- Mar 16, 2004
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Predestination is a doctrine embraced by Calvinists that accepts both the sovereignty of God in election and the choice of the human will in accepting God free gift of salvation. For me predestination makes sense because our salvation is based on God's divine attributes, he predestined us to be the righteousness of Christ before the foundation of the world because there was never a plan b. The confusions comes in when Calvinists claim God wrote the book of life with all the names of those who would be saved. Paul.does say the God predestined him personally for salvation and it's a difficult concept to grasp if your not careful. I've never worried about something like the mystery of God plans and purposes and whether or not God knew the name of everyone who would be saved, that is just beyond me.The church I have attended for years got a new pastor a few years ago, and he preaches a hard-line predestination theology. That’s the only thing I have ever heard him preach. He literally talks about nothing else except God’s grace and how touched we should be by it.
I grew up in a baptist church all my life and never even heard the terms Calvinist or Armenian until this guy. I was familiar with the concepts, but only vaguely. It seemed like splitting hairs. I am not exaggerating this guy’s position when I say that all who are predestined will accept salvation, inevitably, there’s no resisting it. And the rest, they’re burning in hell no matter what. It seems to be a well received position in the church, and everyone of a different persuasion left early on.
So I’m kind of left wondering why I am even still there. It’s all gibberish to me. I mean I pray and attend, and yet everything he says... I don’t even get it. If salvation is really for the “elect” only, and I’ve been seeking God for 20+ years and none of this resonates with me at all, wouldn’t it be safe to say I’m not part of the elect? So... what exactly is the purpose of the rest of us?
I was always taught that salvation was for everyone, and everyone could accept it. But oddly, I never did relate to others’ testimonial experiences of being born again, so I’m not entirely skeptical of the concept that some people don’t get to be. And honestly I’m not real convinced on the nature of hell either, but if it’s all predestined then it really doesn’t matter what I believe about anything. Just wondering where to go from here. Attend church for another 30 years? Maybe I’ll have that experience eventually? Or maybe I am born again, just blind and deaf to God?
Is this not an experience? I only hear people who say salvation is for everyone, so if you ask God, you can consider yourself saved. Or you’re predestined and you’ll definitely know because God seeks you. I guess I’m rooting for the Armenian position, but honestly it feels pretty hollow when the Calvinists around me seem to have something. What’s going on here?
I accept that God does foreknow the elect but I don't bother trying to sort that out formally. When you run into something like this always go back to.the simplicity of the gospel and justification by grace through faith. I've always thought it was better to emphasis what we are predestined to, the focus should always be on the perfection of Christ and the sufficient of grace.
Grace and peace,
Mark
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