2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Someone will ask, “What does this have to do with predestination?” Well, very little in fact, BUT this is a scripture that illustrates something that reformed TULIP believers sometimes say. At first it sounds like a stretch, but in fact, it is logical. It deals with the issue of election. TULIP reformers believe that Christ “died for many” as the scripture says over and over. There also are times where it says, he died for the world. There also is a time where it says he died for all.

There are several ways this is explained by reformed thinkers. With the issue of the world, most people interpret that to mean each and every person in the world. That is not biblical. The term means the world in general, not every single person. I can say, “I like school.” That does not mean I like each and every person in the school. This scripture clearly indicates that world does not mean each and every person in the world. If it did, that would mean each and every person in the world was saved. See:

“God was in Christ, reconciling [each and every person in] the world unto himself, not imputing [each and every person in the world’s] trespasses unto them.”

This obviously is not the case. So world can’t have that meaning.

Col 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

As you see here, God doesn’t work in Paul according to Paul’s labor. Paul acts according to God’s working in him mightily. God is in control. Paul’s labor is reactionary to God.

John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

Tell me, what happens first? The giving or the coming? The clear implication here is the giving. All that the father give to Christ shall then come to him. God gives first. Then God has them to come.

What is God’s will? It is that all that the father gave to Jesus would persist and none be lost. All that the father GAVE. None are lost! None of the chosen. Then it says his will is that all that see, and believe on Jesus will have everlasting life. How are these two wills reconciled? Those who see and believe are those who were given. God controls the seeing. God controls the believing. God controls the eternal life.

No man comes to him except the father draw him. God must draw them. Someone will object, “God draws everyone.” Well that objection would be plausible if there were not a context for the passage, BUT it is clearly in the context of God drawing those he has given to Christ. he then goes further and says, the hearer and learner comes to Jesus. These things are signs of being the elect. Signs of being the elect are: hearing, learning, being drawn, believing.

Apostasy Video Series Continued (Hebrews 10:26-39)

My roots in Sovereign Grace:

• I believe that God elects those who will be saved.
• I also agree that it is impossible for the elect to fall away.
• I believe that sanctification is accomplished by God, for it is God who is at work in us both to will and to act according to His good pleasure.

Now on to what else I believe.  I like Martin Luther, Saint Augustine & Thomas Aquinas also believe:

•  Some who are regenerate subsequently fall away from the faith

This purpose of this series is to walk through some scriptures that deal with Apostasy.  I believe that only non-elect individuals fall away.  They are given for a time the experience of regeneration, forgiveness of past sins, reception of the holy spirit, repentence, faith.  They then subsequently stray away from the faith, rejecting faith and a good conscience, continue in a lifestyle of sin, forget that they were cleansed of their past sins and are found with an unbelieving heart.  These persons have rejected Christ after having been cleansed by Christ’s blood from their past sins, and now there remains no more sacrifice for their sins since they would be crucifying Christ a second time and subjecting Him to public shame.

Well first, in the confession it is called the eternal decree of God.  Honestly I am ashamed to even try to deal more eloquently with the topic than it is dealt with in the confession.  They deal with it in chapter 3 and I have pasted chapter 3 below:

CHAP. III. – Of God’s Eternal Decree.

1. God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.
2. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet hath He not decreed any thing because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.
3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death.
4. These angels and men, thus predestinated, and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.
5. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen, in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto: and all to the praise of His glorious grace.
6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power, through faith, unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.
7. The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of His own will, whereby He extendeth or witholdeth mercy, as He pleaseth, for the glory of His sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by; and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin, to the praise of His glorious justice.
8. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men, attending the will of God revealed in His Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election. So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God; and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the Gospel.

Dictionary.com explains Predestination well with their theological definition for predestination:

the action of God in foreordaining from eternity whatever comes to pass.

Much of the attention around predestination is focused on the destiny of men, whether or not individuals are predestined to heaven or hell.  That is a subtopic of election and is worthy of special attention.  For a succinct definition the above definition is great.  If you want a more detailed and thorough treatment of the topic, I suggest looking at Chapter 3 of the Westminster confession of faith.  The Westminster COF does such a brilliant job in addressing the topic more thoroughly, I will not waste your time putting together an inferior explanation.