Predestination

Recently we have been studying Ephesians 1:3-7 in Sunday morning worship. It is a passage of Scripture that emphasizes god's role in our salvation - God's sovereignty. Below are a couple of quotes that I had in my notes but did not use in my sermon - I thought for those of you struggling to balance the sovereignty of god with human responsibility these quotes from two reformed theologians might help. also I highly recommend reading a brief booklet on this subject, which is a classic, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer.

Divine side of the equation

Exelexato

Ephesians 1:4 “He chose us” Usage determines meaning!

Three things may be noted about how this word is used in the LXX.

1. All the options are known before the choice is made.

Lot surveyed the land before he made his choice. His choice was base don knowledge.

David was chosen by Samuel after he had seen all of Jesse’s sons.

The choice was not made in a vacuum.

2. The object or person not chosen is not spurned or regarded with dislike. David’s brothers were rejected but not despised. Israel was chosen but the other nations were not despised.

3. The choice is based on the subject’s preference not any legal claim on the part of the person chosen. The subject has a personal interest in his choice, it is not random or impulsive or because he is indebted in some way.

Sons of God chose wives who were beautiful. Lot chose land that was favorable to him.

NT – The choice is made with all the options fully known, it is made without any dislike towards those not chosen, the choice is intensely personal not random and impersonal, finally it displays the grace for God and his initiative.

Proorizw

Ephesians 1:4 “He predestined us to adoption as sons”

“to set a boundary, to determine” from which we derive the idea and the word “horizon”

John 1:11-13

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

2 Timothy 1:9

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time…

Human side of the equation

1 Timothy 1:1-4

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men…This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Romans 10:13

Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Isaiah 55:9

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Antinomy – (Webster)
“a contradiction between two equally valid principles or between inferences correctly drawn from such principles.” Two apparently mutually exclusive truths which must be held simultaneously. The sovereignty of God and human responsibility are an example of an antinomy.

This has been the orthodox or reformed view of this problem throughout church history.

John MacArthur, The Believer’s Life in Christ

“I believe in the doctrine of election because it is taught in the Bible Scripture teaches that God chooses people to be saved before they’re born and places their names ins the book of life. That doesn’t mean He violates man’s will. The mystery of salvation is that although God elects people, they are at the same time responsible for their decisions. Jesus said, “Him tht cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37). He also said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).

The paradox of divine election and human decision can be reconciled only in the mind of God. It’s not our responsibility to resolve it. We must allow God to be sovereign."

J.I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, p 16-17

“People see that the Bible teaches man’s responsibility for his actions; they do not see…how this is consistent with the sovereign Lordship of God over those actions. They are not content to let the two truths live side by side, as they do in the Scriptures, but jump to the conclusion that, in order to uphold the biblical truth of human responsibility, they are bound to reject the equally biblical and equally true doctrine of divine sovereignty, and to explain away the great number of texts that teach it. The desire to over-simplify the Bible by cutting out the mysteries is natural to our perverse minds, and it is not surprising that even good men should fall victim to it. Hence the persistent and troublesome dispute. The irony of the situation, however, is that when we ask how the two sides pray, it becomes apparent that those who profess to deny God’s sovereignty really believe in it just as strongly as those who affirm it.”

I'd be interested in answering any questions you might have about this topic or interacting with your comments.