PREDESTINATION
A. What the Presbyterian creed says: Westminster Confession of Faith, (1646)
Chapter III, Section III
By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death.
Chapter III, Section IV
These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed; and their number is so certain and definite that it can not be either increased or diminished.
Chapter III, Section V
Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving him thereunto; and all to the praise of his glorious grace.
Chapter III, Section VI
- - - Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.
B. Calvinism - T U L I P
T - otal Depravity = We are born lost, not capable of believing.
U - ncontitional Election = Predestination
L - imited Atonement = Christ died ONLY for the elect ones.
I - rresistable Grace = Direct operation of Holy Spirit on the heart.
P - reservation of the Saints = Once saved, always saved, Eternal security
Foreknowledge - To know in advance
Purpose - According to God's will, plan, promise
Election - To choose, select
Predestination - To determine before, predetermine
Who believes this teaching?
Not many – Presbyterians, Baptists are “Calvinists”
BUT – They do not accept “five-point” Calvinism
Few groups are hard-core 5-point Calvinists.
"Whatever will be, will be" (Doris Day song)
"God took him. It was his time to go."
"When your number's up, your number's up."
“Fickle Finger of Fate”
“Lady Luck”
NOT:
Calvin believed that all the passages dealing with election, purpose and
predestination should be applied to the individual. Thus, he taught
"Individual Predestination."
These passages are written to a group
or class of people. The decision of God was to save all that believe in and
obey His Son. This is "Group
Predestination." God has
not preset your life. He has not decided if you will be saved or lost, who you
will marry, what you will suffer, when and how you will die. God's
predestination is that "all who believe and obey the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
will be saved."
God established the criteria for salvation –
Before there was sin
Before there was a world
Before there were any sinners in need of salvation
God’s Plan was to save all that are “IN CHRIST”. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
You trusted in Christ
You heard the word of truth, the gospel
You believed
You were sealed with the Holy Spirit
This is the “earnest” of our inheritance.