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Predestination
If the theological waters in which we have been swimming for the last four blog posts are not deep enough for you, put on your scuba gear; the scale of profundity is going to take on more weight and the pressure on your ego will continue to increase.
The picture for this post is that of John Calvin; while he is certainly not the first theologian to advocate the doctrine of predestination, his efforts popularized the idea more than anyone else.
Ready? Here we go...
“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of His Son, that He [Jesus] might be the Firstborn among many brethren.” -- the Apostle Paul, Romans 8:29 KJV
Reading Holy Scripture demands critical thinking and imagination; you must see not only what the passage says, but also what the passage IMPLIES.
We understand that FOREKNOWLEDGE means that the Members of the GODHEAD (The Father, The Word and The Spirit) decided to bring certain human sinners into Their Blessed and Joyful Fellowship of Peace with Each Other...a Fellowship with no beginning, no end and no conditions. These sinners would be CHOSEN according to the Divine Purpose and not due to any talent, skill or attribute of character in themselves. PREDESTINATION means the fate and destiny of the selected sinners would be documented in GOD's Book of Life:
“And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.” -- the Apostle John, Revelation 20:15 KJV
In Part Three of this series, we read from Romans 9:20,21 which states that just as GOD fashions vessels for honor He also fashions vessels for dishonor; from which we may conclude that just as the Lord predestines a few sinners for Heaven, He predestines the rest of the human species for the Lake of Fire and Sulfur.
To console your moral sensibilities I can say that, due to original sin, predestinating the damned to the Lake of Fire and Sulfur really isn't necessary since the entire human race is doomed to eternal damnation anyway because of Adam's sin.
Original Sin
The idea that every human ever born is automatically damned to Hell is a real problem for those not familiar with the Bible and i truly sympathize with those of you who find this truth absurd...
...but you're wrong. All of us were in Adam's "loins" when he sinned...therefore we sinned right along with him when he decided to take for himself that which GOD chose not to share with him: the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The proof is in the fact that:
While we all agree that ideas like truth, justice, integrity and goodness are simply marvelous, every single one of us has continuously VIOLATED his/her own moral values.
In our hearts (and apart from the intervening Grace of GOD) each and every one of us would be perfectly delighted to muddle through life as best we can WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF THE GOD DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE.
And this is what the Bible means by the term "ungodly" (Psalms 1:4,5): not that we deliberately choose to spend every waking moment committing atrocities, but that as much as we desire to live good, just and quiet lives, WE'D RATHER DO SO WITHOUT GOD. This, of course, is in direct opposition to the Reason we were created: we were created to keep GOD company and to be filled with all His Fullness... twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
I know what you're feeling, yet i must ask you to stay with me for just a little longer...
Plan A
GOD does NOTHING without a Plan.
And GOD's Plans NEVER fail.
Therefore, GOD has NO NEED for [a] backup Plan(s). GOD HAS NO PLAN 'B'.
Once again i realize that this may be new to you, yet with a careful and diligent study of the Holy Scriptures, this is really the only conclusion one can come to!
Follow...
The Lamb
We know from Revelation 13:8 the "Lamb of GOD" (Jesus Christ) was "slain from the foundation of the world:" communicating to us that even before Adam sinned provision was made for his redemption. I contend, however, that the true message of this verse is that IT WAS ALWAYS GOD'S PLAN TO HAVE HIS LAMB SLAIN.
The first hint i present to you in support of my interpretation is the Apostle Peter's statement that Jesus Himself (that is, the Human Incarnation of GOD The Word) was also "foreordained" before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:16-21).
The second clue is in Hebrews Chapter Four, right under our noses:
“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His Rest, any of you should seem to come short of It. For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard It. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as He said, 'As I have sworn in My Wrath, If they shall enter into My Rest:' although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, 'And God did rest the seventh day from all His Works.” -- Hebrews 4:1-4 KJV
In the six days of creation described in Genesis Chapters One and Two God did not only lay the foundation of the world; He COMPLETED the world's creation and then rested the seventh day "from all His works." The Greek word here translated "foundation" is also translated "conception" as when a baby is conceived in a woman's womb. Therefore, it is impossible to equate "the foundation of the world" with the finished creation of the world.
So, even though (chronologically) GOD finished His Works by the seventh day (the Sabbath), THE WORKS OF GOD WERE FINISHED BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD WAS COMPLETED.
Everything that had transpired since the foundation of the cosmos has been predestined by GOD to happen exactly as it has taken place!
Evil
Since the day humanity was ejected from the Garden of Eden, we had to sacrifice animals to maintain a functioning relationship with our Creator. This was to remind us of two critical Truths:
There is something fatally WRONG with us (sin) and this sin thing has seriously jeopardized our relationship with GOD. Sin has already killed us spiritually; eventually it will destroy our souls with evil and our bodies with death. And if that is not enough to wail and gnash our teeth over, GOD's Justice demands eternal retribution for the evil we have thought, intended and committed.
The ONLY WAY for evil humans to maintain ANY proximity to our Holy Creator is for some spotless and innocent creature to unjustly lose its life in our stead through the shedding of its blood and the incineration of its body in the Presence of GOD.
Hundreds of thousands of doves, lambs, goats, oxen and bulls have been sacrificed by evil sinners (no human can be labeled a "good" sinner) for no other reason than to entreat GOD for Mercy and Forgiveness towards their sin.
(NOTE: it is acknowledged that there were sacrifices made for other reasons, yet atonement remains the primary purpose for sacrifice.)
If GOD accepted the sacrifice, the devotee's sin (along with the sins of his entire household) would be covered (atoned for) and GOD would show them Favor as though they had never sinned.
Human sacrifice would NEVER be accepted because humans are all tainted with sin; only innocent animals with no physical defects could be offered to GOD.
My point in presenting this elaborate and detailed explanation is that ONLY EVIL PEOPLE SLEW INNOCENT SACRIFICES TO BE OFFERED TO GOD. And when The REAL LAMB OF GOD--The Lord Jesus Christ--offered Himself once and for all to take away the sins of the entire human race, EVIL WICKED MEN had to prepare Him with the atrocities they committed against Him...only He, however, could offer Himself to GOD The Father (Hebrews 10:11,12).
The Lamb of GOD could only be slain by evil men: that is, men whose sin was not forgiven.
“Jesus answered, 'Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from Above: therefore he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin.'" -- John 19:11 KJV
If the Lamb of GOD was foreordained to be slain from the foundation of the world, then EVIL WAS PREDESTINED TO EXIST FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, since GOD's own people would NEVER lay their hands upon The Son of GOD to do Him violence!!!!
"What about Christ's Prayer 'Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.'?"
That prayer was for the Roman soldiers that were only following orders as they presided over His Scourging and Crucifixion; The members of the Sanhedrin who condemned Him and Pilate who knew He was innocent (he said so with his own lips) had no excuse.
Part Six of the Narrow Way will continue with GOD's Decision to sanctify us in Christ before we were conceived.