Predestination is a doctrine that some “churches” in the world cling to.
The basic tenets of this doctrine is that “once saved, always saved”. However,
this is not a biblical principal when the entire subject matter is taken into
consideration. The following scriptures are those upon which this doctrine is
founded.
Rom 8:29 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.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he
called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us
accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his
good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he
might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven,
and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 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:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who
first trusted in Christ.
While at first glance
it might seem that the doctrine of Predestination might have some validity we
need to delve further into the actual doctrine. The doctrine goes like this: We
are all predestined/preordained by God to either heaven or hell. There is
nothing we can do good or bad to change where we will spend eternity by our
actions. So now matter how good we live or how bad we live it will make no
difference to God. He has chosen before the foundation of the world whom, He
intends to save.
God knows the end from
the beginning. God knows who will be saved and who won’t be saved. But God has
given his salvation freely to all who desire it. You can’t earn it, but you can
obtain it for free. No one can take it away from you but it can be lost through
willful disregard for God’s word, through the refusal to turn away from
intentional sin, or by a conscious decision to terminate your relationship with
God.
To refute the doctrine
of Predestination, it’s necessary to show what the bible says we must do in
order to be saved. Please look at the following scriptures which are just a
portion on the subject of salvation, but do cover all the areas of the steps of
biblical salvation.
There are six things
that must be done in order to be saved. They are as follows:
1. You must believe that Jesus
Christ is your savior.
2. You must confess your sins to
God; and that Jesus Christ is your savior before men.
3. You must repent of your sins.
4. You must have faith that Jesus
Christ is able to; and will save you.
5. You must be baptized by full
immersion in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.
6. You must be baptized in the Holy
Ghost with the initial sign of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives the
utterance.
Belief
Definition of Believe: According to Merriam-Webster
Dictionary
1 a: to have
a firm religious faith b : to accept as true, genuine, or real
2: to have a
firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something.
3: to hold
an opinion
Belief means that with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength:
· You acknowledge the existence of
God.
· You acknowledge that Jesus
Christ is God manifest in the flesh.
· You acknowledge that you need
Him as your savior.
· You acknowledge His ability to
save you.
· You acknowledge that He has
saved you (after the fulfilling of the rest of the
requirements of the plan of salvation).
Witness #1:
Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the
Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he
saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things
are possible to him that believeth.
Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and
said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say
unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall
not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith
shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire,
when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my
name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Witness #2:
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and
he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth
on him.
John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me
hath everlasting life.
John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your
sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the
life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never
die. Believest thou this?
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God,
believe also in me.
Witness #3:
Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets
witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive
remission of sins.
Acts 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all
things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Witness #4:
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
1Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom
knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe.
Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that
the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
1Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Hebrews10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but
of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Hebrews11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for
he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him.
1John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on
the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us
commandment.
1John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that
believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Definition of Confession: According to "The
1.
The act or process of confessing
2.
Something confessed, especially disclosure of ones sins to a priest.
3.
A statement acknowledging guilt, made by one accused or charged with an
offense.
4.
An avowal of belief in a particular faith; a creed.
5.
A church or group of worshippers adhering to a specific creed.
Confession means that you use vocal expression; words spoken out loud to
tell God:
·
What sins you have committed, even though He
already knows what you have done, He still wants you to speak them to Him.
(Do this in private. No one else needs to hear you
telling your past to God.)
· That you accept his free gift of
salvation willingly and without reservation.
· That you are now His child and
willingly will serve Him for the rest of your life.
· That you publicly proclaim Him
as your God and savior.
Witness #1:
Matthew 3:6 And were baptized of him in
Matthew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall
confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in
heaven.
Mark 1:5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and
they of
Witness #2:
Luke 12:8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever
shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the
angels of God:
Acts 19:18 And many that believed came, and
confessed, and shewed their deeds.
Witness #3:
Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is
nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith,
which we preach;
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for
another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much.
Witness #4:
1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Definition
of Repentance: According to "The
1.
The act or process of repenting.
2.
Remorse or contrition for past sins.
Repentance means that you:
·
Are sorry for your sins.
·
That you are turning away from your sins.
·
That your intention is to live a clean and holy life before God through
His grace and the power which comes from the infilling of the Holy Ghost.
Witness #1:
Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the
Luke 13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans,
whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
Luke 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto
them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans,
because they suffered such things?
Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luke 13:4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think
ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in
Luke 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Witness #2:
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all
men every where to repent:
Romans 3:10 As it is
written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Romans 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable;
there is none that doeth good, no, not one
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God;
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made
sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that
the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Witness #3:
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some
men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Witness #4:
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar,
and his word is not in us.
Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and
repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard,
and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on
thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Witness #1:
Matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are
the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and
there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Matthew 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way;
first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Witness #2:
Luke 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance.
Luke 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in
themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luke 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a
Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I
thank thee, that I am not as other men are,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luke 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I
possess.
Luke 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up
so much as his eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one
that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be
exalted.
Witness #3:
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Witness #4:
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation
not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded
all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them
that believe.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
Definition of Faith: According to "The
1.
Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, an
idea, or a thing.
2.
Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence
3.
Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance.
4.
The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting
acceptance of God's will.
Faith means that with all your heart, soul, mind, and
strength:
Witness #1:
Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from
faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is
manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that
believe: for there is no difference:
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God;
Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance
of God;
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law.
Romans 3:29 Is he the God
of the Jews only? is he not also of
the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
Romans 3:30 Seeing it is
one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision
through faith.
Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid:
yea, we establish the law. But now the righteousness of God without the law is
manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye
should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently
set forth, crucified among you?
Galatians 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit
by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Galatians 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye
now made perfect by the flesh?
Galatians 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
Galatians 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and
worketh miracles among you, doeth he it
by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to
him for righteousness.
Galatians 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the
same are the children of Abraham.
Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify
the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be
blessed.
Galatians 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with
faithful Abraham.
Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under
the curse: for it is written, Cursed is
every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of
the law to do them.
Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of
God, it is evident: for, The just
shall live by faith.
Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that
the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut
up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might
be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a
schoolmaster.
Witness #2:
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we
should walk in them.
Witness #3:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it
is impossible to please him: for
he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Witness #4:
1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and
this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Witness #1:
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which
is in heaven.
Witness #2:
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If
ye continue in my word, then are ye
my disciples indeed;
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we
should walk in them.
Witness #3:
2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2 Thessalonians 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that
know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Thessalonians 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of
naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to
save your souls.
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves.
Witness #4:
James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works:
shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well:
the devils also believe, and tremble.
James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without
works is dead?
James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he
had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
James 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by
works was faith made perfect?
James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham
believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called
the Friend of God.
James 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and
not by faith only.
James 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by
works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
James 2:26 For as the body without the
spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come
that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us,
what shall the end be of them that
obey not the gospel of God?