R.C. Sproul

Now, I keep saying the doctrine of predestination as if there were only one doctrine of predestination.

or if there even were such a thing as a viable doctrine of predestination.

There are those who look at the question of predestination and state it in categories like this.

They'll say to you, a discussion between Christians would be, do you believe in predestination?

And some people will answer that question either by saying, yes, I believe in predestination, or they will say, no, I don't believe in predestination.

as if everybody understood what we were talking about when we talked about the doctrine of predestination.

It may come as a surprise to some of you that every church that I know of historically, every denomination that I'm aware of historically that has formulated a doctrinal statement of sorts has formulated some doctrine of predestination.

There is a Roman Catholic doctrine of predestination.

There is a Lutheran doctrine of predestination.

There's a Presbyterian doctrine of predestination.

There's a Methodist doctrine of predestination, and so on.

So we need to get that clear at the beginning that there are many, many different doctrines of predestination.

The reason why so many different denominations and different churches have doctrines of predestination is because the Bible speaks about predestination.

And all Christians who take the Bible seriously are therefore led to taking the concept of predestination seriously because it's a concept and a word that we find in the New Testament.

Let's just take a moment and let me read a couple of passages to refresh your memory that introduce this idea of predestination to us.

I'm reading now from the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, where Paul in his opening greeting says, "'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 blameless before Him.

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself according to the kind intention of His will."

And then if we move on down the page in the first chapter of Ephesians,

Verse 11, also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose, who works all things after the counsel of His will.