Predestination
What is Predestination? How does it work?
Let’s talk about it.
Key Takeaways
Greg believes in individual predestination and emphasizes the role of God's foreknowledge in salvation.
Eric rejects the idea of unconditional individual election and believes that individuals freely choose to believe in Christ.
Eric argues that continuing as a member of the church is conditional, and he sees warnings in the New Testament about the possibility of falling away from faith. There are differing perspectives on predestination and God's foreknowledge.
The conversation explores whether God chooses individuals before they exist or if he chooses the collective body.
The speakers discuss biblical examples such as Noah, Pharaoh, and Judas to illustrate different perspectives on predestination.
They acknowledge that there are differing presuppositions and interpretations of the texts, but they agree that God is sovereign and actively working to accomplish his purposes. The concept of predestination is complex and open to different interpretations.
The speakers explore biblical passages that mention predestination, such as John 17:12, Acts 4:28, Romans 8:29-30, and Ephesians 1:4-11.
Greg leans towards the belief that God predestines individuals to believe in Christ, while Eric argues that predestination is about God's foreknowledge and the ultimate destiny of believers.
The speakers also discuss the idea of adoption and its relationship to predestination. The group of the chosen can change over time, as people can be cut off or grafted into the group based on their choices and obedience.
God knows the full number of the chosen, but our actions and decisions play a role in determining our place in the group.
The Lamb's Book of Life and the Book of Life are mentioned as references to the recording of names and the potential for names to be blotted out.
The conversation highlights the different perspectives on predestination and the importance of understanding the nuances of the biblical texts.
Ultimately, the focus is on living in obedience to God and trusting in His plan for salvation.