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What
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Title:
What
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by
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Sproul.
Description:
Orlando:
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Series:
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Identifiers: LCCN 2018051625| ISBN 9781642891430 (pbk.) | ISBN
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Contents
Copyright Page
Chapter One - The Inevitable Question
Chapter Two - What Is Predestination?
Chapter Three - The Golden Chain
Chapter Four - The Divine Choice
Chapter Five - Justice, Mercy, and Grace
Chapter Six - For His Good Pleasure
Chapter Seven - The Certainty of Salvation
Chapter Eight - The Other Side of the Coin
Chapter Nine - Beautiful Feet
About the Author
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Chapter One
The Inevitable
Question
No doctrine in the Christian faith engenders more debate than the
doctrine of predestination. On seminary campuses and now
especially online, people display a fiendish delight and inherent
fascination with this doctrine, and it has fueled many midnight
discussions and fierce social media debates.
Not only are people significantly divided over their views of
predestination , they’re also profoundly divided on how the doctrine
should be treated. Some are convinced that, like religion and politics,
it should never be discussed in polite company . Such people view
predestination as a topic that ends in godless controversy and
useless debate , and they think it has no value in terms of spiritual
edification . Others believe that the doctrine of predestination is
fundamentally important to a complete perspective of our
relationship to God and our salvation , and they consider it wickedly
neglectful to ignore or denigrate its importance in any way.
Martin Luther affirmed the central place of predestination and the
importance of teaching it. He called it the core ecclesia, meaning “the
heart of the church .” While Luther was at times given to
overstatements and hyperbole, this is not such an instance. No other
6
doctrine
more
clearly
demonstrates
our
utter
dependence
on
divine
grace
and
mercy
than
the
doctrine
of
predestination .
No
other doctrine
is
more
comforting
to
the
personal
struggle
of
faith
than
the doctrine
of
election.
All
the
saints
of
history
who
believed
that
predestination
belongs at
the
very
heart
of
our
understanding
of
Christianity —Augustine , Luther
,
John
Calvin ,
and
Jonathan
Edwards —believed
just
as strongly
that
great
care
must
be
taken
in
handling
the
doctrine ,
for
it can
be
easily
distorted
and
seriously
misunderstood .
Such misunderstandings
can
lead
people
into
such
a
distorted
view
of
God that
He
becomes
almost
demonic.
Much
is
at
stake
in
how
we
understand
predestination ,
and
we
must
be
extraordinarily
sensitive
and
careful
in
how
we
handle
this
doctrine .
It
is
profoundly
important
to
our
understanding
of
the
character
of
God,
His
grace ,
and
our
own
salvation ,
yet
it
is
a
volatile
issue,
and
one
by
which
many
people
have
run
into
ruin
by
their
lack of
care
in
understanding
it.
Historically ,
virtually
every
denomination
and
every
church
that has
a
confession
of
faith
or
creed
has
developed
some
doctrine
of
predestination .
We
cannot
say
that
Presbyterians
believe
in
predestination
and
Methodists
don’t,
or
that
Episcopalians
believe
in
predestination
but
Roman
Catholics
don ’t.
Every
church
and
every
Christian
has
some
doctrine
of
predestination
because
the
Bible
has a
doctrine
of
predestination .
Any
church
body
or
individual
Christian who
takes
seriously
the
contents
of
the
New
Testament
must
sooner or
later
struggle
with
this
doctrine.
The
word
predestination
wasn’t
invented
by
Augustine
or
Luther or
Calvin .
It
is
found
in
the
New
Testament
itself,
and
therefore ,
it
is not
peculiar
to
a
movement
in
church
history
after
the
Apostolic
age. The
word
refers
to
a
biblical
concept,
and
anyone
who
is
convinced
7
of the authority of Scripture must recognize that in order to submit to
the Apostolic word , one must have some understanding of the
doctrine of predestination.
Suppose for a moment that it
is the first century AD, and you are
a member of the Christian community . You long for a word from
Christ, an authoritative teaching, and you know that the chief Apostle
to the gentiles is Saul of Tarsus. Word has just arrived that a circuit
rider has appeared in Ephesus with a letter from the hand of the
Apostle Paul addressed to all the Christians . A special gathering is
held for
the epistle to be read aloud , and you are hearing it for the
first time.
You’ve never had an argument about predestination . You’ve
never been involved in a theological discussion. You’re simply a new
Christian in Ephesus, and you hear the following greeting: “Paul, an
apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God , to the saints who are in
Ephesus , and are faithful in Christ Jesus : Grace to you and peace
from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:1–2). Then
the body of the
letter begins: “Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before
the foundation of the world” (vv. 3–4).
The very first statement of the
body of the epistle announces that
you have been chosen by God before the very foundation of the
world . Does that get your attention ? Paul did not tack on this
statement as a postscript at the end of his epistle. Instead, he jumps
to it
right at the beginning. The letter continues: “Even as he chose us
in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
blameless
before him . 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
8
us in the Beloved” (vv. 4–6). In verse 11, Paul says, “In him we have
obtained an inheritance , having been predestined according to the
purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his
will.”
At the very outset of this epistle, Paul plunges into the depths and
the
riches
of the doctrine
of predestination. In fact, he makes it central
to his teaching . Predestination does not refer to the course of the
stars, God’s general divine superintendence , His providence over
the
universe , or His governance over natural laws. Rather , Paul is
talking about salvation —a predestined salvation in which , from the
foundation of the world, believers were chosen by God to be saved.
What are we to make of this ? If we are to grow in maturity in
Christ, we must understand the biblical teaching on predestination .
We may not like it at first, but with careful study and attention to the
witness of Scripture , we can come to see the doctrine ’s sweetness
and its excellence and to experience it as a great comfort to our
souls.
9
Chapter Two
What Is
Predestination?
We must
start by asking a seemingly simple question: What is
predestination ? There appear to be as many different definitions of
predestination as there are doctrines of predestination . Since the
Bible was not written in English , we don ’t find the English word
predestination , yet multiple Greek words convey the concept, so we
look to
these Greek words to inform our understanding of what
predestination means.
One example is the Greek word proorizō . The prefix pro -
corresponds to the English prefix pre-, meaning something that takes
place in
advance , in front of, or before something else that follows
later, while orizō
means “to appoint , designate , assign .” Therefore ,
proorizō refers to ordaining or designating something beforehand.
Without
being
fatalists ,
thinking
that
everything
that
happens
falls
out
according
to
some
impersonal
guiding
principle ,
we
can
say
that
we
each
have
a
destiny .
In
God ’s
providence ,
that
destiny
is
in
His
hand
and
in
His
eternal
plan.
Before
any
of
us
were
born,
our destinies
were
written
by
God
before
the
foundation
of
the
earth.
With
respect
to
salvation ,
the
doctrine
of
predestination
does
not
include
the
concept
that
every
detail
of
our
lives
is
foreordained
and
10
predestined by
God . Rather , this doctrine deals with our ultimate
destiny . Certainly , every detail of our lives is foreordained by God,
but that truth belongs more properly to the doctrine of God ’s
providence. The doctrine of predestination, in its initial form, does not
include these particular elements in its scope (though they
are true).
It simply concerns our final destiny and where we will go
when we die
.
Most Christians will agree that God is not simply a spectator of
human events , but that He does , at least in some ways , decide
things in advance . Most would affirm that in at least some sense ,
God has what we call foreknowledge , as this concept is deeply
rooted in the pages of Scripture . God knows all things in
advance ,
and He
knows them perfectly. But as soon as we begin to
probe the
extent of that foreknowledge and the grounds for that foreknowledge,
Christians divide into opposite camps and the philosophical debates
erupt.
Though all churches and Christians don’t agree about the nature
of predestination , one point can be agreed on : God , in His
sovereignty , in some way predestines who gets to heaven and who
does not. That’s the simplest definition of predestination .
The focal
point of predestination is the doctrine of election we find in the New
Testament , and that has to do with God’s choosing and making a
decision about heaven or hell.
Virtually all Christians believe that much about predestination. But
exactly how God makes the decision in advance about our
ultimate destiny is by no means a matter of universal agreement
among professing Christians or in the historic creeds . There are
many different doctrines of predestination . While delving into all the
subtle nuances and peculiarities of the various views is beyond the
scope of this book, we must mention the two most common views of
predestination that we find in church history.
11
The
first
of
these
most
common
views—and
perhaps
the
majority
view
in
the
Christian
world
today—is
the
prescient
view.
Prescience
is
simply
a
synonym
for
foreknowledge.
The
prescient
view
of
predestination
holds
that
God,
from
all
eternity,
looks
down
the
corridors
of
history
and
knows
in
advance
who
will
and
will
not
respond
positively
to
the
invitation
of
Christ
and
His
gospel.
He
knows
that
some
will
say
yes
to
Christ
and
others
will
say
no.
From
all
eternity,
God
ordains
that
every
person
who
says
yes
to
the
gospel
will
go
to
heaven.
He
chooses
them
for
heaven
based
on
their
foreseen
faith.
The
Augustinian
view,
also
called
the
Reformation
view,
holds that
God,
from
all
eternity ,
not
only
predestines
those
who
will believe
to
be
saved ,
but
He
also
predestines
those
who
will
believe to
believe .
In
other
words,
apart
from
God’s
predestinating
grace,
no one
would
ever
believe .
People
are
not
predestined
to
heaven because
they
believe
or
because
God
knows
that
they
will
believe ; they
are
predestined
to
believe
that
they
might
go
to
heaven.
The
Augustinian
view
maintains
that
from
the
foundation
of
the
world —before
anyone
was
born
or
did
anything —God
decided
who
would
be
brought
to
faith
and
who
would
not .
Eternal
destiny
is rooted
and
grounded
in
God ’s
predestinating
grace .
Those
who
are not
predestined
from
the
foundation
of
the
world
will
not
come
to faith ,
and
their
destination
will
not
be
heaven.
These
two
views
are
very
different .
In
the
first
view ,
the
decisive
factor
regarding
a
person ’s
destiny
rests
with
the
individual .
In
the
second
view,
the
decisive
factor
rests
with
God.
Those
who
take
the
latter
view
must
respond
to
questions
about
God’s
fairness
and justice
and
about
man’s
free
will.
Those
who
take
the
first
view
must answer
the question of why is it that some people say yes and others say no.
Is it because some people are more righteous , intelligent , or
meritorious than others?
12
Studying predestination forces us to ask and answer hard
questions, and if nothing else, it forces us to look more closely at the
character of God and at our own sinfulness. We can never spend too
much time studying the character of God. There is no such thing as a
“too developed ” understanding of the grace of God or the
greatness of God. Nor is it harmful to us to explore the depths of our
own human weakness . Virtually all of the errors that plague the
church and her doctrine relate to one of two errors :
either an
underestimation of the greatness of God or an overestimation of the
greatness of man.
13
Chapter Three
The Golden Chain
The biblical text that is perhaps used most often to support the
doctrine of prescience—the idea that election is based on God’s
foreknowledge—is found in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Chapter 8
contains the classic statements used to support the concept of
prescience: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the
firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he
also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those
whom he justified he also glorified” (vv. 29–30).
These verses are often called the “golden chain of salvation ”
because they contain a series of redemptive actions or events , a
shorthand version of what theologians call the ordo salutis or the
order of salvation. The order of salvation has something in common
with the question of the chicken and the egg: What comes (at least
logically) first?
According to Romans 8:29, this order starts with foreknowledge: “
those whom he foreknew .”
Advocates of the prescient view of
predestination consider this an extremely significant point, arguing
that God’s election is based on His foreknowledge of future events
and the choices that human beings will make.
14
However , the text does not explicitly say that those whom He
foreknew He predestined on the basis of His foreknowledge . All it
says is that those whom He foreknew He also predestined . The
prescient view assumes that predestination is based in some way on
foreknowledge . However , this is an inference from the text and not
necessarily justified.
In
terms
of
temporal
priority ,
we
are
on
more
solid
ground .
The
Apostle
Paul
often
mentions
things
in
lists.
For
example ,
he
gives
a
series
of
ideas
like
the
fruit
of
the
Spirit
or
the
gifts
of
the
Spirit .
We
should
not
look
at
these
scriptural
lists
and
impose
a
certain
priority on
them
unless
the
text
explicitly
gives
priority
of
importance
to
the various
ideas .
We
also
should
not
assume
that
the
items
occur
in
a certain
temporal
sequence
just
because
they
appear
in
a
list.
In
this
case
with
Romans
8,
it
safe
to
assume
that
there
is
a priority
in
the
list,
particularly
if
we
go
to
the
end
of
the
list
of
events described
here
and
work
backward.
The
last
item
mentioned
is “ glorification .”
In
terms
of
working
out
our
salvation ,
we
know
from other
passages
of
Scripture
that
the
sequential
steps
are
faith, justification,
sanctification,
and
glorification.
This
order
cannot
be rearranged .
Therefore ,
it
is
safe
to
assume
here
(though
Paul
does not
mention
sanctification
in
the
list
in
Romans
8)
that
the
text contains
a
sequential
ordering ,
since
it
begins
with
foreknowledge
in eternity
past
and
ends
with
glorification
in
the
future.
Additional
assumptions
can
be
made
in
regard
to
this
text.
Notice
that
the
text
does
not
explicitly
state
the
following:
“All
of
those
who are
foreknown
are
predestined ,
and
all
of
those
who
are
predestined are
called ,
and
all
of
those
who
are
called
are
justified ,
and
all
of those
who
are
justified
are
glorified .”
However ,
the
text
appears
to
be
elliptical ,
meaning
it
is
assuming
something
without
stating
it explicitly,
namely,
the
word
all.
15
Certainly , there are solid biblical grounds to believe that all who are
justified are glorified . This all is a necessary
implication of the text .
However, if this is true, it raises serious problems for the prescient
view.
Let’s suppose for a moment that the word all is not proper to insert
in
this passage, and instead, the word some is put in its place: “Some
who
are foreknown are predestined . Some who are predestined
are
called.
Some who are called are justified. Some who are
justified
are
glorified.”
In this scenario , the problems are glaring with
respect
to
everything
the
Bible teaches about the final destination
of
justified
and
predestined
people . Some who are predestined
would
not
be
justified ;
some
of
the
elect would not be glorified .
Inserting
the
word
some
destroys
both
the
classical Augustinian
view
of
predestination
unto
salvation
as
well
as
the prescient
view
of
predestination.
It is much better to understand this passage as denoting universal
categories in this golden chain : all who are
foreknown (in whatever
sense one understands foreknowledge here ) are predestined ,
and
all
who are predestined are called, and all who are called
are
justified,
and
all who are justified are glorified.
What
did
the
Apostle
Paul
have
in
mind
when
he
talked
about those
who
are
“called ”?
The
Bible ,
after
all,
uses
the
word
call
in more than
one
way.
For
example ,
Jesus
said,
“For
many
are
called , but few
are
chosen ”
(Matt .
22:14).
To
answer
this
question ,
we
must distinguish
between
the
external
call
of
God
and
the
internal
call
of God.
The
external
call
is
the
basic
proclamation
of
the
gospel
message to
all
people .
Some
respond
positively ;
others
reject
it.
When
Paul spoke
on
Mars
Hill
to
the
Athenian
philosophers
(Acts
17 :16 –34 ), some
mocked
him
and
rejected
his
teaching,
while
others
gladly
16
received
his
announcement
of
the
resurrection .
A
third
category
of
people
wanted
to
mull
it
over
and
give
more
consideration
to
Paul ’s
words.
Paul
outwardly
called
everyone
present
to
repent
and
receive
Christ,
but
not
all
responded
to
this
outward
call.
In
fact,
the
gospel
is
preached
to
many
people
who
do
not
obey
the
summons
of
God
or
respond
positively
to
the
call
of
God
to
Christ.
The
internal
call,
however,
has
to
do
with
the
secret
operation
of the
Holy
Spirit .
He
calls
men
and
women
inwardly ,
changes
the
dispositions
of
their
hearts ,
raises
them
to
new
spiritual
life,
awakens
them
from
their
dogmatic
slumbers ,
and
impels
them
toward
faith and
belief.
That’s
what
is
meant
by
the
inward
call
of
God.
The
question
is,
Which
of
these
is
in
view
in
this
text
when
Paul
says
that
those
whom
God
calls
He
justifies ?
If
the
call
referred
to
in
this
passage
is
the
external
call,
that
would
mean
everyone
who hears
the
external
call
is
justified ,
and
that
everyone
who
hears
the gospel
has
faith .
But
we
know
this
is
not
the
case .
Therefore ,
this passage
cannot
refer
to
the
external
call ;
it
can
refer
only
to
the internal
call.
Only
those
who
respond
inwardly
to
the
outward
call
of the
gospel
are
justified .
We
can,
therefore ,
safely
conclude
that when
the
text
says ,
“
those
whom
he
called
he
also
justified ,”
it
is referring
to
the
internal
call
.
Notice
that
in
this
sequence ,
the
internal
call
comes
after
foreknowledge
and
after
predestination .
The
prescient
view
argues
that
God
knows
in
advance
all
who
will
respond
to
the
outward
call
of
the
gospel ,
and
on
the
basis
of
this
knowledge ,
He
predestinates them
to
justification
and
glorification .
In
order
to
accommodate
this view,
the
order
in
the
chain
would
have
to
be
rearranged.
The
Augustinian
position ,
however ,
is
that
God
predestines
people
to
an
inward
call
by
the
Holy
Spirit ,
and
everyone
whom
God
predestines
unto
salvation
will
be
called,
justified,
and
glorified.
The
17
Augustinian view holds that God cannot predestine anyone, for any
reason , to anything of which He has no knowledge . God
does not
predestine unknown people. Obviously, foreknowledge must be first
in any succession of the decrees of God, since He doesn ’t decree
anything for anyone of whom He knows nothing.
The natural sequence of the golden chain is that predestination
follows foreknowledge —not in the sense that it’s based on God ’s
knowing what people will choose when left to themselves , but that
foreknowledge must precede anything that God decrees with respect
to individuals . The Bible doesn’t say that predestination is based on
God’s prior knowledge of what people will do. It is based on God’s
prior knowledge of people. The elect are predestined to be called—
and all who are predestined to be called are called, and all who are
called are justified , and all who are justified are glorified . No one in
the group of the elect will fail to be elect. All the text is saying is that
God’s predestination includes a knowledge in advance of the objects
of His predestinating work—the people.
If we
look carefully at the golden chain, which is appealed to over
and over by those who want to base predestination on
foreknowledge in the sense of foreknown human responses , the
chain actually turns that argument on its ear. Romans 8:29–30 is one
of the most powerful passages in all of Scripture in favor of the
Augustinian view.
To summarize , the Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 8 that all of
the elect are foreknown by God . There is no election apart from
foreknowledge. Predestination means that people are predestined to
be called, justified , and glorified . Interestingly , this golden chain
comes immediately after a marvelous verse from which many
believers draw comfort : “And we know that for those who love God
all things work together for good, for those who are called according
18
to his purpose ” (Rom. 8:28). That is, all things are working together
through the divine hand of providence for the elect, because it is God
’s eternal plan to ensure the complete redemption
of those whom
He has predestined to salvation.
19
Chapter Four
The Divine
Choice
What factor ultimately determines a person’s salvation? Is it the
human decision and response, which God knows in advance, or is it
God’s sovereign election, in which He brings people to faith in Jesus
Christ? That is the essence of the controversy over predestination.
Someone once noted, “All people are by nature Pelagian.” By this
, he
meant that people naturally believe that man is not
fundamentally enslaved by sin as a result of the fall of Adam , and
that they still have the power in their fallen natures (if they believe
they’re fallen at all) to incline themselves toward faith and make a
decision for Christ.
Almost all contemporary evangelism presupposes the moral
ability of sinners to incline their own hearts to a positive response to
the gospel. Regeneration does not automatically eliminate that kind
of thinking from our minds. Many Christians assume that when they
became Christians , they were the ones who did it. They know that
they could not be redeemed apart from the grace of God or the work
of Jesus Christ, but they assume that the reason they believed, while
their friends persisted in unbelief, was that they made the right
20
decision and their friends made the wrong decision. Such Christians
assume that somehow they, not God, were the decisive factor.
However, personal experience is not ultimate or determinative —
Scripture is. So, we must closely examine the Apostle Paul’s words
on the subject in Romans 9.
Paul begins the chapter by swearing an oath—a somber thing for
an Apostle to do. His readers would have understood that he was
laying his integrity on the line in making an oath concerning his
feelings about
those who are not being saved. Particularly , he’s
concerned about the first-century Israelites who had rejected Christ.
Shockingly , he swears an oath that he would be willing to lose his
own salvation if it meant the
salvation of his kinsmen according to the
flesh. After lamenting
the failure of
his kinsmen to come to faith, Paul
writes:
For I could wish that I myself
were accursed and cut off from
Christ for the sake of my brothers , my kinsmen according to
the flesh . They are Israelites , and to them belong the
adoption , the glory, the covenants , the giving of the law, the
worship , and the promises . To them belong the patriarchs ,
and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who
is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
But it is not as
though the word of God has failed. For not
all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all
are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “
Through Isaac shall your offspring be named .” This means
that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of
God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I
will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Rom. 9:3–9)
21
Paul is
reminding his listeners about the history of Israel.
Not everyone who was a physical child of Abraham was
chosen by God to receive the blessing. Ishmael was born of
Abraham, but
he did not receive the blessing— Isaac did. We
can go back further and look at Abraham himself. Why did
God come to Abraham while he was a pagan, living in a
pagan country, practicing a pagan religion (Josh. 24:2–3)?
God unilaterally revealed Himself to Abraham, moved him out
of that environment, and used him to create a whole new
seed of redemption.
Why did
Christ appear to Saul of Tarsus , the avowed enemy of
the church, who was breathing out fire on a mission to wipe out the
Christian community ? Why did Christ appear to him on the road to
Damascus in glory and change him instantly? Why didn’t He do that
for Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas ,
or Annas? It’s clear from the history of
redemption that Abraham received a measure of grace that other
people in the Old Testament did not, and that likewise, Paul received
a measure of grace that other people in the New Testament did not.
Paul reaches the most salient point in Romans 9:10–11: “And not
only so,
but also when Rebekah had conceived children by
one man,
our forefather Isaac , though they were not yet born and had done
nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election
might continue .” Paul is clearly saying here that something
happened before the children
were born, before they had done any
good or evil. And then he states the purpose : “in order that God ’s
purpose of election might continue.”
The passage goes on to say,
“She was told, ‘The older will serve
the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated’” (vv.
22
12–13). Then we read , “So then it depends not on human will or
exertion , but on God , who has mercy . For the Scripture says to
Pharaoh , ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might
show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all
the earth .’ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills , and he
hardens whomever he wills” (vv. 16–18).
The prescient view argues that God looked down the corridors of
time before Esau and Jacob were born, and on the basis of knowing
how they would behave , He chose Jacob and not Esau . Yet that
argument flies in the face of the clear teaching of the Apostle.
In Romans 9, Paul labors the point that our election is not based
on what we do—not on our doing, our willing, our goodness , or our
badness. Instead, before we were born—and without any respect to
what we
would
do or not do—God elected some and not others, that
His purposes in election might stand. It’s fascinating to note that God
didn’t just distinguish between two different people, cultures , lands,
and religions ; He distinguished between sons of the same father in
the same family. Further, they were not just brothers but twins. Paul
uses this illustration to drive home the point that this was done to
show the purpose of God ’s electing mercy and to make absolutely
clear that our election is based “not on human will or exertion” but on
the sovereignty of God.
Some try to get around this text by saying that Paul is not
speaking here about the election of individuals. Instead, they say, he
is talking about the election of nations —that out of Jacob
came the
nation of Israel and out of Esau came the Edomites . However , this
argument is easily refuted . Nations are simply groups made up of
individuals, and
in the passage, Paul specifically speaks with respect
to individuals . One individual was chosen , and another was not .
Neither was chosen or not chosen because of anything he did or
23
would ever do. The Apostle Paul labors to show that Jacob’s election
was based on the sovereign purposes of God in order to display His
grace.
Note Paul’s immediate response to what he has been teaching .
He anticipates
the question that is raised every time this doctrine is
taught: “How is it fair if God chooses one and not the other, if it’s not
based on what
we do? If it were based on what we do, at least that
would be fair.” Paul responds
to this hypothetical question by saying,
“What shall we
say then ? Is
there injustice on God ’s part ? By no
means !” (v. 14). Other translations read , “God forbid !” The Greek
phrase used here is the most emphatic term of denial possible. The
answer that Paul gives to the question , “Is there injustice
on God’s
part?” is, “Absolutely not!”
Paul ’s anticipation of such an objection would not have been
necessary if the text were teaching the prescient view. If God’s
election were based on what we do, no one would raise a voice of
protest or accuse God of being unfair . Our view of fairness stems
from our belief that people
should be judged according to their
behavior, so Paul knew that people would struggle with the teaching
that in the case of Jacob and Esau, their respective destinies were
planned from the foundation of the world by God according to His
sovereign counsel , without any respect to anything either one of
them ever did or would do.
When unbelievers hear the teaching found in Romans 9, they
often say something like this: “Well, I’m not a believer, so why should
I even be concerned? If I’m
not elect, and if I’m not going to be saved
, why should I bother ?” The response to that is this: to any who do
not at this moment have faith in Jesus Christ , there is
no reason
whatsoever to assume you are not elect. Every person who has ever
come to faith in
Christ was at one time an unbeliever. You may very
24
well be
numbered among the elect but have not yet realized your
election.
One of the most important admonitions in the New Testament is
that we make our election and calling sure (2 Peter 1:10). For all who
are uncertain whether they’re
numbered among the elect, there is no
more important question to focus your attention on until an answer is
found.
25
Chapter Five
Justice, Mercy,
and Grace
The doctrines surrounding the Augustinian view of election are also
referred to as the “doctrines of grace.” This designation rightly puts
the accent where it belongs, since the focal point of the biblical
doctrine of election is the grace of God. But what exactly is grace?
In its simplest terms, grace can be defined as “unmerited favor.”
When we receive grace from God, we receive a blessing , favor, or
benefit from His hand that we have not deserved, earned, or merited.
It comes to us
simply from the wideness of His mercy . The Apostle
Paul appeals to the mercy of God when the question , “Is there
injustice on God’s part?” is
raised (Rom. 9:14). He reminds his
readers—Christians living in Rome—what God had already revealed
to Moses in the Old Testament : “I will have mercy on whom I have
mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” (v.
15). So, the first thing we must understand about God’s grace is that
His grace is sovereign . Grace is something that God is never
obligated to give—God doesn’t owe anyone grace.
If God owed us grace, it would no longer be grace. It
would simply
be justice . Justice is receiving one ’s due as a reward or a
punishment for certain forms of behavior. Grace, however, is not
26
required. God reserves the right of cosmic executive clemency . It is
executive privilege on His part . He can be merciful to whom He
wants to be merciful , and He can withhold His mercy or His grace
from whomever He decides to withhold it from, for whatever reason
He is inclined to do so, in order to accomplish His purposes.
When Paul asks, “Is there injustice on God’s part?” the answer is,
“By no means !” (v. 14). Yet what if we ask the question somewhat
differently : Is there nonjustice on God ’s part ? The answer to that
question is yes . There is nonjustice in God , though there is not
injustice in Him.
There are different kinds of nonjustice —two of which are most
important for our consideration . On the one hand, there is injustice .
On the other hand, there is mercy or grace. Injustice is a category of
evil that is absolutely antithetical to justice. If God ever did anything
that was unjust, He would no
longer be a righteous God.
He would no
longer be good . But consider mercy or grace . Is there anything
wrong with a holy , righteous God being gracious or merciful ? It
would not be evil for a just and righteous Being to grant mercy or
grace, because grace and mercy are laudable.
Suppose we have a group of seven people. When we talk about
the doctrine of election, we understand that some people receive the
grace of election and some do not. Imagine that four of these people
receive grace, and the other
three receive justice from God’s hand.
That is,
the elect receive the grace of God, and the nonelect receive
the justice of God. Have any
of these people been a victim of God’s
injustice? Of course not. That is what Paul is getting at when he asks
the question, “Is there injustice on God’s part?”
The question is asked because God’s grace is not given equally
to everyone . Because God gives a gracious gift to Jacob that He
doesn’t give to Esau, this seems unfair. The protest goes
like this: If
27
God gives grace to one person, then He must give
grace to
everyone else. That just seems fair.
However, let’s consider a hypothetical case of two prisoners who
have been convicted of first-degree murder. The governor
decides to
exercise executive clemency and pardon one of those criminals. That
criminal does not deserve to be pardoned . He deserves to be
executed , but he escapes justice, and he receives mercy. Suppose
also that the governor does not choose to pardon the other convicted
murderer ; instead , the second murderer is punished . Has he been
unjustly punished? Of course not. He receives justice.
Is it necessary that if the governor pardons one that he must
therefore pardon all? What law states that if one receives mercy ,
then all must receive mercy?
That would be necessary only if justice
required it, but we are not talking about justice. We are talking about
nonjustice . We’re talking about mercy and grace. This is what Paul
emphatically reminds the readers of Romans—that God had already
said to Moses , “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy , and I will
have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
This is one of
the most crucial concepts to understand about
biblical Christianity , yet it’s one that few ever grasp. Most Christians
believe that God is sovereign. Yet when you begin to probe and ask
people how they understand the sovereignty of God , it’s not long
before there ’s not very much
sovereignty left in God. When people
say they believe in God ’s sovereignty , they often mean that they
believe God has authority and power over His creation (and that is
indeed an aspect of God’s sovereignty ). But when the topic of the
sovereignty of grace comes up, people don ’t want to believe that
God has the authority or the
right to grant His mercy and grace as He
wills. That is what’s at stake in this discussion.
28
If God were committing injustice in all of this, the protest would be
understandable . If God looked at a world filled with innocent people
and decided to save some and damn others, there
would be injustice
on God’s part, but
only once in all of history has God punished
an innocent man . But even here we need a qualification . That
punishment occurred only after the innocent man willingly , for the
sake of the elect , assumed the culpability of the sin of His
people . When our sins were transferred to Jesus, before the bar of
God’s justice, Jesus was no longer innocent. He was innocent in and
of Himself , but by imputation , as our representative , He was
regarded as sin (see 2 Cor. 5:21).
In one sense, the greatest concentration of wickedness that ever
occurred on this planet was on the cross, where Christ took the sins
and guilt of an untold multitude on Himself . It was only after that
transfer , to which He was willing to submit , that He bore the just
wrath of God. In reality , God
has never , ever punished an innocent
person , because it would be unrighteous and unjust for Him to do
that.
When
we
think
about
this
difficult
question
of
election
and
God’s
choosing ,
we
must
understand
that
when
God
makes
His
decision ,
when
He
is
contemplating
those
whom
He
will
save
or
not
save,
He is
contemplating
them
as
fallen
people.
God’s
question
is
not,
“Am
I going
to
rescue
some
innocent
people
and
allow
other
innocent people
to
perish ?”
Rather ,
His
question ,
like
the
governor ’s
question , is,
“Am
I
going
to
exercise
grace
and
mercy
to
some
guilty
people and
allow
others
to
receive
My
justice ?”
The
beauty
in
this
is
that
in God ’s
sovereign
election ,
His
marvelous
grace
and
mercy
are manifested ,
and
His
relentless
commitment
to
justice
is
also revealed.
29
It is
easy enough to define grace as “unmerited favor,” but to get
this idea from our brains into our bloodstream is one of the most
difficult tasks in the Christian life. To get it to stay there is even more
difficult. The moment we begin to think that God owes us, or anyone,
mercy is the moment we should have a bell go off in our brains. We
need a warning that we are no longer thinking about mercy, because
again, mercy that is required is not mercy. If we think that God owes
us grace, we’ve stopped thinking about grace and have started
thinking about justice. The worst thing that could happen to us is for
us to ask God for justice. The
only way we can draw a breath in this
world, and the only way we can hope of going to heaven , is by His
sovereign grace alone.
30
Chapter Six
For His Good
Pleasure
We have been wrestling with some significant questions in our
study of predestination. Why does God elect certain people and not
others? Why is it that some receive His grace while others receive
His justice? So far, we’ve seen that no one receives injustice at the
hand of God; His mercy and grace are always His sovereign
privilege to bestow as He sees fit and for whatever reason He’s
inclined to do so.
In this chapter, we return to the book of Ephesians to explore the
idea of God ’s giving grace to some and not to others . Paul has
already made clear that election is not based on people ’s own
actions , but instead , it is based purely on the purposes of God . In
Ephesians1:3–12, we read:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless
before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself
as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his
31
will , to the praise of his glorious grace , with which he has
blessed us in the Beloved . In him we have redemption
through his blood , the forgiveness of our trespasses ,
according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon
us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery
of his will , according to his purpose , which he set forth in
Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in
him , things in heaven and things on earth . In him we have
obtained an inheritance , having been predestined according
to the purpose of him who works all things according to the
counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in
Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
In light of this text , it is astonishing that so many controversies
over the sovereignty of grace have continued in the church
throughout the
centuries . Paul could not spell it out with any greater
clarity than he does here in Ephesians . Clearly , God sovereignly
elects some to salvation and does not elect others ; He chooses
some people as objects of His saving grace and tremendous
benefits but does not give that same blessing and favor
to others .
That being the case , the question is, Is God ’s choice arbitrary or
capricious? He may not be unjust, but He certainly appears arbitrary
in this regard.
To address that question, we must first define our terms. What do
arbitrary and capricious mean? An arbitrary or capricious person acts
without any particular reason for doing so. When asked why he did a
particular thing, such a
person would respond: “No reason. I just did it
on a whim .” We don’t tend to respect people who
do things for no
reason . Are we going to attribute to God that kind of unvirtuous
behavior?
32
Based on what we have said
thus far, some might argue that we
must attribute these characteristics to God . After all, we have
labored the point that God chooses people for no reason in them ,
foreseen or otherwise. That is true. God’s reason for choosing some
for salvation has nothing to do with anything in any particular person.
His grace is given not for any reason in us.
The fact that there is no reason in us does not mean there is no
reason at all behind God’s actions. When the Bible makes clear that
the reason for our election is not in us, it does not mean that God is
being capricious or arbitrary. Instead, the Bible repeats
over and over
that God has reasons for doing so, and a few words in particular
recur when Scripture explains God’s purpose.
One of these words is God ’s counsel —the counsel of His will.
This has to do with the wisdom , plan, or thought processes of God.
The very word counsel suggests an intelligent reason for acting. God
never wills apart from His own counsel. A person who is completely
arbitrary has no counsel , takes no counsel , and listens to no
counsel . He simply acts on impulse . The very word counsel should
alert us
that the biblical idea of God’s sovereign grace is rooted in the
wisdom of God , which is perfect . It is not irrational ; it is
eminently
rational and far from arbitrary.
Another word used again and again in the Bible with respect to
predestination and election is
the word purpose. In the Greek,
this is
the word telos. Those familiar with the study of philosophy know that
it includes several different subdivisions of thought ,
including
metaphysics , cosmology , epistemology , ethics , and teleology .
Teleology comes from the Greek word telos , which means “end ,
purpose, goal.”
A person who does something completely arbitrarily does it for no
purpose. Yet the New Testament makes clear that God has a divine
33
purpose
in
electing
grace.
He
desires
to
manifest
the
riches
of
His
grace ,
to
display
His
mercy ,
and
to
reveal
something
about
His
marvelous ,
awesome ,
and
beautiful
character .
Another
of
God’s
purposes
in
election
is
to
honor
Christ,
of
whom
the
prophecy
was
made,
“Out
of
the
anguish
of
his
soul
he
shall
see
and
be
satisfied"
(Isa.
53:11).
The
prescient
view
of
election
leads
to
the
belief
that
Jesus
died on
the
cross ,
but
not
for
anyone
in
particular .
Instead ,
He
dies
to make
salvation
a
possibility
for
those
who
choose
to
believe
.
In
that view ,
it
is
theoretically
possible
that
Christ
could
have
died
completely
in
vain ,
that
no
one
would
ever
have
responded
positively to
the
gospel ,
and
that
Christ
would
have
died
and
not
actually
saved anyone .
But
according
to
Scripture ,
God
determined
from
the foundation
of
the
world
that
the
cross
of
Jesus
Christ
would
yield
its appointed
fruit
and
that
Christ
would
see
the
travail
of
His
pain , suffering,
and
death
and
be
satisfied.
When
the
New
Testament
speaks
of
election
and
predestination , it
always
speaks
of
our
being
chosen
in
the
Beloved,
in
Christ.
When we
look
into
our
own
hearts
and
lives ,
we
cannot
give
any compelling
answers
as
to
why
God
would
save
people
like
us.
We should
be
properly
amazed
by
the
grace
of
God,
but
tragically ,
we tend
to
take
His
grace
for
granted .
Once
we
assume
it,
we
begin
to presume
on
it.
Yet
had
God
determined
to
treat
us
according
to
His justice,
none
of
us
would
be
able
to
stand.
The
only
way
we
can
gain entrance
into
the
kingdom
is
through
the
sovereign
grace
of
God
and by
that
grace
alone—sola
gratia.
The
only
reason
given
in
the
New
Testament
for
anyone
being
saved
is
so
that
God
the
Father
can
bestow
His
glory ,
love ,
and
affection
on
God
the
Son.
The
only
reason
we’re
redeemed
is
not
because
of
our
value
but
because
of
the
value
of
Christ.
God
is
34
gracious to us in order to reward One who does deserve a reward—
His only
begotten Son. This involves a strange intersection of grace
and justice. It is just that Christ should receive an inheritance, and we
are that inheritance . That
we are the inheritance is grace for us and
justice for Christ.
Why does God choose us?
The New Testament answers , “in
order that God’s purpose of election might continue” (Rom. 9:11). It
is God’s purpose that we understand the graciousness of grace, that
we allow it to stand, and that we are bold to proclaim it in the life of
the church among God’s people.
In Ephesians 1:5, we read that God “predestined us for adoption
to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of
his will” (emphasis added ). “According to” provides the basis , and
that basis is not according to our foreseen work , merit , or
righteousness . The basis of election is “the purpose of his will.” One
answer the Bible gives to the “why” question of election is the
pleasure of God. God chooses to be gracious to some people
because He takes pleasure in being gracious to some rather than to
all. Does this make God capricious and arbitrary ? Is He playing a
cruel game of choosing some and rejecting others , of saving some
and damning others?
At this point , we can easily begin to speak rashly without
knowledge and
come perilously close to blaspheming the Holy Spirit,
because we ’ve
missed one crucial aspect of the text . The word
translated “purpose ” in the ESV can also be translated “good
pleasure ” (KJV , NKJV ) or “kind intention ” (NASB ). What God
chooses , He does so according to His good pleasure . This word
makes all the difference in the world. There is no such thing as the
bad pleasure of God’s will. God does not take pleasure in evil.
Human beings take pleasure in evil. In fact, that’s why we sin,
35
because
it’s
pleasurable
to
us.
If
it
weren’t
pleasurable ,
we
wouldn’t
be
enticed
or
tempted
by
it.
But
there
is
no
evil
will
in
God.
The
only
thing
that
has
ever
pleased
God
is
goodness ,
the
only
pleasure
that
He’s
ever
had
is
a
good
pleasure,
and
the
only purpose
that
He’s
ever
had
is
a
good
purpose.
Let
us
never
suggest that
in
the
mystery
of
His
grace
He
is
capricious
or
arbitrary.
That
the reason
for
our
salvation
does
not
rest
in
us
does
not
mean
it’s unreasonable
and
irrational
or
that
God
is
without
a
purpose , counsel,
or
goodness.
It
should
not
be
hard
for
us
to
imagine
that
what
is
pleasing
to God
is
always
good ,
that
His
purposes
are
always
good ,
and
that
His
reasons
for
granting
mercy
to
some
and
not
to
others
have
to
be
good .
What
is
hard
is
to
conceive
of
an
evil
pleasure
in
God
or
an
arbitrary
action
of
God —to
imagine
our
sovereign
Creator
doing
anything
without
a
purpose
or
without
taking
into
account
His
own
omniscience ,
infinite
knowledge ,
and
perfect
understanding
of
all
things.
In
the
end ,
the
issue
is
not
really
that
we
think
God
is
arbitrary, that
He
acts
without
a
purpose
or
does
anything
unjust
or unrighteous .
Our
problem
is
usually
that
we
don’t
always
like
God’s decisions .
We
don’t
always
agree
with
His
counsel .
We
are
often tempted
to
say
or
think,
“If
I
were
God,
I
would
do
this,”
or,
“If
I
were God,
I
certainly
wouldn’t
do
that.”
It
is
at
this
point
we
must
stop
and repent
of
our
arrogance .
As
bad
as
the
world
may
sometimes
seem to
our
finite
human
minds,
we
can
say
with
absolute
certainty
that the
world
would
be
a
true
disaster
if
we
were
in
the
place
of
God.
36
Chapter Seven
The Certainty of Salvation
In the early seventeenth century, controversy erupted in the
Netherlands over the doctrine of predestination. The dispute was
brought on by a group called the Remonstrants, who were thus
named because they remonstrated, or protested, against the
Reformed doctrine of predestination. The controversy, which was
addressed at the Synod of Dort in 1618–19, codified what is known
as the five points of Calvinism. The answers to the five points of
contention among the theologians of the day were summarized later
by the famous acrostic TULIP.
This controversy centered on the difference between the classic
Augustinian view of predestination unto salvation and the prescient
view of predestination unto salvation . As previously noted , the
prescient view holds that God looks down through the corridors of
time and knows in advance who will positively respond to the gospel
and embrace Christ. On the basis of that advance knowledge , God
chooses those
whom He knows will respond to the gospel for
salvation . In other words , God elects only those who meet the
condition for salvation, namely, faith.
This view of election , also called “conditional ” election , is
distinguished from the historic Augustinian view , which is “
unconditional.” In the Augustinian view, God, without foreseeing any
37
particular conditions met by man, sovereignly and eternally chooses
people unto salvation . This does not mean that salvation has no
conditions — it does . Faith is required for justification . But
unconditional election means
that God unconditionally chooses the
elect for salvation and sovereignly enables them to exercise the faith
that meets the necessary condition for salvation.
Prominent evangelists, working out of the prescient or conditional
view of election, often employ two common metaphors in an effort to
steer a careful course between two potentially dangerous concepts.
On one hand, they don’t want to teach that man saves himself . On
the other hand, they don’t want to say that salvation is totally of God.
In an effort to avoid these two poles, two images are offered to help
people understand the nature of salvation.
The first metaphor is that of a drowning person . He can’t swim ,
and he is going under. Even his head is submerged below the
waves , and the only thing left above the surface of the water is his
hand . He cannot possibly save himself from drowning unless
someone throws him a life preserver . Someone on shore then
throws that life
preserver exactly where the man needs to have
it
thrown, right up against his hand. The person on the shore has
done everything that he can do to save the drowning man, but
the drowning man must either grab hold of the life preserver or let it
pass by. He must take his fingers and grip it, or he will drown and
sink. In this scenario , God has done all He can to allow man to
be
saved, and man still has the power and moral strength left in himself
to either grab hold of or not grab hold of salvation.
The other metaphor frequently used is that of a dying person with
an incurable , fatal disease. The person is in his last stages of life. A
doctor comes into the room with the only possible medicine to save
this man from dying. The doctor pours the medicine on the spoon
38
and reaches the spoon to the dying man ’s lips . All he must do is
open his lips and receive the medicine that will restore him to
fullness of health. He has the power to either keep his lips clenched
tight or to open his mouth and receive the medicine. The idea is that
God does 99 percent with His grace—and without that grace there’s
no hope
of salvation . Yet there is 1 percent left to the man’s ability,
and that 1 percent is the decisive factor regarding His eternal
destiny.
The picture of salvation in these two metaphors differs
dramatically from the classic
Augustinian view. One of the reasons
Augustine taught that election is unconditional is that before his
treatment of election , he spent a great deal of time studying the
biblical view of the fall of man. He considered the question, To what
degree have we been corrupted in our human nature ? Augustine
concluded that
the fall of mankind is so great that even though we
still are able to
make choices, all of our choices proceed from a heart
that is in bondage to sin, leaving us in a state of moral inability to
choose what pleases God.
The idea that Augustine taught was this: the sinner has no
inclination in his heart for the things of God unless God first changes
his soul. God must change the disposition of man’s heart through the
supernatural work of regeneration . Scripture says that all
whom the
Holy Spirit regenerates come to faith , and that this regeneration
effects what it was designed
to effect. Further, left to himself, man will
never incline himself to the things of God , and so, if the sinner is
destitute of regeneration, he will never willingly embrace Christ.
The whole point of God ’s work of regeneration is that God not
only designs the ends of salvation, but He also ordains the
means to
bring about those ends in people’s lives. God sovereignly determines
to quicken to spiritual life those whom He has chosen, and all who
39
are so quickened come to faith. God Himself supplies the condition
necessary for the sinner to respond.
One problem with the prescient or conditional view is that it gives
us something to boast about.
Some people respond positively to the
gospel while others do not. What is it that makes us respond
positively? What allows us to
fulfill the 1 percent after God has done
the other 99 percent ? Most people would not want to say that they
are more intelligent or more righteous than their friends who have not
responded . Even saying that we understand our need better is
something to boast about; it means we are more spiritually sensitive
or humble . The Bible says that we have nothing to boast about
before God (Eph. 2:9).
The New Testament teaches
that the work of salvation is utterly
gracious, and it is accomplished by the sovereign grace of God. One
of the most controversial texts on this topic appears in John 6:44.
Jesus says: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me
draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” The phrase “no
one” is a universal negative proposition . It says something negative
about all people: “no one” means “no person whatsoever .” The next
word is
the most crucial : “can.” Jesus doesn’t say that no one does
come or no one will come. He says that no one can come.
The word “can” refers not to
permission but to ability . “May ” is
used to
describe permission ,
but “can” has to do with ability . In this
text, Jesus says there is something that no one has the power or
ability to do. And what is it? “No one can come to me.” When the
prescient view is deeply and carefully analyzed , it evidences an
abbreviated and truncated view of the fall. It still looks at fallen man
as having an “island of righteousness” left in his soul, and this island
of righteousness possesses
the ability to come to Christ without
being regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The evangelist will say: “Come
40
forward. Receive Christ. Choose Christ. Make a decision
for Christ,
and you
will be born again.” However, Jesus says that unless we are
first born again , we will never come to Him . Rebirth is the
prerequisite and the necessary condition for being able to come to
Christ.
This biblical teaching is also seen in the letter to the Ephesians.
The Apostle Paul writes:
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you
once walked, following the course of this world, following the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in
the sons of disobedience — among whom we all once lived in
the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body
and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath , like the
rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the
great love with
which he loved us, even when we were dead in
our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace
you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated
us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in
the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of
his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace
you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own
doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one
may boast . For we are his workmanship , created in Christ
Jesus for good works , which God prepared beforehand ,
that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:1–10)
This chapter immediately follows Paul ’s introduction of the
concept of predestination in chapter 1, and he now labors the point
that God quickens people while they are still spiritually dead in sin
41
and trespasses . This is why the two metaphors earlier described are
not biblically accurate . The drowning man—no matter how desperate
his situation as he’s about to sink and with only his fingers
are above
the waves—is still alive. That is not the metaphor of Scripture.
The metaphor of Scripture is that the man has already drowned. He
is at the bottom of the ocean . The New Testament teaches that God
the Holy Spirit is like a rescuer who dives to the bottom of the sea, pulls
the dead man out, and breathes life into him. Likewise , the dying man
in the hospital who has to open his mouth to receive the medicine is
not really desperately and critically ill. He is already dead.
Taking life-saving medicine to the coroner’s office or the morgue
and offering it to a corpse is an exercise in futility . A corpse cannot
open its mouth to receive healing medicine . The person has died, and
only God can make him alive.
The problem with the prescient view of election is that it has God
looking down through the corridors of time at people who are
spiritually dead. If God looked at people who were dead in sin, even if
He looked for a long time , how many would He find responding
positively to the gospel ? He would have no one to elect ,
no one to
predestine , because He would see all of them perishing in their
unbelief . Jesus said to Nicodemus , “Truly , truly , I say to you, unless
one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
Later in the gospel of John, we read:
But Jesus , knowing in himself that his disciples were
grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?
Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to
where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is
no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and
life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”
42
(For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did
not believe , and who it was who would betray him.) And
he
said , “This is why I told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by the Father.” (John 6:61–63, 65)
Jesus says the flesh is no help at all; it profits nothing . It does not
contribute even 1 percent ; it contributes 0 percent . One hundred
percent of our salvation is from God.
If the Bible never mentioned the words predestination or election,
we would still be driven to conclude that concept simply from the
abundant references we find in the Scriptures about the state of our
moral condition apart from saving grace and regeneration . The
biggest hurdle we have to get over—before we are ready
to assign
the fullness of grace to our salvation —is the hurdle of thinking that
we really do have an island of righteousness left in our souls that is
unaffected by the fall and unpolluted by sin. It is the false belief that
we’re not really
dead in sin and trespasses, but that we’re only sick in
sin and trespasses , still possessing the ability to revive ourselves
once we hear the gospel. If we want to overcome these hurdles, we
must truly understand the absolute sinfulness of sin and the absolute
graciousness of grace.
43
Chapter Eight
The Other Side of the Coin
One of the controversies that attends any discussion of the
doctrine of predestination involves the question of so-called double
predestination. We’ve already considered the wonder of God’s mercy
and grace as He unilaterally intrudes into the lives of sinners,
snatching them from the fire and bringing them safely home to
heaven. But we also must ask, What about those who do not receive
that gift? What about those who do not receive regeneration? In
other words: What about those who are not elect?
Various views have been offered in an attempt to answer this
question. Some argue for single predestination. This means that from
all
eternity, God has chosen to intervene in the lives of some people
to bring them to faith through a special act of grace, but at the same
time, He
does not choose or decree anything at all concerning the
salvation or damnation of those who are not elect . Some say that
those who are not elect still have the opportunity to be saved if they
want to be saved , but in any case , only the elect will certainly be
saved.
Part of
the problem is that some people have a distorted
understanding of predestination and election . They think
of it as if
God drags people kicking and screaming against their wills into the
kingdom of God, and at the same time He prevents other people
44
from coming to the kingdom who do want to be there. Let’s address
the first
part of this idea , that God drags unwilling people into the
kingdom.
The Augustinian doctrine of election unto salvation says this: no
one wants Christ . No one wants to come into the kingdom of God .
The heart is desperately wicked, and it desires only evil continuously.
“No one seeks for God,” the Apostle Paul quoted (Rom. 3:11). If left
to our own desires and inclinations , none of us would ever incline
ourselves to come to Christ. So, in our natural state, none of us wants
to enter the kingdom of God.
Does that mean that God drags us kicking and screaming into the
kingdom? No, and the reason is that we have been regenerated . For
us to be saved , God must first regenerate us. Regeneration is the
raising to new spiritual life; it is a change in the disposition of hearts.
Before
regeneration , we don ’t want anything to do with Christ ;
afterward , we love Him. God the Holy Spirit creates that love in our
hearts . The Spirit makes us willing , so that we then choose Christ ,
and we choose Christ because we want Christ. Therefore , no one is
dragged kicking and screaming into the kingdom ; everyone who
enters the kingdom desires to be there.
The second aspect of the distorted idea of predestination is that
God keeps people out of the
kingdom who desperately want to be
there. But, as we have seen, no one in his natural state wants to be
there . We are fugitives from God . There is no one who wants God
whom God excludes from the
kingdom . In fact, if someone wants to
come to the biblical Christ , that is the surest evidence that he is
numbered among the elect, not the reprobate.
The question of double predestination concerns not only the
positive side of the coin (election ), but also the negative side, which
we call reprobation. Reprobation is the opposite of election.
45
Someone who
is reprobate has not been chosen and does not
receive the benefit of saving grace. Unless we are universalists (
meaning we believe that everyone is predestined to salvation ), we
have no
option
but to affirm some kind of reprobation . If
some are
chosen but not all receive that gift, then obviously some are not elect.
Unless everyone is elect, we have two categories—the elect and the
nonelect . And because two categories exist , there must be some
kind of double predestination . What is the correct understanding
of the doctrine of double predestination?
One view of double predestination is called the symmetrical view.
This view teaches that God operates in the lives of the reprobate in
the same way that He operates in the lives of the elect in that He is
active when addressing the reprobate. With respect to the elect, God
, through His power and the agency of His Holy Spirit , is active in
unilaterally creating faith
in their hearts . With respect to the
reprobate , God
is active in creating fresh evil in their souls and in
forcing them directly and immediately to reject the gospel because
He doesn ’t want them in His
kingdom . According to this view, God
forces people to sin by His direct intervention . This is called a
positive-positive view of predestination , because God acts positively
and actively toward both the elect and the reprobate.
By contrast , the Augustinian view of double predestination is
asymmetrical . It is called a positive-negative view of predestination .
This view holds that God does a positive work in the lives of the elect
whereby He intervenes to rescue them from spiritual
death by
making them alive and creating faith in their souls . With
respect to
the reprobate, God does not do a positive work by creating fresh evil
in their hearts and forcing them to reject Christ . Rather , He does a
negative work by merely passing over them . He performs what is
often described in the New Testament as a type of divine
46
punishment , wherein He gives sinners over to their sinful
dispositions and abandons them to their sin. He ceases to restrain
them from their own evil ways. God doesn’t have to create unbelief
or wickedness in the hearts of the reprobate; it’s already there.
When God elects unto salvation , He elects out of a mass of
humanity that together is fallen, dead in sin and trespasses . By His
gracious act of intervention, He steps in to accomplish a saving work
in the hearts of
some that He does not accomplish for the others. He
doesn’t prevent the others from coming to Christ—He doesn’t have
to prevent them from coming to Christ . They prevent themselves
because they don ’t want to come to Christ . They are already
alienated from God, dead in their sins and trespasses. God does not
force them to say no to Christ and the gospel; they reject
Christ out of
their own inclinations , their own hearts, their own wills. They do not
come to Christ because they do not want to come to Christ.
This positive -negative view brings us back to the example of
Jacob and Esau as an illustration of the elect and nonelect . Jacob
received a blessing of God ’s grace that Esau did not , and Jacob
received that blessing not because of anything that he did or willed to
do. The decision was made by God before Jacob and Esau were
born or had done anything good or bad . In his response to this
example , the Apostle Paul reminds his readers of God’s sovereign
authority and right to dispose
His grace however He sees fit: “I will
have mercy on whom I have mercy ” (Rom . 9:15 ). Double
predestination is simply this : the elect receive mercy and the
reprobate receive justice, but no one receives injustice.
One of the difficulties we have in wrestling with the doctrine of
election is that we are not privy to the inner thoughts of God’s mind,
except insofar as He is pleased to reveal them in sacred Scripture .
We don’t know
why He doesn’t choose to elect all people; we just
47
know that He doesn’t. We don’t know why He has grace and mercy
on some to a special degree that He doesn’t lavish on everyone. But
as Calvin remarked, “Where God closes His holy mouth, I
will desist
from inquiry.”
The prescient view is ultimately a very pessimistic perspective to
hold . In
this view , God leaves everyone to themselves . He merely
issues an outward call without granting a direct, gracious change to
people’s hearts. The Augustinian view more highly exalts the mercy
and grace of God as He sovereignly changes sinners ’ hearts ,
enabling them to see the beauty and truth of Christ and His gospel
and compelling them to respond in faith and obedience.
48
Chapter Nine
Beautiful
Feet
Most discussions about predestination and election eventually turn
into a debate on the topic of evangelism. Two primary objections
commonly arise. The first is that if predestination is true, then there is
no need to evangelize. After all, those who are elect will be saved
one way or the other, and those who are not elect cannot be saved,
regardless of how much effort we exert in evangelism. The other is
the accusation that those who believe in predestination are
characteristically unconcerned about evangelism and inhibit the
church’s mission in that regard.
This second objection is easy to answer : it’s simply not true .
History bears witness that it is not true . Looking at early American
history shows that evangelistic activity in the Colonies was
unprecedented . During the First Great Awakening —in which God
richly poured out His Holy Spirit, particularly on New England—three
chief preachers were used of God as instruments of evangelism .
One of them, John Wesley, did not embrace the Augustinian view of
election unto salvation , but the other two , George Whitefield and
Jonathan Edwards, wholeheartedly embraced it.
49
During the Reformation in the sixteenth century, the gospel went
out around the world. Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and
Huldrych Zwingli were totally committed to the Augustinian view of
predestination. William Carey held to the Augustinian view and
carried the gospel to India. Charles Spurgeon in nineteenth-century
England had the same commitment to the Augustinian view. And
closer to our time, D. James Kennedy, a strong advocate of the
Augustinian view, designed Evangelism Explosion, which has been
used worldwide and has shown countless people their need for
Christ. This record shows that embracing the biblical doctrine of
election does not in any way inhibit evangelism.
However, the first objection remains: If predestination is true, why
evangelize ? One answer is simple : God , in His Word , has
commanded us to evangelize . How can a person believe in election
but not believe
in the sovereignty of God? More specifically, how can
a person believe in the sovereignty of God and despise the mandate
of a sovereign God? God is sovereign not only in His grace but also
in His commands , and He commands us to preach the gospel to
every living creature.
This command is not based on the assumption that we are
desperately needed by God, and that without our contribution , His
salvific purposes couldn ’t come to pass. Rather , the efforts we
employ in the preaching of the gospel and the work of evangelism
can only be fruitful by His sovereign grace. The Apostle Paul made
that clear when he said, “I planted , Apollos watered , but
God gave
the growth ” (1 Cor . 3:6). Of
course , God could have brought the
growth without
Paul’s planting or Apollos’ watering, but with respect
to predestination , God not only foreordains ends , He also
foreordains the
means to that
end. What is
the chief means that God
50
uses to bring about salvation for His elect? According to Scripture,
God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save the world.
Paul himself, the great advocate of predestination, declared, “For
I am not ashamed of the gospel , for it is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who believes , to the Jew first and also to the
Greek ” (Rom . 1:16). He later says that “faith comes from hearing ,
and hearing through the word of Christ” (10:17). This Word has been
entrusted to His church , and it is the mission of the church to
proclaim and preach , to plant and water , always knowing that the
increase belongs to the Lord.
We have established that it is the Christian’s duty to be engaged
in evangelism . However , we cannot simply stop at this principle of
duty. Evangelism is not just a duty but a privilege . It is an incredible
thing that God would choose to use us to be instruments in His hand
to proclaim the gospel and to bring the Word that elicits faith through
the work of the
Holy Spirit. The very planting and watering we do is
used as
a part of His plan to redeem His people . He could do it
without us. He certainly doesn ’t need us, yet He gives us the
unspeakable privilege of participating in this work.
Romans 10:10–15 declares:
For with the heart one believes and is justified , and with
the
mouth one confesses and is
saved. For the Scripture says, “
Everyone who
believes in him will not be put to shame .” For
there is
no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same
Lord is Lord of
all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
For “everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
.” How then will they call on him in whom they have
not
believed ? And how are they to believe in him of whom they
have never heard? And how are they to hear without
51
someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they
are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those
who preach the good news!”
This is a classic text for missions. The word mission comes from
the Latin missio, which means “to send.” A missionary is sent by the
church for a purpose: to proclaim the gospel so that people may hear
and come to faith. God has not put in our hands the power
to change
a heart of stone into a heart of flesh , but we do have the ability to
open our mouths , confess our faith , and proclaim the Scriptures ,
which God uses to bring faith to His people.
People cannot
have faith if they don’t have anything to believe in.
They cannot believe in something they’ve never heard, and they can’
t hear unless someone tells them . There is no hearing without a
preacher being
sent. Paul then quotes a very important passage from
the Old Testament : “As it is written , ‘How beautiful are the feet of
those who preach the good news !’” (Rom . 10 :15 ). This Old
Testament text, abbreviated in Romans, occurs in the book of Isaiah:
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings
good news , who publishes
peace , who brings good news of
happiness , who publishes salvation , who says to Zion , ‘Your God
reigns’” (Isa. 52:7).
In the ancient world, there were no cell phones and no internet .
The only way to spread news was to have someone carry
it. So, for
instance , when
a great battle was going on, the only way for the
people at home to know how the battle was going was to have
someone run back to the city
and deliver the news . This
is why we
have races today called marathons . According to tradition, after the
Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, a runner traveled 26.2 miles back to
Athens to tell of the Athenians’ victory over the Persians.
52
Cities would post lookouts on their walls who would scan the
distance for the approach of a
runner. Before they could see the look
on the runner ’s face , they could tell by his footfalls in the distance
whether he was bringing good news or bad news. The bearer of bad
news would not have his feet flying in great joy. When the Battle of
Marathon runner approached the city gates, his feet kicking up the
dust, they could tell by his feet alone that the news was good news.
The prophet Isaiah borrows that imagery , for the custom of
bearing news by messenger was the custom in the Old Testament
as well. Isaiah says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet
of him who brings good news, who publishes peace.”
I became a Christian in 1957 when an upperclassman college
football player explained the
identity of Christ to me. That night
changed my life forever. I will be eternally grateful for his ministry in
my life. To me , his feet are beautiful . He took the time
to tell me
about Christ. Of course, God could have used someone else to bring
me to saving faith. He didn’t need to use the testimony of my friend,
and I know that ultimately I owe my salvation not to my friend but to
God. Salvation is of the Lord. Yet on this earthly, horizontal plane, in
this arena of human activity, I have profound affection and gratitude
for those God uses as His instruments of evangelism . What a
privilege to be used by God to bring another person to Christ.
If you’re a Christian, think about the people in your life whom God
used to
bring you to Christ or help you grow in your faith . Pray for
them. Reach out and thank them. Many times, we aren’t even aware
that God has used us in others’ lives unless they tell us
so. Thank the
people who have been used by God to open your eyes to the riches
of Christ , and let us likewise go out in joy and obedience to publish
the good news of the gospel of God’s salvation.
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About the Author
Dr. R.C. Sproul was founder of Ligonier Ministries, founding pastor of
Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., first president of
Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk
magazine. His radio program, Renewing Your Mind, is still broadcast
daily on hundreds of radio stations around the world and can also be
heard online. He was author of more than one hundred books,
including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Everyone’s a
Theologian. He was recognized throughout the world for his
articulate defense of the inerrancy of Scripture and the need for
God’s people to stand with conviction upon His Word.
Free eBooks
by R.C. Sproul
Does prayer really change things? Can I be sure I’m saved? Dr. R.C.
Sproul answers these important questions, along with more than twenty-
five others, in his Crucial Questions series. Designed for the Christian or
thoughtful inquirer, these booklets can be used for personal study, small
A Place to Find Answers
Maybe you’re leading a Bible study tomorrow. Maybe you’re just beginning to
dig deeper. It’s good to know that you can always ask Ligonier. For more than
forty-five years, Christians have been looking to Ligonier Ministries, the
teaching fellowship of R.C. Sproul, for clear and helpful answers to biblical and
theological questions. Now you can ask those questions as they arise,
confident that our team will work quickly to provide clear, concise, and
trustworthy answers. When you have questions, just ask Ligonier.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT LIGONIER.ORG/ASK
