Do You Understand Predestination?
Bob Yandian
There is a very strong teaching today in the body of Christ on the sovereignty of God, and much of it has gotten out of balance. The idea floating around is that God does everything and man does nothing. But just as dangerous is the opposite extreme—God does nothing, and man does everything. The truth lies in the balance between the two. For every truth of the Word, there is a ditch on both sides of the road. And it is our job to stay out of the ditches and walk the center line of biblical truth.
Let’s look at the sovereignty of God as it relates to predestination and election. These are big-sounding theological terms, but their meaning is very simple when you rightly divide the Word. Many believe predestination means God chooses some people to be saved and others not to be saved. That belief removes any real need for evangelism, any urgency for missions, and even the importance of personal witnessing. If God has already chosen who is going to heaven and who is not, then why preach the gospel at all?
I even heard a minister say he wouldn’t witness to his children because he didn’t know if they were predestined to go to heaven. That kind of thinking contradicts everything the Bible teaches. The truth is that God has a plan—but He also gave man a free will. And that plan was built on God’s foreknowledge of who would believe when presented with the gospel.
God Is Not Willing That Any Should Perish
Second Peter 3:9 says, “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” That verse alone should settle the issue of whether God selects certain people to be saved and others to be lost. If God isn’t willing for any to perish, then He must have made salvation available for all.
3:16, and it says, “For God so loved the world…” That’s everyone. “That whosoever believes in Him…” Again, that’s anyone. The invitation is wide open, but the choice must be made individually. God will never override your will, and He won't make you accept Him.
The purpose of evangelism is to present the gospel and persuade people by the power of the Holy Spirit. We’re not responsible for the results, but we are responsible for the preaching. Paul told King Agrippa, “You almost persuade me to be a Christian.” That’s the goal—to persuade people, not force them.
Nothing in Us to Deserve Election
There is absolutely nothing in us that made God choose us. Romans 3:10-18 is clear on that. Paul quotes Psalm 14:1-4, and says, “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one…”
The passage goes on to say our throats are open tombs, our tongues speak deceit, and our feet are swift to shed blood. There is no fear of God before our eyes. That is the condition of every human being born into this world. Black, white, male, female, rich, poor, educated, uneducated—it doesn’t matter. We are all born in Adam, born into sin, and born under the curse. That means there is nothing, absolutely nothing, in us for God to look at and say, “I think I’ll choose him.”
How did God choose us? He made a choice from His heart—not based on any goodness in us, but on His own love. He didn’t love us because we were lovable. He loved us because He chose to love us. And He chose to love all of us.
Foreknowledge: The Key to Predestination
What is the basis of predestination and election? It is God’s foreknowledge. God knew, before the foundation of the world, who would say yes when the gospel was presented. He saw every choice, every altar call, every revival. He saw the moment we said yes to Jesus, and He didn’t have to throw a plan together on the spot. The plan was already in place because of His foreknowledge.
“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son… moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:29–30).
The word “foreknew” is the key that unlocks everything else. God saw ahead of time that we would choose Jesus, and on that basis, He elected us and predestined a plan for our lives. He justified us and already sees us glorified.
Election and Predestination Defined
Election happens the moment you receive Jesus as Lord. That is when God announces before heaven, “I choose you!” Why? Because you chose Him. Then comes predestination. That is the detailed plan God has for your life after salvation—all the way into eternity.
God has a plan for you even when you miss it. If you step out of His will, confess your sins, and get back on track, the plan resumes. If you miss plan A, He has a plan B. If you miss B, He has C. And if you run out of alphabet letters, He starts over with AA. God has more answers for your life than you have problems.
You are not walking a road He hasn’t already seen. He doesn’t predestine you to be saved—He predestines your life after you are saved. And He only does that for those who say yes to the gospel. He doesn’t make plans for those who reject Him.
RSVP to Salvation
Think about it like a party invitation. You send out invitations, and at the bottom, you put four little letters: RSVP. You are asking people to let you know if they will be attending. When they respond, you know how to plan for the meal, the chairs, the gifts. If they don’t respond or say they are not coming, you don’t make preparations for them.
Salvation works the same way. God sends out an invitation. Those who RSVP and say yes to Jesus are elected and step into a predestined plan. But God doesn’t make arrangements for those who reject the invitation. He knows who will come and who won’t. This is foreknowledge. He only designs the plan for those who choose to receive Him.
Glorified Already
Romans 8:30 says, He “glorified” us. Past tense. You say, “Well, I’m not glorified yet.” In the natural, no. But in God’s mind, it’s already done. He sees you standing before Him in a glorified, resurrection body—no wrinkles, no pain, no weakness. You look like you did in your prime, and you will never grow old again.
That means if He sees you that way, you will come through every problem in between here and there. He didn’t make a temporary plan for you. He made an eternal one. From the moment you were saved, He not only shouted your name before the angels, but He also began guiding you along a path designed for your growth, your success, your conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.
Sprinkled with the Blood
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:2).
You were not elected randomly. You were elected according to foreknowledge. God didn’t pick you arbitrarily. He chose you because He knew you would choose Him. And He didn’t just wash you with the blood once—He continues to sprinkle that blood on your life to maintain fellowship.
An example is the Passover. The lamb’s blood was shed, but it had to be applied. The sprinkling of the blood keeps you in fellowship with God. You don’t get saved again every time you sin. You confess, and fellowship is restored.
The issue of predestination has tripped up many in the church. But it’s simple. It’s not about God choosing some and rejecting others. It’s about God foreseeing who would say yes—and then making plans for them.
God doesn’t force salvation on anyone. He offers it. And when you accept it, He calls you, justifies you, and has already glorified you in His eternal perspective.
Live with boldness. Walk with confidence. Your salvation wasn’t random. Your future isn’t unknown. God has already mapped it out. You are in the plan. You are on the path. You are more than a conqueror. And the end has already been written!
