Romans 8:29-30
What God Has Determined
Two times in these verses the word PREDESTINATE is used. Sometimes I am asked,
"Do you believe in predestination?" My answer is, "I believe in Bible
predestination but not the popular predestination that some advocate. Let me
explain.
The word PREDESTINATE means PRE-DETERMINE. When it is used in the Bible, it is
speaking of God’s sovereign right to make a decision.
Let me say upfront, God is sovereign. He has decided everything that He has not
given the right to someone else to choose.
This confuses some people so let me say it again.
1. God is Sovereign.
2. As the Sovereign, He can choose to let someone else make a choice.
3. When it comes to who will go to heaven and who will go to hell, God has
sovereignly decided to let you make your own choice.
That is not my opinion, that is what the Bible says.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God.
The Bible says the determining factor of who is condemned to hell and who is not
is whether they believe or not.
1. If you will believe, you will not be condemned.
2. If you will not believe, you will be condemned.
That makes salvation your choice. However, there are some things that God has
sovereignly decided. Some of them relate to your life.
Let me share with you how the sovereign God has predestined some things.
I. Some things God has determined in the past;
A. To help you comprehend predestination, notice some things God has
determined in the past.
1. God decided how to lay out the heavens and the earth.
Psalms 135:6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in
earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
2. God decided that Israel would be His people.
Deuteronomy 7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you,
because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of
all people:
8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which
he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a
mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand
of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 10:15 Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them,
and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is
this day.
3. In fact, God set all the boundaries of the nations for the benefit
of His people.
Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on
all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed,
and the bounds of their habitation;
Deuteronomy 32:8 When the most High divided to the nations their
inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the
people according to the number of the children of Israel.
4. God decided that preaching the gospel would be what ignite a
desire for salvation.
1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom
knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them
that believe.
5. God can make individual decisions concerning everyone’s life.
a. God decided that Isaac would be more blessed than Ishmael.
Genesis 21:12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy
sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah
hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed
be called.
b. God decided to give Pharaoh his power just to tear him down,
thus displaying God’s power.
Exodus 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to
shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the
earth.
c. God decided David would be the king over Israel.
2 Chronicles 6:6 But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there;
and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.
B. We need to understand that God is sovereign.
1. God makes determinations, without our input or approval.
2. That is what sovereignty is all about.
a. A nation that is sovereign does not have to get anyone else’s
opinion before it does something.
b. God, being sovereign, does not need anyone else’s opinion.
c. He can do what He chooses to do.
3. However, in the area of salvation, God has sovereignly decided
to let you determine your own eternity.
II. God has made some decisions for the saved. There are many more than what
I will share here.
A. Those who believe in Christ will be His forever.
John 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said
unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able
to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
1. \\#26\\ Again the text mentions the determining factor of eternity
is whether you will believe on Jesus or not.
2. \\#28\\ God gives "his sheep" ETERNAL LIFE, AND THEY SHALL NEVER
PERISH.
3. This is not a decision that is up to you.
4. God has made it for you.
B. God decided that those who believe would be adopted into His family.
Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by
Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
1. There is the word PREDESTINATED again.
2. It still means that God has PREDETERMINED something.
3. God has predetermined that the saved would be apart of the
ADOPTION OF CHILDREN… TO HIMSELF.
4. When you believe, you are adopted into God’s family.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
C. Those who believe will be gifted and used as God sees fit.
1. Paul takes this thought up in 1Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in
the body, as it hath pleased him.
a. God has put the saved to serve in His body AS IT HATH PLEASED
HIM.
b. I do not preach because I wanted a career in the ministry, but
because God revealed to me that I was to preach.
2. A similar statement is made earlier.
1 Corinthians 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame
Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
3. Some of the offices that God appoints His people to are listed.
1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles,
secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
D. Those who believe will have their works judged and be rewarded
accordingly.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he
hath done, whether it be good or bad.
E. Those who believe in Christ will go to heaven.
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
F. Those who believe will be made into the image of Jesus.
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
III. Concerning the unsaved:
A. Those who do not believe in Christ will be judged at the Great White
Throne.
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no
place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and
the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second
death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into
the lake of fire.
1. You might think that you will go into the judgment and demonstrate
to God what a good moral person you have been, but you will not.
2. The final judgment is rigged! The conclusion was determined before
you were ever born.
3. If you enter that hallowed courtroom to be judged, you will be
cast into the Lake of Fire.
a. The reason you are there is because you did not believe on
Jesus.
b. Those who believe are not subject to this judgment.
c. The end is already determined, and you cannot do one thing
about it.
B. Those who do not believe in Christ will stay in hell forever.
Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and
ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his
image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
IV. Let me make three quick points:
A. God is sovereign.
1. God has predetermined some things.
2. In those areas, there is not one thing you can do about it.
B. God has given you the opportunity to decide some things.
1. Every human being can determine whether he will repent of his sins
and believe on Jesus Christ as their Savior.
(a) Don’t blow this one.
(b) God has given you this privilege.
(c) He could have decided and been a just God, but He did not.
(d) Make the right call!
2. Every Christian can determine to what extent they will serve God.
(a) God may have chosen HOW YOU WILL SERVE HIM.
(b) God may have even chosen WHERE YOU WILL SERVE HIM.
(c) But God allows each Christian to decide TO WHAT EXTENT YOU
WILL SERVE HIM.
(d) Remember the Word of God:
Luke 12:48 …For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:
(e) Serve God with everything you have.
C. It is just plain foolish to resist the sovereign God.
1. God cannot be defeated, delayed, derailed, or disappointed.
2. Carefully weigh and make the choices that are yours.
3. Comply with the choices that He had already made for you.
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