“I Can’t Serve a God Who …” (Part 4)

by Micky Galloway

In the last article, we were examining the position of some that God is biased and therefore unreliable. We studied His dealings with the nations to show that He consistently blessed or punished them based upon their own choices between obedience or rebellion. His patience was evident over hundreds of years and numerous warnings from the prophets. In this study please note that I cannot serve a God who has predestined certain individuals to be saved and others to be lost regardless of individual choice.

Note these quotations:

• “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” (Presbyterian Book of Confessions, Chapter 3:6.016)
• “These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained are particularly and unchangeably designed; and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished.” (Presbyterian Book of Confessions, Chapter 3:6.017)
• “By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death …” (John Calvin’s Institutes, Book III, Chapter 21).
• “First, the word predestination means prearranged destiny … Predestination does not mean part of the way, but all the way to heaven.” (The Christian Baptist, February, 1978, page 4). This predestination is, they say, “unconditional election.”
• “If any are saved God must choose out those who shall be the objects of His grace” (Loraine Boethlner, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, page 95).
• “There is this great difference in the election of the saved and the rejection of the rest of men. In electing the saved God encounters them and regenerates them according to His own sovereign will (John 1:13; James 1:18), apart from their will (Rom. 9:16-18). A Divine interference!” (Frank B. Beck 1903-1967 when pastor of North East Baptist Church of Millerton, New York, The Five Points of Calvinism, page 21).

The word “predestination” is a Bible word. “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Ephesians 1:4-5 KJV). “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11 KJV).

What is predestined by God? Definition: “proorizoo: to predetermine, decide beforehand” (Thayer). God predestined the “plan” of human redemption before the world began. He did not predestine personal identity; but character, purpose, and plan. Illustration: A school teacher on the first day of class told his students that some would pass and some would fail the course they were about to take. He then described the things necessary for one to be of those who would pass. At the end of the school year, just as the teacher had said, some passed and some failed. Since the teacher had predestinated the outcome before he began, does it mean that he caused each individual to either pass or fail and there was nothing they could do about it? Certainly not! It was up to each student to be of whichever group he desired. Likewise, God predetermined before He made the world that He would choose those “in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3-5). Now it is up to us to be of those who are “in Christ.”

Consequences of the erroneous doctrine of individual predestination.

• Makes God A Respecter Of Persons (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11-12; I Peter 1:17). God does not will that any perish, but all be saved (Titus 2:11; I Timothy 2:3-4; II Peter 3:9).
• Makes The Invitation Of God Foolish. All are invited to “come” (Revelation 22:17; Matthew 11:28-30).
• Makes The Devil No Adversary (I Peter 5:8). Why “be sober, be watchful” when he is no threat if I am among the saved and can’t be resisted if I am among the lost (cf. James 4:7)?
• Makes Accountability To God Impossible (Matthew 25:19; II Corinthians 5:10). Yet, the judgment is based on the things that we do. Our eternal destiny (heaven or hell) is based entirely upon personal choices we make based upon our own free will.
• Makes Loving God Impossible (Mark 12:30; I John 4:19). Who could love a God who had condemned you before you were born?
• Makes His Love For The World Impossible (John 3:16). How could God “so love the world” and then give His Son for a select predetermined few? Yet the text says, “that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

If this doctrine be true, the whole idea of sin, accountability, rewards, and punishments, in harmony with justice and mercy, is foolishness. Who could believe it and who could serve a god like that? Indeed, If this doctrine be true, there would be no choice!