What Is "Predestination"? How Does It Shape Your Daily Life?

[GracePeace]

It's the difference between making sure you reach the door, so that you have the opportunity to go through it, compared to just setting you down on the other side, nothing to do with you.

Much love!

So, are there people who are predestined, making sure they reach their door, so that they have the opportunity to go through it, who DO NOT use that opportunity to go through the door?

 

[Ritajanice]

That's the part that isn't found in the Bible.

Much love!

Isaiah 54:5 - For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

The Church as the Bride in Ephesians 5:22-33: The Church is called the Bride of Christ and Christ is declared the Head of the Church, His Bride. As individual believers and as the Church we have an intimate relationship with Christ. This is a relationship that is closer than an earthly husband and wife relationship.

 

[mailmandan]

This is one of a great many places where God teaches His children that once we are born again, born from Him, that this is forever.

Much love!

Romans 8:29 - For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. ALL of them. Notice how Paul uses the past tense for a future event to stress its certainty. :)

Also, I see predestination relating to God's foreknowledge rather than 'fatalistic determination.'

 

[MatthewG]

Does not effect my life in any way. Nor does it shape my life.

God predestined, people within the nation of Israel not to bow to baal. To me, there was a people who were predestined to be part of the destruction of the known world - which was Israel, and they would be raptured and taken out of it in that day in age, when Jesus was promised to be coming swiftly, and those who were waiting faithfully, watched and waited, and during their tribulation which they had experienced, they were taken out of it by seeing of the Lord, and the nation of Israel and the ones remaining suffered under God's wrath having put and end to material religion, and Israel as a nation by taking away the geneology, priesthoods, the temple and whatever else which of their time laid to waste in 70AD.

What mailmandan shared, reminds me of the question of who is he talking to within the context of the whole letter. Was it to those saints in Rome, and a message to the others, in which we learn that, when a person becomes faithful, being made right with Yahava, through Jesus and his blood shed. They are able to have access to Yahava freely, and be able to also understand that you have Yahava by his spirit dwell in you, and you also have the spirit of Christ within you. Those who seek after heavenly things, will be helped by the holy spirit of Yahava, and the spirit of Christ within you as you establish your one on one connection in and through faithful living as a person walking by the spirit.


While one can say "God predestined me", sure okay. However that doesn't make anyone over anyone else cause it does sound to me personally like it's a stance that can be taken to see oneself above others, and to look down on others....

Now with Yahava and using his predestined nation, to come to an end an establish an heavenly nation, through Heavenly Jerusalem. That to some may is something that is not taken into account either. Predestination has nothing really anything to do with anyone today. Other than, understanding that one can conform to the ways of the Son by and through the spirit, but predestined to be saved, or to have a relationship with Yahava? Everyone has access to Yahava, if they choose to allow him to write on your heart and mind by the spirit is up to the individual because Yahava doesn't force anyone to do anything.

Can Yahava, save himself 3,000 people who did not bow to baal? Yes. Can Yahava, allow the chosen nation he picked who killed his son, to destroy the nation materially wiping them off the map from that day in age? Yes.

Was it predestined? To me it very much was. A long waiting period, until Yeshua came along, and fulfilled the law, and offered up his blood, ridding of it, justifiying Jesus in fulfilling the Law, caused the termination of the account of that covenant which would be ended in destruction and fire and the loss off all things in the world they knew.

 

[MatthewG]

It was after all Yahava himself by the use of Satan, in which the hearts of those who did not desire to seek after God, were blind, in which they made the LAW their God, rather than the true and living Yahava. It's also Yahava, who makes the blind, mute, and the lame.

Exodus 4:11 Then the LORD asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD?

Sorry if this may seem off topic, but it was predestined by the act of Satan, which Satan would in the end having his head crushed, rendering him useless, once the Lord Yeshua, had completed the Law, and came back and rescued his people, and judgement of the prior age was commenced with hell, satan, and death all being done away with in the lake of fire, while people only have a part in it and it doesn't seem to last forever, however there is a loss to this fire, if it is being going through the fire that is of God, and burns away the darkness within a person who perhaps may seek in the afterlife?

I can't say, but it seems there is two destinations in life, either a life after here with Yahava, or a life here outside of the gates without Yahava.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

If you believe in predestination, then what is the purpose of this life? According to predestination, as I understand it, it's already been decided whether or not you go to heaven or hell.

Unless, of course, you don't believe anyone goes to hell forever.

It has, Based on Gods foreknowledge.

And it is the means for a believer to keep persevering even though he is left in the world..

 

[Eternally Grateful]

First, if I am predestined to go to hell, why should I bother to obey Jesus? And if I am predestined to go to heaven, why should I bother to obey Jesus? And why would a loving God create someone predestined to spend eternity in hell?

[28] We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.
[29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren.
[30] And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30 RSV

So tell me this: Does "foreknew" and "predestined" refer to a moment of time BEFORE we are born, or a moment in time AFTER we are born?

Dies God know us before or after?

 

[Eternally Grateful]

I wouldn't pay any attention to it. That's my opinion. Because if I am already predestined to go to either heaven or hell, nothing I do now will make any difference.

However, I don't believe in predestination. I do believe we should obey the Lord.

so you do not believe what the word says?

 

[Eternally Grateful]

As I keep saying, if we are predestined to go to heaven or hell, what does it matter what we do?

I wouldn't take that approach. Obey God. You will be rewarded - that is faith.

You keep saying this

It shows you do not understand what it means to be predestined..

I do not see you trying to find out either.. which is worrisome

ps. The person you are talking to does not believe it either..

 

[Eternally Grateful]

I don't know if it matters, but "predestined" and "predestination" do not mean the exact same thing.

God has created a world where we can be happy if we love him with all our hearts, minds, and souls, and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:34-40). The Bible helps explain what that means. When we disobey those two commandments, things get unpleasant. For instance, if I rob a bank, I will go to prison.

We've all sinned. That isn't what matters. What matters is that we repent. God forgives us of our past sins when we do.

The problem is. If your not born again, adopted as his child.. Non of the above matters.

You can obey all you want. you will never find rest.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Predestine, from prohoridzo, is "to limit in advance". So then, those he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of Christ.

So then, the ones whom God foreknew, He place limits in their lives that will make certain that they will in the end be conformed to Christ's image.

Understanding this encourages me that God is always working, and my outcome is assured, so I can live with confidence. In other words, it builds my faith.

Much love!

Another way to say this is it has been predetermined that we WILL be conformed to Gods image.

No might be about it

 

[Eternally Grateful]

I don't see it that way. If God wills something to happen or some event to occur, then it is going to happen, period. And if God wills something to happen contingently or some event to occur contingently, then it will come to fruition if and only if the contingency is satisfied. God can structure things either way. It's His call.

For example, if God wills all mankind to be saved, but contingent on their acceptance of Jesus Christ, that falls into the contingent willing category. But to say that their acceptance of Jesus Christ is preordained so as to destroy any meaningful choice or free will -- which is how I understand your phrase "place limits in their lives that will make certain that they will in the end be conformed to Christ's image" -- would get rid of the contingent willing category altogether. I am not prepared to go there.

By the way, a contingent willing category is fully consistent with God's foreknowledge of the outcome. His foreknowledge is not causal.

God will Jerusalem to repent, and that he could gather them as a mother hen

But they were not willing

God does not overrule free will

 

[Eternally Grateful]

If the foreknowledge precedes and precipitates the faith unto justification, isn't it causation of faith, not only addressing a destiny for believers (conformity to Christ's image)?

How does it precipitate?

All foreknowledge says is that it knows before hand what will happen.

it does not precipitate or force one to believe, nor does it force one to not believe

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Predestine, from prohoridzo, is "to limit in advance". So then, those he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of Christ.

So then, the ones whom God foreknew, He place limits in their lives that will make certain that they will in the end be conformed to Christ's image.

Understanding this encourages me that God is always working, and my outcome is assured, so I can live with confidence. In other words, it builds my faith.

Much love!

The word predestine means to decide beforehand, to determine before hand, to foreordain

It is used in scripture many time

Rom 8: predestined
Acts 4: 28 - To determine before
1 Cor 2: 7 Ordained

God has determined before hand that WE would be conformed to his image

now the question is, who are we?

 

[Eternally Grateful]

You mean it doesn't follow that all those who believe unto justification were called because they were predestined because they were foreknown?

No

It means those who "see and believe" (John 6) are born again, And because of this action. they are predetermined before time to be conformed to his image.

God does not go against his will..

 

[Eternally Grateful]

wow 7 pages. I will stop here..

 

[Hazelelponi]

What is predestination?

How is predestination brought to bear upon your life? What evidence is there that you believe it? How has it affected your life, or how does it affect yourself life?

If it doesn't affect your life, would you say it's good that your life remains unaffected by Biblical doctrine?

I would like to hear from both sides (Monergists and Synergists).

Please make an effort to keep all discussion on topic and try to refrain from "flaming" other users who will disagree with you.

Because Christ has told us we are overcomers in Him, Monergism allows me to see my own personal sin as overcome (past tense) in Christ even if the physical overcoming isn't completed in me yet.

1 John 5:4–5 says, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

That grants me the ability to resist temptation far easier - because I am saved all I have to do is live (in action) the already realized future that was accomplished in Christ, bringing that which was accomplished in Him into my present reality, my daily walk.

When I falter it also gives me the confidence to stand before God in repentance and beg His forgiveness, because I know His promises are true and He'll not turn His back on His people, though He may chastise me He will continue to hold me and guide me as I grow to maturity in Him.

(Monergism)

 

[Bob Estey]

Dies God know us before or after?

Off the top of my head, God decides ahead of time to create us. From the moment he creates us, he knows us.

 

[Bob Estey]

so you do not believe what the word says?

What word are you referring to?

 

[Bob Estey]

You keep saying this

It shows you do not understand what it means to be predestined..

I do not see you trying to find out either.. which is worrisome

ps. The person you are talking to does not believe it either..

To me, being "predestined" means I am either predestined to go to heaven or hell. Nothing I can do will change that.