Predestined HOW?

"...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" (Eph. 1:4-5).

This is a controversial text. In fact, any verse that mentions the word or concept of predestination is going to incite controversy and debate among religious people. There are those who see this passage in Ephesians and conclude that God has predestined each individual to be either saved or lost. The Calvinists take it a step further, arguing that God's predetermined plan negates man's free-will. After all, if we can make our own choices, then God isn't truly sovereign. While I strongly disagree with the Calvinist's concept of predestination, it is clear that the Bible does teach predestination. The question is not whether we are predestined, but HOW we are predestined.

In many ways, this is a complicated study. However, I like to keep things simple, especially when I'm writing articles for my blog. So I'm not going to analyze every aspect of this issue, nor will I address every detail of the above passage. What I'd like to do instead is direct your attention to another passage in the very same chapter...

"In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise..." (Eph. 1:11-13).

In verse 11, we are once again told that all saints are saints because we've been predestined to be saints, but the specifics of our predestination are outlined in verses 12-13. God predestined, or predetermined, that those who hear the word of truth, trust in Christ, and believe, are sealed by the Holy Spirit (marked as saved). So as the old saying goes, God predestined the plan, not the man. It's not that each individual was predestined to be saved or not saved; it's that those who would subject themselves freely to the conditions of the gospel of Christ were predestined to be saved.

EVEN IF one argues that the man has been predestined, or more accurately, foreknown, what this passage proves beyond a shadow of a doubt is that we do maintain free-will. The language of verses 12-13 makes that point very clear. 

hear, trust, and believe in Christ = series of free-will choices

Are you choosing today to hear the Lord, to trust Him, and to believe Him? Please do!