About predestination and foreknowledge: God gave us a mind of our own, but He already knows what we will choose. Therefore, He can determine His plans without taking away our own responsibility. As a child, I learned that God predestined us to believe, so we don’t choose ourselves and that He predestined what happens on this earth. From this, my conclusions were: we’re His puppets, praying is no use and He can’t blame us for our sins. Why believe in such an unloving God?<\/p>\n\t
Foreknowledge is a tough concept; however, we use it all the time.\u00a0 I’m only mildly good at the game of chess.\u00a0 One time I got a chance to play a nationally ranked chess player.\u00a0 It was really embarrassing.\u00a0 He beat me so fast, it was as if he was reading my mind.\u00a0 Of course, he wasn’t. \u00a0He was just so much better at the game than I was.\u00a0 His superior knowledge meant he foreknew my moves.\u00a0 He may not have known my exact next moves, but he knew with each move I made as to what possible follow-on choices I would make.\u00a0 The result was always the same: I lost.\u00a0 And yet, I was free to make all of my own choices.\u00a0 In some ways, it was predetermined that I would lose.\u00a0 Not because I was destined metaphysically to fail, but because I made bad moves.\u00a0 My choices resulted in my losses.\u00a0 It does not necessarily imply the use of supernatural power, just vastly superior knowledge.\u00a0 When applied to God, He knows the outcome of all possible choices; He foreknows the end result.\u00a0 That does not take away our choice.\u00a0 It just means He already knows the path.<\/p>\n
Predestination is a very abused term.\u00a0 Some try to teach it in the way you describe, which takes man out of the equation and makes God capricious in whom is selected.\u00a0 However, the wording in Ephesians 1:3-14 supports a different way of thinking of it.\u00a0 God can predetermine the category of people who would be saved rather than each individual by name. \u00a0That is why he uses the phrase “in Christ” in this passage.\u00a0 Predestination is talking about Jesus and those who would be in Jesus.\u00a0 Jesus was predetermined to do all the things that he was chosen to do. \u00a0The plan was predetermined to save all those who are found to be in Christ.<\/p>\n
Part of the predetermined plan is a category composed of those he called.\u00a0 Romans 8:30 says, “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”<\/p>\n
In one sense God calls on everyone to repent (Acts 17:30).\u00a0 Not that everyone will repent, but that everyone is given the opportunity.\u00a0 The justified in Romans 8:30 are composed of those who answered the call.\u00a0 Those who answered the call are the ones who are predestined, not because they were singled out, but because they answered.\u00a0 He predetermined who He would be calling people through Jesus and those who answer the calling are “the called”.\u00a0 Now, if you mix in that God has infinite foreknowledge, He already knows the end result for those who make the good choice and answer the call: they will be justified and then also glorified.<\/p>\n
Some try to get the verse to mean that only those who are already predetermined to be justified are the ones that God called, but that kind of reading requires taking the verse out of order and it takes Jesus out of the plan of salvation.\u00a0 If one is justified outside of Christ, then why would we be required to follow Christ? \u00a0God does not have to set up an arbitrary system that is based on a system that bypasses the will of man.\u00a0 He allows people to come and He allows them to stay away.\u00a0 If you stay away, you have ignored the calling and would not be referred to as “the called”.\u00a0 Therefore, the end result is there is no justification and therefore no glorification for you either.<\/p>\n
In the end, predestination is not a doctrine about getting out of responsibility toward God.\u00a0 It is about realizing that God knew in advance that He would be saving everyone who is tied to His Son.<\/p>\n
Darrell Hamilton<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: About predestination and foreknowledge: God gave us a mind of our own, but He already knows what we will choose. Therefore, He can determine His plans without taking away our own responsibility. As a child, I learned that God predestined us to believe, so we don’t choose ourselves and that He predestined what happens…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[866,562],"class_list":["post-52372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-foreknowledge","tag-predestination"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14518,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-gods-foreknowledge-only-apply-to-groups\/","url_meta":{"origin":52372,"position":0},"title":"Does God’s foreknowledge only apply to groups?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 31, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I just read your article on the subject of predestination and foreknowledge. I very well understood the difficulties and struggle of trying to explain subjects like these and wish to appreciate your efforts I just want you to look at Acts 13:48 and Ephesians 2:10. I will like to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8196,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-god-already-know-everything-that-will-ever-happen\/","url_meta":{"origin":52372,"position":1},"title":"Does God Already Know Everything that Will Ever Happen?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ken Green A Reformed (Calvinist) scholar wrote: \u201cThe Scriptures clearly teach that long before we pray, God already knows everything and that He has already determined what He is going to do.\u201d It\u2019s true that God is omniscient and absolutely sovereign over all things. To think that we can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14521,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/could-you-explain-foreknew-and-predestined-to-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":52372,"position":2},"title":"Could you explain “foreknew” and “predestined” to me?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 15, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have struggled for years with the \"foreknew\" and \"predestined\" parts. I believe the Bible 100% and actually understand what is being said; however, there is something I can't quite get. Maybe I can ask my question this way: I am blessed with two grandsons. God knew from the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":51704,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-our-fate-predetermined\/","url_meta":{"origin":52372,"position":3},"title":"Is Our Fate Predetermined?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 12, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Trying to grasp the concept of an infinite God sometimes causes finite man to make mistakes \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Consider this statement from the Presbyterian Confession of Faith (chapter 3, section 1): \u201cGod, from all eternity, did by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15871,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-god-know-before-he-created-the-world-that-his-son-would-be-sacrificed\/","url_meta":{"origin":52372,"position":4},"title":"Did God know before He created the world that His Son would be sacrificed?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Greetings and God bless, I just read your answer: Could you explain \"foreknew\" and \"predestined\" to me? Concluding the article, you said: \"The idea of predestination in the scripture can be summarized bysaying that God predetermined (or predestined) before the beginning of the world to set up a church\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7672,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-free-will-and-predetermined-destiny-contradictory\/","url_meta":{"origin":52372,"position":5},"title":"Are free will and predetermined destiny contradictory?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 30, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Seems to me that free will and predetermined destiny is just a big contradiction. Can you convince me it is not? Answer: Play chess against a grand-master of the game. Even before you begin, I could state in advance that you will lose with great certainty. Though each move\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52372\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}