Have you ever noticed how quickly discussions about predestination seem to “go theoretical”? Even the most simple-thinking Christian suddenly get’s philosophical when it comes to this topic. We ask, “How can God sovereignly choose those who would be saved and still hold humans responsible for their spiritual choices? Why would a good and loving God allow millions of non-elect people to suf
fer eternity in hell, rather than choosing everyone to be saved? How does God’s irresistible call to salvation interact with human faith?” Before we know it, we’re sketching complex diagrams on our mental whiteboard, trying to fit these mysteries together! Sometimes the conversations go round and round until everyone is exhausted, neading a coffee refill, and ready to talk about the weather again.
Questions like these are very important and sobering to think through, and I don’t mean to belittle systematic reasoning when it comes to the doctrine of predestination. I believe every Christian should look deeply at this doctrine, probe into such questions, and do one’s best to put Scriptures’ witness together systematically so we can affirm the truth. However, we must not forget one important fact: the doctrine of predestination is meant to be profoundly personal, not just theoretical.
Think about the concept of romantic love. When I show up on my wife’s doorstep with flowers, I’m sure there’s an explanation from the world of neuroscience that would tell us why she gets so excited about these red petals on green stems, and why I enjoy her smile of reaction so much – certainly the brain neurons are firing! We could also analyze the various psychological motivations that went into my buying the flowers in the first place, and then we could speculate philosophically about “flowerness.” Yet, the love I feel for my wife is…well, just that: it’s “felt.” It’s something intangible…something experienced. It’s something I just know, and she knows. It’s something profoundly personal, not theoretical.
Like romantic love, predestination is a concept meant to be experienced. God didn’t have to tell us about this doctrine, but he did. Why? Because he wanted us to know that at precisely the point when we thought we chose him, he actually chose us! We thought we went to that youth camp, heard that amazing speaker, felt deep conviction, and decided to chase after Jesus. Then after the fact, we discover that God had been chasing US all along! He chose us before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight (Eph. 1:4). He predestined us to be his adopted children before we even had consciousness! (Eph. 1:5). He knew the entire “book” of our lives before any page was lived (Psalm 139:16). Before a single rock, tree, animal, or drop of water in this world was created, God already foreknew us, and had a plan to call, justify, and bring us to glory! (Rom. 8:29-30). These thoughts are certainly too huge for our feeble minds to get around, and yet they are meant to be thoughts that comfort us and sustain us through some of life’s greatest trials.
What about you? Have you “gotten personal” with the doctrine of predestination? Or have you left this discussion in theory-land, where it can never really hit your heart? If you’re a Christian, a true believer in Christ, God wants you to know that his love for you began before time and will continue for all time. It’s an unbreakable love, an eternal love, a divine love, a choosing love. I beg you to set down your theological diagram for a moment, and crawl into the arms of a God who’s been chasing you well before you ever thought of chasing him.
Since I’m a committed Wesleyan, I am just grateful for the grace of God that found a small child in his sins, and saved him at an early age.