Definitions
We
shall begin this study of Twins by first examining the difference between
Foreknowledge, Election and Predestination. Many people today, especially the
Fundamentalist and Evangelical differ greatly on exactly what Election and
predestination are all about. The main
issue however, has not been whether God predestinates or not, as much as the issue
of choice, or rather whose choice. Men
want so bad to be in control of their own lives that they have placed free
moral agency as the ultimate in a man's experience with God. Men, it seems,
would rather have the ability to choose God, than allow God to do the choosing
Himself. Thus, they try to explain away election by using foreknowledge of God,
as their excuse to place man's ability to choose above God's Own choice.
ROMANS 11:33 ¶ O the depth of the
riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable [are] his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who
hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who
hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him,
[are] all things: to whom [be] glory for ever. Amen.
I CORINTHIANS 2:9 But as it is
written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart
of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10
But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of
God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the
world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are
freely given to us of God. 13 Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which
the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is
spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath
known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of
Christ.
Thus
they say, God being omniscient, and knowing the end from the beginning, knew
who would and who would not and based upon this foreknowledge, God then elects
those to Glory who choose right, and He elects to condemnation those who do not
choose right. In believing this men place man's ability to choose above God's
sovereign will, and thus fall into error.
I
have attended their seminars of Apologetics and One of their most brilliant
scholars Dr. Norman Geisler placed Predestination this way; by using a story he
said, If you were up on top of a building looking down and saw two cars heading
toward the same intersection, and based upon their speed and distance from the
intersection you knew they were going to crash, would you be responsible for
the crash? Well, he says, that is how predestination works. God knowing all things, knows who will and who will not choose Him and so He
doesn't shove you through a tube and then hold you responsible. He just knows
your end from the beginning.
Now,
that might give you a warm fuzzy about God, but it doesn’t hold up in the court
of God's Word. In order to believe this
you must be willing to throw out entire passages of Scripture and you must be
willing to believe that man is capable on his own of making a correct choice.
God
knows your end from your beginning because He pre-destined your end. That is
what the word predestinate means. It means to pre - destine. To mark out before hand,
your destiny. Therefore, predestination is the path you are destined to
take.
Let's
turn to the Word now and examine the very scriptures that must be relegated to
the trash heap in order to prove free will has anything to do with election.
In JOHN 15:16, Jesus said, Ye have not
chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and
bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye
shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Now, we ought to stop right
here and rest our case. Either this is meant for all believers or it is not. If
it is not, then all believers are not expected to bring forth fruit, and all
believers are not entitled to ask the Father in the name of Jesus and expect to
receive what they ask for. But I say, Jesus is telling us here that we did not
choose Him first, He chose us, and our love toward him, and acceptance of Him, is
only in response to His choice.
In I JOHN 4:19, we hear John tell us, "We love him,
because he first loved us." Now,
either this is true or it is not. Then if this is not true, we must rip it out
of our Bible. And if this passage is in error, then what else is in error. If
we believe God wrote the Word, that His Bible is the Un-adulterated Word of
God, then we must accept what it tells us. Scripture does not fight
scripture.
In DEUTERONOMY 7:6, we read, "For thou [art] an holy people unto
the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people
unto himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth. 7The
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. 9 Know therefore that the LORD
thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with
them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 10 And
repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be
slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
Again we see that it was
not our choosing but God's choosing that is involved here.
In PROVERBS 14:12, we read, ¶ There is a way
which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.
This scripture tells us
that man will try to choose what seems right, or the way that he believes to be
the right way, but man's choice will always lead to the way of death.
Therefore, even in our choosing, we need a God who will watch over our choices,
and help us to make the right choice.
In PHILIPPIANS 3:15 we
read,
¶ Let us therefore, as many as
be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God
shall reveal even this unto you.
In the following scriptures
we find God is actively involved with the choices His elect take.
PSALMS 37:23 The steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD: and
he delighteth in his way. Here we find the Hebrew
word Kuwn used for "ordered", and means to
set up or establish, to prepare or arrange. Therefore we see the hand
of God actively involved in the steps of a good man or righteous man.
In PROVERBS 16:9 we read, ¶ A man's heart
deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. Here we find that although a man may contemplate
and even plan his way, yet God has the ultimate say so and will direct the very
footsteps of that man. Jonah was a classic example of this. The Lord told Him
to do such and such and when Jonah had what he thought was a better plan, God
just took over the situation and produced exactly what He intended to produce.
Jonah had no choice, or at least his choice meant nothing to what God wanted
done.
In JEREMIAH 1:5 we
read, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;
and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I
ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah could not get away from it if he
tried. For this very reason he was born.
We also find in the book of ACTS 13:48, And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified
the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
If we are to believe this
scripture, then we must acknowledge that all who are ordained to Eternal Life
will believe. Then those who are not ordained to Life will not believe, and
there is your evidence of election.
I CORINTHIANS 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden
[wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
EPHESIANS 1:4 According as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will,
Now, if God had a word
which He ordained before the world began, and if that word was to produce Glory
in a chosen people, or a people of God's choosing, then there had to be a
people in God's mind before the world began who would at the right season
believe this predestinated Word, and receive the glory it was ordained to
produce.
Now, just as there are
those who were ordained to glory and to eternal Life, we also find those who
were ordained to condemnation. JUDE 1:4 For there
are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul shoots the
theory that speaks of free moral agency as the root cause for election to
pieces in Romans chapter 9. ROMANS 9:11 (For [the children] being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to
election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was
said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but
Esau have I hated. 14 ¶What shall we say
then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For
he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then [it is] not of him
that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised
thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that
repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power
over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another
unto dishonour?
Paul makes it very clear
that our election is not up to you or I, but entirely
up to God. He even goes so far to say, So then
[it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that
sheweth mercy. Now, if it is not him that willeth, then your
will and my will have nothing to do with our election at all. It is God who
either chooses to show mercy or not. Therefore, if your will has nothing to do
with your being elect, then neither does your choice for your choice is but a
reflection of your will. You will and then you choose.
Divine healing 54-1219M P:49 Listen. It's not him that
wants to get saved, that's saved. It's him that's saved
by God's choice. Esau wanted to get saved too. He wept bitterly, and couldn't find
no place to repent. He wanted
to get saved. It ain't 'cause you want to get saved. God said,
"I've hardened who I will harden. I have mercy on
whom I want to have mercy." That's right. He said, "Before
Esau or Jacob, either was born, not knowing right and
wrong," God said, "I love Jacob and hate Esau.'" And Esau
tried to get right with God and couldn't. Pharaoh tried
to get right with God and couldn't do it. So it's not you, not what you want. It's what God has ordained for
you to do. That's right. Paul said in the 9th chapter of Romans there,
"Hasn't the potter got power over the clay to
make an honored vessel or a dishonored vessel, to show His glory to
those who He has honored?" You didn't
know that, did you? That's what the Scripture says. Pharaoh tried his
best to repent. He was kindhearted. He said,
"Sure, I'll let you go.
Go on.” God said, "No, you ain't. I'm going to harden his heart so you
can't do it." 'Cause God's
Word has to be fulfilled.
And if we're living in this day when formalities and things has broken the
church down,
broke away; why, it's God's Word being fulfilled. As sure as God said,
"These signs would follow them that believe,"
as sure as God said these churches would be like they are now, God also said this opposition would meet
it.
So the same God that
ordained signs and wonders, ordained that these should
be persecuting against It.
So there you are. If you're
on the other side, I feel sorry. And I want you not to be that way, but
maybe
you can't help it. See? God
might've fixed it that way.
Now, to place foreknowledge
and election and then predestination in their proper place, we must first know
the definitions of each. Therefore, since most people wish that foreknowledge
is the preeminent principle behind election, we will start with this point
first.
TWINS: 2 Children = same mother (woman represents the
church)
HEARING RECEIVING AND ACTING 60-0607 E-16 So
we find out, that in every revival that's ever been borned in the world, it
produces twins. That's right. Every revival has twins. They have a bunch in
there that's carnal believers and a bunch of spiritual believers. Every revival
produces that: an Esau and Jacob. And as they go along, first thing you know,
the carnal begins to think, "Well, these guys are getting off of the deep
end. I better separate myself from them." They go back to the intellectual
part. They want a pastor that'll speak to them of pleasant things. They don't
want that Spirit-filled pastor, that'll obey the Holy Spirit from the platform,
just preach the Word just like It is. As John said,
"Lay the axe to the root of the tree and let the chips fall where it
will." Most of the churches today will vote that out of their pulpit.
That's right. It'll come a separation, always does that.
It did it in the Methodist age; it did it in the Baptist age; it did it in the
Pentecostal age; it'll do it in every age.
EPHESIAN CHURCH AGE 60-1205 90 Now, we find
out that they wanted to start and get into a form of godliness. Now, I could
stop right here and say something: believe I will, Did
you notice that every revival... Now, minister brethren, you check this. Every
revival produces twins, just as Jacob and Rebekah produced twins: Esau and
Jacob. I mean Isaac instead of--Isaac and Rebekah, instead of Jacob. Isaac and
Rebekah produced twins. Their father was holy; the mother was holy; but they
had two boys born: Esau and Jacob. Now, both of them was
religious. But Esau, when it come to works and deeds,
as a good legalist, he was probably a better boy all the way around than Jacob
was. Did you know that?
EPHESIAN CHURCH AGE 60-1205
113 Now, as I said to begin, 'fore we
start off on this again, every revival produces a pair of twins. One is a
spiritual man; the other one is a natural man of the earth, "I joined the
church; I'm just as good as anybody." And that's what this revival
produced. That's what, every revival. That's what Luther's produced; that's
what Irenaeus' produced; that's what Saint Martin's produced; that's what
Columba's produced; that's what Wesley's produced; and that's what Pentecost
produced. Just exactly. You see how they've gone to
seed,
MARK OF THE BEAST 61-0217 E-31 Now, therefore
the great church making itself ready. We find out that Esau and Jacob, before
either child was born, God said He loved one and hated the other. And remember,
they were twins: same mother, same father. Get it? Twins.
Every revival produces twins. Certainly does. There's twins
born in natural man and the spiritual man. It was back in the garden of Eden, Cain and Abel, the same thing. Started from
there, just keeps coming on down. And look at the church, Jesus the Pastor,
Judas the treasurer, brothers, out of the same tribe, so forth, right in the
same group, same church. One the Pastor, and the other one
the treasurer. One a devil and one God. That's
the way it goes. Jesus said, "In the last days the two spirits would be so
close it would deceive the very elected if it was possible." Amen. If it was possible, but it isn't. And
it... They'll never do it. All right.
FOREKNOWLEDGE: What is it? The word
foreknowledge is made up of two words. Fore being a prefix meaning beforehand,
and knowledge meaning to know, hence to know
beforehand.
I PETER 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be
multiplied.
prognosis {prog'-no-sis} 1) foreknowledge 2) forethought, pre-arrangement
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 59-1223 496-123 Before there was
a world you were in God's thoughts to give you the Holy Ghost, because He knew
that you'd be wanting It; and He chose you Himself because you desired... He
chose you in Christ before you or Jesus, any of you, was on the earth. And He
sent Jesus to die to prepare the way to send the Holy Ghost, to bring you to
Himself. Oh, that's just... I know I may... This is the church, so I'm at home
now. See? Oh, that is so rich to me. To think it's not what I wanted; it wasn't
my desires; it wasn't my will; it wasn't my choosing; I had not one thing to do
with it. But before the world ever started, God saw us and put our name on the
Lamb's Book of Life before there even was a world. Talk about
God. Whew.
497-124
I stood out yonder where that big glass... You can see a hundred and
twenty million years of light space. When I looked and seen that (I didn't get
to see through the glass, but I seen the picture where they took it.)--and I
just had to raise up my hands in there in that place,
and I said, "How great Thou art, how great Thou art." And before one
of those planets ever turned (Hallelujah.), God chose us in Jesus Christ. Now,
how great Thou art. Yes, sir. Before
there was a world, before there was a planet, before there was a sun, before
there was a moon, before there was light, before there was anything, when it
was still God, God and His thoughts, the eternal thoughts of God chose you by
predestination, by foreknowledge, to know that you would be on the earth, to
know there would be sin.
497-126
Someone said, "Then, why did--why was there sin?" If there'd never
been sin, His attributes would've never have been a Saviour. There had to be a
sinner so He could be a Saviour. There had to be a sick man so He could be a
Healer. Amen. There you are. It had to be that way. It was God Who--Who saw it
and foreordained it. The devil ain't even in the race. Oh, he's just a stuff on
the side of the road that God used to bring children to Him, crying,
"Abba, Father." No wonder on that day how the Angels will sing. When
we're singing the redemption stories, the Angels will bow their heads; don't
know what we're talking about. Sure. They never was
lost; they don't know what it is. They don't know how good we feel to know that
we which were once sinners and alienated from God, without hope, without mercy,
without God in a world of corruption, dying, going to a devil's hell; and God
stooped down, and picked us up, and redeemed us; and now we're above the Angels
right now.
497-127
Which is it? A Angel's a servant. We're sons
and daughters. Which is the most thought of, your servant or your son or
daughter? Oh, my. Prayer from a saint will go a million times higher than an
Angel (Yes, sir.), because he's a son. Oh, whew, that's right, my brother,
sister. You don't... The church, I don't
believe this side of--of eternity how we'll ever realize that what you are, the
position that you are, that God has placed you, you Spirit-filled people.
You're sons of God. Why, Angel's a servant. You're a son. An Angel can only
bring you a message, but you have to act. Amen. You're the actor on the scene.
You're the son. The Angels are servants to bring you the message. Said here, "I brought you this message for you to do
so-and-so. This is from Father. I bring it to you." Yes. That's all
it is. Amen. You're sons and daughters of God. Predestinated us... Now, watch
just a minute. According as he hath--he
has chosen us... (Now, we didn't choose... How could I choose Him? Four hundred
billion, million, billion, trillion years ago, how could I have chose Him? But He chose me. Amen. Oh, Brother Wood, that's
it. See?)... chosen us in him before the foundation of
the world, that we should be holy... (Now, don't try to make it yourself,
'cause you can't.)... and without blame before him in
love: Oh, brother, that will answer a question I seen in here just a few
minutes ago. Somewhere I seen it just... Oh, yes. You
said, "How could a man live above, live so close to God he would be
without sin." Listen to this: ... holy... from the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 498-129
His love did it. His love paid for my sins. His love
taken it away. Love is the most powerful force there is.
WHY CRY SPEAK 63-0714M 7-4 Many times when we look
at the Scriptures in our own way of looking, it seems very hard, but if we It
study a little while, we find out that the all-wise God knows just what He's
doing. And He knows how to do these things and how to deal with men. He knows
what's in man. He knows him. We don't. We only know from the intellectual side.
He knows what's really in the man. Moses was born in this world as a gifted
boy; He was born to be a prophet, a deliverer. He was born with the equipment
born in him, as every man that comes into the world is born with this
equipment. As I firmly believe in the foreknowledge of God, the predestination,
not that God is willing that any would perish, but all might come to
repentance; but being God, He had to know, and does know the end from the beginning.
See? If He doesn't, then He isn't infinite; and if He is not infinite, He isn't
God. So He wasn't willing, certainly, that any should perish, but He, knowing who would perish and who would not perish...
HEBREWS 6:17 Wherein God,
willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of
his counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath: 18 That by two immutable things, in
which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation,
who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:19 Which
[hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which
entereth into that within the veil;
ELECTION : To Select out, to choose,
to appoint, hence to make a choice, To choose involves as process of previewing or showing forth, then an
assessment opinion or judgment is expressed and the selection then is made
based upon the assessment, opinion or judgment. DOXA
ISAIAH 42:1 ¶ Behold my servant, whom
I uphold; mine elect, [in whom] my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon
him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
ISAIAH 45:4 For Jacob my
servant's sake, and
ISAIAH 65:9 And I will bring
forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of
ISAIAH 65:22 They shall not
build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree [are] the days of
my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
PSALMS 139:15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was
made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance,
yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in
continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them. 17 ¶ How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
JOHN 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit
should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may
give it you.
John 6 & 8,
John 1:12-13 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: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
JOB 38:4 ¶ Where wast thou
when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if
thou hast understanding. 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou
knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6
Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or
who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang
together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
MATTHEW 25:34 Then shall the King
say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
I PETER 1:20 Who verily was
foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
times for you,
I THESSALONIANS
1:2 ¶ We give thanks to God
always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of
faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in
the sight of God and our Father; 4
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
II THESSALONIANS
2:13 ¶ But we are bound to give
thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth:
I JOHN 3:2 Beloved, now are we the
sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that,
when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
LAMENTATIONS 3:37 ¶ Who [is] he [that]
saith, and it cometh to pass, [when] the Lord commandeth [it] not?
PSALMS 65:4 Blessed [is the man
whom] thou choosest, and causest to approach [unto thee, that] he may dwell in
thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, [even] of thy
holy temple.
Predestinate..(greek) Proorizo = predetermine, determine before ordain, predestinate, to
limit in advance.
Romans 8:29 For those whom He
has known beforehand He has also pre-destined to bear the likeness of His Son,
that He might be the Eldest in a vast family of brothers; 8:30 and those
whom He has pre-destined He also has called; and those whom He has called He
has also declared free from guilt; and those whom He has declared free from
guilt He has alsocrowned with glory.
EPHESIANS 1:3 ¶ Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
[places] in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him
before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame
before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his
will, 6 To the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded
toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in
himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of
times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in
heaven, and which are on earth; [even] in him: 11
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his
own will:
MATTHEW 24:31 And he shall send
his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his
elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
MARK 13:22 For false Christs
and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if
[it were] possible, even the elect.
ROMANS 8:33 Who shall lay any
thing to the charge of God's elect? [It is] God that
justifieth.
COLOSSIANS 3:12
¶ Put on therefore, as the
elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of
mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one
another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so
also [do] ye. 14 And above all these
things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your
hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body;
and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to
the Lord.
TITUS 1:1 ¶ Paul, a
servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's
elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; 2 In
hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world
began;
I PETER 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be
multiplied.
I PETER 2:6 Wherefore
also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner
stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
II JOHN 1:1 ¶ The elder unto the elect lady and her children,
whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the
truth;
haireomai {hahee-reh'-om-ahee} AV -- choose (3)
1) to take for oneself, to prefer, choose 2) to choose by vote, elect to office
PRE-DESTINATE
: pre meaning before, and
destine meaning destiny. To Pre-determine. To determine beforehand. Pre-destiny.
Again we see that to predetermine means to mark out and determine beforehand.
Therefore, chance is negated altogether. Design becomes supreme. Choosing
beforehand is essential and indispensable.
The word determine not only implies influence but the power necessary to
control or enforce the outcome desired.
We can see by all these
words that a Design, and thus a Designer is evident. Nothing is left to chance,
which is chaos theory. Nothing is left to coincidence, nothing is left to will,
nothing is left to the strength of the pre-destined, nothing is left up to the
abilities of the predestined ones, but all by a great design is planned out and
back by a power to ensure it through it's final
outcome. Hence all is under a continual enforcement and control of the One doing the predestinating.
Therefore, a plan is involved, and a destiny is set in stone.
ISAIAH 55:8 For my thoughts
[are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For [as] the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh
down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the
earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower,
and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my
word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but
it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing]
whereto I sent it.
JOHN 10:27 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.
I CORINTHIANS 3:7
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that
watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
ROMANS 9:9 For this [is] the
word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 10 And not only [this]; but when Rebecca also had
conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac; 11 (For [the children] being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to
election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve
the younger. 13 As it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14 ¶
What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he
saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16
So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of
God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the
scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up,
that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that
repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of
the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22 [What] if God, willing to shew
[his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the
vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of
mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Then
knowing we have a God Who is Sovereign, One Who changes not, and Who chooses
right ( Shall not the Judge of all the earth do
right?) One Whose Word is Eternal and immutable, One
whose first choice is His best choice, then it is This One Who has Chosen. It
is this One Who has planned out the destiny of all man. It is This One Who has
destermined our destiny, even before