Grace Baptist Church

1.  From all eternity God decreed all that should happen in time, and this He did freely and unalterably, consulting only His own wise and holy will.  Yet in so doing He does not become in any sense the author of sin, nor does He share responsibility for sin with sinners.  Neither, by reason of His decree, is the will of any creature whom He has made violated; nor is the free working of second causes put aside; rather is it established.  In all these matters the divine wisdom appears, as also does God's power and faithfulness in effecting that which He has purposed.  (Num. 23:19; Isa. 46:10; John 19:11; Acts 4:27, 28; Rom. 9:15, 18; Eph. 1:3-5, 11; Heb. 6:17; Jas. 1:13; 1 John 1:5)

2. God's decree is not based upon His foreknowledge that, under certain conditions, certain happenings will take place, but is independent of all such foreknowledge.  (Acts 15:18; Rom. 9:11, 13, 16, 18)

3. By His decree, and for the manifestation of His glory, God has predestinated (or foreordained) certain men and angels to eternal life through Jesus Christ, thus revealing His grace.Others, whom He has left to perish in their sins, show the terrors of His justice.  (Matt. 25:34; Rom. 9:22-23; Eph.1:5-6; 1 Tim. 5:21; Jude 4)

4. The angels and men who are the subjects of God's predestination are clearly and irreversibly designated, and their number is unalterably fixed. (John 13:18; 2 Tim. 2:19)

5. Before the world was made, God's eternal, immutable purpose, which originated in the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, moved Him to choose (or to elect), in Christ, certain of mankind to everlasting glory.  Out of His mere free grace and love He predestinated these chosen ones to life, although there was nothing in them to cause Him to choose them.  (Rom. 8:30; 9:13, 16; Eph. 1:4, 9, 11; 2:5, 12; 1 Thess. 5:9; 2 Tim. 1:9)

6. Not only has God appointed the elect to glory in accordance with the eternal and free purpose of His will, but He has also foreordained the means by which His purpose will be effected. Since His elect are children of Adam and therefore among those ruined by Adam's fall into sin, He willed that they should be redeemed by Christ, and effectually called to faith in Christ. Furthermore, by the working of His Spirit in due season they are justified, adopted, sanctified, and 'kept by His power through faith unto salvation'.  None but the elect partake of any of these great benefits. (John 6:64; 10:26; 17:9; Rom. 8:30; 1 Thess. 5:9-10; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2, 5)

7. The high mystery of predestination needs to be handled with special prudence and caution, so that men, being directed to the will of God revealed in His Word and obeying the same, may become assured of their eternal election through the certainty of their effectual calling.  By this means predestination will promote the praise of God, and reverential awe and wonder.  It will encourage humility and diligence, and bring much comfort to all who sincerely obey the gospel.  (Luke 10:20; Rom. 11:5-6, 20, 33; Eph. 1:6; 1 Thess.1:4-5; 2 Pet. 1:10)