Election, Predestination, and the Glory of God

Some find a need bring balance where Scripture calls for no balance. Some teachings of scripture do not need balance, and we need to discern those. But many things, especially when it comes to BIG GOD theology, the theology of His character, his nature, his attributes, His sovereign will and control…need simply to be embraced and loved for all the rough edges and hard sayings that at first cause our finite minds to bristle, but then in Gods kindness become the sweetest to us.

So, in honor of great reformation saints like John Wycliffe in 1300’s England, John Knox in 1500’s Scotland, John Calvin in 1500’s Geneva, John Hus, William Tyndale, and then the nail in the coffin with Martin Luther in 1517, I want to set before you the plain Scriptures, in its grandness and clarity, as they sought to do for their churches. I am going to preach the glorious doctrines of election and predestination, not as though it needs a defense from me, or to warn you of its dangers, but rather to do so as though it were dangerous, unhelpful, and irresponsible for us not to look into these things for Gods glory and our good.

Let’s begin with a definition of a few words we’ll be working with.

The Elect - The elect are God’s people, a fixed number that man cannot know, chosen by grace to be saved.

Predestination - The eternal plan of God to call, adopt, justify, and glorify His elect.

Side note: Predestination is not limited to salvation only, but includes all that comes to pass, so that all things are under God’s sovereign control.

Foreknowledge - God’s foreknowledge is his infinite ability to see beforehand whatsoever will come to pass. His foreknowledge includes all events, all who will believe, and all who will remain in unbelief. His choice to save does not take any human good or evil into account, for then His choosing would not be according to grace, but according to our merits.

One more

The glory of God -

The Latin phrase is Soli Deo Gloria, and it means, that God’s work of justifying sinners by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed in Scripture alone is the only biblical interpretation in which - GOD ALONE GETS THE GLORY. To the glory of God alone.

Let’s go back to one of the earliest known records of these truths. Not Spurgeon, not Luther, not Tyndale, not Calvin. But Jesus Christ.

Jesus taught in John 6 that the Father will give to Jesus a particular people to save.

Turn to John 6

The point of what Jesus is saying in this teaching is quite simple. There is bread that perishes, and there’s eternal bread. They want to know how to work for the bread that is eternal, and Jesus is saying to them “I AM THAT BREAD”, and all you must do is believe.

They must come to him for that bread. The context of this teaching is believing in Christ unto eternal life.

Now look with me beginning at v35.

So, who can come?

The word is “whoever”… seemingly anyone can - at least in one sense. But the “whoever” from the evangelists perspective, and the “whoever” from the perspective of God is different.

The goal is not to make the Bible easy for everyone t accept. The goal is not to make Christianity easy to believe so that more follow. We’re not selling an insurance plan. “Just come, all you have to do is pray. All you have to do is repeat after me.”

So, the evangelist says “Whosoever believes has eternal life.” But the bar is not lowered. It’s raised.

Look at what it says...

And what happens to the one who does truly come and believes? Spiritual hunger, and spiritual thirst is gone. Forever. Jesus fills that hunger and thirst with himself, forgives sin, and reconciles us to God.

Look at the next verse.

v36. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.

So, now we have a problem. Jesus tells them that their physical sight does not amount to saving faith. Which means, that though they had come to him, some of them had not truly come to Him. True faith is more than outward. It’s more than just a desire.

So, who is it that comes to Jesus then? The answer may surprise some. v37 answers it. “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

Now we’re getting to the meat.

Who comes savingly to Jesus? All that the Father gives to the Son. Might they come? Is it made probable that they will?

Jesus says that a definitive ALL will come....AND, not one who has ever come in THIS way has ever, or will ever be cast out.

look at v38.

This is what His mission was…to die an atoning death for, and in dying, take unto himself those whom the Father had given to Him.

v39.

This clarifies the Father’s will, that in Christ’s mission not one whom the Father has chosen and given will be lost, but will be be raised on that final day.

The Father has a people, an “all”, and a “whoever” that is for the Son to save. Now, there is still a means, and the means is what we see. We see the looking, and the believing, and the trusting.

v40.

Who can look? Anyone can physically look in the direction of Christ, but the saving power is not in the looking. The decisive savior, rescuer, redeemer, initiator is the Father who has chosen a people whom He has given to the Son, and Jesus says that ALL OF THEM WILL COME. NONE WILL BE LOST. These will look unto eternal life.

The Jewish leaders in the crowd begin to grumble and complain about this teaching. They question His origin being from Heaven, which means they question that Jesus is the sent one to whom the Father is giving the elect. And Jesus’s reply is so wonderful, because he simply continues to press this glorious doctrine upon them.

v43 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

So, now we have another important element of this doctrine. Not only is it the elect of God whom the Father gives to the Son, but the very act itself, call it believing, trusting, coming to him in faith, CANNOT happen unless the Father draws a person. This is total human inability up against the effectual call of God. How dependent is a sinner on the grace of God for salvation? 100%.

How much is the will of man considered or depended upon in this work? None at all, because the coming to Christ is a result of what God has already done. This doesn’t annul repentance and faith, does it? What does it do, rather? It guarantees it in God’s elect.

So, to recap John 6.

Jesus teaches that the Father has a people whom He has given to the Son. These are the elect of God. All that the Father gives will come....the plan is certain and the call is effectual. None will be lost, and not one can come unless and until the Father draws him.

And this is only John 6.

Now turn over to Ephesians 1, to what is one of the clearest teachings from the Apostle Paul on this subject.

Let’s read beginning in v3, down to v6.

Paul begins with a recognition of the Heavenly blessings that are bestowed upon the life of a Christian by the the Father.

Those blessings are not found just anywhere. Not in yourself. Not in the universe. Not in education, or knowledge, or in earthly possessions. No, they are found only IN CHRIST, for they are spiritual blessings in Heavenly places.

Who is the bread that came from Heaven according to John 6? Jesus Christ! He is the source of true Heavenly blessing.

Paul identifies one of these blessing in v4. “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.”

This choosing, Paul says, is both a part of the blessing, and the reason for all the blessings bestowed upon God’s people.

Consider this truth - That we are chosen by God is the blessing from which all other blessings flow.

Continue in the text. When did He choose us? Before the foundation of the world. Why would God choose us before time, and not later in time? I can think of a couple reasons.

1. Because God is always the initiator in salvation. “We love, because He first loved us.”

2. It excludes all boasting, and exalts grace alone.

3. Because God is God

Continue in the text of your Bibles.

He chose us in Christ so that we should be holy and blameless before Him.

In other words, It’s not an arbitrary choice in which God picks a player for His team, and then that person will either turn out to be a success or failure later in life. Those whom God chooses, He does so with a plan, so that in Christ a sinner will be made holy, and blameless in the presence of God.

Now, listen to the glory of this doctrine as Paul builds and builds upon this! Could you imagine being the first to ever read this that day in Ephesus? v5. In love…Stop.

That’s not like the love we mostly know today in the world. This is God’s holy love. Love most pure, not self-seeking, not proud, not arrogant or boastful. This is God’s love - a love that needs no encouragement in order to love, or a reason outside of itself to love - but a love that flows from God because He is in His very essence LOVE. For God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

Why does God predestine anyone in Christ?

Because, IN LOVE he predestined us… Why? for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ...

NOW we have adoption in play. SO let be paint this picture for you. In His electing, and his predestining love - Our Father in Heaven goes into the spiritual orphanages of the depraved cesspool of humanity and sin, to those who’s current father is evil, the father they obey. The god of this world holds spiritual orphans in their orphanages, trying to keep them hopeless, when God comes to those who are dead in their sins, those who are without a heavenly home and family, and he adopts. That’s the action. A legal name change, and an inheritance, a family. A father.

The doctrine of sovereign election and adoption makes sense to those who have adopted children. Orphans are not just running around in this world figuring out which family they want to be a part of. Orphans are lost, lonely, in most places of the world totally abandoned, hurt, and broken when some family, some parent,....long before that child ever knew they were coming for them, had already made a plan, filled out forms, made a payment, and determined through prayer and fasting, that a child, some child, would be there’s and would they would give them all that a child in this world has a right to - parents and love.

He predestined his elect for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. Why? But Why?

Because we’re good, and lovable, and have potential? Nobody adopts because of potential. You adopt because of love, and grace that you have to give. You adopt because of a deeper purpose…and so does God.

In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Do you see the why?

According to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace.

There is no qualification here. Paul offers none…because he understands who God is, and has not been affeted by modern evangelical teaching that encourages people to question God, and question his word all the time.

That these blessings which we have in salvation are the product of an eternal counsel and purpose of God long before the foundations were laid, only increases the blessing and glory of it.

He is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. Job 23:13

For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. Ps 33:10–11.

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Psalm 115:3

declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ Isaiah 46:10

What do we say to these? Praise to His glorious grace!

Paul’s words are consistent with John 6.

God chooses. God elects. The elect are predestined to eternal life, so much so that the father draws them to the Son in whom they will believe for eternal life. These ALL become children through the grace of adoption, and the Love of our Father. Nothing can snatch them out of His hands. The plan is sure. In this, God is most glorified. One might say…But God is God, so couldn’t he choose another way in which the free will of man is the decisive factor, and not the sovereign and decisive power of God. Sure…but we are not free to conclude or venture down such hypothetical paths when Scripture speaks so clearly As we’ve seen today.

We, as individuals, and we as a collective church, do honor to God’s Word, and the long line of faithful men and women behind us, when we actually read our Bibles, believe who God is, apply the truth to our lives, and live repentantly before Him.

What is the application for such things?

1. Praise His glorious grace

2. Go, and confidently preach the Gospel because God’s sheep are out there, in here, and everywhere. They will hear His voice, and come to Him.

3. Concern yourself with obedience to the clear revelation of Scripture, and do not fret about the secret things of God that He has not revealed.

4. Worship Him. Fear God, and turn from sin toward Christ, the true bread without grumbling. Lean wholly on this truth in all things…that apart from Him you can do nothing.

Lets pray