Predestined to Faith in Jesus.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Amen. [0:01] All right, go ahead and have a seat. [0:02] Welcome to Village Church. [0:04] If this is your first time here, my name’s Steve, [0:06] one of the pastors here at Village Church, [0:08] and I’m so grateful to see each and every one of you this morning.

[0:12] If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them up to Romans, Chapter 8. [0:15] We’re going to be starting again in verse 28 this morning, [0:20] going through to verse 30. [0:23] And just so that you know, if you’ve not been here the past few weeks, [0:27] after I’m done with the sermon time, [0:30] and we partake of communion as we do every week here at Village Church,

[0:34] I’ll be returning to the stage for a brief time of Q&A. [0:38] If anything that I am talking about or any of the texts that I’m going through [0:42] spurs a question in you as I’m preaching the sermon this morning, [0:46] there will be a phone number on the screens behind me somewhere. [0:51] I never know what’s going on back there. [0:53] But somewhere on the screens behind me, there will be a phone number.

[0:55] Don’t call it. Text the question to that number. [0:59] If you call the number, I have no idea what will happen. [1:01] But I know if you text that number, the question will go through, [1:04] and someone will be taking a look at those questions throughout the service time [1:08] and recording them for me. [1:09] And then when I return to the stage, I’ll be going through some of those questions.

[1:13] And while it’s not an exhaustive time, [1:15] if I don’t get to any of those questions that you asked today, [1:18] feel free to contact me through email or phone, [1:21] and I would love to meet with you and talk to you about those questions. [1:24] But also, don’t wait until the end to send those questions in. [1:29] If I address your questions sometime later in the sermon,

[1:33] that’s perfectly fine. [1:35] We probably just won’t get to it, because your question will have been answered. [1:39] But as the questions come up from beginning to the end, [1:43] go ahead and text during the service. [1:45] I’ll just assume that rather than checking Facebook, [1:48] you are texting a question in if I see you looking down at your phone.

[1:52] I know what you’re doing. [1:55] I know who you people are. [1:57] But in Romans chapter 8 last week, [2:00] we began to unpack God’s wonderful promise in chapter 8 verse 28, [2:05] which is his promise that for those who love God, [2:09] those who are called according to the purpose of God,

[2:12] everything that comes into your life and everything that goes out of your life [2:15] can be trusted to work out for your good and God’s ultimate glory. [2:21] We took a look that the reason that God has worked salvation into our lives [2:26] and into the history of mankind is ultimately for his glory. [2:31] That we are not the center of God’s plan, [2:33] but rather his working his own glory is the purpose of everything that he’s doing in life.

[2:40] And that’s actually to our benefit, [2:42] because his glory leads to our glory, [2:45] which leads to everything working together for good. [2:48] And that is ultimately why we can trust the gospel in both good times [2:54] as well as those that we would from our perspective call bad times. [2:59] And that everything that comes into my life is being used by God,

[3:04] verse 29 tells us, to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. [3:10] But today specifically, we’re going to be taking a look at two terms [3:16] that fall in verses 29 and verse 30. [3:19] And those terms are the terms for knowledge and predestination. [3:24] And those are two terms that that maybe you’ve avoided [3:26] or maybe you don’t think should be talked about

[3:28] or maybe you try to apologize for, but you shouldn’t. [3:33] These are terms that should well up inside of us, [3:36] a worship and awe at the great wisdom and majesty [3:40] and ultimately sovereignty of our great God and King. [3:44] And what Paul is going to do in verses 29 and 30 [3:47] is he’s actually going to build a case to show evidence

[3:52] for why we can trust verse 28. [3:56] That is his goal. That is his purpose. [3:59] That is why he’s giving us verses 29 and 30, [4:03] so that we can trust God. [4:06] Ultimately in these issues, what I hope for you to see this morning [4:09] is that it is not that God has been clear, but rather

[4:13] it is that we struggle to surrender our lives [4:18] to the control and power of a God who has shown over and over again [4:23] that he is a sovereign ruler over all that exists. [4:28] Now this morning, what I’m going to attempt to do is preach [4:31] what is a five-week series in one morning. [4:35] So bear with me if I move very fast.

[4:37] And if I’m unclear, please send those questions in. [4:40] Now I, of course, am not going to have time this morning [4:42] to give you an exhaustive study on the issue [4:46] of foreknowledge and predestination [4:48] and what we would call unconditional election. [4:50] But I urge you that if this spurs in you a desire for more knowledge,

[4:55] volumes have been written on this issue. [4:59] So please consult those volumes. [5:00] But in all things, consult the Scriptures, [5:04] trust the Scriptures, and submit your life [5:07] and the authority over your life to the Word of God [5:11] that he has given for our benefit

[5:14] so that we can know the mysteries of God. [5:19] The plan of God has been predestined [5:22] so that we can have complete confidence [5:27] that the work of God that he has begun in our lives [5:32] will absolutely be brought to completion in eternity. [5:37] And so today, in unpacking foreknowledge and predestination,

[5:41] I want you to understand that that is the goal [5:44] for which God reveals these things that have happened in his plan, [5:50] in his decrees to us. [5:51] Not to confuse us, but to instead give to us a trust [5:57] that the God who saves is the God who will keep us saved. [6:02] And the God who keeps us saved

[6:04] is the God who will deliver us into eternity. [6:07] It is so that those doubts of our salvation [6:09] will be washed away in realizing that it is not I [6:13] who have done this work of redemption in my own life, [6:15] but instead it is the God who I turn to in worship [6:20] that has done this great work in my life.

[6:23] So these verses are to turn you to be in just great awe of God, [6:31] to just be in great awe of Jesus. [6:34] And to look at him and say, [6:36] it is by grace and grace alone that I have been saved [6:39] by your sovereign power and your amazing love [6:44] that you have turned towards me.

[6:47] So look in verse 28 where we see the promise. [6:50] He says, and we know that for those who love God, [6:56] all things work together for good. [6:59] And for those who are called according to his purpose, [7:02] for those whom he foreknew, [7:05] he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son,

[7:08] in order that or so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [7:14] And those whom he predestined, he also called. [7:17] Those whom he called, he also justified. [7:20] And those whom he justified, he also glorified. [7:25] Join me in prayer for a moment. [7:26] Lord, I pray that our time would be good for you and our Father.

[7:31] Lord, you are good. [7:33] Your mercy endures forever.

[7:36] You are a strong place, a place of refuge, our time of need. [7:42] Lord, this morning I pray that we would lean on those statements [7:47] to trust you in a time of needing, [7:49] to understand what is the mystery of your will for those who believe.

[7:55] Lord, I pray that our time would be beneficial.

[7:59] Lord, I pray that you would soften our hearts.

[8:02] So we can not only receive your word, [8:05] but so that your word would create in us a trust. [8:11] A trust that you can be trusted because of the cross, [8:14] and a trust that you are good because of all that you have done. [8:19] In the history of redemption. [8:23] Lord, please aid us in worshiping you today.

[8:27] Lord, if there is anyone in here that has not trusted your Son Jesus as Savior, [8:32] I pray that this morning that you would communicate the gospel [8:36] that you have worked for their good

[8:40] into them so that they will repent of their sins and trust in you. [8:46] Spirit, help us. [8:48] In the name of Jesus, I pray. [8:51] Amen. [8:52] Every aspect of these verses that I just read, [8:58] if you look at the nouns, the pronouns, the verbs, the adverbs,

[9:01] every conjunction that’s in there, [9:04] is focused completely and solely on the work that God has done for you. [9:11] There is no mention in Romans 8, 28 through 30, [9:15] of anything that you have done, [9:20] or anything that you will do. [9:22] Rather, every aspect and facet is focused solely on the grace of God’s work on our behalf.

[9:32] Therefore, what we need to begin to understand is what the Apostle Paul is trying to do. [9:37] What he is seeking to put into our minds [9:41] is that God can be trusted because God is the one that is doing all of the work. [9:47] So what you understand first this morning is number one, [9:50] that predestination is the only assurance that God works all things together for good. [9:57] Predestination is the only assurance that God works all things together for good.

[10:05] Do you know that the issue or the term or the terminology or the words that God uses here [10:10] in saying things like foreknowledge and predestination means that God can be trusted with the future? [10:19] You see, Romans 8, 28 is not so much a struggle to believe in the moment, [10:25] specifically if everything is going great. [10:28] Let’s say you had the best day of your life. [10:31] You can just look at that day and say, well, clearly God is working all of the good.

[10:37] Look at how great my life is. [10:39] So in those days, in those moments, it is not difficult to trust the promises of God.

[10:45] But what we struggle with oftentimes is two things. [10:50] Trusting that everything that we look at in our past, [10:53] maybe the hard times, maybe the struggles that you’ve endured and say, [10:56] God’s working all those things for good. [10:59] Or even more so, looking 20 years down the road with all of the inevitabilities that you know are coming, [11:04] but more than that, the things that you have no idea what they’re even going to look like.

[11:08] Because quite frankly, I have no idea what’s awaiting me this afternoon. [11:12] I have no idea what’s awaiting me this evening, tomorrow, next week, next month, a year from now. [11:18] I have no clue. [11:20] It gets worse the further I go. [11:21] I have no idea what my life is going to look like in 20 years. [11:25] Neither does anyone else.

[11:28] But what Paul means for you to understand through this term, foreknowledge, [11:32] through this term, predestination, is that when you look at verse 28, [11:36] what he wants you to understand is that this God, [11:40] this God whom he’s already unpacked in Romans chapter 5, [11:43] he said that he is working everything so that you may be saved, [11:50] but he can be trusted with what’s going to happen this afternoon,

[11:54] tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, and 20 years down the road. [11:58] You see, in Romans chapter 5, Paul discusses the reality, [12:02] may I remind you, that Adam brought sin into the world. [12:06] That through one man, condemnation came to absolutely everyone. [12:11] So everyone that was born after Adam was born into a sinful world, number one. [12:17] But then number two, everyone who’s been born since has been born as a sinner.

[12:21] Someone who’s filled with sin. [12:23] Someone whose default mode is not, I will worship God, I will follow Jesus. [12:28] But instead, our default mode is selfish. [12:31] Our default mode is to sin. [12:33] Our default mode is to disobey God. [12:36] But then he gives us great promise, and he says,

[12:40] as sin entered the world through one man, so hope. [12:45] Salvation, redemption, restoration has come into the world through one man, [12:50] and that one man is Jesus Christ. [12:52] That Jesus brought salvation into the world through his obedience and his sacrifice, [12:58] so that the gift of salvation from sin could save many. [13:02] But that begs the question.

[13:05] In unfolding that faith in Jesus brings grace that saves us from sin, [13:11] the question could linger. [13:14] That if condemnation was brought once before, how do we know it won’t happen again?

[13:23] How do we know there won’t be another Adam who will ruin it all? [13:29] How do we know? [13:31] How can we trust? [13:33] Because when Paul goes into verse 28, he starts with this concrete confidence. [13:40] He says, and we know.

[13:45] How? [13:46] You see, the promise of verse 28 can be trusted because of the evidence that’s brought in verse 29. [13:57] Not only can sin never disqualify the cross, undo the work of the cross, [14:07] but sin never did it in the first place.

[14:13] Sin did not undo God’s plan.

[14:17] Sin unknowingly fell directly into the plan of God. [14:22] Because God has always had a plan of redemption, even before sin entered the world. [14:30] You say, how can you make such a statement? [14:32] How do you know that? [14:34] You see, predestination, I’ll give you just a definition. [14:38] Predestination is God’s choosing in advance that certain things will take place.

[14:45] Predestination is God’s choosing in advance that certain things take place. [14:49] How do I know that? [14:50] In Isaiah chapter 46, the prophet Isaiah, who prophesied of the coming of Christ many times, [14:58] made this prophecy in chapter 46, starting in verse 9. [15:01] He said, remember the former things of old, speaking on behalf of God. [15:05] He says, for I am God.

[15:07] There is no other. [15:09] I am God. [15:10] There is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, [15:14] and from ancient times, things not yet done. [15:17] Saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.

[15:26] What we’re seeing in that statement by the prophet is that God is not just telling us his plan. [15:32] God rather is telling us something about him. [15:35] He’s saying, number one, I’m God. [15:36] There’s no other God. [15:39] So if anything else rises up and says, I am God, no it’s not. [15:43] I’m unparalleled.

[15:44] I’m unequaled. [15:46] God alone is God. [15:50] Being God has a specific definition.

[15:54] There’s no one like him in what sense? [15:58] Because no one else can declare the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end. [16:02] He can declare the ancient times, what happened there, [16:05] and then he can look forward and declare the things that have not even happened yet. [16:08] Saying, my counsel shall stand. [16:11] In other words, what he’s saying is that nothing can ever or has ever happened in this world

[16:18] that even had the potential of undoing God’s counsel or undoing God’s plan. [16:28] Everything that has ever happened in the history of man, even beyond that, [16:35] everything that has ever happened before God spoke everything into existence that exists [16:42] has worked according to his plan. [16:47] Because his counsel shall stand and his purpose will be accomplished. [16:55] So he’s speaking into a nation that is in rebellion against him,

[16:59] and he’s saying, you cannot undo my plan. [17:04] It will happen. [17:05] And then he comes after this and he speaks of a servant that would suffer on behalf [17:13] of not only the nation of Israel, but for the hope of the entire world. [17:18] What do you see in Isaiah 49 and Isaiah 52 and Isaiah 53? [17:23] I know you all studied, right?

[17:24] No, just kidding. [17:26] In all of those passages, what you see are prophecies that there would come a Savior, [17:31] and that Savior was ultimately Jesus Christ. [17:35] But he precedes all of that with chapter 46, making a statement about God. [17:39] You think sin, you think your rebellion is undoing God’s plan, you are not God. [17:45] His counsel shall stand.

[17:46] Nothing you do will ever undo his plan. [17:52] He did everything to accomplish his purposes. [17:55] God’s act of predestination is used in Scripture as evidence of the trustworthiness of the Gospel. [18:01] In Acts chapter 2, starting in verse 23, here’s what the Apostle Peter, [18:07] in the very first sermon about the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Acts chapter 2, [18:12] here’s what he says about the cross.

[18:14] He says, this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, [18:22] you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. [18:25] That’s a fascinating statement. [18:28] He says, this Jesus, speaking to a completely Jewish audience, [18:33] the same audience that just about two months previous, less than two months previous, [18:39] was standing before Jesus when he stood before Pontius Pilate saying, crucify him.

[18:44] So these people who are saying, we’re the ones that put him up there, [18:47] Peter looks to them and he says, this Jesus was delivered up by the definite plan of God. [18:55] The foreknowledge of God. [18:59] So he marries these two concepts, planning and foreknowledge, [19:04] and he says, this was the work of God done by you, even you lawless men. [19:14] So even the sinful cannot hope to undo the plan of God.

[19:19] They unwittingly march head on into the plan of God. [19:25] And the gospel shows us that. [19:27] And what God wants to do through all of these statements is let us know, [19:32] you can trust the gospel because the gospel was God’s plan, [19:36] but it was more than just a plan, it was his eternal plan. [19:41] That before sin entered the world, gospel.

[19:45] Before the world was even created, gospel. [19:48] It was always part of God’s plan. [19:51] Because it begs a question when we begin to think about sin and its effect in the world. [19:55] Without the sovereignty of God, how can you be sure that everything on the cross won’t be undone tomorrow?

[20:04] How can you be sure? [20:06] You see, the reality of the revelation of God’s predestination in this text [20:11] is meant by Paul to act as a restoration of your trust in God. [20:19] And then worship of God in light of his great power and plan. [20:24] And friends, if that is not the response, then the need is not for God to be clearer about his acts. [20:30] Instead, the need is for us to repent of our sinful lack of trust

[20:36] and worship at his greatness rather than at our own. [20:40] This is why you can believe that all things will work together for good. [20:44] This is the only reason. [20:45] If God is not sovereign, then we cannot be sure that all things will work together for good. [20:53] But because he is, friends, that is a concrete statement there. [21:00] Because he is sovereign, he can be trusted to do exactly what he says he will do.

[21:13] I think one of the largest issues that we face when we’re dealing with the topic of predestination [21:18] is our own sinful rebellion.

[21:21] As quite many of us have kind of put our feet in the ground and we’ve said, [21:25] well, this is what I’m going to think and nothing’s going to undo it. [21:27] What do you do with what you think when the Scripture contradicts with your views?

[21:37] Friends, when the Scripture contradicts my views, [21:39] because there was a day when I was studying the Scriptures and this happened to me. [21:44] I said, well, I have a thought as to what predestination is. [21:49] I’m good with that. [21:52] I’m free, got free will, got freedom. [21:57] I’ll make whatever choices I want.

[21:58] God can’t be in control of me because that would make me a robot. [22:02] What if God says he is in control of you and you’re still not a robot?

[22:09] One of two things happens. [22:10] Either A, you continue in your sinful distrust in God, specifically the Scriptures, [22:17] or B, you repent and say, I was ignorant, now I’m not.

[22:23] Ignorance is not a sin. [22:25] What is a sin is when you’re confronted with truth and you deny it.

[22:32] For most of us, that is what happens when we’re confronted with the topic of predestination. [22:35] We attempt to either explain it away or we attempt to conform God’s sovereignty to my sovereignty, [22:42] which is non-existent. [22:44] But we like to think we are, don’t we? [22:47] If God’s sovereignty is anything like mine, we should all be terrified of what’s happening in an hour.

[22:56] Because if he’s not in control of it, who is?

[23:00] You see, friends, the greatest truth that you could ever embrace in life is point number two this morning, [23:05] that all who believe the Gospel of Jesus are predestined to faith in Jesus.

[23:11] All who believe the Gospel of Jesus are predestined to faith in Jesus.

[23:18] Number one inside of that, in verse 29, is that all who are saved are foreknown by God. [23:25] All who are saved are foreknown by God. [23:28] What does that mean? [23:29] It means that God’s acts of predestination are very personal. [23:34] It means that God did not just work in a general sense outside of creation, [23:40] working the general aspects of his will out.

[23:44] No, more than that. [23:45] God is very personal and his sovereign acts come directly into my personal life, [23:52] my personal choices, my personal actions. [23:55] God is intimately and intricately involved in everything that I do.

[24:02] And that will either cause you to worship him or that will cause you to have to change a lot of things.

[24:11] To be foreknown by God is an understanding that God is working salvation in the lives of people [24:19] in order that Jesus will be the firstborn among many brethren. [24:26] See, that’s how he wants us to understand foreknowledge and predestination. [24:29] That is the end of verse 29. [24:31] But too often we get so hung up on those two words that we don’t see the end of the sentence [24:36] where God works out his purposes.

[24:39] He says, you’re foreknown, you’re predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. [24:43] So he has, this is what you’re predestined for. [24:47] It’s a good thing that he doesn’t say, and predestined for awfulness.

[24:52] He could have.

[24:55] This is God we’re dealing with. [24:56] He can do whatever he wants to. [24:57] So God could have said predestined to never have another sunshiney day. [25:03] Predestined to only face misery. [25:06] Predestined to hell. [25:09] But instead he follows it with good news.

[25:12] He says foreknowledge, predestination, to be conformed to the image of Christ, [25:18] so that, or in order that, and here’s where the keeper is, is that God is doing these things [25:26] so that what he wants to happen will happen.

[25:31] In order that Jesus would be the firstborn among many brethren.

[25:38] That’s the good of verse 28, defined in two different ways. [25:43] The good that God wants for your life is first, that you would be conformed to the image of Christ.

[25:49] And secondly, the reason that he’s conforming you to the image of Christ [25:51] is so that Jesus will be the firstborn among many brethren. [25:56] There’s that promise from earlier in chapter eight where he says that everyone that is redeemed [26:02] is made a child of God, adopted by him, joint heirs with Christ.

[26:12] Because here’s the ultimate picture that he’s painting is that God chose us

[26:21] before we ever had any inkling of thought towards him. [26:25] Think about the act of predestination, excuse me, of adoption.

[26:31] Beautiful choice that loving parents make to adopt a child. [26:36] When you go towards that child, that child is not allowed to say, [26:40] hmm, no, you’re not looking good for me. [26:43] Please pass. I would rather a different parent take me in. [26:46] Now who makes the decision? It is the parent lovingly embracing this beautiful creation of God. [26:56] That is the same thing that God is doing here.

[27:00] He’s saying, look at my choice for you. Come to me. [27:03] Because I want lots of children. I want a full house. [27:08] I want lots of heirs, joint heirs with Christ. [27:12] You see, friends, a lot of you may think and or you may have been taught [27:18] that foreknowledge is God looking into the future [27:22] and predestining what he sees your free choice for or against him will be.

[27:28] Friends, that makes absolutely no sense. [27:31] I say that in the nicest way possible. [27:33] That doesn’t make sense biblically and it doesn’t make any sense logically. [27:38] If you really follow that reasoning out, what you’re actually saying in that [27:42] is that God foresaw everyone originally to be conformed to the image of Christ [27:50] and then we somehow undid that by our own means.

[27:55] Or more so, you’re saying that God looked into the future, [28:00] saw that some would come to him, some would not, [28:04] and then he did nothing to change the ones that would not. [28:10] Did nothing.

[28:13] See, it is not a moral monster that predestined some to come to faith in Christ [28:17] and some to not come to faith in Christ. [28:19] It is a moral monster that looks into the future and sees free beings [28:24] not choosing him and then doing absolutely nothing to make them change their minds. [28:31] Not only is that a moral monster, but that’s not a God.

[28:36] See, our problem with predestination is not so much that God would dare send anyone to hell that deserves it. [28:44] Our problem with predestination is that it means that we are not the ones in the driver’s seat. [28:49] We are not the ones in control. [28:51] Our problem with predestination is that we are unwilling to utter the terms, [28:56] I am not God.

[28:59] I am not the God of my own life. [29:01] I am not the God of someone else’s life. [29:03] I am not the God of my eternal destiny. [29:05] There is another God who has authority over me. [29:08] That’s our problem.

[29:11] So your struggles with this is not that God hasn’t been clear as to how he is certain that his plan will work out. [29:17] Our problem with this is that we are sinful.

[29:21] Our problem with this is that we refuse to repent. [29:25] Our problem with this is that we would rather be worshiped than worship a God who saves.

[29:32] That term foreknowledge is very important in this because you have to understand what it means. [29:38] You see, last week, I just want to review with you. [29:40] We looked at 1 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 3 and it says that if anyone loves God, he is known by God. [29:47] We talked about the fact that that word known is more than just God has a knowledge of us. [29:52] It is the same mentality, the same terminology that Adam knew Eve. [29:58] In the Greek, it means an intimate knowledge.

[30:01] It means the same type of knowledge that you have in marriage, which is a pretty deep knowledge, if you’re doing it right.

[30:09] But this statement about God’s knowledge of us connects then into verse 28. [30:15] This is those who love God. [30:17] So it’s an intimate knowledge between you and God. [30:20] But if we look at where that term flushes out in verses 28 and 29, [30:25] it is the same idea that’s presented about the nation of Israel in the Old Testament. [30:30] Specifically, at the very beginning, and I only want to deal with the beginning because of time,

[30:34] in Amos chapter 3 verse 2, God looks to Israel and he says, [30:38] you only have I known of all the families of the earth. [30:43] God is not saying, I don’t even know who the Amalekites are. [30:47] Who are they? [30:48] Someone tell me. [30:51] No, what he’s doing there is he’s saying, yeah, I know about the rest of the world, but I only know you.

[31:00] I’ve loved you. [31:01] I’ve cared for you. [31:03] I’ve married myself to you, Israel, because you are my chosen people.

[31:13] Israel didn’t choose God. God chose Israel. [31:15] But then it’s also the same idea from Genesis chapter 18 verse 19. [31:21] Speaking of the prophet Abraham, God says, for I have chosen him, [31:27] that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord as far as we need to go. [31:35] And the very first phrase, for I have chosen him, is the exact same Hebrew word for known.

[31:44] Same word from Genesis chapter 4 verse 1, where it says, Adam knew Eve. [31:52] They were married. They consummated. And then they conceived a child.

[31:58] He’s saying, that’s what I’ve done with Abraham. I’ve known Abraham. I’ve chosen Abraham. [32:07] Friends, I say all that to say this, that the term chosen there is the exact same idea that we see in Romans chapter 8 verses 29 and 30. [32:18] It is a loving choosing that he has predetermined that we would be conformed to the image of Christ. [32:27] Those whom he foreknew, he also predestined. [32:31] Now, is this loving choosing a universal statement about everyone? No. [32:38] You see, Romans 8 verse 30 explains why that can’t be true, because those who are predestined are called.

[32:47] That is the same word we unpacked last week, that effectual calling that is different than just the preaching or the calling of the gospel [32:55] that people will do, that we’ve been commanded to do to everyone, that I’m doing right now. [33:00] It is an effectual calling where God says, I’ve called and they’ve come. [33:04] So it’s a calling that is undeniable. It’s the calling that only those who come to faith in Jesus respond with.

[33:15] You see, in Romans 5.1 it is declared that we are justified or made right with God and by God [33:24] through our faith. [33:27] But let’s reverse engineer what Romans 8, 29 and 30 are telling us about how we come to faith. [33:34] You have faith in God because God called you. You are called because God predestined. [33:43] You are predestined because God has loved you beforehand. [33:48] That is the backwards order by which we can reverse engineer how we came to faith in Christ.

[34:00] If what we talked about in Romans 8, 28 is true in your life, then what we are talking about in verses 29 and 30 [34:10] are involved in your life, are true about your life. [34:14] And we struggle with this because as Romans 8 has already revealed, we still live in a world that is cursed by sin. [34:25] Friends, there will come a day where we won’t struggle with how this works out. [34:29] And that’s the day where we see Jesus face to face because we won’t worry about how it all came about. [34:33] We’ll just be seeing Jesus and that will be pretty nice.

[34:38] But the reality is that God has revealed this to us for the purpose of helping us to understand that our surrender to Him [34:47] comes about by the fact that He loves us in Christ but also by the power of how He loved us in Christ.

[34:56] He wants us to submit and surrender because He is a God who is powerful. [35:01] He is a God who is in control. [35:04] He is a God who can be trusted to work all things together for good. [35:10] Our problem ultimately with this, and I kind of want to be presumptuous with you to assume a question that always comes about in this, [35:20] is that does that mean that God sends people to hell? [35:22] And I want you to know that that is not your problem with it.

[35:26] You know that God does that. [35:29] You know that not everyone goes to heaven. [35:31] You know that people go to hell and they go to hell because of the wrath of God against sin. [35:39] Even the one who would not be a believer in the gospel who goes to the scripture will come away from it with the understanding [35:46] that the reason that scripture ascribes that some people go to hell is because of sin [35:52] and they go because of sin because God is wrathful against them in their sin.

[35:58] So it’s the wrath of God. [35:59] We know that God does this and He’s just to do it. [36:06] Ultimately the problem is that we are uncomfortable with not being in control of our own lives.

[36:14] And friends, that is a symptom of original sin. [36:18] That is what Romans 1 was all about.

[36:24] Thirdly, this morning I want you to understand that our hope in this issue [36:28] is found in God’s undeserved love.

[36:36] I want to assume another question.

[36:41] It is good.

[36:44] It is very good. [36:46] It is a blessing that God’s love is not fair. [36:52] It’s good. [36:53] You say, how could you make a statement like that?

[36:58] Fair would be that we all go to hell. [37:01] That would be fair. [37:04] That would be just. [37:07] God would be no less loving if every single one of us went to hell because every single one of us deserve it.

[37:17] I’m the chief of sinners. [37:20] I’m very acquainted with what I deserve.

[37:25] The reality is that God, in His sovereignty, in His power, in His holiness,

[37:39] for the foundations of the earth made a decision that I would not have made.

[37:46] He made the decision in eternity past. [37:48] He says, I will wield my power in such a way that I will redeem for myself a people from their sin. [37:56] And rather than spending eternity under my wrath, [37:59] they will spend an eternity experiencing the pleasures of God forevermore. [38:06] That’s what Ephesians chapter 1 tells us about starting in verse 4. [38:09] The text says,

[38:18] He is holy and blameless before Him. [38:21] In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of His will. [38:30] You see what He’s saying in that? [38:32] That it was God’s will. [38:34] It was God’s purpose. [38:35] This is what God wanted to do.

[38:37] This is what God chose to do. [38:40] And because of that choice, I can look and I can say with confidence, God is good. [38:47] God is loving. [38:49] And He goes further in verse 11 where He says this. [38:51] He says, in Him we have obtained an inheritance.

[38:56] He’s so certain of the goodness of God. [38:59] So certain of what’s going to happen in the future. [39:02] So certain of God’s sovereign hand in salvation that He says, we have obtained. [39:09] In other words, there’s no question it’s there. [39:12] The inheritance is coming. [39:13] Why?

[39:14] Because we have been predestined according to the purpose of Him. [39:19] Him who does what? [39:20] Who works all things according to the counsel of His will.

[39:28] He says according to the counsel of His will here. [39:31] This is all things work according to the counsel of His will. [39:34] What else do all things work together for? [39:35] All things work together for good. [39:37] So the counsel of the will of God is defined as good. [39:41] In 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 7, the text says that when we teach the gospel,

[39:47] when we preach the gospel, what we’re doing is we are unfolding for everyone [39:52] the wisdom and mysteries of God that He decreed according to His counsel beforehand.

[40:01] There’s no question as to whether the follower of Jesus will be eternally saved [40:05] with all things working together for good. [40:09] I want to assume a third question.

[40:14] If this is true, how can I be certain that I’m saved? [40:21] How can I be certain that God has foreknown me? [40:25] How can I be certain that God has predestined my faith towards Him? [40:29] And what I’m telling you in response is that Paul wrote this section of Scripture [40:34] for your certainty in God. [40:38] To turn you away from your self-centered speculation.

[40:45] When you begin to make salvation all about you and say, [40:48] well, how do I know? [40:50] Well, how can I be certain? [40:51] What do I need to do? [40:52] The apostle Paul comes in and he says, stop focusing on yourself.

[40:59] Focus on the God who saves. [41:01] Focus on what He has done. [41:04] Focus on trusting Him. [41:06] Focus on His goodness. [41:07] Focus on His power. [41:09] Focus on His love.

[41:11] Focus on His sovereign hand. [41:14] He said He works all things to the counsel of His will. [41:18] The reality of what we are faced with in Romans 8.30 [41:22] is not that God doesn’t have a plan of salvation. [41:26] We are faced with in verse 30 is that instead He has devised [41:31] the only possible plan of salvation.

[41:34] Not only is there a shred of hope for salvation, [41:38] but there is a hope based on the absolute, certain, [41:42] and eternal work of a God who is wise enough, [41:46] and sovereign enough, and loving enough, [41:49] to work out the perfect plan in which He gets all the glory, [41:53] and we get certain redemption and restoration to the praise of His name.

[41:59] We should have a heart that desires and works for all people today. [42:04] We should have a heart that desires to know this wonderful plan.

[42:09] That is what the book of Romans is about.

[42:14] He says in Romans 1, He says, [42:16] I have created people to worship Me, [42:18] and those people have turned away from Me. [42:22] And they have stolen My glory, [42:24] and attempted to give it to themselves, [42:26] and find their satisfaction in other created things

[42:29] that I have meant to give Me, God, glory. [42:34] And they’ve failed, they’ve rebelled, [42:36] they’ve turned things into perversion that I meant for My glory. [42:41] And then He says, and what I’ve done is, [42:43] is I’ve sent My Son to bear that wrath, [42:45] and I’ve sent Him to redeem for Myself a people for My own possession.

[42:50] And how can we know Him? [42:52] We turn our faith away from the things of this world, [42:55] turn our faith towards God, and we trust in Him. [42:59] And then Paul says, aha, but how can you be sure that He’ll save you?

[43:09] And he says, oh, we know He’ll save, [43:13] because God has worked all things according to the plan of His hand. [43:20] Those whom He foreknew, He predestined. [43:24] Those whom He predestined, He called. [43:30] Those whom He called, He has justified through faith. [43:36] And those whom He justified, He has also glorified.

[43:46] You see, Paul banks on the predestination [43:48] for the final thing that you’ve not even experienced yet. [43:53] Neither had Paul when he wrote it. [43:57] Saying, it’s so certain, it’s as if I’m already in His presence in a glorified body, [44:01] not consumed by the curse of sin. [44:05] Friend, Romans 8 and Ephesians 1

[44:10] give you the hope that we need for telling others about Christ. [44:15] You say, oh, well, how does evangelism fit into all of this?

[44:19] Because when I tell people about Christ, number one, [44:21] I’m not depending on my own wisdom and knowledge.

[44:25] I tell them as much as I know of God at that moment and trust God with the results.

[44:33] See, friend, because of these texts, you have hope that God will save your family members. [44:40] You have hope that God will save your friends. [44:43] You have hope that God will save your co-workers. [44:46] Because without this understanding of God, [44:49] you have no certainty that He really wants to save anyone.

[44:54] But with this as our hope, we know that He will save. [44:58] With this as our hope, we can rest in the grace that it doesn’t depend on us. [45:04] We rest in the fact that God has predestined you to be conformed to the image of Christ.

[45:11] And an aspect of what that looks like is that you lay your life down [45:15] to fight for people to be saved. [45:20] Trusting that many will be saved because of God’s sovereignty [45:26] and also trusting Him with the results. [45:30] Friends, we have an Almighty God who has determined to use His Almighty power to save.

[45:43] That is a good God.

[45:46] And the good news, the best news, is that that’s the only God that exists. [45:54] And there is no other.

[45:58] Friends, God’s plan of predestination needs to awaken your worship.

[46:04] Turn to Him in worship. [46:07] Respond to Him in praise. [46:10] Surrender to His power. [46:13] If you don’t know Him, then I believe that the reason that you are here [46:21] is because He wants to call you to trust Him.

[46:26] And so I make one request.

[46:29] Trust Jesus.

[46:32] And He will save you.

[46:37] As a musician comes up,

[46:40] I want to call the rest of you this morning to respond [46:45] that if you know Christ, if you know God,

[46:53] then He is greater than your wildest imagination. [46:56] He’s more worthy than you can even conceive of your worship. [47:04] And He calls us as His followers that when we gather [47:07] together, that we would reflect on the cross. [47:12] The lengths to which the God who saves, worked His salvation [47:20] is that He suffered, He endured the penalty that you deserve for your sin,

[47:27] and He died for you. [47:31] The bread represents His broken body, the cup represents His shed blood, [47:35] and as you eat and drink, what you do is, is that you celebrate

[47:41] God’s wonderful, softened love for you. [47:47] If you believe that, I invite you to come.

[47:53] Alright, well, I need to get right into it because you guys didn’t hold back. [47:58] I knew you wouldn’t. [48:00] That’s what happens when you go through entire books of the Bible at a time. [48:03] You can’t avoid the harder things. [48:07] And I’m thankful for that, and I’m also thankful for all of your questions. [48:12] I’m going to try to get to all of the questions that are listed here,

[48:17] if you will try to not get too antsy because I make you wait 10 minutes for lunch. [48:23] Your kids are fine, trust me. [48:26] If God predestines, what is the point of evangelism? [48:31] I think this is probably from a practical human standpoint.

[48:37] Okay, I got you. [48:38] You don’t have to admit that this was your question, but you can.

[48:45] From a practical standpoint, this is very difficult for us to understand. [48:50] Frankly, because we are finite, or as the text would tell us, [48:54] we’re limited in our knowledge, because we want to say, [48:57] well, I’ll only do it once I fully understand it. [49:01] That’s what we want to say. [49:03] But first I would say, that is us being very prideful.

[49:09] And saying, God, I can only obey you once you come down here [49:12] and tell me why you think you’re allowed to do what you think you’re allowed to do. [49:17] And God’s response to that is, I’m God, I don’t have to do anything that you tell me to. [49:22] But the reason that he tells us to evangelize, [49:24] and this happened a few weeks ago when we talked about prayers, [49:27] is that God has not only determined the ends,

[49:30] but God has also determined the means as to how to get to the ends. [49:34] In other words, God could do a lot of things without you ever praying. [49:38] But God has determined in his sovereignty that the way that he wants to work things to his will [49:42] is through your prayer. [49:44] And so that’s why I pray. [49:46] The same thing with evangelism.

[49:49] Jesus stands with his disciples and he says, the fields are ripe for harvest. [49:52] Jesus, in that, because of what other scriptures tell me, [49:55] Jesus is also making the statement, I know who’s going to be saved. [49:59] I’ve worked in their lives and I’m going to work in their lives so that they will be saved. [50:03] But then he also says, but the laborers are few. [50:05] I need to send laborers out into the harvest.

[50:08] So God has determined that the best way for him to get glory [50:12] is for me to go out into the world and tell the entire world, [50:16] every man, every woman, every boy, every girl, [50:19] and say, come to faith in Jesus. [50:21] What I call that, the well-meant, well-intentioned plea. [50:25] I believe for people to be saved because I believe when I tell someone

[50:28] that that person can be saved and God wants me to believe that. [50:32] And God believes that. [50:34] But God goes past my knowledge and he says, I know whether they will or not. [50:38] And I’ve worked in them for them too. [50:41] And so we evangelize because we are an intricate part of God’s plan. [50:47] That’s why.

[50:48] Every person that I’ve ever seen saved through my witness [50:52] has been someone that God foreknew and God predestined. [50:56] But in real time, God worked through me. [50:59] That’s why we plant churches. [51:01] That’s why we send missionaries out. [51:03] And that’s why we tell you, live the mission.

[51:06] Can everyone be saved or are some people created not to be saved? [51:10] Here’s where I will caution you.

[51:14] Elmer Towns once taught me where the scripture is silent, so should I be. [51:18] And I think that’s very wise. [51:20] We get ourselves into a whole heap of trouble when we go past the Bible. [51:25] Because we start turning things into things that they’re not supposed to be. [51:28] But here’s what I’ll tell you in answering that question is, [51:31] is that I believe everyone on earth has the potential to be saved.

[51:37] But I believe it is up to God whether they will be saved.

[51:44] Don’t we need to freely choose God for our love to be genuine? [51:48] No.

[51:50] I’ll just be very blunt with you. [51:53] We have a perverted sense of what love is. [51:56] Because of our definition of love, divorce is rampant. [52:01] Because love is a feeling.

[52:05] And so if you stop feeling like you love your wife, you divorce her. [52:07] If you stop feeling like you love your husband, you divorce her. [52:10] Because I need that feeling again, and so I’m going to go find it with someone 20 years younger. [52:15] Jerk.

[52:20] God doesn’t operate on our sinful definition of love. [52:23] God operates on the true definition of love. [52:27] God is love. [52:29] Let me also caution you. [52:31] Your definition of love is not God. [52:35] That’s the problem.

[52:37] Is that you think that your definition of love, well that’s God. [52:41] So that’s the way I have to understand everything. [52:43] What if your definition of love is really stupid?

[52:47] My son loves me, and sometimes his love is defined on whether I buy him a toy. [52:52] He’s got a really stupid definition of love. [52:55] I pray it changes as he gets older.

[53:02] And so a lot of the problem that we have with God’s definition of love, well all of it isn’t God’s problem, it’s ours.

[53:10] What God says his love is, and God says love is, his working in eternity past to redeem for himself a people for his own possession. [53:18] That’s love, and that’s the greatest love. [53:20] And I praise him that I will be the beneficiary of his love.

[53:28] If predestination is true, how does God get glory from controlling everything? [53:32] Why am I responsible for my actions? [53:34] I like the second part of that. [53:39] Because the first part is kind of difficult for me to answer. [53:43] He gets glory from controlling everything because that’s what God does.

[53:49] And I’m not meaning to be facetious or flippant in the way that I say that. [53:54] But if he wasn’t controlling everything, how could you call him God? [53:58] I think that’s how I would respond to that. [54:02] If he’s not in control of everything, then he’s not much of a God. [54:05] He’s more like Thor.

[54:08] And so if you watch the Avengers, or if you’re kind of geek younger, and you read Thor, you know anything about Norse mythology? [54:16] Thor is like, you know, he’s a demi-god. He’s our concept of a god. [54:19] He’s a god that can do all these mighty things, but he might get beaten. [54:23] But at the last second when he looks like he’s getting beaten, he Hulk-Holkins, and he hulks up all of a sudden. [54:28] And somebody can punch him, and oh my goodness, he doesn’t even feel it. [54:31] And then he drops the leg.

[54:33] That’s not a god. That’s just a really strong guy.

[54:38] That’s just a guy that took Jiu-Jitsu, and you didn’t, and you’re going to lose the wrestling match.

[54:44] God controls everything, therefore he gets glory. [54:48] But the second part of that is very telling. Why am I responsible for my actions? [54:51] Charles Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher, once said that if the scripture says that God is absolutely sovereign over everything, it’s true. [55:01] If the scripture also says that I am absolutely responsible for all of my actions, it’s true. [55:06] And the contradiction isn’t in scripture. The contradiction is in me.

[55:11] The Bible teaches two things. [55:13] The Bible teaches that God is absolutely sovereign, and that you are absolutely responsible. [55:17] And while it may be a paradox as to how that works out in eternity, it is not a contradiction. [55:23] It is not in any way contradict. [55:25] Believe me, you are responsible for your sin, because God says you are. [55:33] And you trying to sneak away from that responsibility by being like, oh, if you’re sovereign, I guess I can do whatever I want.

[55:40] Be careful, because you’re going to do whatever you want all the way to hell. [55:46] Repent of your sin. [55:47] How do we know if we are predestined? How can we rest for sure in God’s grace? [55:52] I kind of, I hope I was able to cover this towards the end of the sermon time, but we can rest in his sovereignty because he’s sovereign. [56:02] To me, the more terrifying thing would be if he wasn’t sovereign, because then it’s like, how can I trust him? [56:08] But we can be certain of our salvation because of all that is listed in scripture.

[56:12] I mean, the scripture is exhaustive, and a lot of this would be helped if you would study your Bibles more. [56:17] I’ll just be frank with you. [56:19] A lot of the reason that you kind of maybe, I don’t know if I’m safe, is because you can know if you’re saved or not if you look at the scriptures, because it defines. [56:27] Do you have the fruits of the Spirit in your life? Do you have affections for God in your life? [56:30] Do you have a passion for the worship of God? Do you want to follow Jesus? Are those things true of you?

[56:42] If you are not predestined, though, you can never be sure. [56:48] So a lot of us want God to be sovereign once we become Christians for eternal security’s sake, but then we’re like, well, before I was a Christian, I guess he wasn’t sovereign. [56:58] That doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t make any sense biblically, and it doesn’t make any sense logically.

[57:06] Can someone try to seek God but be unsuccessful because they aren’t predestined? [57:10] I would say no. I would say no. Because if you’re truly seeking God, you will come to faith in Jesus Christ. [57:19] Some people say they’re seeking God, but what they’re really seeking is some self-centered satisfaction. [57:26] And so if they reject the gospel, then they weren’t seeking God at all. [57:29] The great hymnist, if you bear with me, once said that I made it my pursuit to seek, and this was like in the 1800s, so I’m not going to get the terminology right. [57:38] I was seeking, I found myself seeking after God, and when I found him, I came to understand that it was not me seeking him, but rather he was originally seeking me so that I would find him.

[57:51] And the whole point that the hymnist makes there is that if God’s not seeking you, you could never find him.

[57:59] Do you think that God has predestined all of us are only certain people that he knows will follow him?

[58:06] I believe that God has predestined all. I’ll be transparent on that. I think there’s two sides to the same coin going on there in life.

[58:16] I can make a joke here, but I don’t want to. [58:19] Do you think that God has predestined all of us are only certain people that he knows will follow him? [58:22] I think that goes back to what foreknowledge means. His predestination is not dependent on you.

[58:31] He predestines according to his sovereign will and glory, and if you’re a follower of Christ, you are the thankful beneficiary of that sovereignty according to Scripture. [58:44] And so I want to preface it with that, that the exegesis on 29 and 30 there is solid. You can’t get around it. [58:51] Why does God sometimes sound like in Scripture, like he changes his mind or regrets doing things? [58:57] I would say that there are fascinating mysteries in the Old Testament of God relenting of his destruction of Nineveh, [59:06] of God relenting of his destruction in Exodus, where he says, I’m going to kill all the Israelites. [59:16] You just really get the sense in those types of texts that God really does see us like kids, because I’ve felt that way sometimes.

[59:23] It’s like, I’m going to kill all of them. And then I relent. I’m like, no, I can’t do that. Maybe that’s a good analogy. [59:33] It’s like, no, I’m not. But God works in such a way that when you compare Scripture with Scripture, [59:40] I come to the conclusion, number one, that there are things in Scripture that are a divine mystery to me as to how they work out. [59:49] Anybody that tells you that they’re not like, I don’t get some of that in the Bible, then I don’t like people that are that certain. [59:57] I’m uncomfortable with it. But what I assume because of comparing Scripture with Scripture, that God’s plan all along was to relent. [60:06] I really believe that. And that God’s plan was, is this is going to be my judgment, and then Moses will pray, and through Moses’ prayer, I will relent.

[60:20] Same thing with Nineveh. Why do you think he sent Jonah? He sent Jonah so that he would relent. [60:26] So to me, when I watch it from God’s perspective, which is what we’re given in reading the Old Testament, I can see how God worked himself to relenting. [60:34] That’s probably way longer of an explanation than any of you wanted. I really like the Old Testament. [60:41] Does this mean that God predestines sin? I don’t like that term because that’s not the way in which God prescribes to himself the work of predestination. [60:54] The work of predestination in the Scripture is termed so that we become the beneficiaries. [60:59] So it sets a horizon, it’s a nautical term, so that we will head into the proper direction that he has set for us.

[61:08] What I will say is, is that I will say in his sovereignty, I believe God foreordained that sin took place. [61:17] And then it was orchestrated in such a way so that man would be responsible for that sin. [61:22] But I do not believe that that makes God responsible for sin because the Scripture doesn’t contradict itself. [61:28] And it says, remember, God cannot lie. God is holy and he has nothing to do with sin. [61:34] So it goes back to that Spurgeon quote, the problem isn’t with God, the problem is with me.

[61:39] Why would God create someone with the plan for them to go to hell? [61:43] Romans 9, I’m not punting, okay, I promise, so hear me out. I’m not punting downfield on this one. [61:51] Romans 9 literally answers that question in the Jacob and Esau episode. [61:57] But what I will say is, is that the reason that God created everything,

[62:03] and I’m going to borrow from a guy named Doug Wilson here, [62:06] the reason that God created everything and orchestrated everything is because he would get more glory for that than he would without it. [62:18] And so that’s my answer to that. But Romans 9 will completely clear that up in January.

[62:30] I mean, you’ve got to Bible read it. I’m not saying don’t read it till January. [62:35] I’m saying I’m not going to preach it till January because I got a couple other series that I need to get to before that. [62:40] I love you. I’m thankful for you. And here’s, oh my, I did it again, Bill.

[62:47] We got bills to pay, guys.

[62:51] Right now the ushers are going to get into their predetermined positions.

[62:57] And I’m so thankful for them and their hard work. [63:01] But right now, here’s what’s happening right now. We’re taking up an offering of money. [63:06] And this is for people who call Village Church home. This is an act of worship. [63:11] And if you’re new here or this is your first time here, don’t feel obligated to give anything. [63:16] But if you do call Village Church home, God has called you to be generous and to steward your money for the work of the local church. [63:23] But I do want to say a special thank you to all of those who gave online this week.

[63:29] And that is available to everyone if you go on our website. [63:33] I’m going to stall for just a second so that they can get to the back of the auditorium and you guys won’t leave without writing those generous checks. [63:43] But I will tell you that in God’s sovereignty, when we begin to look at how things flesh out in His sovereign will, [63:53] what is needed from me is not so much an academic, intellectual, die-hard understanding. [64:03] What is needed from me is humility. [64:08] A humility to understand that God has and will do things that are outside of my understanding.

[64:15] There are things that I believe that God has had a hand in that caused me great pain. [64:22] But I’ve already seen the good. I lost an organ and I believe it was the discipline of the Lord. [64:29] My wife and I endured through a miscarriage and we’ve already seen the good. [64:35] But those were some of the hardest times in my life. [64:38] But they’ve created some of the greatest dependence, greatest worship. [64:43] And because of Jesus, number one, I’ll see my child.

[64:47] But number two, God’s working it to the glory. [64:52] And the only way I can believe that is to trust sovereignty. [64:56] Father, we love you because you first loved us.

[65:02] Lord, pursue us and through pursuing us, push us to pursue others in Your name. [65:12] In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. [65:14] Thank you guys. Thank you so much.