pilgrim in progress

The doctrine of predestination (that God chooses some for salvation and not others) is divisive, controversial, disturbing, and annoying at best. That is what I thought about this doctrine at one point not too many years ago. Today predestination is wonderfully comforting to me. I thought it would be interesting to share my journey.

During my first couple of years of college it was annoying more than anything. As in so many bible college’s it was the topic of discussion that caused the most controversy in theology class and in the dorms. I joined in innumerable discussions on the topic and left increasingly frustrated as I saw brothers and sisters wasting time on what I felt was a non-essential. After awhile I got fed up and determined not to waste anymore time arguing about something we’ll never have a definite answer too. I then judged all those who engaged in discussions on whether predestination was biblical or not as being misguided backsliders who needed to really meet Jesus and begin to love him more than just talk about him. I was focused on being spiritual and holy, loving Jesus and going my merry Christian way. I wanted revival and I was too busy praying for God to move upon hearts to debate as to how and why he would move on hearts and save.

That was until my younger brother began reading Spurgeon. We cleaned pools for our family business in the summer and it was poolside that he helped me forge so much of my theology today. When Tyler brought up predestination I was resistant. I gave him all my arguments for why it’s not important and why we shouldn’t waste our time debating it – it did not affect our salvation and it was divisive if anything. Stay away. My brother kept reading Spurgeon and printed out dozens of his sermons – most of them on predestination. I stayed away from them, but Tyler was being struck to the heart and couldn’t help but ask me questions every day, day after day, cleaning pools, asking me question after question about this verse and that verse and God’s character and His will.

Spurgeon was having a visible impact on my brother. I could tell God was doing a good thing in him, he was hungry to know God more than I had seen him before. I finally gave in and read a Spurgeon sermon that Tyler had printed off. It happened to be a series of sermons that Spurgeon had visiting preachers come to preach to inaugurate the opening of the new church building! He introduced the series and can you guess what the topic was? The five points of Calvinism!Unbelievable – he had five different guys preach on the five points (you can read them here). That struck me. Who in their right mind today would celebrate their new building with a marathon sermon series with five guest preachers! And to top it off choose TULIP as the theme. I wanted to read more.

The next thing I read in God’s providence was ‘What We Believe About the Five Points of Calvinism’ by John Piper. This had a huge affect on me as I read through the biblical support for God’s sovereign grace in a way that was understandable. The thing that at that point impacted me more than anything though was the testimonies at the end of the paper from famous men of God. It was the testimony of Augustine, Jonathan Edwards, George Mueller, George Whitefiled, and Charles Spurgeon – men whom I had read about through my studies on revival and knew where used mightily of God to reach many for the Gospel, these men were the greatest evangelists of the church. The thing that struck me was that these men, so mightily used of God to reach the lost, gave all the glory to the sovereign grace of God. They all testified to the fact that the doctrine of predestination was the foundation for their prayers, for their evangelism, for all their perseverance in ministry. After reading that I was humbled to think that if these men whom I respected so highly and were used so greatly believed so strongly in this doctrine, then I at least ought to study it and give it a chance. I have never been the same.

The doctrine of predestination brings comfort to me every day. It assures me of God’s sovereign control in all things and reminds me that nothing is an accident. It is the fuel that keep my passion aflame with desire for God, for the church, for the lost. It fuels my prayers and gives a solid ground and hope for evangelism. I am encouraged by a statement of the late Bill Bright (who I’m not sure believes in predestination), “Successful evangelism is sharing the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.” Because of the doctrine of predestination I can truly leave the results to God and know that in His perfect love and wisdom He has determined in eternity to do what would bring Him the greatest glory! There is nothing more thrilling than realizing that is the kind of God we have and that He invites us to join Him in His work. As I look back the doctrine of predestination was probably annoying to me because deep in my heart I was disturbed by it. My flesh did not want to give up the belief that I am more important and have more control in this life than I actually do, that I’m not actually as much of a sinner as I really am. Now I am incredibly comforted and amazed in realizing that I am the worse sinner I know and that God in His rich mercy chose me by His (nothing in me – I was his enemy!).