Predestination is a big Bible word. Have you ever heard the term? What does it mean to be ‘predestined?’ How does it elevate your life? What about the term foreknowledge? Have you ever heard that term used about God — the fact that God has perfect foreknowledge? Of course, I am leading somewhere specific by these questions that I’m asking you because you run into these two big Bible Words as you read the front part of Ephesians chapter one. We understand and know from the scripture that God knows the end from the beginning. But, how does God’s all-inclusive knowledge work together with His calling on our lives? One gentleman told the following story. Dr. Harry Ironside told of a man who gave his testimony, telling how God had sought him and found him. How God had loved him, called him, saved him, delivered him, cleansed him, and healed him. It was a tremendous testimony to the glory of God. After the meeting, one rather legalistic brother took him aside and said, “You know, I appreciate all that you said about what God did for you, but you didn’t mention anything about your part in it. Salvation is really part God and part us, and you should have mentioned something about your part. “Oh, the man said, “I apologize. I’m sorry. I really should have mentioned that. My part was running away, and God’s part was running after me until he found me.” God called this man in Christ Jesus, and you know what? — He has called you. How Predestination and God’s Foreknowledge Elevates Your Everyday Life, that’s our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

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Walking Blamelessly Before Almighty God: Why It’s Good [Podcast]

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You can view a ‘no frills’ transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.

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Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.

This weeks ‘Call to Action’ is: 

You were thought of and predestined before the earth was ever created. Embrace your calling in Christ Jesus. Remember the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. God has not changed His mind concerning you./callout]

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Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Question of the Day: How does the fact that you were predestined make you feel about how special you are in God’s eyes? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below./callout]

Episode Resources

You can find more information on the book of Ephesians by clicking on the links below.

1. #S8-037: Walking Worthy of the Lord: What It Means for Your Everyday Life [Podcast]
2. #S8-035: Why Your Holy Spirit Preparation Is Part of Your God Story [Podcast]
3. #S8-033: How God Grows A Courageous Church and Why It Matters [Podcast]
4. #S8-032: The Powerful Authority Resident in Being Seated with Christ [Podcast]
5. #S8-030: Why God Wants You to Have Spiritual Revelation Flowing In Your Life [Podcast]

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 42 years ago. He has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 38 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com.

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Podcast Notes

Predestination: What It Is

• If we take the word ‘predestination’ and break it down in English, it comes from two words, ‘pre-,’ which means before, and the word ‘destiny.’
• Destiny is a predetermined course of events — it is something that is to happen or has happened by a determined plan.

Ephesians 1:3–6(ESV) — Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even 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 for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

• You have been chosen in Him before the foundation of the world – that’s the word ‘pre’ in ‘predestination.’
• Again, we are chosen In Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him.
• ‘Holy and blameless’ is your destiny.
• So, we can take that whole phrase: ‘chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless’ and simplify into the term we know today as predestination.
• God has predestinated you to be holy and blameless before Him.
• Holy means ‘set apart’ for sacred use.
• You’ve been set apart by God to be ‘blameless’ before Him.
• The Greek word ‘blameless’ is one we want to look at, and, with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
• The word ‘blameless’ means without blemish.
• It’s a term used by Israel when referring to the kind of lamb or sacrificial animal that God required them to offer.
• Do you remember the scripture in Hebrews concerning Jesus?

Hebrews 9:14(ESV — how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

• Jesus was without blemish before God.
• You have been predestined to the same end in the sight of God. — holy and without blame — just like Jesus.
• Astounding.
• Listen to it again in another passage in Ephesians.

Ephesians 5:27 (ESV) — so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

• Colossians 1:22 says the same thing.

Colossians 1:22 (ESV) — he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

• Over and over again, this has been declared by the Spirit of God.

Philippians 2:15 (ESV) — that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

• You’ve heard the phrase, ‘like a broken record?’
• The Spirit of God through the Apostle Peter plays the same record.

2 Peter 3:13–14 (ESV) — But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

• Listen to this now — we are waiting for a new heaven and new earth — we are in expecting mode — that’s faith — waiting for the new heaven and the new earth — that’s on the other side of the Millennial reign of Jesus.
• While we are watching and waiting, God has a message for us — be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish.
• Diligent means to be eager.
• It means to have or show keen interest, intense desire, or impatient expectancy.
• Our job while we are waiting for the end of all things is to walk out this positional truth ‘blameless before Him.’
• And to do so with an intensity and impatient expectancy.
• How do I do that?
• The same you do anything else in this walk of God – you live it through God.

Jude 24 (ESV) — Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,

• You live blameless by leaning into Him — by leaning on Him.
• What are you saying?
• Here is what I am saying — Jesus was a Lamb without blemish before God.
• He was perfect in every way.
• He was sinless in every way before God.
• No guile or deceit was ever found in His mouth.
• You have been predestined to be found in Him in the same way — holy and without blame.
• Marvelous!
• Should you choose to accept it, your job is to take this positional truth and walk it out in your everyday life and then, having done all to stand — stand.
• So again, predestination is God’s plan determined ahead of time.
• How far ahead?

Predestination: A Glimpse at Eternity Past

• The concept of Predestination and God’s foreknowledge brings you face-to-face with eternity past.
• Yes, the Bible does give us some glimpses of what it was like in heaven before the earth existed.
• What was God doing before man was created?
• Was He just floating around in space?
• Predestination is one window that we can use to look through into God’s House to see what may have been happening before the Father said ‘let there be.’
• But, it’s not the only window in God’s house — there are others.
• For example, have you ever noted the words ‘before the foundation of the world?’
• These words also give us a glimpse into God’s house in eternity past.
• You know this set of words, ‘before the foundation of the world’ occurs eleven times in the New Testament.
• Let’s take a look at a few of these passages.

Predestination: Hidden Before the Foundation of the World

• There’s a phrase used in the New Testament that sheds some more light on the idea of your pre-determined destiny or ‘predestination.’
• Listen to it in Matthew’s gospel.​

Matthew 13:35 (ESV) — This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

• So, we know that in eternity past, some things concerning the plan of God were hidden.
• The Greek word ‘hidden’ means to hide, conceal, or cover.
• Hidden is the opposite of revelation.
• Revelation is an uncovering of what was hidden.
• Hidden – cover, revelation – uncover.
• If something is intentionally being covered, then that implies planning.
• Since we are talking about ‘predestination,’ we could say it implies pre-planning.

Kingdom Prepared Before the Foundation of the World

​Matthew 25:34 (ESV) — Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

• We see from this verse that in eternity past, a kingdom was prepared.
• Kingdom has been God’s intent the whole way through.
• The Greek word ‘prepared’ is significant and it means ἕτοιμος; Hom.+) to cause to be ready, put/keep in readiness, prepare¹
• Let’s look at the next verse and get ready — this one’s a stunner.

Prophet’s Slain Before the Foundation of the World

​Luke 11:49–50 (ESV) — Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation,

• Here, God is speaking of Israel.
• God called Israel to be His agent in revealing Jesus to the world.
• Israel was to be a nation of Kings and Priests that God would use to bring forth the Savior of the world, the messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
• By taking up with idols — Israel had their own idea of how they thought things should go.
• They rebelled against the plan of God.
• Here’s what this verse in Luke shows us.
• God knew about the rebellion before the rebellion ever took place.
• He set things in motion to help man from his self-destructive tendencies.
• In Eternity Past, God knew of man’s blindness.
• He understood by His foreknowledge, his lack of wisdom.
• I mean, only a person with one eye and half sense would rebel against a loving Creator, right?
• You have to be a little nuts to do something like that.
• And so, in His foreknowledge, God, by His great love, called the prophets to help his people by warning them of how their actions would cut them off from the Covenant.
• The point is, God planned to help mankind before mankind ever existed.
• All of this is wrapped up in the phrase ‘before the foundations of the world.’
• The astounding thing is that God also knew that Israel would not listen — he knew that they wouldn’t heed His warnings — that they would kill His very chosen messengers.
• He knew His messengers would die, but love demanded that His people be warned — that His people have a chance to turn.
• So, that man could never say — ‘God, you didn’t tell me — if you had only told me, I would have listened.’
• So, He knew that they wouldn’t listen, but they didn’t know it.
• So, it had to be proved.
• All of this was planned out before the ‘foundations of the world.’
• Here’s another glimpse of ‘eternity past.’

​John 17:24 (ESV) — Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

• Doesn’t this coincide with John 1:1?

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God?

• Sure it does, and one that it shows is that in eternity past, there was already a great love between Jesus and the Father God.
• The Father loved Jesus before there was a world full of people.
• Do you want to know what God was doing before the world existed?
• He was loving Jesus; that’s what He was doing.
• So, the Father existed, and Jesus existed in eternity past, and the great connection between them was love.
• What else do the scriptures tell us took place in eternity past?

The Book of Life Written Before the Foundations of the World

​Revelation 13:5–8 (ESV) — And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

• In eternity past, the Book of Life was written.
• Let’s talk about this Book of Life — there’s been some misunderstanding concerning this Book.
• People have been taught that you get your name written in the Book of Life once you get saved.
• Like an angel is just standing there waiting, pen in hand, in eager anticipation of you saying the sinner’s prayer, and when you do, bang — he writes your name in the Book of Life.
• That’s not what happens.
• We’ve taught it like that in our churches, almost like it’s a reward for coming to Jesus: ‘get saved — get your name written in the Book.’
• But that’s not what happened.
• This verse, in Revelation thirteen, says that the Book of Life had the Names already written in it ‘before the foundation of the world.’
• In eternity past, this book was written.
• God knew by His foreknowledge who would say yes to Jesus and who would say no.​

Revelation 20:12 (ESV) — And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.​

Revelation 20:15 (ESV) — And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

• So, names are never added to the Book of Life.
• This Book, generated in eternity past, has the Names of all the saints of God.
• So names are never added to the Book as we taught it, but names can be blotted out of the Book.

Revelation 3:5 (ESV) — The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

Predestination: Chosen and Blessed

• Let’s go back to verse four of Ephesians one again.​

Ephesians 1:4–5 9 (ESV) — even 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 for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

• God predestined us.
• He chose us.
• He planned the party before he sent the invitations out.
• You are chosen in Him, even when you miss it!
• You are holy and without blameless before Him, even when you sin because this is positional truth.
• It’s how God sees you in Christ.
• Your job is to see yourself as He sees you.
• To walk out practically how He sees you positionally.
• Your life, your ups and downs, your in’s and outs don’t change what God planned because all of this was set before the foundation of the world.
• As long as you hang in there — as long as you refuse to quit — as long as you continue to walk out God’s will for your life — as long as your heart stays towards Him — as long as you always acknowledge Jesus, your destiny – predetermined plan of God will come to pass.​

Philippians 1:6 (ESV) — And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

• What God started, He will complete.
• The plan, set in eternity past, will come to fruition.
• You can count on it; you can know it’s so.
• Set your watch by it — He who began a good work in you will perform until the day of Christ.
• God the Father has blessed us, God the Father has chosen us, God, the Father has predestined us.
• He has both blessed us and chosen us: those two thoughts are twin sisters.

The Lord’s Piercing Provision

• Because you were chosen, provision was made – spiritual blessings in heavenly places were provided.
• Whom God calls, He qualifies.
• And, whom God chooses, He provides for.
• Think about this for a moment; God provided spiritual blessings before they were actually needed.
• He provided the blessing before there was a problem that required the blessing.
• We see this same MO in Genesis one — God making provision before there was a need.

Genesis 1:27–28 (ESV) — So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

• God knew there would be a need for authority.
• He provided it — He gave it to Adam to use.
• He knew about the serpent in His foreknowledge.
• So, He made provision for man to be victorious.
• God did not put Adam in the Garden to fail — He put him in a position to succeed.
• God always puts you in a position to be successful — always!
• You can see this marvelous nurturing provision.

Insight Into God’s Provision and Planning

​Matthew 6:30–32 (ESV) — But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

• Again, you understand that God is the Master Planner.
• If you remember, Jesus gave forth a parable one day of the person who went to war but didn’t size up the battle — or count the cost.

Luke 14:31–33 (ESV) — Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

• Jesus, in these verses in Luke 14:25–33, tries to get over to his disciples what the cost of discipleship really is.
• So much of the time in our evangelism efforts, we try to present Jesus as a quick fix to people’s problems to lure them into salvation.
• We present the Savior as ‘pie in the sky’ so to speak.
• Jesus wanted people to know something else.
• He wanted them to understand there was a cost to serving God.
• Neither family nor possessions can be priority one.
• Possessions cannot be ‘priority one.’
• If there is a choice between possessions and God’s purpose for your life, a real disciple will choose the purpose.
• The will of God should always be supreme.
• The pain you encounter by making these decisions of order, the lack of comfort you endure by choosing Jesus and putting Him first in your life is part and parcel of the cross you bear.
• My point here is simply this: if God told you to count the cost, don’t you think He did the same when He called you?
• In choosing you, God counted the cost and provided for you spiritual blessings in heavenly places.

Predestination: Chosen in Him

• Now, this choosing that the Lord did, how did that work exactly?
• Let’s be a little more precise.

Luke 9:35 (ESV) — And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”

• The term ‘Chosen One’ references the Messiah — it points to Jesus.
• So, when we say Jesus is the Christ, we are saying that Jesus is the Messiah — that Jesus is the Chosen One.
• Here it is in the Old Testament.​

Isaiah 42:1 (ESV) — Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

• Now, listen to this scripture again – Paul said, in Ephesians 1:4, God the Father chose you — but how did He choose you?
• God chose you IN HIM.
• I put IN HIM in bold letters.
• So, what God actually did in His foreknowledge, is He chose Jesus first — we already saw that He loved Jesus before the foundation of the world.
• God chose Jesus and, after He did that, He chose you in Him.
• You are chosen in Jesus – you are in him — that’s what ‘in Him’ means.
• Just like God called Abraham first, knowing that Israel was in him.​

Hebrews 7:9–10 (ESV) — One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

• Levi was in Abraham when Levi didn’t exist.
• That’s what being chosen in Jesus is like.
• You were in Jesus when you didn’t exist.
• All of that took place before the foundation of the world.
• The Greek word ‘choose’ amplifies this thought because it’s a verb meaning that this choice is an active and intentional thing that God did.
• He chose you, which means to select for one’s own reasons or purposes from several alternatives.​

James 2:5 (ESV) — Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

• You see that God chose people from all spectrums – rich-poor and everything in between.
• This is exactly how God did Israel — He chose them.

Deuteronomy 7:6 (ESV) — “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.​

Deuteronomy 26:18 (ESV) — And the Lord has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments,

• Jesus did the same thing when He chose His disciples.
• Listen to Him.

John 15:16 (ESV) — You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

• Just like a God chose Israel in Abraham, so He chose you in Jesus.
• You have been chosen in Jesus – that Choosing came before the foundation of the world — that’s predestination — you were chosen to be holy and without blame before Him.
• Did you get anything out of this podcast?
• You guys have a great God-week in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Did You Know that A Good God Has A Good Plan For Your Life?

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