Weekly Devotional 3-18-24 Predestined or Not

Weekly Devotional 3-18-24 Predestined or Not

Scripture affirms that God has predestined certain people to be saved and to Heaven, but then this question arises; If God predestined some to be saved, does this mean that He predestines others not to be saved and to Hell? The answer of course is no and one of the best passages in affirmation of this truth is Ephesians 1:1-13. Consider >

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 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, 4 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, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness 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. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory….13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard 2 the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.,

The first 12 verses are applicable to Paul and His fellows, those who traveled with him, possibly also other Jews who had come to faith. But the recipients of the letter, the Ephesians, were not included in that group of predestined ones. According to verse 13 they were numbered with the redeemed when they heard and believed the message of the gospel. Consider verse 13 once again: “13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Note, nothing is mentioned of them being predestined.

God has certainly predestined some to salvation, persons such as Abraham, Moses, Mary, the apostles, Paul, and others. For His own purposes He had predestined them. Abraham as the progenitor of faith, Moses the receiver of the Law and guide of Israel, Mary to be the mother of Jesus, and the apostles and Paul to be the forerunners of the church. Others not mentioned here were predestined for other of God’s purposes. All these predestined ones were efficaciously called and rebirthed to newness of spiritual life. The Ephesians however were added when they believed the gospel and were sealed in salvation by the Holy Spirit.

Granted, many others who hear the gospel will not humble themselves and give themselves over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is these who will not be saved and will be forever cast out from the presence of God into Hell. It cannot be said though  that they were predestined to such banishment. It was and is because of choice. John 3:14-18 and 36 is a great exposition of this truth. “14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed….. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

None therefore are predestined by God to not believe. Not believing is a personal choice. Because of unbelief however, they who will not believe are predestined to Hell. That is their earned sentence. Steve

Stevelampman.com

Transforming Power; the Work of God on Behalf of Man

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