will look at this doctrine, specifically found in verse 4: "[God] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

The title of this message is Paul's Problem with Predestination. We will soon understand the connection. This morning, we will deal with this doctrine, and I will do my best to explain it and represent it correctly. We will look to the Scripture to see if this doctrine is correct or not. Our only authority is the Word of God. So whatever is preached this morning, ask the Bible about it, not any man.

Defining the Doctrine

I will begin with quotations from people who are known for holding to the doctrine of predestination. Basically, predestination is the teaching that before a person is even born, or even before God created anything, He had already chosen certain people to be saved. Let us read what its proponents say.

First, from John Calvin:

"By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of those ends, we say that he has been predestined to life or to death."

Next, a quote from R.C. Sproul:

"Our study focuses on predestination in the narrow sense, restricting it to the ultimate question of predestined salvation or damnation, what we call election and reprobation."

From Herman Hoeksema:

"By predestination was meant God’s decree concerning the eternal destiny of His rational, moral creatures, and this counsel of predestination was distinguished again, according to its different objects, as election and reprobation."

And finally, from Loraine Boettner:

"The doctrine of Absolute Predestination of course logically holds that some are foreordained to death as truly as others are foreordained to life... The very terms ‘elect’ and ‘election’ imply the terms ‘non-elect’ and ‘reprobation.’ When some are chosen out, others are left not chosen... This, too, is of God. We believe that from all eternity God has intended to leave some of Adam’s posterity in their sins, and that the decisive factor in the life of each is to be found only in God’s will."

To illustrate, proponents of predestination believe that before the foundation of the world, God made a decree. A presidential decree is like a law that must be followed once it is proclaimed. Similarly, this teaching holds that God issued a decree before creation, before Adam ever existed. According to this doctrine, God had already chosen who would be saved. The people who will be saved throughout all of time have already been selected. Hence, they are called the "elect," meaning they were chosen before the foundation of the world.

This decree, according to its proponents, is entirely a matter of God's grace, mercy, and goodness. Man has no part in it. God did not, for example, look into the future to see who would believe in Him. He simply chose whom He wanted to save, and to those He chose, He granted the gift of faith. This selection, they say, is an act of God’s grace, mercy, and goodness.

The Other Side of the Coin

Now, I do not want to argue with anyone. Our ministry is one of reconciliation, not argumentation. But when it comes to our faith, we cannot simply say, "That's wrong!" without explaining why. Nor can we say, "That's right!" without a basis. Everything we believe must have a foundation, and that foundation must not be the wisdom of men, but the wisdom of God found in His Word. If your foundation is faulty, everything built on it will collapse.

From the quotations we read, we can extract certain terms used to discuss this doctrine:elect, foreordained to life, eternal life, election, and chosen. These are the terms related to the positive side of the teaching.

However, this is the point I want you to grasp. This is the other side of this teaching. If you believe there are the elect, you must also believe there are the non-elect. If some are foreordained to life, then others must be foreordained to death. If there is eternal life for some, there is eternal damnation for others. If there is election, there must also be reprobation. And if some are chosen, others must be left not chosen.

This is the other side of the teaching. If we are to believe in predestination, we must be comfortable with both sides. If you believe some are predestined to heaven, you must also be comfortable with the idea that some are predestined to hell. If you believe eternal life is granted to someone before they are born, you must also accept that eternal damnation awaits others.

Simply put, if a person dies and their soul goes to hell, this doctrine implies that they never had a chance to be saved in the first place because they were never chosen by God. There was no chance, ever. Why? Because they were not chosen. If God chose some, it is only natural that He did not choose others. We cannot just focus on the pleasant side; there is another side. And my heart breaks for those who are not chosen, because it means they never had a chance to be saved. It means that person’s soul is burning in hell having never once experienced the love of God. Can you stomach such a teaching?

This seems so innocent, but the other side seems so cruel. That is why many writers on predestination rarely discuss this part. They focus on the side of grace, mercy, and love. But on the other side, where is the love? Where is the grace? Where is the mercy? It is absent. If you believe this, that is your choice, but you must understand the full implication of what you believe. If we believe God chose some, then we must also believe that those He did not choose have absolutely no chance of being saved, even if they hear the gospel. That is the other side of the doctrine.

Examining the Scriptures

Now, a person might say, "But preacher, what about this verse?" Let's go to Romans 8:29. This is the right attitude—not to argue, but to examine the Word of God.

Romans 8:29 says, "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." One might say, "See, preacher? The verse says God predestined those He foreknew." And if you read on to verse 30, those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He justified; and those He justified, He glorified. What can you say to that?

Here is our answer. Let's look at 2 Timothy 2:19: "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." The question is, does God know those who are not His? According to this verse, He knows them that are His. The second question is, when did you become His? In creation, we all belong to God, no question. But in the Bible, the term "know" is often a term of endearment. Not everyone is "known" by God in this way. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 7:23, "depart from me, ye that work iniquity, I never knew you." He obviously knew they were people, so what did He mean? He meant they never truly became His.

The point from 2 Timothy 2:19 is that God's knowing is based on whether a person belongs to Him. So, were we "His" when we were still sinners? Ephesians 2:2-3 gives us the answer: "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Before we were saved, we could not claim to be of God. We were children of wrath. How can I say I am God's when I have not yet been redeemed or saved?

That is why we have terms like redemption, justification, and sanctification. Man needs to be saved first. God does not just take you from Satan; He goes through His righteous process of paying for our sins before He can save us. This means, connecting back to 2 Timothy 2:19, you were not "His" before you were saved. Therefore, you were not "known of God."

Let's look at Galatians 4:9 for a parallel on when we are known by God. "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God..." The verse equates the two. The time you came to know God—in the context of salvation—is the very same time you were known of God. This means you were not foreknown if you were not saved. To be known by God, you must first be saved.

To put it simply, God does not foreknow an individual unless they have first trusted in Christ and His sufficient work. No unsaved, lost person is foreknown in this sense, with some exceptions, of course, like the Apostle Paul, who was chosen from his mother's womb. But we cannot generalize his unique case to everyone.

Furthermore, the entire context of Romans 8, where we find the words "predestinate" and "foreknowledge," is about saved people, not the unsaved. Let's prove it.

Verse 9: "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." The passage is so clear. If you do not have the Spirit, you are not His. How then could He have known you before you were saved?

Verse 14: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." He is speaking to the saved.

Verse 15: "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption..." Who receives the Spirit of adoption? The saved.

Verse 23: "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Why are you waiting for the redemption of your body? Because you are already saved.

Verse 28: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Who are these people? They are the saved.

The entire chapter is about the saved. Therefore, the "foreknowledge" in verse 29 applies to the saved. Because you are saved, you are predestined. It's like having an airplane ticket to heaven. Your destination is sure; the only question is when you will be taken from earth to heaven. Predestination applies to saved people, not to unsaved people.

Ordained unto Eternal Life?

But what about Acts 13:48? "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." A person might say, "See, preacher? Those who were appointed to eternal life were the ones who believed."

Again, let's look at the context, starting in verse 44. Almost the whole city came to hear Paul preach. The Jews were filled with envy and spoke against Paul, "contradicting and blaspheming" (v. 45). Then Paul and Barnabas said in verse 46, "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." Who then was ordained to life? The Gentiles. Verse 47 continues, "For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth."

So when verse 48 says, "as many as were ordained to eternal life believed," who is being spoken of? The Gentiles. If the question is, "Who does God want to save?" we already have the answer from our first text: "Who will have all men to be saved." That is God's ordination—He desires all to be saved. But ordination is not equal to predestination. Everyone listening here has an offer from God of eternal life, without exception. If you reject it, whom will you blame? Not God. The offer of salvation in this dispensation of God's grace does not mean you are automatically saved. If you do not believe, you have rejected God's gift.

So who, then, is foreordained in Scripture? 1 Peter 1:19-20 tells us: "...But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world..." Who was foreordained? Christ. Who was chosen? Christ. If you want to be chosen, you must join yourself to Christ.

This brings us to Ephesians 1:4: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world..." The verse doesn't just say He chose us; it says He chose us in him. Your chosenness is conditional upon being in Christ. And when did you get "in him"? Was it before the foundation of the world, or was it when you were baptized by the Spirit into the one body at the moment of salvation? If you became "in Christ" when you were saved, then that is when you became "chosen in him."

Who Are "The Elect" in the Bible?

Let's look at how the terms "elect" and "election" are used in the Bible.

The Elect is Christ.

Isaiah 42:1: "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth..." This can only refer to Christ.

1 Peter 2:6: "...Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious..." The cornerstone is Christ.

The Elect is Israel.

Isaiah 45:4: "For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect..." It cannot be clearer.

Matthew 24:22, 31: In the context of the Tribulation, the "elect's sake" refers to Israel, who will be gathered "from the four winds." This cannot be the Church, which will have already been raptured.

2 Timothy 2:10: "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." The "elect" in this passage are not yet saved. Paul desires for them—the Jews—to obtain the salvation we now enjoy.

The Elect can refer to Believers in Christ.

Colossians 3:12: "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind..." We are elect, but only because we are in Christ.

What you will never find in the Bible is a reference to "elect lost people." The term is never applied to the unsaved. It always refers to Christ, the nation of Israel, or those who are saved in Christ.

God's Will vs. God's Sovereignty

God's will is the salvation of all men (1 Timothy 2:4). No matter what you have done or who you are, God wants you to be saved. The reality, however, is that salvation comes only "to them that believe."

"But preacher," you might ask, "does this mean God's will can be rejected? Does that mean God is not sovereign?" Who said that? God's sovereignty is not based on manipulation. He remains God whether a person chooses Him or not. His Godhood is not diminished because you don't believe in Him. But you are pitiful if you do not believe. Man is the one who loses, not God. God created man for His pleasure, but He will not force anyone to serve Him. God is not a control freak, nervously watching to see if people will believe. He is God, and man needs God; God does not need man.

The doctrine of predestination, as commonly taught, attacks the very justice of God. If it is true, then a person in hell can only say, "I am only here because God did not choose me." You might argue they are there because of their sin, and that is true. But could God have done something to save them if He wanted to? Yes. So why didn't He? Because He didn't want to. Why not? Because it was His choice. This implies that God only wanted to save you and not others. That is a different conversation. It suggests God's grace is limited.

But the God of the Bible, the God I serve, offered salvation to all men. One day, when a person stands before God and is sent to hell, they will not be able to say, "I wasn't chosen." They will weep because they did not believe in Christ when the offer of salvation was given.

How could I sleep peacefully at night thinking that my relatives who died without Christ were destined for hell simply because God did not choose them? It leads to the thought, "Lord, why didn't you give them grace? Why only me? What's so special about me?" A doctrine that seems innocent becomes incredibly cruel. A person who was not chosen never had a chance to be saved. How could you sleep knowing that?

I deliver this with passion so that we can feel the weight and understand the danger of this teaching. If you accept God's election, you must also accept God's reprobation. You cannot have one without the other.

I Rest My Case at the Cross

I can sleep peacefully at night because I know that my offer of the gospel is legitimate for all people. I know that anyone who believes can be saved. I know that the worst sinner and the most religious person both need to be saved, because the gospel call is to every soul and to all men, consistent with the will of God, "who will have all men to be saved."

Today, I can say I am chosen in Christ Jesus. The glory is not mine; it belongs to Christ Jesus alone. I have nothing to boast about. My only response is, "Lord, thank you for saving me. At least I am predestined now that I am saved. I am sure of heaven."

If we believe God has decreed everything irresistibly, then the God we believe in only gets what He wants through force. The God that I serve will get His desires sooner or later, even without man's cooperation, because His ultimate purpose is "to reconcile all things unto himself... whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven" (Colossians 1:20). My God is not a control freak. He gave man a will to choose or not to choose Him.

Friend, where are you trusting for your salvation? As for me and many here today, as Ephesians 1:13 says, "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." I can now claim I am chosen, but only because I was first saved. I first had to believe the gospel of Christ Jesus.

We are not the most intelligent people in the world, and I do not believe we can out-argue those who believe in predestination, for they are wise and intellectual individuals. But we rely on what the world considers foolishness. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." What I have said may be foolishness to those who are perishing, but for us who are saved, it is the power of God.

God's offer of salvation is unlimited. It is still on the table. If you want to be saved, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." That is His offer to anyone, regardless of color, height, or age.

Have you truly trusted? It's not enough to know that Christ died; almost everyone believes that. They celebrate it every year. It's not enough to know He rose from the dead; almost every religion acknowledges that. But they do not trust that what Christ did is sufficient.

This is my case, and as the song says, "I rest my case at the cross." You are weary because you are trusting in yourself. Trust in Christ, and it is finished. You can rest. "Lord," you can say, "I am done trying to work to be saved. It is exhausting, and it will never save me. Finally, Lord, I rest on Christ's sufficient work."

Let us end by giving all glory to Christ. He is the Savior.

Paul's Problem with Predestination

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