Predestination

This first illustration comes from an article entitled, The Finger of God by Hugh Ross, and this was published in 1991. It says, Einstein, speaking of Albert Einstein, says, Einstein gave grudging acceptance to the necessity for a beginning, and he eventually came to the understanding of the presence of a superior reasoning power. This was what he believed in and had some thoughts of, but it says he never accepted the doctrine of a personal God.

So he could see from his science and from his research and from the brain that God had gifted him that there had to be something else out there because there's so much the detail, the level of complexity in science and in life. He knew that there had to be the necessity for a beginning and the presence of a superior reasoning power, but he never accepted the doctrine of a personal God. The article goes on to say, two specific obstacles blocked his way. According to his journal writings, Einstein wrestled with the deeply felt bitterness towards the clergy, towards priests in particular, and with his inability to resolve the paradox of God's omnipotence and man's responsibility for his choices. It quotes Einstein, the article does, of saying, if this being is omnipotent, which is meaning that God is all-powerful, Einstein wrote, he says, then every occurrence, every aspect, including every human action, every human thought, and every human feeling and aspiration is also his work. He went on to write, how is it possible to think of holding men responsible for their deeds and thoughts before such an almighty being?

And he concludes his thoughts by saying, in giving out punishment and rewards, he would, to a certain extent, be passing judgment on himself. How can this be combined with the goodness and righteousness ascribed to him? Einstein finished asking himself. The article goes on to say, seeing no solution to this paradox, Einstein, like many other powerful intellects through the centuries, ruled out the existence of a personal God.

Now, another illustration, this one on the humorous side, at least it is to me, if you don't laugh, then I'll know it didn't come across well. The story is told of a group of theologians who were discussing the tension between predestination and free will. Things became so heated that the group broke up into two opposing factors or factions. One man, but one man, not knowing which to join, stood for a moment trying to decide. At last he joined the predestination group. They asked, Who sent you here? He replied, No one sent me. I came of my own free will. Free will, they shouted. You can't join us. You belong in the other group. So he followed their orders and went to the other quick. There someone asked, When did you decide to join us?

The young man replied, Why, I really didn't decide. I was sent here. Sent here, they shouted. You can't join us unless you've decided by your own free will.

Okay, so it's not that funny, but you can see the paradox that these two groups, you can see the opposing ideas in these two groups. Predestination versus free choice. So how would you answer someone if they asked if you believe in predestination? Predestination is a big word that some may not be familiar with from Oxford's dictionary. It's defined this way.

The divine, so being of God, the divine foreordaining of all that will happen, especially with regard to the salvation of some and not others. It has been particularly associated with the teachings of St. Augustine, of Hippo, and of Calvin. For Marian Webster dictionary, it says, a doctrine that God, in consequence of his foreknowledge of all events, infallibly guides those who are destined for salvation. So that's how predestination is defined by Oxford dictionary and Miriam Webster. Based on these definitions, is this an accurate Bible teaching? Are you and I limited by the bounds that God has predestined for our lives?

Has it already been predetermined? Who will be in his eternal family and who will not?

So the main question for us to consider today, are we bound by predestination or do you and I have a choice? To begin answering this question, we must first consider who is the Eternal? We understand that God is spirit existing in a different realm from that of the human beings who are flesh and God has revealed himself through the creation itself and through his word to mankind. The Bible shows us that God is the sovereign of the universe, existing supremely above all else.

God is eternal, unchanging in character, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present.

Isaiah 46, beginning in verse 9, and you can open your Bibles there with me, it gives us an interesting view of God and the work that he is doing in the lives of man still today. Isaiah 46, verse 9.

God, through the prophet Isaiah, inspired this passage to be recorded for us and it shares a lot of the insight to who God is, both in his ultimate supremacy and also of his plan for humanity. We see both captured here in Isaiah chapter 46, beginning in verse 9. Notice, as God himself inspired the prophet to write, Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. Now, some will use this portion of the passage to produce and support the idea that we and our lives are predestined by God, the actions, the choices we make. If God has declared the beginning from the end, the question is, does this already mean that our lives are predestined, predetermined?

It actually does not. And he explains this as we continue on into verse 11, the second half of verse 11. Notice, it says, Indeed, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass. And notice, I have purposed it, I will also do it. God says, I have purposed it.

What is it that God has purposed? What is it that he will bring to pass? We know that because you and I are alive, and we have a conscience, and that we have the ability to understand and to reason, we know that God has a plan to create mankind in his own image. He's already accomplished that. We are unique among the animals and among the creation on this planet that we can think unlike any of the other animals do. We can reason, we can put pieces together, we can build things that no other creature has ever been able to build. And God created us with a purpose. He created us to be part of his family eternally as his sons and daughters. We see this explained right here in Isaiah chapter 46, continuing in verse 12. Notice, he says, Listen to me, you stubborn hearted, who are far from righteousness. He says, I bring my righteousness near. It shall not be afar off. My salvation shall not linger, and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel, my glory.

So God is referencing this plan of salvation right here in the book of Isaiah, saying that he's God. There is no other like him that he determines the beginning from the end. And he talks about the focus being on his plan to bring his righteousness. So you and I, how do we gain God's righteousness? Is it by studying God's Word only? Is it by trying to be a good citizen? Is that it? Or is it only through, as we heard him during the sermon, that through God's indwelling of his spirit in us, God puts into us his righteousness? We have knowledge, of course, we have a way that we try to live our life, yes. But you and I on our own cannot produce God's righteousness. He produces it within us through his own power. So he's saying, I will bring my righteousness near.

My salvation shall not linger. Again, can you and I save ourselves? Absolutely not. It was only through God giving of his Son, sending his Son, that you and I can be saved. And so God is saying, there's pieces that he has to perform in this plan for his righteousness to come near and for salvation to no longer linger before mankind. And so God has a plan to bring salvation to the world and provide hope for mankind.

So this brings us to another question, then. What does the Bible teach about predestination? The word predestination is used four times in the New Testament, twice in Romans and twice in Ephesians. And so let's first consider Romans 8, Romans chapter 8, beginning in verse 18. Romans 8 and verse 18.

And remember, as we so often remind everyone, context is critical as we read through the Scripture. As we read through Romans 8 and in a moment Ephesians, what is God getting at? What is being talked about? What's the big picture that is being described here? Because the word predestination is going to be used in this account. But what is the use of this word meaning for the true meaning for you and me today?

Romans 8 and verse 18. Paul's writing here saying, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. Again, that reference to God's plan for all of humanity. It says, For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope.

Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption and to the glorious liberty of the children of God. That same reference to this plan that we've looked at already and considered. Notice verse 27. Now he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to what? His purpose. Remember in Isaiah when it talked about God's purpose? God has a purpose, he's a plan, he's going to fulfill it. And so Paul's talking and referencing according to his purpose, this plan of God, verse 29, For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed in the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Moreover, whom he predestined, these he also called. Whom he called, these he also justified, and whom he justified, these he also glorified. So putting together Romans 8, which with Isaiah chapter 46, we can understand a little bit more clearly God's plan to bring his righteousness to mankind as he offers salvation to those he is calling.

One could say, and potentially even argue, this is God's high-level plan without getting into all the specifics and the details of what this means. This plan and overall work that he is doing is what has been predestined. That is what God has predestined for mankind. Let's look next at Ephesians 1 and verse 3. This is the other location the word predestined is used. Ephesians 1 and verse 3. Again, consider the context of what Paul is writing and talking about here. Ephesians 1 verse 3. Paul, to the church in Ephesus, writes, 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, 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.

Notice verse 7. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence. Having made known to us, this is that plan that God has that's revealing this aspect of bringing his righteousness to us. Having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself.

Again, another reference back to Isaiah, this purpose that God has for mankind and for all of humanity. Verse 10. That in the dispensation of the fulness 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 we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. So we see his purpose mentioned again here. We see his will mentioned again that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory.

So as Paul saying here in Romans and now here in Ephesians that every person who has ever lived has already been predestined to either be in his family or to not. No, but rather that God has a plan that he has put into place to call individuals today to be in his family. And he has a plan which will offer salvation to all who have ever lived. This is the truth that we see in Scripture.

So you may be thinking, good sermon today. It's a wrap. Let's get to the snacks. Well done. Defined it. Explained it. Hang on a second. There's still a couple additional questions that we have to explore, and these are vital for us to understand so that we can go on and describe why we believe what we believe, why we're not predestined to either be in his kingdom that God has already made the decision for us eternally before we were ever born that regardless of the decisions you and I make in life, we will either already be in his kingdom or it's pointless.

It's hopeless that we continue to do what we do because we're not going to be in his kingdom. We have to understand this further because it leads us to another question here. Do we really have free will and do we really have free moral agency?

This is a critical question to understand and to be able to answer because a major branch, major branches of Christianity encircles outside of ours, the churches down the street, the churches in your community, many of them teach that from the beginning, God predetermined everyone who would be eternally saved as well as everyone who would be eternally condemned. Those who profess this faith believe there is no choice in the matter at all. According to them, whether a person ever follows God or not is based solely on what God decided in advance. This is a Calvinism or Calvinistic view. Some Presbyterians take this view in some Baptist reform groups. This is part of their doctrine, their teaching. But again, do we have free will or free moral agency to choose between and to follow God? Or are we already predestined by God? Let's look at Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19.

Because God gives us the answer to this question, and from logic we can determine the answer right here from God's own word.

Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19, we're going almost to the beginning of the story of mankind, the accounts that we have in our Bibles of God and His interactions with man. We know from the beginning that God had a desire to have a heartfelt relationship with mankind. We've looked at that in many different ways and consider this many different times this past year as we've looked at His covenants. We've looked at Adam and Eve from the very beginning. This is what God wanted. He put two trees before them in the garden. I'm kind of jumping ahead of myself a little bit, right? He put two trees. Was it so that because He'd already predestined that they were going to eat of the wrong tree, or was it because He wanted to give mankind a choice?

He wanted mankind to follow Him because they had a heart to follow Him, because He showed that I'm a good Father. I'm a loving Father. I love you. I care for you. I want the best for you. But God was not going to make mankind become just robots, right? He wanted a relationship.

He wanted us to be one with Him in heart and in mind.

Notice what God instructed Moses to say before Israel here in Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19. He says, I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, God placed in front of mankind a choice of life and death. He says blessing and cursing. He says, therefore, notice, choose life that both you and your descendants may live. Choose. It's an action. It's a choice that we get to make. And notice all the other action words in the next verse in verse 20. That you may love the Lord your God. See, we get another choice, right? Are we going to choose to love God or not? That you may obey His voice. Another choice, another action. Do we want to obey God? That you may cling to Him.

Do we want to cling to God? He goes on to say, for He is your life and the length of your days, and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. Again, going back to the covenant series that we shared earlier this year and through late last year, God, from the very beginning, had a plan for humanity. He knew that that plan would involve sending His Son to die as a Savior for the world. God knew that presenting a choice before mankind was going to lead towards a destructive path, but yet He wanted so much more for us than just destruction. But this is what, going back to that opening illustration, Einstein struggled with. Remember? He believed that there had to be some sort of beginning to this universe. He knew there had to be a supreme God of some sort, some sort of supreme being. But because of mankind failing Him in different ways, He didn't believe that there was a personal God. And so, having this idea of being predestined or predestination of there being a heaven and a hell where people ultimately end up in, He went back to reason and to logic, which I don't fault Him for doing. It was all that He had in front of Him at that time. But He says, if God is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-able, then He has to know the decisions you and I are going to make ahead of time. And if God knows all these things, then how can we be judged when we then fall short?

Einstein struggled with this because he goes, that's not a fair God. We have the deck stacked against us because he's already made this decision for our lives. This is what created this controversy, this problem within Einstein's mind and his ability, this conflict that he was struggling with. Because you have an Almighty God, all-powerful on one hand, and then you have us who fall short. And so, how can God be fair in judging us in that instance? It would be like trying to think of a similar example for me and you. It would be like if in the landscape that we have outside, let's say it was time to do the refreshing of the landscape. And so, I instructed you, okay, we're going to go and we're going to pull off the old mulch and rocks. We're going to tear out the old plants that are dying and dead. They need to be replaced. And then we're going to put down landscape fabric so that the weeds don't grow through. And then I want you to cut excess and then landscape fabric and put plants in here and there. And I've already bought the plants, and so you're like, cool, I don't have to go to the grocery or go to Lowe's or anything and buy more.

And so, and then I tell you, we're going to put mulch on top. And then I leave. And you're like, cool, we got the plan. We got the supplies. We're going to do it. And you do it exactly the way that I just asked you to do it. And I come back and the first thing I say to you is, what'd you do?

And you're looking at it and you're looking back at me and you look back at that and you're like, I don't understand. I'm like, did we not just do exactly what I offer what you asked us to do? And I say, yes, you did. But then I'm critical of it. I'm impatient with you. I'm like, this isn't done right. And you keep staring back at it. And you look back at me and you keep staring back and you're like, I did exactly what you've asked. That's the problem with predestination. If God truly had already predetermined every choice that we are going to make in our life, and then we execute it just on our own abilities, how can he then stand and say, you did it all wrong?

The problem is, using that same analogy, God gives us the instructions for how to redo that landscape project. But then we, as he walks away, we stare at it. We're like, I think I know better.

We don't need to spend money on landscape fabric. I don't like mulch that God gave me. I'm going to put down some nice rock. That stone looks really nice. And you know what? I'm not big on evergreens, so we're not putting those evergreens that he already purchased. We're going to put some nice flowers in because they look so much prettier than these evergreens. That's the rub, right?

God comes back later and says, you didn't do what I've asked you to do. And we said, but yeah, but I thought it was better this way. This is what God has given us. He's given us the ability to choose. But so many times, we don't choose the right path. We don't choose the right way.

God has brought forward to us a plan that he says, I want this relationship with you. I want this closeness to you. I know a way that'll lead to a happier outcome for your life, but you're going to have to listen. You're going to have to follow what I've given you. And sometimes it's our own ignorance. We just choose poorly, but sometimes we choose intently to go against God because we know better, right? We can all admit and acknowledge that.

At the end of the book of Joshua, we find in chapter 24 the Israelites renewing their covenant with God.

Joshua chapter 24 and verse 14.

It's another example of God reminding his people that he was presenting a choice before them. This is Joshua speaking, but he's representing God in this moment and reminding the Israelites, make better choices. Make a good choice. Joshua 24 and verse 14, he says, Now therefore fear the Lord, serve him in sincerity and truth, and put away the God. So it's a choice, right? It's an action again. Do you want to continue to take these Egyptian gods that you brought with you from Egypt these 40 years? Do you want to continue to these other countries that we've walked by and you've intermingled with? And do you continue to want to take their gods and make them your gods? He's saying, make a choice. Put away the gods, which your father served on the other side of the river and in Egypt, serve the Lord. And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, notice, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your father served that were on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me in my house, we will serve the Lord. With this in mind, we know that some will choose on their own that they do not want to be part of God's eternal family. They will decide that they would rather no longer live than live according to His plan and desires for their life. And for these people, God will grant them their request, and His plan will allow their lives to come to an eternal end. We see this described in Revelation 20, but we're not going to make that the focus of our message today. I just want to reference that so you can put it in your notes and recognize it is part of God's overall plan. He allows choices to be made, and if one does not want to be part of God's plan, they want nothing to do with them, then He will allow them to make that choice. But He is not predestined that some will make that choice and some won't. But He knows, according to His plan, that some will.

Not long ago—and this is another tie-in that we have to consider on this subject—not long ago, we concluded and finished up the Days of Unleavened Bread. During that time, just a few short weeks ago, we rehearsed God's plan, the beginning of it. We looked and we observed Passover, and we recognized the cost that God paid so that you and I can be part of His family. God made a choice. It was a plan that He had before the foundations of the world, but God said, this is what I want to do for mankind. We went through that. We talked about putting the choice we have, and we get to make, to put on Christ, to live with Christ in us, to make different choices, to let His Spirit lead and guide us, again, as a reference to the sermonette, to go and break free those chains that have held us back at times in our lives, and to say, the past is the past, and I'm putting an end to this. Not through our might, right? Because when we do it on our own, what happens? We trip, we fall, we fail.

But to say, I'm going to let God do this change in my life. I'm going to let Him put me on a new path. And right now, we're between the Holy Days, looking forward to the Feast of Pentecost here in just one week's time. A time where God allowed to be unrolled, as he prophetically said it would, that His Spirit would be able to be poured out broadly on all of humanity. Those who would, what? Choose to walk in His way. Who would choose to accept His Son's sacrifice to atone them of their sins and to make them one again with God.

But He doesn't say, I'm going to force some people to walk this way, or force some people not to walk this way. To truly understand this subject of predestination, we have to understand God's plan, this is what really separates our ability to understand, apart from many other religious circles around us. So many Christian groups believe in Jesus Christ, right? We believe in Jesus Christ. They believe in God's Word. We believe in God's Word. What separates out so much is the understanding of God's eternal plan. You won't go to other churches outside of the Church of God and hear about God's plan for humanity. Their plan stops at either heaven or hell, eternally. Either playing harps on clouds, looking into the face of God for all of eternity, or burning and suffering with the demons and the demonic realm and Satan for all eternity. That's the end of the plan for many religious groups. You will not hear the plan of God, the Holy Day plan, the captured, his plan captured in the Holy... You won't hear that in other circles. It's one of the priceless truths that God has revealed through time to his people. David understood it. David understood he would die and be dead in the ground until he was resurrected as a spirit being. The prophets understood this. Jesus taught it. The apostles understood it. But when you look at the number of people who understood God's... understand God's plan versus the number of people who've ever lived, we're a small group.

But God's plan includes everyone who's ever lived. Turn with me to 2 Peter 3 and verse 9. This is another important aspect as we consider this topic of predestination, that God has a plan, that he gives mankind a choice, and some would then say, well, that stops there. You're either saved in this life, you accept Jesus Christ, this is your one time, but is that it? This is another aspect that we have to dive into with this subject.

2 Peter 3 and verse 9.

Notice, this is the apostle Peter speaking. We're going to look at the apostle Paul's teaching on this too. So two different human beings that understood God and understood his plan. Notice what Peter wrote. 2 Peter 3 verse 9. It says, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise. You could even say his plan or his purpose, right? Going all the way back to Isaiah and what we read already. As some may count slackness, but he's long suffering toward us, not willing, what, that any should perish, but that all should come to, what, repentance, this relationship with God, this acknowledgement that we fall short, we have sinned, we have gone out in the landscape and done things our way instead of following God. But notice, God's plan says that he doesn't want any to perish. So now, if we go back to predestination, that God has already predetermined that some will be with him in heaven and some will not be part of his kingdom, then why would God want all to be in his kingdom? To all to come to understanding? Again, it just, we're using some logic here, right? But God gives us the ability to use logic. His word would be in conflict with itself if our lives are already predetermined, our choices are already made. Some of us, I'm not going to split the room in half and say which half is going to be in his kingdom and which half isn't. If God had already predetermined and made that decision, then how could God be accurate and be telling the truth here when Peter says that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance? That's God's plan. That's what is in his heart. That's what he wants mankind to choose.

His will is that no one would perish and that he is given and will give that to everyone the ability to be either a son or daughter in his kingdom. But again, while this is his will, he will not force this upon mankind individually. Turn with me to 1 Timothy 2 and verse 1.

And this is where Paul makes a similar statement to what Peter did. 1 Timothy 2 and verse 1.

Again, all we're doing is diving in and looking at the truth of Scripture, putting the pieces together, and then explaining, does this fit with a religious doctrine that is taught outside of these walls? And that may be some of your neighbors, maybe some of your co-workers may believe in, and maybe they'll ask you and maybe they'll wonder, what are you doing on these holy days? Why do you keep these old ancient holy days? It's like, because if I didn't, I wouldn't understand God's plan. It wouldn't make sense what he is doing in the lives of man today and for the future. Notice 1 Timothy 2 verse 1. Paul says to Timothy, therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, and all godliness and reverence. And he says, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. And notice, who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. This is an aspect of God's plan, not just to be saved, but to understand his truth, to have the books of life opened up and presented into them, to have an opportunity to have their name written in the book of life, to have the books of the Bible open, to be taught his way, to say, listen, there's a better way to go. You've never, because we think about how many people have never even heard of the name Jesus Christ, right? It's real, even still today. There's areas of this, of the globe, where people have not ever heard the name Jesus Christ. So is God just going to, already predestined that just because of a home that they were born into, a life that they've lived, that, well, it's already decided, not going to be in my family, because they have not accepted my son as their personal Savior.

Is that, is that the God that we serve? It can't be, because Peter talked about that God doesn't want any to perish. Paul's saying that God wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. He goes on to say in verse 5, For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom again for all to be testified, what, in due time. And this due time and in due time is the key. God is the one who calls men and women to his truth. He is the one who performs a miracle in unlocking the mind, a person's mind, so they can understand his truth and want to live according to his word. This is why, again, I appreciate the sermon at today and so many tie-ins to this message. This is why we're no better than anyone else who's ever lived, right? We did not come to this knowledge on our own with our own righteousness. We did not wake up one day, pull out God's word, start reading, and say, I'm such a better, I'm gonna, I'm such a good person. I'm gonna start following this and I'm gonna figure this out. I'm gonna live a better life on my own. Scripture says that even when we repent, God is the one who draws us to repentance. I love that passage because so many times, even I, I thought when I got baptized and when I, I made this decision, right, because we do make a decision. God says, I present before you choices to make. We get to make a choice. We have a part to play in this, but I thought I was making the choice. I thought I finally got, I felt like I finally understood, finally got tired of trying to do things my way and failing, so I'm going to come to God.

But what I didn't realize is he was already doing the work behind the scenes to bring me to him.

He was already the one who was planting these ideas to say, Mike, do you want to continue to go this negative way that is hurting you and is not helping you, that's frustrating you, that's, that's not bringing joy to your life. Do you want to continue to do that? And he says, come to me and I'll accept you. And that's the beauty of God's plan.

He's going to give this opportunity to all of humanity. He's going to unlock their mind so that they can read the same scriptures that you and I read. I'm not going to ask for a show of hands. How many of you guys tried to explain the plan of God and why you keep the holy days to somebody, a neighbor, someone else, a family member, coworker, and their eyes glaze over, and they look, you can tell by their body language, they're trying to find an exit out of this conversation, right? And you're like, it's right here. Here, let me read it to you. You may even read them the scriptures that make 100% I mean, just spell it out so clearly. They have not had the miracle performed in their mind that unlocks their mind to understand what God has unlocked in your mind. That's why we have to remember this precious calling that he has performed in our lives. Of course, we have a part to play in this, but if God did not do his part, we wouldn't be sitting here right now. We wouldn't have this knowledge. We wouldn't be making the better choices that we're making in our life. And so God gets all the glory, all the credit, all the praise, and we can never forget that. That's why when we look at others, friends, neighbors, co-workers, we got to separate out the fact that they don't understand what we understand, but they are still made in the image of God. And in due time, as Paul says here, God says, I'm going to give them an opportunity. I'm going to show them my word. I'm going to let them understand it so that they can choose for themselves life or death, blessing or cursing.

Before the foundation of the world, God put into place an opportunity that would bring salvation to all who have ever lived. And this, of course, brings us back to our original subject. If God had already chosen or predestined who would be in his family and who would not, then why would he just say, why would he himself inspire the apostles to say that he does not want any to perish?

That just doesn't make sense. It doesn't add up. If God has predestined that some will not be in his family, but then he says, but I want everybody to be in the family. You see how that it just doesn't add up. So if it doesn't add up, then there has to be another answer. And that's what we've worked through today. Predestination is not a doctrine that we that let me back up. Let me clarify this, because there are certain aspects that have been predestined, right? That God would have a plan. That he would send his son a savior for this world. That he would call some people today and that he would call some people in the future. That all of mankind would have an opportunity to be eternal sons and daughters in his kingdom. That he predestined. But he has not predestined that some will already be in his family and some will not. That decision was not made up before you and I were born. That decision is still not being made up today, because he says, all have an opportunity to change. All will have an opportunity for eternal life. Jesus gave up his glory to become like one of us. He gave up his life as an atoning sacrifice to pay the death penalty for the entire world. Whoever would accept this sacrifice. And we have that same opportunity to turn from our past and present and to go in a new direction of life. Through God's calling and understanding right from wrong, you and I have a choice. And through living life, we have experienced what our way does to our lives. Right? You and I have, because God has allowed us to choose our path at times, and it's not going to force you and me to go only in one direction. God has allowed us to stub our toes on the rocks of life. And some lessons we have learned the hard way. God never wanted us to learn it that way. But he goes, if that's you're going to insist on going that way, then I'll let you. But it's not going to bring you the joy or the peace or the happiness that you think. As we conclude, the majority of Christianity teaches that the good in this life will go to heaven for all of eternity with God, and the bad will go to hell for all of eternity. This is a major, as you know, teaching that is a cornerstone of in many religious circles. While heaven exists, God is sitting on his throne. He is spirit. And while there is an eternal fire that for those who do not want to be part of God's plan will perish in, has snippets of truth, that is not God's plan for the end. That is not what has been predestined, predetermined that some will be there and some will not. But this is a cornerstone of the many and vast majority of the religious circles outside of ours. Again, it is correct that those who want nothing to do with God will not live on forever in his kingdom. Their life and their existence will come to a close in the wake of fire. But the choice will be theirs as that same choice remains yours and mine. The topic of predestination does not concern whether or not individuals will be ultimately saved or condemned. Instead, it clearly refers to when people are offered salvation. God has predestined that some would be called in this age and given the opportunity to understand and know God in this life.

But ultimately, as we've looked at very clearly, each person would have a choice.

Let's turn to Hebrews 2 and verse 1 as our concluding chapter in verse. Hebrews 2 verse 1, and we'll read through verse 3.

The writer reminds us, therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest what happens. We drift away. Again, it's a choice. It's an action from our choices.

Verse 2, for if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we what? Make another choice here. Neglect so great a salvation. This is what you and I have been offered, but God says it can be neglected. It can be ignored. We can walk away from it.

That would be a grave mistake. A grave mistake. He says, How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him? Let us not neglect. Let us not choose. Let us not be swayed to walk away from this amazing path that you and I are on. It's hard at times. It requires change, which is not easy.

It requires sacrifice, giving of ourselves. It requires submission.

It requires a lot of things that our human nature fights us against.

But we get a choice. God has not predetermined that some of us will be in his kingdom and some won't. Let us hold tight to the wonderful salvation offered to us by our Creator.

And let us finish this amazing race that we are on.