Thank
you for your question.
"Is
Predestination true?"
Predestination
is talked about many times in the Bible and is certainly true in the sense
described in the Word of God. The
interpretations placed on the concept by men are not always true.
But any concept taught in the Bible is true.
The word means to be determined before hand. Look at some of the things said in the Bible on the subject
to see what is taught on the theme.
In
Ephesians 1:3-6 Paul wrote, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having
predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to
the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by
which He has made us accepted in the Beloved."
Notice
some key things in this text. All
spiritual blessings are in Christ. This
is just as God has chosen before the foundation of the world.
God
didn't choose who would be in Christ before the foundation of the world.
He did choose that those who would be saved would be saved in Christ.
It is up to us to decide if we will have the faith in the Lord to
repent of our sins on hearing the gospel to repent and be baptized into Christ
to get into Christ (Mark 16:15,16; Acts 2:37-40; Romans 6:3-4).
But God has already predetermined that if we are saved it will be in
Christ. If we refuse to do what
it takes to get into Christ we will not be saved.
Also,
God has predestined that those who are saved in Christ are to live holy and
blameless lives before Him. I can
choose not to live that life. But
if I do, I am choosing not to be one of God's chosen ones in the process.
God
has predetermined that those who are in Christ will be adopted into the very
family of God as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself.
We become family. God is
our Father. Christ is our older Brother.
He
has predetermined that those who are saved in the Lord will be accepted in the
beloved.
Another
text on predestination is found in Romans 8:29 which says, "Moreover whom
He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that
He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called,
these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."
Notice
the predestination was that those redeemed would be conformed to the image of
His Son that we might be the firstborn among many brethren.
So,
the answer to your question is, Yes, the Bible teaches predestination.
But it also teaches that you are the one who must choose whether or not
you will be saved or lost. Your
salvation is not something God decided before the foundation of the earth.
He is not willing that any should perish but wants all to be saved (2
Peter 3:9) Christ tasted death
for every man (Hebrews 2:9). He
sent His disciples to preach the gospel to every creature and said "He
who believes and is baptized will be saved.
He who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15,16).
Sincerely,
Leon Barnes