This will probably only interest someone who claims the Christian faith, but if you want to read along anyway and take notes about what this branch of Christianity thinks, please continue reading. I must disclose that I am no expert or theologian—just someone interested in understanding God’s heart and character. The following subject is a point of contention among different denominations, sometimes leading to intense debate. This article will address the idea of double predestination. Part I dealing with those predestined unto life, and Part II addressing those predestined unto death. Based on my education and reading of the Scriptures, I will also consider how double predestination can exist alongside of God’s nature.
Keeping this in mind, we must first acknowledge that no one can fully understand God’s nature. As Michael Horton described in his book, “Pilgrim Theology,” the Bible is mere “baby talk” compared to the depth of the mysteries of God. The greatest theologian’s comprehension of God’s nature is equivalent to the size of a mustard seed (Romans 11:33-34). Thus, as we explore such a complex matter that has been debated by many theologians from the beginning days of the church, keep in mind that my understanding of this subject is severely limited and that I am mostly self-taught. I will later present a theory concerning predestination that is not rooted in theology but is my personal hypothesis.
Concept of double predestination
What does double predestination, and at the very least, predestination, mean? Though these words are not complicated in and of themselves, I want to start by breaking them down. The word “pre” means prior to, while the root word, “destination,” is a place one is heading towards. Thus, we can rightly conclude that “predestination” has to do with something predetermined for you in advance as your final destination. Theologically, this word refers to the idea that God predetermines who will have a relationship with Jesus and spend eternity in Heaven. These people are also known as the “elect”, according to the Bible.
Double predestination implies that if God has predetermined who will spend eternity in Heaven, then He has also predetermined who will be forever separated from God, receiving His wrath and spending eternity in Hell.
This theological position calls to mind the teachings of John Calvin. Those who align themselves to some degree with his interpretation of the Bible are known as, “Calvinists.” The verses most commonly quoted concerning predestination are Romans 9:11-13 & 18. Other verses used to support this concept are 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Ephesians 1:4-5 & 11, and Jude 1:4. These verses support the Calvinist position of double predestination.
Keep in mind
The concept of double predestination is a controversial position to hold. Why would God choose, in advance, to give grace to certain people before creation while predestining others to burn in Hell for eternity? As someone who agrees with the Calvinist perspective on most things and agrees with this concept, it is hard for myself to reconcile this as part of God’s character. And I will admit that believing that God predetermines someone’s salvation initially sounds like a “hopeless situation.” However, many Calvinists believe this position holds to what Scripture teaches. Before we dive into this topic, especially if you are a Christian reading this, remember these three Biblical principles:
Isaiah 55:9—For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Proverbs 3:5-6—Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make straight your path.
James 1:21—Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
I pray these three verses would be tattooed onto every Christian’s heart reading this post. This is a delicate and sensitive topic that should be treated as such. It is important to note that this topic has been debated for centuries among other Christians. There are many Christians who vehemently disagree with this premise. However, the goal of this article is not to prove Calvinism for the sake of defending John Calvin but to further our understanding of God’s character through His Word. That said, let us return to the topic at hand as to why God predestines some people unto Heaven. Firstly, one must understand the difference of perspectives between God and man to answer that question.
Man’s Perspective and God’s Perspective
When the concept of double predestination comes up in conversation, one usually gets a discombobulated feeling in discussing this topic. This is because it contradicts the idea that individuals control their destiny—their own choices. Man’s nature is to want to be in control, and thus the concept of free will arises. Humans from all backgrounds like being in control of their decisions, especially those that affect their souls in the afterlife. However, one must understand that there are two different perspectives to consider, which coincide with one another. These are God’s perspective versus man’s perspective. According to mere mortals like ourselves, because we do not know the future or God’s timing of events, it can come across to us as if God is responding to our choices. This includes some people’s decision to “choose” to follow Christ. There is an element of truth when people say a “choice” was made. However, the question is whether it was or was not the inevitable choice. Is it possible that we could have chosen a different route than the one God intended? From man’s perspective, the answer would be “yes.” Still, from God’s perspective, the answer is “no”—the decision to follow Christ was inevitable.
Some verses support this view, including those mentioned previously, such as Ephesians 1:4-5 & 11— yet more verses provide context for why this decision is inevitable. In John 6:37, Jesus explained that the Father would give Jesus his people. In John 6:44, Jesus described how nobody could come to Christ unless the Father “draws them,” which would imply that God predetermined, in advance, those who would have a relationship with Christ. Thus “choosing” Christ was the inevitable decision for someone like me. Humanity is respondent to God’s direction according to His purposes. Where, then, does free will come into play? If choosing Christ was inevitable, then how come there are people who make choices that are clearly contradictory to God’s commands and will? Conveniently, the answer lies in the question. Free will exists within the confines of God’s plan—God *allows* people to make choices. Still, people will never go outside of His purposes (2 Timothy 1:9). God has a roadmap for everyone, each with a final destination.
God allows certain events to take place to have the individual right where they were intended according to God’s purposes. Everyone who believes the Gospel of Christ had to make choices that were for and against God’s will for the person to accept the gift of grace. However, this is predetermined before grace is given to the individual. When the time is right, according to God, the individual will receive that grace, and God will call that sheep to return to the Shepherd (Jesus). Though it seems complicated, it is consistent with the idea that God has sovereignty over our lives. To better understand this concept, think about a pirate who finds a map marked with an “X,” showing where the treasure he desires lies. As we know, the pirate must take specific paths to get to the “X.” In the same manner, we pursue our “treasure” in Heaven, which is ultimately to spend eternal glory with Christ (Proverbs 16:4). While it can sometimes seem like you are going outside the map from a human’s perspective, nothing can happen outside of this map from God’s viewpoint. Nothing can happen outside of God’s plan because He was the one who wrote this map in the beginning.
This leads us to another question concerning God’s nature: Why does God choose to give some people the gift of faith and not others? I want to preface the following paragraphs by saying that they reflect a merely personal theory and are by no means a reflection of the theology of Calvinism itself. The next theory is just that—a theory. Thus, if I may be so bold as to attempt to answer my previous question based on my studies, I’ve concluded that God knows who He wants to serve in His kingdom to edify the Church and reveal His glory.
God’s nature
Let us start with this simple Biblical fact: No matter how different and unique our faith journeys are, every single one of us begins as a child of wrath, an enemy of God (Ephesians 2:1-3; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 5:10). We did not come to Him until, according to His timeline, God *chose* to extend that grace to us, when He chose to gift us that faith as Christians. This faith compels men and women to repent and confess Jesus as their Lord, after which they become adopted into God’s family (Romans 9:15-16; John 6:44; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9). But why does God choose to give faith to a select few (the elect), but decides to harden the hearts of others?
This is undoubtedly a mystery (Ephesians 3:10), as is God’s timing of when He reveals Himself to other believers to receive that faith that saves a soul from His wrath. One can observe how God reveals Himself to all the individuals in the Bible at varying points in their lives. People such as Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, and Paul did not receive that faith until they were older. In contrast, at a much younger age, God revealed Himself to individuals like Joseph, Samuel, Daniel, Isaiah, John the Baptist, or even Timothy. This is congruent with the timing of a Christian’s belief today. Every faithful servant of Christ has their timeline of when they walked in darkness or spiritual rebellion before God revealed Himself through Christ. In that way, we are very similar to the individuals of the Bible. And if God and His character have not changed since the beginning of time, why would this principle change?
Additionally, these faithful servants from the Old and New Testaments did not possess something in and of themselves that made God choose them. Much like today’s and future Christians, God knew about the “laundry lists” of their pasts long before gifting them salvation. And in an incredible testament to God’s forgiving nature, He still chooses them despite their future sins (Romans 5:8).
One can look to Exodus 2:12, when Moses murdered an Egyptian and covered it up, as an example of how he was destined to be chosen by God. According to Exodus 3:1 & 4:17, before God even revealed Himself to Moses, God’s primary goal for him was to lead his people out of slavery. In 2 Samuel 11:4-5 & 11-15, David’s story showed how God still revealed Himself to David, despite His knowledge of David’s adultery and murder *after* faith (we call this “rebellion” for the Christian). The apostle Paul, formerly known as Saul, when he was murdering Christians, was blinded by God to bring him to Himself. These are only a few examples, of course. Still, one common characteristic of them all is that *each one* repented and got back in alignment with God’s will. This applies even to the present-day Christian’s story. Not one of us did anything in and of ourselves for God to reveal Himself to us—it was just time, according to God, to turn to Christ and receive His grace.
This is a similar pattern in the lives of every genuine Christian of the past, present, and future. It is pretty evident, according to Scripture, that God’s grace is irresistible. I can testify to this being true in my own life. Despite my rebellion and God allowing me to fall flat on my face in my sinfulness, God restored my faith and devotion, compelling me to repentance like David (Psalm 51:1-2). This, in turn, gave me a greater appreciation and deeper understanding of God’s character. Even then, as a slave of Christ, God allowed my rebellion to occur similarly to people like Solomon or David. However, after a while, God allowed me to see Christ in my journey which encouraged me to persevere. My experience matches the pattern of the lives of those in the Bible to whom God chose to give faith. Our faith-journey timelines varied, but God made it happen!
Clearly, God does not choose to adopt people based on someone’s merit, but we are still left with why some? Why only a select few, but not others? Why would I boldly claim, “God knows who He wants to serve in His kingdom to edify the Church and reveal God’s glory”? There is much wisdom to be gained from the Old Testament. To make such an assertion, I would like to show how the New Testament continues the same principles in the Old Testament.
It is most important to re-emphasize that these people were *not* chosen on their merit—they had nothing in them that wasn’t already given to them by God. In addition to committing murder, Moses grew up as an Egyptian. This culture was filled with sexual immorality and idolatry, therefore, one can logically assume he also participated in these things. We can also reasonably conclude that Moses had no previous knowledge of God. Yet, despite this, as we have previously mentioned, God chose not only to reveal Himself to Moses but also to reveal to him that his whole purpose in life now was to lead His people out of slavery from the bondage of Egypt to the promised land (Exodus 3:10). Could any person have done what Moses did? Of course, if you ask the mere mortal, but it had to be Moses in God’s eyes. God wanted Moses, specifically, to be the one to accomplish this calling. This “particular calling” God had for Moses is also true of others from both the Old Testament (e.g. David, Solomon, and Noah) and the New Testament (e.g. Mary, the disciples and Jesus Himself).
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Mary, the angel said the following: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” The angel tells her she was chosen to carry Yeshua as His mother. Jesus, who was fully God and fully man, specifically sought out His disciples and knew them by name, according to the Gospels (John 1:47-48; John 1:42; Matthew 4:18-20; Matthew 9:9; Luke 5:27-28; John 1:40-42; Luke 6:14-16). None of them had any qualities that made God choose them. Paul was murdering Christians before it was revealed to Him that he was called to preach the Gospel to all nations. John the Baptist knew from birth that he was to lead the way for the coming Savior. Jesus’ life is also evidence of this principle. The night before the crucifixion took place, Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will it, but as You will” (Matthew 26:29). From the moment He was born, He was destined to be crucified and resurrected; yet Christ prayed this prayer, with the intention of following through. Why? Because Christ knew *He had* to be the one to bare humanity’s sins. Special attention should be drawn to the fact that they all had specific purposes that only *they* could have fulfilled. It *had* to be them. And each of them had a particular mission to attend to before their purpose had been served. They finally attained their treasure in Heaven.
This pattern can help Christians understand how God chose them to receive faith and how each has a specific, higher calling in life that only they can fulfill. Of course, nobody can be sinless like Christ. However, it is within the character of God to choose someone specific to accomplish His purposes—it *has* to be that individual. We, like the people we’ve taken a look at in the Bible, were favored by God to edify the Church and reveal His glory. Nobody could have done the jobs these people did—no modern Christian could have completed these missions—everything from leading people out of bondage in Egypt, to the Apostles evangelizing and establishing the early Church in the first century. Only they could. Before the existence of time and space, God knew who He specifically wanted to be part of His restoration process, from Adam and Eve’s fall to the resurrection of His Son, Christ. We have found favor with God.
Romans 2:11
It is crucial to address this specific verse because one may think my theory is out of bounds, contradictory, or perhaps even blasphemous. After all, this verse says there is “no partiality with God.” Thus who am I to suggest, “God knows who He wants to serve in His kingdom to edify the Church and reveal God’s glory”? There is a fine line to walk when it comes to my idea. However, I would argue that this theory is within the bounds of the principles of Romans 2:11. Below is a more in-depth look into God’s favor.
Verses that support God showing favor: It is important to understand that Scripture contains verses about how God *does* favor people. One can see Genesis 6:8; Genesis 39:21; Exodus 33:17; 1 Samuel 2:26; Acts 7: 45-46; Psalm: 5:12; Psalm 30:5; Psalm 84:11; Proverbs: 12:2; and Daniel 1:9. Luke 2:52 especially demonstrates that God shows favor with Jesus, though God’s favor with Jesus is distinct from the favor He shows towards anyone else. This may be confusing, and one may ask, “How does God favor someone and show no partiality towards them at the same time?” The answer lies in the original translations of these words that highlight an important distinction between “favor” and “favoritism.”
Favor versus Favoritism: Whenever the Bible uses the word “favor,” such as how God has favor with Moses, it is from the Greek term, “charis,” meaning grace. God showed grace to Moses; God showed grace to Jesus; God showed grace to Mary; God showed grace to Daniel; God showed grace to you. In contrast, the word “partial” from Romans 2:11, comes from the Greek term, “prospolapmpsia,” meaning favoritism. What kind of favoritism is it talking about, however?
The context of Romans 2:11: One has to read the previous verses to fully comprehend what kind of favoritism Paul is addressing. The entirety of Romans 2 is about God’s judgment, but the five verses before verse 11 provide clarity about the type of “favoritism” being discussed: “He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.” To put it bluntly, God does not play favorites when it comes to who will receive His judgment (Luke 13:1-5). God does not care about anyone’s merit, background, or what they have *or* haven’t done—He does not give anyone special treatment.
When God finds favor with someone, it reflects His affirmation of that person, whereas partiality is contrastingly biased. Therefore, the two principles coincide and do not contradict God’s nature. Thus, this theory is within the bounds of the principles of Romans 2:11, because it does not suggest that people are elected or chosen based on a certain criterion about themselves. A person has either been favored by God, or passed over because it is His will.
Contemporary Christians’ role
The modern-day Christian’s life may not look like the dramatic lives of those in the Bible. In fact, they may not have the same supernatural, spiritual gifts as some had in those Biblical days, such as Moses’ splitting of the sea. However, God has a role for the modern-day believer, with their purpose being just as important—possibly even be more important than some of the people mentioned in the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Peter 4:10-11). It also does not mean that God has ceased the spiritual gifts of the past together, but rather that the gifts God gives through the Holy Spirit are more subtle. Of course, this does not imply that God does not answer or reveal Himself dramatically these days; however, everyone’s gifts and purposes are different. Additionally, the principle still follows that with His favor, God equips His adopted children to help edify His kingdom with spiritual gifts that may seem minuscule in comparison to those in the Bible (1 Corinthians 12:22-24). Thus, without adding to or removing anything already written in Scripture, I believe that every sincere believer in Christ has their own story that fits into God’s redemptive story as a whole. God’s sheep in the Bible had their inequities, trials, and failures in sin. Still, they also uniquely experienced redemption because God brought them back to Himself. The caveat is, of course, that Jesus himself was sinless. The resurrection exemplified the redemption of Christ, overcoming the sins of all of God’s people. Otherwise, the principle of the theory applies.
This fact reigns true for Christians today. He just wanted to expressly adopt us for the higher purpose of revealing His glory. How a person chooses a spouse can better illustrate this dynamic. {The one person you chose to marry had no unique qualities about him/her in and of themselves.} Sure, maybe they were good at cooking or fixing things; ultimately, you chose that specific person for the higher purpose of marrying them because that’s who you wanted—it’s who you favored. I chose my wife for her. She was special to me in the same way that we are special to God when He chose us. And like marriage, it is a two-way relationship.
God *places* it in our hearts to choose Him, seek Him, and desire His will for our lives. Therefore, every decision we make that aligns with God’s will is only because He predestined us to make those decisions from the beginning of time (Psalm 139). This fact is quite humbling and should give us a greater appreciation for the Gospel. It has undoubtedly led us to ask, “Why me?” The answer is that only *you*, Christian, could fulfill the higher purpose God has called you. He calls us by name (Isaiah 43:1), and we become His that way. We were dead in our sin; then, when the time was right according to His will, he called us by name to become His own.
Conclusion
What is the dilemma then? This discussion naturally leads us to the question: why does God predestine people to Hell? Why does God pass over other people? The flesh always resists the Holy Spirit, as shown in Galatians 5:17—thus, our natural inclination is to reject God without His intervention, even for the Christian. This reigned true for everyone else in Scripture, including Christ, who could only accomplish His purpose with the Father’s help through the Holy Spirit. The chosen believers in the Bible, from the Torah to the New Testament, fell from grace because of this innate resistance to the Holy Spirit. But that leaves us to discuss the persons in the Bible whose hearts God chooses to harden—the ones we can reasonably conclude will be spending eternity in Hell. If they are predestined to be passed over, then where is the hope? If someone has no control over this or any chance of redemption, does that make God cruel? Is this contradictory to God’s nature? Can anyone know if they are one of God’s elect?
These are questions that every Calvinist wrestles with, not because of John Calvin’s beliefs but because we genuinely believe this is what Scripture teaches. If who is “elected” is already predetermined, why bother with the Great Commission? What about my theory—does this mean that those who are passed over do not serve any purpose to edify His church? Despite this controversy, God is not less sovereign nor any less good. In fact, this adds to God’s mystery—a mystery that nobody can fully comprehend on this side of Heaven, but one which will be fully revealed when we come face to face with Christ. For example, while Christ says the path to salvation is narrow (Matthew 7:13-14), He also states that there are many rooms in Heaven (John 14:2-3). How is this possible? Can these ideas coexist? It is a mystery that we shall wrestle with in Part II. God bless!
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