The word itself, predestinate, or predestination is a word that we hear thrown out from time to time in church or maybe somebody will use the word, but it’s a word that in many ways is a bit mysterious. This word itself when we hear it can stimulate us to look into it a bit deeper, it gets us into theology and of course it’s a subject that generates a lot of interest and discussion and of course controversy. So, to make our thinking a bit clearer on the subject we must know that Predestination or foreordination has to do with the plans of God. And it would be unthinkable that a God of infinite wisdom and power would create a world without a definite plan. So believing that God did create the universe and because God is thus infinite, His plan must extend to every detail of the world’s existence. If we could see the world in all its relations, past, present, and future, we would see that it is following a predetermined course with exact precision. Even man, who is a finite being and subject to all kinds of errors, develops a plan before he acts; and a man who acts without design or purpose, is accounted foolish. Before we make a trip or undertake a piece of work all of us set our goal and then work to attain that goal in so far as we are able. Regardless of how some people may oppose Predestination in theory, all of us in our every-day lives are practical predestinarians. And if this is true of man, how much more is it true of God! A. J. Gordon says, “A universe without decrees,” … “would be as irrational and appalling as would be an express train driving on in the darkness without headlight or engineer, and with no certainty that the next moment it might not plunge into the abyss.” If God had not foreordained/predestinated the course of events but waited until some undetermined condition was or was not fulfilled, His decrees could be neither eternal nor immutable. We know that’s not the case from the Word of God that He is incapable of mistake, and that He cannot be surprised by any unforeseen actions. His kingdom is in the heavens and He rules over all. His plan must, therefore, include every event in the entire sweep of history.

Now, for this teaching, I’ll be talking about various views of predestination with regards to salvation. That card that you have outlines the ones I’ll be talking about. The Pelagian denies that God has a plan; the Semi-Pelagian and Arminian says that God has a general but not a specific plan; The Augustinian says that God has a specific plan which embraces all events in all ages. In recognizing that the eternal God has an eternal plan in which is predetermined every event that comes to pass, the Augustinian simply recognizes that God is God, and frees Him from all human limitations. So as I have been saying God has an exact plan for the world, who foreknows the actions of all the creatures He has created, and through His all-inclusive providence does control the whole system. I mentioned that word “Providence”. Providence is the execution of God’s eternal plan. God not only predestinated His eternal plan, but it has to be executed. God not only created the world but He also preserves it and sustains it. Providence is the activity of God by which He preserves, sustains, and directs all creation to fulfill His eternal purpose. There are three aspects of providence: preservation, government, and concurrence. I’m not teaching on that now, but I wanted to mention it so you’ll get more familiar with this concept.

Another aspect of Predestination is the Sovereignty of God. I’ll be covering this in this teaching. By virtue of the fact that God has created every thing which exists, He is the absolute Owner and final Disposer of all that He has made. He exerts not merely a general influence, but actually rules in the world which He has created. Hence nothing can come to pass apart from His sovereign will; and when we examine this truth we will find that it establishes the Augustinian position and disproves the other three positions. We cannot conceive of God bringing into existence a universe without a plan which would extend to all that would be done in that universe.

Now one thing about this doctrine that I’ve come to find out is that there is a tendency to raise more questions than it answers. I also would say that of all the doctrines we struggle with in Christendom there is none that is more covered with mis-understanding and confusion than this doctrine of predestination. I’ve listen and read some very powerful theologians saying it would take years and years to really get to the bottom of it. There might be some hyperbole in that, yet this is a very deep subject. So we should look at what I’ll present as an introduction into the doctrine of predestination. The interesting thing about this doctrine is when you mention it to someone. And you might say, do you believe in predestination, you’ll get some who will say, oh yes I do believe in it and others who will say no I don’t believe in it; as though they really understand this doctrine. If I asked any of you, your answer would probably be yes. However, you don’t really understand it totally. So why would you say yes? It may come as a surprise to you, but every historical church, denomination has formulated some form of predestination. There’s a Roman Catholic doctrine of predestination, there’s a Lutheran doctrine of predestination, a Presbyterian doctrine, there’s a Methodist doctrine of predestination and so on. I think we need to get that clear in the beginning because there are many, many doctrines of predestination. So we have all of these different doctrines of predestination, but when you boil it all down to one … Most people think of the Presbyterian doctrine of predestination which is the Calvinistic version, because John Calvin and predestination almost seem to be synonyms. It’s if Calvin was the only one to speak on it. We’ll see as we go that is not the case. What I’m concerned with and hopefully you are also is the Biblical doctrine of predestination.

So with that little introduction, let me get us familiar with a few versus from the Bible. In the first example, Paul’s opening greeting (Eph 1:1-5, 11)! Now this is not the only place that we encounter predestination, but I read that so all of us could get familiar a bit with it usage and also see that the word predestinate is also a Biblical word. And because it’s a Biblical word all of us who are serious students of the Bible have tried to understand what the Bible means by Divine predestination.

Before we explore that more closely, let me give you a brief historical account. There are and have been many, many theologies in the Christian church, just as there are many, many denominations. However, I believe it’s safe to say that there are four basic types of theology historically which theologians speak about. Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism, Arminianism and Augustinianism. These fourfold designations of theology has its roots in the 4th century, when the church underwent a super struggle over many serious issues of theology. The man who was acclaimed to be the greatest theologian at least in the first thousand years, if not all of Christian history (not including Paul) who defended the faith at that period was Saint Augustine. His chief opponent at that time was a monk by the name of Pelagius. One of the critical things that they debated was how important or necessary was the Grace of God for human salvation. Pelagius was of the opinion that the Grace of God assists human beings to be saved, but in no way was necessary. His fundamental understanding was that man has the capacity to keep the commandments of God to such a degree to be redeemed without any help from Divine Grace. Augustine stressed the absolute dependence of the fallen sinner upon the Grace of God for the sinner’s salvation. Augustine repudiated Pelagianism as an early form of sheer humanism. Pelagianism wasn’t seen as an off shoot of Christian thought, but as sub-Christian or anti Christian in its thought. So not even worthy of being Christian in any way shape or form. Pelagianism is the father of liberalism that manifested in the 19th century and that is still around and alive.

Let’s talk about semi-Pelagianism over against Augustinism. Semi-Pelagianism and Arminianism are very close in their theology; the difference is when Grace is applied.

There are many theologians who would say that Semi-Pelagianism is in the household of faith, but as we’ll see it is heretical because it still says that man has to cooperate with God. Let me simplify the difference between Arminianism and Semi Pelagianism. Semi-Pelagianism maintains that the first steps towards salvation is ordinarily taken by the human will and that Grace comes unexpectantly only later.

While Arminianism believes that the first steps of Grace are taken by God and then man cooperates with what God has done. While it is clear that Arminian Theology and Semi-Pelagianism have a different view of grace; (Arminianism believes God must initiate with grace and Semi-Pelagianism believes man must initiate to receive grace), but both systems ultimately share a common characteristic - synergism. Synergism is when distinct agency’s work or cooperate with each other to get a common result. Synergism is something being worked out between God and man. Where Augustinianism is considered - monergism, all God!

Monergism states that the regeneration of an individual is the work of God the Holy Spirit alone, as opposed to synergism, which argues that the human will cooperates with God’s grace in order to be regenerated. Augustinianism says that man is so seriously fallen, totally depraved, that he is totally dependent upon God for his regeneration. So you can see from the outset that the debate has its roots in the question of man’s ability to respond to the gospel in his fallen state.

Now as we enter into any discussion of predestination, always lurking behind the scenes of any discussion of predestination is this fundamental debate right here of Pelagian, semi Pelagian, Arminian, and Augustinian. It’s really a debate concerning Semi Pelagianism, Arminianism and Augustinianism. Pelagianism is in almost every quarter of Christian persuasion something that’s considered heretical. In my view I would also consider Semi Pelagianism to be anti Christ as well as Arminianism. Roman Catholic doctrine with regards to their salvic beliefs would be considered Semi Pelagian’s.

I would like to qualify what I said concerning Arminianism. As you examine the doctrine on paper, we have to come to a decision. Either its Biblical or it isn’t. On that basis Arminianism would have to be called heretical and anti Christ as it was determined at the synod of Dort. However, in actuality there are Christians who have an Arminian persuasion that are saved. In fact, as I look back on my conversion, I was under an Arminian persuasion, until I started to understand Scripture. I didn’t even know what an Arminian was let alone know what its doctrine stated. So, we need to have mercy on many who could be your brother or sister.

What I want to do is speak about Predestination from an Augustinian perspective. Which I believe is the correct Biblical view. Before I even define what the Augustinian view is I would like to write down on the white board those folks who would agree with the Augustinian view. I’ll write their name down on the left side. Then I’ll write down those throughout history on the right side those who didn’t agree with the Augustinian view. This is all background and then I’ll get into the Augustinian view. So let me first write those names that follow Augustine. Some of these might surprise you. Of course we have to put Augustine on the top of the list, because he believed what he taught. Then the next one would be Thomas Aquinas, Francis Schaeffer would not agree with that. Thomas Aquinas most think of him as a Catholic theologian. That’s true, but Aquinas was a true disciple of Augustine. You must remember that the Roman Catholic church was not the same as it is now concerning many things. There was a major change that took place in 1215 … but Aquinas out of his own mouth was an Augustinian. The next man there is no debate, this man was the reformers, reformer and the man that most emphasized predestination. No, it wasn’t Calvin, Calvin as one brother said was this mans junior partner. I’m talking about Martin Luther, Luther more than anyone else defended the Augustinian view of predestination.

Today Lutheranism lines up opposite to the Augustinian view of predestination. The reason is after Luther’s death the Lutheran body under the leadership of Philipp Melanchthon took a different turn. Phillip Melanchthon didn’t follow Martin Luther in his articulation of Predestination. It’s safe to say that Luther wrote more on Predestination than Calvin ever dreamed of. And from what I’ve heard from one who has studied these men, there is nothing on predestination that Calvin ever wrote that Luther didn’t write or speak about first. Then next I would add on this side John Calvin and after him Jonathon Edwards. Now just as a throw in, if you were to ask any theologian today who are the 10 best theologians in history. I know that these five would be included. These men would be considered to be titans in the faith. These five may not been able to agree on all things of the faith. However, when they do agree on something, it should get our attention. One reason I labor this is because the reformed view of predestination is summarily dismissed as a Calvinistic aberration.

That just isn’t historically true! OK, lets look at the other side. Who are the great theologians who are on the other side? Well you have Pelagius, Erasmus, Arminius, Wesley, and Finney. I don’t know about you, but if the present world could see this list of theologians we have here on the board, they would scream and say its not fair to put these five over against the Augustine’s and Luther’s. If that were the case I would give them all the time they needed to put up others that they would want to name. Yet, I don’t think they would come up with any. The irony is that those of us who believe in the left side of the board are the minority report today. The thing that any one should see right away is the sheer scholarship of this left side is tremendous. You don’t find it over here on the right. Ok, hopefully that has primed your pump to understand some of the historical aspects of this teaching on predestination.

Let me now take some time to do some basic definitions. The word Predestination in English is made up of a prefix and a root. The prefix, PRE means BEFORE and the root DESTINATION is something you’re all familiar with. When you go on a trip, you will get tickets to fly or travel by train or bus, the folks you get the tickets from will want to know your destination. In other words, where are you going and where do you want to end up. Now when we are talking about the doctrine of predestination, I’ll not be talking about whether or not God cause an auto accident or whether it was determined that you would be sitting in the chair that your sitting in right now. There is a place for that like I explained in the introduction, because predestination is God’s eternal plan. No, there is a place for that, but primarily the doctrine of Predestination is concerned with the question of our ultimate destination. There are only two destinations open to us ultimately as human beings and they are heaven or hell. So it’s talking about being in a state of salvation or a state of damnation. So predestination proper is not concerned with those daily things like if I were to itch my nose and that was predestined. That would fall under the theological heading of Providence. Those questions are legitimate questions on how those things fall under God’s sovereignty the everyday actions and things that happen. But the doctrine of Predestination proper and I emphasis the word proper is concerned with salvation. And predestination is concerned with something that takes place before we arrive at that destination. Predestination has to do with God’s involvement with the outcome of our lives.

This may strike you strange, but both Augustinians and Arminians both agree that predestination is something that God does. Predestination has to do with God’s choice regarding salvation. This also may surprise you that both sides agree that God makes that choice about our ultimate destination before we our even born. Actually as we read in Ephesians He chose certain people before the foundations of the world. John Wesley believed it. So where is the point of division? This is the critical juncture. Here’s what it is … on what basis does God chose you before the foundation of the world?

Is God’s choice to save you based on prior knowledge of what you would do when you were presented with the gospel? As He looks down through the corridor of time He can see that you would respond favorably when the Lord is offered and knowing that you are going to choose the Lord then God chooses you to be saved. So He basis that choice on His prior knowledge of the person’s decision. So God is choosing you for salvation, but He’s doing it based on something He sees in your life. The Augustinian view would say on the contrary that what God sees in your life has absolutely nothing to do with His choice for you. That His choice is by the good pleasure of His will without any view to what you may or may not do in the future. That’s basically the issue, whether the choice is because of what you do or because it’s a sovereign decision that God makes without any input from what you do. When we look at these two systems, there are many things we hold in common, but then as we agree the differences come. Yet, one thing all Christians can agree on is that the God we worship is a sovereign God. How sovereign He is in the matters of salvation is what divides us, so next I want to look at the concept of the sovereignty of God. What I’ve done up to now is just give a bit of history.

I also mentioned the various views that have been around and are still around that deal with predestination and deviate from the Bible. The next thing we must do in this study of predestination is consider the sovereignty of God. This is important in our study of predestination. This is an area that all Christians would say that God is sovereign, but when we got down to describing what was meant by sovereign, we would definitely find differences. I want to give you a definition and see if you are all in agreement with it, okay … Here goes … “God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and immutably (without possibility of changing it) preordained whatsoever comes to pass;” What this statement is saying is there is anything that happens in this world outside the foreordination of God … if there is no sense in which God is ordaining whatsoever comes to pass. Then at whatever point something happens outside the foreordination of God, then its happening outside the sovereignty of God. What that statement means is that God is sovereign over anything that happens. Therefore, anything that happens in this world cannot happen apart from Divine Sovereignty. Let me say something that you might not have thought of concerning God’s sovereignty. If something happens by the power of men, by the power of nature, by the power of machines, God always has the power and authority to prevent it from happening; does He not? And if He does not prevent it from happening that means that He has chosen to let it happen. He does allow, not in the sense of always approving all of the time, but He does allow it to happen. And by allowing, of course He is making the decision. He’s making it sovereignly. Amen! He knows in advance what’s going to happen and if He decrees it will happen, He retains His sovereignty. Now if things were to happen in this world outside of the sovereignty of God, then that would simply mean that God is not sovereign. Now what would be the implications of a non-sovereign God? Think of it from the perspective of being a Christian. The way I’ve heard it and I like this description very much. If there is one molecule in the universe running loose, outside the control of God’s sovereignty … If there is this one maverick molecule running loose, then the practical implications for us as Christians is we have no guarantee that any future promise that God has made to His people will come to pass. One grain of sand in the kidney of Oliver Cromwell changed the course of history. One bullet in the head of John Kennedy changed the course of history. If there was one maverick molecule in the planning of God’s providence running loose out there we would have no assurance of God’s sovereign promises. It may be that one thing, that one maverick molecule that would make it impossible for the Lord’s return. It could be the thing that would destroy any hope for the consummation of the Kingdom of God. And leaving all of those promises of God unfulfilled. So everything in this universe is under the control of God’s sovereignty.

Just take a look of how the providence of God is traced throughout Biblical History. What if Joseph never received a multi-colored coat? What if that caravan group didn’t happen to come along the moment his brothers through him down into that pit? So instead of killing him they take his coat and put blood on it from a kid of a goat that they kill so they can tell his father that some wild animal killed him. So that allows his brothers not to kill Joseph and instead sell him to the caravaners who are Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver, who happened to be going down to Egypt. And they happen to sell him to Potiphar an officer of Pharaoh’s a captain of the guard. And Potiphar happens to go away and leave Joseph in charge. And Potiphar’s wife happens to less than a moral person. Accuses Joseph of trying to rape her and Joseph happens to go into prison, and while he’s in prison he happens to be in there with the butcher, the baker and the candle stick maker. Who happen to remember Joseph concerning his interpretation of dreams. Which by this ability it happens that Joseph becomes prime minister. And there happen to be a famine in the land and just so happened that he ran into these brothers who came down to by grain to bring back to Jacob, which it just does happen that 70 souls come down to Egypt. These 70 became the nation of Israel that got enslaved and eventually it happened they came out with a high hand. Just think about it, if it hadn’t been for that multi colored coat. If it wasn’t for that coat there would be no redeemer, there would be no redemption. That’s why there can be no maverick molecules in a universe where God is sovereign.

Now let’s get into this a bit deeper concerning the sovereignty of God. God is sovereign and He ordains whatsoever comes to pass, yet He does it in such a way that He is not the author of sin, So we’re not talking about a rigid determinism that eliminates free creatures, but we’re still affirming a sovereign God, who is even sovereign over free creatures. This does present a thorny problem as maybe you can already anticipate. When people perish its because of evil in the world and if God is sovereign, how can He allow evil in the world? It’s saying that a person is born into this world and lives there life and then perishes and burns for eternity in hell. How can a good God allow this to be? Some have said, if God allows this evil situation to exist, it can only mean one of two things. Either God does not have the power to stop it; He would like to have a world where there is no suffering, no pain, no one lost, but he just can’t manage to bring it to pass, if that’s the case then God isn’t omnipotent. But, if God is omnipotent and if evil still exist and people still perish, then God does not love. So according to some, either God is not omnipotent, or God is not a loving God. So He is either not omnipotent or He is not benevolent. Now from what I’ve heard that argument has been set forth against Christianity in one form or another again and again and again. Now let’s try to answer this dilemma. First we have to agree on a couple of things. One is that the world is fallen and two that God is sovereign. Can we all agree on that? Actually, there is no disagreement on that with Semi-Pelagian’s, Arminians and Augustinians. They all agree that God is sovereign and that the world is fallen. It’s a question of the relationship between a fallen world and a sovereign God. And it gets down to four ways that a sovereign God can relate to fallen people.

1. God could give no one who is fallen an opportunity for salvation. This would really enrage some because they would really conclude that God is not a loving God. However, they don’t even consider that God is a just God and a righteous God and His love is always an expression of His righteousness. His love is a righteous and holy love. And a just and righteous, Holy God is never required to love a rebellious creation to the extent He shows mercy to it. Now let me ask you a question. If God decided not to save anyone, would there be anything wrong with that? If God decided to punish the whole human race because of their rebellion to God and their rejection to God the only objection we could give to God is that God is just. That’s really not an objection is it? Can you imagine some attorney standing up in court and saying your honor I object to that decision because it’s just. I don’t think so! God is perfectly just and right to exercise justice to an unjust Creation. Somehow lurking behind all this is if God is going to be a good God He must be merciful.I heard another teacher say and I agree with him. He said, “one of the greatest pitfalls in Christianity is as soon as your mind tells you, God must be merciful, or that God ought to be kind, as soon as you think for a second that God must be obligated to be merciful, a bell ought to go off in your head and alert you that your not thinking of mercy anymore.”  The reason for that is that mercy is never, never obligatory. Mercy by definition is something that God doesn’t have to do. It’s something God does voluntarily. As soon as you think that he owes Mercy, you’re thinking about it incorrectly. Now, justice can be owed, but not mercy. You need to understand that principle. Well that’s one option. God could have said no one on this planet is saved; they have all come short of the glory of God. There is not one who does good no not one.
2. He could provide an opportunity for everyone to be saved.
3. He could exercise His power and His sovereignty could intrude into the human and by working in the hearts of people could insure the salvation of some or insure the salvation for everyone. It’s because of His sovereignty He can intervene for everybody insuring their salvation. That is in His sovereignty he could so guide the steps of a person and influence their hearts to bring them to faith. God has the power to do that, and He could do it for some or for everybody. These are just logical options that God can do, because of His sovereignty. However, we want to know what He has done.

Now, does the Bible say that God has provided no opportunity for anyone to be saved? We can eliminate that one right off of the bat, as Christians we can say emphatically that this is not the Biblical view.

How about the idea that God intervenes in everybody’s life and insures the salvation for everyone? What would that view be called? Universalism! There are those who call themselves Christians who believe in Universalism. However, the debate between Arminianism/semi-Pelagianism and Augustinianism isn’t over Universalism. Those three systems will all agree that only some people are saved. The Bible teaches very clearly that there are people who are lost. The Bible teaches that some will be ultimately lost, sent out into outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth. There will be people who will never be redeemed.

So what we’re left with is that either God gives an opportunity for all or only some, or God does more than just make an opportunity available, He actually changes the heart and insures the persons salvation. This is the position that God makes certain that some are saved. And this is the position of Augustianism. That God insures the salvation of those who he elects, those who are predestined to be saved. The non-Augustinian view is one of the 2 others we mentioned: 1) that God makes it possible for everybody or some to be saved. Everybody has the opportunity, or some have the opportunity. Before I finish up here let me ask the question, could God insure the salvation of everyone if He so desired? Does He have the sovereign power to do it? Keep in mind one of the most frequent objections to the Augustinian view of predestination is that God insures the salvation for some but does not do it for everyone. And the main objection verbally from the non-Augustinian folks is “THAT’S NOT FAIR.” If you’re going to do it for some, then you should do it for everybody. Now if we take serious the Biblical view of fallen man and his attitude toward God and towards Gods Grace would assure that nobody would be saved.

The Augustinian position is so very gracious when you think about it. It’s not like, here’s the Cross chose it if you will and leaves people to themselves, but God applies the work of Christ. The Holy Spirit works in people who are dead in sin and trespasses in order to bring them to faith and to insure that the death of our Lord Jesus Christ is never in vain. That the Lord Jesus Christ will see the travail of His soul and be satisfied. The Scripture speaks of God the Father giving people to God the Son.

The semi-Pelagian or Arminian systems object to the Augustinian system because of its limited atonement. Yet those other systems say that the opportunity is given to everybody and for them to choose. However, there are millions and millions who never hear the gospel, who in fact don’t have the opportunity. But for what ever reason, God has not made sure that everyone in the world hears the gospel. Could God make sure that everyone in the world could here the gospel? Could God print it in the clouds if He wanted to? Sure! We know that there is a general revelation, so no man has an excuse. And even like Cornelius in Acts 10 prayed to God not knowing who he was praying to exactly and God sent Peter to give him the gospel.

But getting back to what I said about printing it in a cloud, as far as I know He doesn’t. What I do know is that God is under no obligation to save anyone. I do know that God saves some, but I don’t know why he doesn’t save everyone. I don’t know why. I think if you or I were God, I know I would like to save everybody. I like to think that way anyhow. Wouldn’t you like to be so benevolent and loving and gracious that you would like to save everyone? Yet, maybe that’s not being benevolent in God’s economy. I know that everything that God does is right and true. So we’re not God and for many other reasons its good that we’re not. But I would like to remind all of us of one crucial principle of Divine sovereignty. And that’s where he reminds Moses and then Paul of His Divine prerogative; I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I WILL HAVE MERCY! Remember, God never owes MERCY. Now because God only saves some people, we have two groups of people in the world. The saved people and unsaved people. What they do have in common is that they are all fallen and sinners and all in rebellion against God. So according to the Augustinian view, God elects some and the rest He passes over. So what you have the one group get MERCY and what does the other group get? JUSTICE! Who gets injustice? Nobody gets injustice! Now mercy is not justice, mercy is non-justice. And in-justice is non-justice. But mercy and in-justice are not the same thing. They are both out of the category of justice but mercy is something that is good, where in-justice is a violation of justice. In-justice is sin, wickedness. Now if God gave mercy to the elect group, but in-justice to the other group then His integrity would be compromised. So God gives mercy to the one group and justice to the other. No one has ever been a victim of in-justice at the hands of God. Well, I’m going to stop there. Hopefully I’ve stirred up your pure minds. Amen!