Well, first of all, thank you very much indeed for the invitation to do this. And it is, I have good memories of meeting, brother Koshy Matthew in Andhra Pradesh. And I'm very fond of Andhra Pradesh actually, and I've never been to Mumbai, I don't expect I'll ever be now with this COVID, and so on. But who knows, the subject was given to me by brother Koshy, and he wanted me to take off the subjects of election and predestination. And we want to look at them as they are taught in the Bible. But we will also be contrasting them with another system of belief. There is a system, you can call it reformed theology, you can call it Calvinist theology, which takes a very different view, in my opinion, to what the Bible teaches.


Does it matter?
And you say, does it really matter? Well, it certainly matters when it comes to the Gospel because it changes our whole attitude to the Gospel, the Calvinist will preach the gospel. And he will think that his audience is divided into two groups, those who are elected to life, and those who are not elected to life, those who are reprobate and that those destinies have been fixed there before the world was. it doesn't matter what the person does, or how you pray, or anything, those are fixed, under unchangeable, and that God has decided who will be saved and who will not. And yet, the gospel is proclaimed to everyone. So, there are people who are hearing the gospel and hearing the invitation to come and be forgiven. But according to Calvinism, some of them who hear the gospel in that way, cannot come and cannot be saved.

Now, that is a huge problem right away, that the gospel invitation by God is not genuine. And then the Calvinist will begin to call about general calls and effectual calls and all this kind of thing. And so, he makes everything want to fit his system. But in this session, we want to look at what the Bible says about election, and predestination, I hope it will be helpful. And if people are listening to me, who take a different view, I'm not going to follow up with you. But what we want to do is to give a Christ-exalting a Christ-honouring, teaching, in these sessions, and we will find that a God in His grace, a God in his sovereignty is reigning in grace. And Grace goes out to the whole world, and whosoever will, may come and out as a rock I stand on, and I hope to show that it is scriptural.

So, the to give you an idea of my plan. The sessions will be divided roughly into four. We were going to we're going to look at part one, now the election of Scripture, what do the Scriptures say about the election, then in part two, we will be looking at the election of theology, it is very different. And part three, we will be looking at the title adding to the Scriptures. And we will discover also that the Calvinists use a methodology in there and formulating their doctrinal system, which adds to what the Bible is saying, and goes beyond what the Bible is saying. We'll deal with that when we come to it. And then in the fourth session, I want to look at the subject of keeping to the scriptures and giving suggestions, which hopefully will be helpful to those who are reading their bible and interested in these things.


Election of the Scripture
Now, we're going to look at the election of Scripture. I don't know if you've ever been asked this, I have been asked it in this form. So, you don't believe in election? Now that, of course, is a ridiculous question. Because the election is a Bible word. And the question is not whether or not you believe in election. But the question is this, what does the Bible teach about election? who are elected? And to what are they elected? Those are the important questions. So, we believe in election because, election is a Bible word. But we're going to discover that election in the Bible is something different to the election in theology, and this talk, and theology. So, here's how I would answer that question. Yes, I believe in election because election is a Bible word. But what did the questioner understand by election? What was in his mind when he said, do you not believe in election? So, it's necessary to qualify the answer?

And I would answer that question, I believe in the election of Scripture, not in the election of theology. And I reject the theology of both Calvinism and Arminianism. And we find that they are both an error in certain ways, they both have the same fundamental error. So, if a person says to you, are you a Calvinist, or an Armenian, refuse to answer the question because he is presenting you with a false dichotomy? Because they're both full of error? Now, they both contain elements of truth. I'm not saying that they're heretics. But I'm saying it's a very defective system of theology, Calvinism, and Arminianism. But will become if you're not familiar with these terms, don't be getting worried. We'll explain to them as we go on. So, the important question then, to be asked, Is this. What does the Bible mean by election? And that is so important because you could be speaking to someone, and they are talking about election, and you'll discover they mean something different by it, to what you understand by it. And we will find that there are people who use the word election with a totally different meaning to what the Bible or the Bible uses it,


Popular Misconceptions
Now there are two popular misconceptions about the election, and predestination. And if you look up the secular dictionary, like chambers, 21st century dictionary, this is just a secular dictionary on it gives the theological meaning of election. And they say that it is the exercise of God's will, and a predetermination of certain people to salvation. Now, we're going to discover that is actually not correct. And that, that is not what the Bible means by election, but this is a commonly held assumption, and when people talk to you in general about election. This is usually what they assume it means, God, predetermining certain people to salvation and reprobating or bypassing the others, saving some by choice and a damning others by choice. That is not what election means. So, bear with me. Then, we can ask the question, what is predestination? Again, looking up a dictionary, chambers 21st-century dictionary definition.

This is what it says, the doctrine that whatever is to happen, has been unalterably fixed by God from the beginning of time, especially with regard to which souls are to be saved, and which damned. Now, when we will look up the scriptural references to predestination, we will find that it doesn’t mean any such thing. And it is not that God has un-alterably fixed the destinies of men who are to be saved, and who are to be damned. In fact, that definition of predestination, It would have more in common with Islam than it would have with the Bible, where absolutely everything that ever happens is has been prefixed, preordained by God. That is not what the Bible teaches. Now, the Westminster Confession of Faith, which is a big document of Calvinism, it says that predestination is in two parts, election, and reprobation. And, again, we're going to discover that in when we look at the references to predestination, we discover that it isn't divided into two parts, election, and reprobation. And that is a complete misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the word.


Let’s get to the Point
So, we come to the point, which maybe some of you are saying, well, let's get to the point. What do these words mean, in our Bible? What does the Bible say? We're going to start then, with election. And the word election simply means choice. We don't need to do a complicated word study in Greek or anything like that. It just means choice. So, the question is this, who are chosen? And to what are they chosen? Well, you find when you read a Calvinist systematic theology, and books of that persuasion, that they never actually say, who are chosen under what are they chosen? And never answer that question, they assume they always assume that it is sinners who are chosen and that they are chosen to salvation, We are going to see no, what does the Bible say?

Now we're going to start at the very foundational texts for election, you probably thought I was going to start in Ephesians. or Ephesians 1 or Romans 9 or something like that. But in fact, we’re going to discover that all election is built on this truth. In Isaiah 42:1 it says, Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighted, I have put my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Now, who is this speaking about? Who is Isaiah speaking about? Mine elect? Well, we get the answer in the New Testament, in Matthew 12. Then the Pharisees went out and held a council against him or her, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it He withdrew himself from thence, and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all And he charged them, that they should not make him known that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah, the prophet saying, Behold, my servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased, I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles.

So now we see that God's elect is Christ. He says He is my elect, and Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, so his elect and chosen, and beloved one, is our Lord Jesus Christ before we think of ourselves at all, the Son of God is the elect, the Beloved, the Chosen of God. Now, let's look at another scripture. Again, Isaiah 28 this time, therefore, thus saith the Lord God. Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure Foundation, He that believeth shall not make haste. So, we have Isaiah, speaking of a precious cornerstone. Now let’s look at what Peter says about that scripture. In the New Testament, to whom coming as unto to a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, and a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God, by Jesus Christ, wherefore also, it is contained in the scripture, behold, I lay in Sion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him, shall not be confounded. So again, we have this wonderful title, elect, precious and it applies to Christ. So He primarily first and foremost is our Lord Jesus Christ, he is the elect of God, the Chosen One, the One who is precious, a precious cornerstone. Now, when you read, if you read any of the Calvinist stuff, five points for John Piper and all the rest of it.

And these popular Calvinist writers in the States at the moment, none of them start here, that it is Christ, who is elect Now, follow with me. So, the elect of God is primarily our Lord Jesus Christ. He is chosen, beloved, and precious. And now we get the key to our election. We are chosen in him and accepted in the Beloved. So that God lavishes on us. What He lavishes on his son, he treats us the way he treats his son, because we are in Him. So, notice, it is those who are in Him who are chosen and election applies to believers. It is not sinners; this sinner and that sinner being chosen to be saved. But it is those who are in Christ. It has to do with the redeemed. We are chosen in him and we are accepted in the Beloved. We are in the elect. The elect one is Jesus Christ. And we are chosen elect in him. So, the word chosen, precious, Beloved, does not apply to sinners, people who need to be saved, it applies to people who are already in him who are saved, and who are accepted in the Beloved, know that that is a key. The key thought of election, by a scriptures, is to do purely with redeemed purely with the saints purely with those who are in him.


Simple Definition
So, let's attempt a simple definition of biblical election and predestination. I put it to your election, according to the Bible, is God's choice of those who are in Christ, they are the election, those who are in Christ, no sinner is among the elect. That is an idea that is foreign to the Bible, and a person who puts their faith in Christ and has their sins forgiven will take their place among God's elect, because the moment they trust Christ, they are in Christ. And God has chosen that those who are in Christ will have very definite blessings and purposes, which we will see.

Now, election is God's choice of those who are in Christ has to do with the people that people who are saved. Predestination concerns, the future purposes, for those who are in Christ. So, we find as we look at this, it has nothing to do with sinners, being predestinated, either to salvation or to damnation. It is purely to do with the future purposes that God has. For those in Christ, we're going to see that so election and predestination are truths to do with the redeem with the saints, And it does not God fixing hell for some people and Heaven for others. That is not what it is about So, you can bear in mind those as simple definitions, which I hope as we progress, you will see, are indeed scriptural. Now, we want to turn now, a little more to what the Bible says and in Ephesians 1 is certainly a very important, very important portion, for the thoughts of election and predestination.

Now in the epistle to the Ephesians, it is written to the church in Ephesus. And I want you to notice the use of the preposition 'in' as we read some selected verses because all our blessings come to us because we are in Christ. It's not that blessings flow to us, as sinners, and that damnation and salvation. They fall upon certain people. That is not what we're going to discover. So, let's read his opening verses of Ephesians. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus, now, notice that So he's writing to Believers. That's important. Grace to you, peace from God or father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Now he begins, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. in Christ. So, everyone who's reading to every believer who's reading, this letter has been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, So all our blessings, their spiritual, their heavenly and, they are a result of our being in Christ. Now we come to the important verses, according to as he has chosen us, in Him, before the foundation of the world, so that we should be holy, and without blame before Him in love.

Now, notice what it says, chosen us, in him, there is nothing here, about unsaved people being chosen to be saved. This is those who are in Him. So according to as, he has chosen us in Him pardon me before the foundation of the world. And what are we chosen for in him? What is it that we're chosen for? The verse tells us that we should be holy and without blame, before him, in love, now that we should be holy, it doesn't say that we should be saved and that others lost. And notice that it doesn't say chosen us to be in him. It says chosen us in Him. In other words, those who are in Him, are chosen. This choosing relates to those who are in Christ. And that, God, chose that he would do this. Those who are in him, he chose before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy without blame before Him in love. Now we go, we move now to the first mention of predestinated. Having predestinated unto the adoption of sons, by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Now we were going to see now that predestination is to do with the purpose, with divine purposes, that he has, for those who are in Him for these elect. And one of the purposes and blessings that He will bestow on us is the adoption of sons.


Divine purposes of Predestination
Now, the adoption of sons is not the same as the new birth. This is not salvation. We are born into the Family of God, by the new birth, but we are adopted sons and we will discover that that takes place at the resurrection of the body and the judgment seat of Christ. When you're saved, you receive the Spirit of adoption. But we discover that adoption is the placing some placing, it is the placing of children now as adult’s sons in the family of God, and at the judgment seat of Christ. We have been predestinated to be appointed as adult son and his family according to the good pleasure of His will.

Now, I come back to the word adoption because it had a different meaning being written there than it was in most countries today I imagine that in India, you have the same modern meaning of adoption is the same as we have in the UK, that it means a father and mother parents adopting a child who is not their own to become one of the old family as if he was her son as if he were, the daughter of God but that is not the meaning of it in, this scripture The adoption here means the placing the recognition of children adult son In the family of God, which is different, now to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved, everything, all our blessings, in Ephesians, are all in Christ. This is not to do with sinners, this has to do with saints. Now, we keep going, In whom we have redemption through his blood, forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, wherein he has abounded toward us and all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to His good pleasure, which he hath purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, on which are on earth, even in him.

So, in this future dispensation, the final dispensation, we will be gathered together in one in Christ, things that are in heaven, things that are on earth, in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated, according to the purpose of him. So predestination is to do with purpose, what is he going to do with his elect, these are the purposes that he has, for his elect, those who are in Christ, the purpose of him who worketh all things, after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ, and whom he also trusted, after that, you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation, and whom also, after that he believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. And that is the guarantee you of our inheritance, and our redemption. Unto the praise of his glory, I want you to notice that the first thing that happens is a sinner. Hears the word of truth the gospel. And he believes the gospel, in whom are ye also trusted, after that, he heard the word of God, the gospel of your salvation, in whom after you have believed you are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.

A Calvinist will tell you that you must receive the Holy Spirit before you believe. And he will argue from a doctrine of total depravity, that you can't believe, therefore, you must be regenerated first. And when you've been regenerated, then you put your trust in the gospel. But this is the opposite of that. Because the after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom after that, after that he believed he were sealed with that Holy Spirit. So, belief came first and down, the sealing of the Holy Spirit of promise didn't come the other way round. We weren't we didn't receive the Holy Spirit of promise, and then believe that is a serious error that the Calvinists teach, and they do not like that verse 13, of Ephesians 2 which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, on to the praise of his glory. And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe according to the working of His mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand, in heavenly places. Now, those are lengthy quotations from the book of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. But I want you to notice how important the preposition in as when reading those chapters of Ephesians.

And in chapter two, he continues, where we will not spend too long on this, He hath raised us up together, made us sit together in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, on to good works, which God has ordained that we should walk on them. So, he has a plan for your life. And he has a plan he has works for you to do is things for you to do. And it's all through the goodness of Christ Jesus. And he says, that at that time, you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, without God in the world, but now in Christ Jesus, He who sometimes are far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. And so it continues, on into chapter two, for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace, there's no distinction between the Jew and the Gentile, and whom all the building fitly framed together, grew up onto a holy temple and the Lord, in whom he also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.


What is Election?
So, what is the election? who is elected and to what have we learned so far, by these readings from Ephesians? The election of theology says, God, it's God's choice of certain sinners to salvation. But election is not the choice of sinners to salvation. The election of Scripture says, it's God's choice of who is in Christ, to special blessings, which follow salvation. Now, if you can grasp that, I think you will, you will do well, and that the idea of election and predestination has nothing to do with sinners, being chosen beforehand, either to salvation or to reprobation. But it has everything to do with God's choice of those who are in Christ, to special blessings, which follow salvation.


What is Predestination?
And what is predestination? Who is predestined and to what? Now, the commonly held view is this. That it is the doctrine that whatever is to happen, has been unalterably fixed by God sounds like Islam, from the beginning of time, especially with regard to which souls ought to be saved, and which damned and extreme Calvinism actually charges God with sin, that he is responsible for everything that happens otherwise he wouldn't be sovereign, but that has to be nonsense. Because if God says, you shall not sin, you shall not steal. And a man goes out and says, I will steal. Did God unalterably fix it that man would steal and break his own commandment? I mean the problems are enormous, of this view, that God has unalterably fixed everything from the beginning of time, and especially souls to be saved, and which to be not. That's, that's what the common the hell view the Calvinist reformed view of predestination is saying. So, the Calvinists divides predestination into two parts, election, and reprobation.


Biblical view of Predestination
What does the Bible teach? And will we look at this There are four mentions of predestination in the New Testament. And when you bring them all together, it's really quite simple. And it's very different to what you read in the reformed book, Romans 8. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them, who are the called, according to His purpose. Notice the word, purpose, and the word called. We're talking here about believers, who are called according to His purpose, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of His son, that he might be the firstborn, among many brethren, Moreover, whom he did, predestinate them He also called, and whom he called, them he also justified and whom He justified, he also glorified. Now notice, in verse 28, All things work together for good to them, that love God, we're not talking about sinners at all to them who are the called according to His purpose. And the call here, there are two kinds of calls in the New Testament.

There's the gospel call, and there is the vocational call I could Paul writing to Thessalonians, we're on to either for the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you, that you walk worthy of the vocation, wherewith ye are called, and again, Paul writes to Timothy, who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling So this is the holy calling or vocational calling, which is according to God's purpose. For whom He did foreknow, he also did predestinate, we were all we all started out, in Adam, for those of us who are saved, God was able to look into the future and see us in Christ, He also did predestinate. To what? To be conformed to the image of His son, so notice it is not to salvation it is to conformity to His son, it is to the likeness of Christ, but Christ might be the firstborn among many brethren.

So, the called according to His purpose what's His purpose the purpose here is twofold that we would number 1 we would be conformed to the image of His son and number 2 that Christ would be the firstborn among many brethren So what an exaltation for Christ and he wants us for his brethren and you and I would be conformed to the image of His Son that is the goal of predestination and that I would suggest to you is God's highest goal for the saint for you and me. God has it in his purposes that one day you would be conformed to the image of his son moreover whom he did predestinate he has these purposes for us in Christ and He also called and I would suggest this is the holy calling in whom He called them he also justified and he justified them he also glorified so predestination. It has Christlikeness in view and glorification in view now having and also it says having predestinated us on to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will so here predestination is to the adoption of sons and then thirdly or fourthly if you like, there are 2 mentions of predestinate in Romans 8 but really their both the same.

Ephesians 1:11 says in whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. So, who is predestinated? Those who are in Christ what are they predestinated to? To Christ-likeness to glorification, to the adoption of Sons and to an inheritance there is no mention, of being predestinated to hell or to heaven. It's a predestination of the Christian to a purpose and what purposes they are? To be like Christ to share His glory to the adoption of sons to an inheritance


Adoption of Sons
Now, I just want to deal with this adoption of sons I think we've taken up our time and we will finish on this subject what is meant in the Bible by adoption for going to read from Romans 8 For the earnest expectation of the creature waited for the manifestation of the sons of God for the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected to same in hope. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God, the very creation is going to be delivered from the bondage to corruption for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. Now we come to the important bit and not only they but ourselves also which have the firstfruits of the spirit even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption. It hasn't happened yet in its fullness we've received a spirit of adoption, but we haven't received the adoption to it, that is, the redemption of our body.

So according to Romans 8, Adoption happens at our resurrection the redemption of our body and at the judgement seat of Christ So, adoption means son placing. It takes place when a child becomes an adult son and it takes place at the redemption of the body at the judgement seat but meanwhile, we have the spirit of adoption Now, let’s not confuse the adoption with the new birth. We became a Christian by new birth when you trusted Christ you were born into the family of God has one of his children. But the child of God receives the adoption of sons after redemption of his body and predestination is to the adoption of sons. It's not to salvation it is to this script purpose that God has for the believer the adoption of sons which is the redemption of his body, and we will be placed as adult sons in the family of God in heaven.

Now, adoption is not here it's not meant I repeat taking a child who is not your own child but receiving him into your family you adopt him that’s the modern meaning and the child legally becomes the child whose parents as if they had him. But that is not the meaning of it here. The meaning of adoption here is the appointment as it were the recognition of adult sons it follows salvation. We received the spirit of adoption at salvation, but the adoption of sons happens at the redemption for body read Romans chapter 8. Now, we have had gone on long enough I just finished by coming to our little conclusion for the moment. Election is called the choice of those who are in Christ. And predestination concerns the future purposes for those who are in Christ I hope that has given you something to think about and maybe rethink some of your assumptions and a in the next session we will look at some of the passages in Johns gospel. We will look at Romans Chapter 9 and will continue at on our study of biblical election and predestination, so I think that's more than enough for now and I'll hand back to the brother who is going to pray. Thank you for listening.