What Does the Bible Say about Predestination?
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Depending on your church background, predestination and what the Bible says about it may have been a big discussion. Since the first century, the church has engaged in debates regarding the finer points of theology. The Trinity, the perseverance of the saints, baptism, and more have all been discussed at length to interpret Scripture faithfully. Predestination is one such topic, a source of controversy for centuries. Though few would dispute that predestination is a biblical concept, the issue for many is how predestination actually works.
In this short article, we will take a 50,000-foot view of:
- what predestination is
- how predestination is used in the Bible
- a brief introduction to the major views on predestination
- predestination’s implications on how we spread the gospel.
How Important is Predestination?
Before we jump into our survey, we must establish the importance of unity and love between those who disagree on this issue. Predestination falls into the category of second-tier issues. These matters are important, they shape how we understand our salvation and explain it to others, but they are not critical to one’s ability to receive salvation. When discussing topics like predestination, we must first be committed to loving one another, as the Lord Jesus commands (John 13:34-35).
Where Does the Bible Talk about Predestination?
To begin, we should start by understanding what predestination means. The word predestination essentially means to determine something beforehand. We do this all the time in our own lives. We predetermine where we are going before we get in the car. We determine what we need before we go to the grocery store. We typically determine our destination before we get to it. When we apply this to Scripture, we see that God predestines people to a certain destination.
The idea of predestination is present in many texts if not explicitly stated. In both the Old and New Testaments, we find references to God setting men apart to be his prophets and apostles long before they were ever born (Jer. 1:5, Gal. 1:15-16). Multiple times in the gospel of John, Jesus alludes to keeping, teaching, and protecting those whom the Father has given to him, indicating the Father chose whom he would give to the Son (John 6:37, 44; John 10:29; John 17:2, 6). We also read about some people being destined to wickedness and destruction (Prov. 16:4, Acts 4:27-28, 1 Peter 2:8).
This is a small sampling of passages throughout the Bible. However, they give us a sense of what predestination means in reference to God’s work. Because he is sovereign (possessing all power and authority) over his creation, the Lord has the freedom and ability to choose what to do with that creation. More specifically, the passages mentioned above speak to God choosing people’s destinies. Now, we will zoom in on two specific passages to understand this broad concept more fully.
Does the Bible Talk About Being Predestined to Heaven?
One of the most well-known passages on predestination in the Bible is Romans 8:29-30. In the previous verses, the Apostle Paul brought his readers to the conclusion that those who are in Christ Jesus have no fear of condemnation: they have been set free to walk in the Spirit (Romans 8:1-11). Those who live by the Spirit are children of God and co-heirs of future glory with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:14-18). This glory, according to Paul, is not worth comparing to the suffering believers endure on earth. It’s worth it.
And so we wait. We are patient. We endure sufferings and trials of all kinds, waiting for the day we receive the promised glory. And this is where Paul gives us a hope to cling to.
“And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 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.” (Romans 8:28-30)
In a nutshell, Paul is telling his readers they can trust God to finish what he started in them. Not a moment in the believer’s life is wasted. The Lord works all of our circumstances for our ultimate good. Sometimes our circumstances don’t feel good, but God uses them to work out his plan of salvation in us, a plan which he set in motion before we were ever born. God knew us. God chose us. He called us to himself. He made us right with him. And he guarantees that he will make us perfect when we finally enter his presence. Paul is so certain of our future glory as believers in Christ that he refers to it in the past tense. Our glory was secured just as our justification was when God raised Christ from the dead.
Paul uses the word predestination again in Ephesians 1:3-12 to describe our adoption by God and our receiving his blessings. Though predestination is only expressly used twice, the entire passage is dripping with language that points to the Father choosing people to be joined to Christ and made holy. Paul tells us that the Lord’s choice was “according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (v. 5b-6). Paul’s tone in these verses is one of joyful, humble praise. He does not see the idea of God predestining people to salvation as a problem. Instead, he considers it a glorious, awe-inspiring reality that brings him to a posture of excited worship.
How Should Christians Feel about Predestination?
Whenever Paul speaks of God having predestined a person or people to salvation, his tone is one of hope, worship, and confidence in the Lord. Though Paul did not shy away from the harder truths that come with predestination, he understood that even those things are ultimately designed for good (Rom. 9-11). Certainly, Paul was a highly educated and intelligent man (one may even argue a genius). The Lord gifted him to understand and explain many abstract and complex aspects of God and his plan. However, Paul was first and foremost a man of faith. When brought to the end of his own ability to understand the mystery of God, Paul was humble enough to bow before his Lord and trust his goodness.
Similarly, we should also strive to understand all we can about our relational God. God has revealed himself in his word and through the gift of his Holy Spirit so that we can know him. Yet there is only so much our finite, fallen minds can grasp about our infinite Creator. When we come to the end of our ability to reason, we must bow our hearts and trust what God has told us about himself.
What are the Major Views on Predestination?
It would be impossible to survey every understanding of predestination throughout church history within one article. However, most modern denominations hold to one of two interpretations: the prescient view or the Reformed view.
Prescient view: The prescient view of predestination is often associated with a school of theology called Arminianism. Simply put, the prescient or Arminian view holds that God chooses who will be saved based upon whether or not a person will respond to the gospel in faith. The logic goes that in eternity past, God looked into the future to see which people would have faith and believe in Christ, and on that basis, he predestines (chooses) them to be set apart for salvation through Jesus Christ.
Reformed view: Like the prescient view, the Reformed view is often connected with a larger group of doctrines known as Calvinism, famous for its acronym TULIP. The Reformed view understands predestination to refer to God’s unconditional, sovereign choice to save some people and not others. Within this view, even faith itself is a gift from God because fallen humans are spiritually dead, therefore unable to choose God.
Does Predestination Mean We Shouldn’t Share the Gospel?
The short answer: not at all!!!
We must never think that God’s predestination of certain people gives us a right or excuse for not sharing the gospel with others.
The primary reason we must share the good news of Jesus is that Jesus himself told us to do it. Before he ascended to heaven, Jesus instructed his disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20a). Jesus gave no criteria for whom to minister to. He did not say, “Go therefore and make disciples of the people I’ve predestined.” We are to spread the gospel far and wide to every set of ears we can.
Apart from simple obedience, there’s also the fact that we have no way of knowing whom God has predestined to be saved. Only God Almighty knows who will come to faith. It is not our business to know in advance who will join us in heaven one day. As servants of Christ, our job is to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
What Does Predestination Mean For Us Today?
Regardless of our theological backgrounds and preferences, if we claim to be followers of Christ, we are called to boldly tell others about the grace of our Lord Jesus and the power of his resurrection. The details and minutia of predestination have been debated for centuries. It is not likely that the church will come to a unified conclusion on this matter before the Lord Jesus returns. Therefore, we should all pray for understanding, and study this concept to the best of our ability. At the same time, let us all pray for the humility to bear with one another in love (Eph. 4:2) and for faith to trust that the Lord is good and what he has said about himself is true.
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