October 4, 2026 Elder Josh King - Common objections to Predestination, continued

Again, very thankful to be at the church house with y'all this morning.

The today we're going to continue and look at three of the most common objections to predestination election.

We're continuing on our series looking at this from the standpoint of the skeptic.

And before I get started, I'm going to go ahead and swallow one of these cough drops because I feel it hitting me already.

But I want to go ahead and give you these three objections that we're going to deal with in turn today.

The first of those is that we are people that believe in grace and in predestination election.

People will falsely say that this makes God the author of sin.

In other words, if God is sovereign over everything and he predestines and he elects, then he must be the cause of all things.

So they will falsely charge God that God is the author of sin.

Secondly, they will also say that predestination election discourages holy living and prayer and evangelism.

That if you believe that, then you can go and live however you want to live because you're bound for heaven or I'm bound for hell, one or the other, and so you can't change that if God is a sovereign God and then just I'm gonna go live how I want to live.

The last point is the critics will also say that predestination makes God a tyrant and not a loving God.

That, you know, where is God's fairness?

Where is man's free will and all that?

In other words, if God has fatally predestined everything to happen the way that he said, then that just makes God a tyrant and we're just pawns on a chessboard.

He does whatever he wants to do.

So I want to deal with those very three things this morning.

And today, the first thing that we're gonna deal with is gonna be the fact that God is not the author of sin.

God is not the author of sin.

So I want to give you uh, and by the way, if y'all will, uh we'll get to there in just a minute, but y'all can turn with me over to James chapter one.

Uh that's where we're gonna start this morning.

Uh we're gonna try not to be in too big a hurry, but to cover this thoroughly and slowly.

But we'll start in James chapter one.

So I want to make a statement regarding this.

So we've given you the three objections to predestination election here.

But let me tell you what primitive Baptist and also the historical church believed.

So Primitive Baptist and the historical church has believed that the Bible teaches that predestination only pertains to the eternal salvation of God's elect or chosen people and not every event.

Now that is significant.

Primitive Baptists and the historical church have typically believed that predestination only pertains to the eternal salvation of God's elect or chosen people and not every event in life.

Let's say that a different way.

Predestination is personal and unto adoption of sons and daughters.

It is not an unrestricted decree of all things that will come to pass.

Predestination, brothers and sisters, only pertains to salvation and God's elect children.

So, as an example, primitive Baptists are not absolutors.

Primitive Baptists are not absolutors.

What is that?

That's an old archaic term.

An absolutor is a person who believes in the absolute predestination of all things.

And see, this is where part of the problem arises.

Where that people charge God falsely with sin.

Well, Brother Josh, if you believe in predestination election that God is a sovereign God and that, you know, he does his will and the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and no man can stay his hand or say unto him, What doest thou?

Then how does any man tell God no?

Well, they don't.

Well then, sir, if that's the case, then you know we're all just either destined for heaven or hell, and you know, and God has predetermined everything.

Well, again, we're just palms on a chessboard.

Well, Printed Baptist and the historical church have believed that predestination, according to the Bible, only pertains to eternal salvation in God's children, not to every event.

So, in other words, we don't believe that God predestines every spilled cup of coffee, every speeding ticket, every marriage and divorce, every car accident.

What about Peter denying the Lord three times before the cockroach?

Jesus told Peter that he was going to do that.

Did he not predestine Peter to do that?

No, he did not.

God knew what Peter was going to do, but Peter, as a man, sinfully chose to do that.

God did not make him deny him three times before the cock crew.

But God knew what he was going to do.

God does not predetermine every sinful or criminal act.

He doesn't do that.

God does not predestine every conversation that occurs at the gas station in the grocery store.

Brothers and sisters, predestination and election according to the Bible, pertains to eternal salvation and not to every individual event that occurs.

We are not absoluters.

We do not believe that God predestines every single individual event, every pin drop, every we don't believe that because that's not what the Bible teaches.

So let's look at that.

Predestination applies only to the elect's salvation.

God is not the cause or the author of sin.

Sin originates in the creature.

What do you mean creature?

Satan, Adam, and mankind.

Are not all those created things?

Satan was a fallen angel, Adam was the first man, and you and I are men and women.

Sin originated with the creatures, not with God.

God is holy and unpolluted and undefiled, and everything he does is pure and holy.

Sin originated with the creature, not with the creator.

God is not the author of sin.

So let's begin in James, as we mentioned a while ago.

James chapter 1, and we will see that God is not the author of sin.

James 1 · chapter mention

James chapter 1, beginning in verse 13.

James 1 · chapter mention

James chapter 1 and verse 13.

James 1 · chapter mention

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God.

For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

Stop.

So in that one verse alone, you and I learn some very important and powerful things.

So James, here the pastor of the Jerusalem church, is telling believers, don't let a man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God.

In other words, don't allow that thought process to enter into your mind.

Because that's not an option.

God doesn't do that.

Why doesn't God do that?

For God cannot be tempted with evil.

In other words, that means that God will never succumb to temptation.

Well, Brother Josh, I remember the scriptures that the Bible says that Jesus Christ was tempted in every way that you and I was.

Yes, he was.

But did he falter at any point?

Did he commit sin at any point?

No, he did not.

And God is a Father God is above that.

He cannot be tempted of Satan.

In other words, Satan cannot overcome God.

God is not going to sin.

He's not going to violate his character and his word.

He's not going to do that.

So James wants to get this nailed down in church members' theology that you and I need to understand that sin can never have its origin in God.

We need to have that nailed down in God's character.

Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God.

For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

God does not tempt us.

Well, what about Job?

God allowed Job to be tempted of Satan.

Did he not be tested of Satan?

But God did not do that.

And by the way, he did that for the refinement and benefit of Job, because Job did have personal pridefulness in his own life.

And then later the Bible says that the end of Job was greater than his beginning, that the Lord allowed Job to grow thereby.

God was glorified with the testing of Job.

But God did not tempt Job to sin.

So James goes on to tell us where mine and your sin comes from.

And you understand that people will accuse God.

Well, if God predestinates and elects, then you know all the bad things and everything else in the world, that comes from God.

You know, He's a sovereign God.

Again, we're just the pawns on a chessboard.

He does his will, and so therefore it must come from God.

No, it doesn't.

No, it doesn't.

It comes from the fallenness of man.

God is unpolluted.

He is holy and undefiled.

It comes from man.

Verse 14, so James tells us.

This is where things come from.

But every man is tempted when he is drawn away from his own lusts and enticed.

Now here's where the blame lies.

The blame lies with me and with you.

And we don't want to admit that, right?

You know, what did Adam do in the Garden of Eden?

Well, Lord, you gave me the woman.

You know, she's the one who caused me to eat this forbidden fruit.

Adam didn't take responsibility for his sinful, wicked choices.

The very first man, the very best man, the man who had the best mind, the best physical body, and the best paradise of all things, the man who physically walked and saw God.

God formed him of the dust of the ground.

The very first man blamed his wife and blamed God.

God, you're the one who gave me this woman.

You shouldn't have done that, God.

You shouldn't have given me this woman, and this woman shouldn't have tempted me.

Shame on Adam and shame on you and me.

When we want to blame somebody else for our own sin.

James here makes it crystal clear that God is not the author of sin.

He can't be tempted, nor tempteth he any man.

But where sin comes from is it originates with the creature.

Yes, Satan was the old serpent, and he did tempt Adam, but Adam willingly was in the transgression, just like you and I are.

Well, Brother Josh, the devil made me do it.

No, the devil didn't make you do anything.

You and I willingly did that.

The Bible says here, every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.

That's where sin comes from.

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin.

And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Well, Brother Josh, if God is such a good God, why is there death in the world?

It's because the creature sinned against God, violated his commandment, did not do what the Lord told him to do, and therefore the creature is what brought death into this world, as in Adam all die.

Man is the one who brought, you know, why do we have tornadoes and thunderstorms?

Why do people die in terrible tsunamis and hurricanes?

It is a result of the fall and of man's sin.

God didn't create those destroying things.

It is a result of the deterioration of the earth and the decay of God's perfect creation that man entered in sin into this world and by death.

So then he says, verse 15, so when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Now, I want you to see this.

James is very telling here.

So he knows what our tendency is going to be, like Adam, to blame somebody else.

So he says in verse 16, do not err, my beloved brethren.

In other words, you're going to have a tendency to think that the good things come from you, that maybe somebody else is to blame about the bad things.

And James says, Do not err, my beloved brethren.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

We've already found out that God can't be tempted, neither tempteth he any man.

So therefore, none of these bad things originate with God.

God is not the author of sin.

Man and the creature is the and Satan, again, you lump Adam and the devil and all of mankind together.

They are the originators of sin, not the Lord.

So don't err, my beloved brethren.

Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

God is not affected by these things.

Verse 18.

Now look at this.

Of his own will, begat he us with a word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

So God, who looked down upon sinful men out of the midst of that terrible group of folks, which you and I are some.

I love y'all folks very much, and I think very highly of y'all, but you and I both together, the preacher, we're terrible folks.

We're sinners.

We did not deserve salvation.

We deserve death and hell and damnation.

That is a biblical prognosis.

But you know, God looked down amongst all this wretched group of fallen folks, and you know what he did?

He begot us again with his word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

He born us again, and we didn't deserve that.

And James wants us to understand, he said on the one hand, where God looked down and saw all these terrible folks, and he saved in other places in the scripture, he saved an innumerable number in Revelation that no man can number, that they didn't deserve that.

But James is saying, I just want you to understand that every good gift and perfect gift comes from him, that sin and temptation and lust and death, all these things did not originate with God.

They originated with a creature, with Satan and mankind.

And that God is immune to those things.

And even out of the midst of those things, God redeemed us and born us again and saved so many that didn't deserve it.

And James wants to make that crystal clear to us about this situation.

So God is not the author of sin.

Let's look at another place.

1 John 2.

We're going to try to move through these quickly.

1 John chapter 2, we're going to begin in verse 15.

1 John 2 · chapter mention

Can you all bear with my coffin here?

1 John chapter 2 and verse 15.

1 John 2 · chapter mention

So we are exhorted by John in 1 John 2 and 15.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

So what is he talking about?

Now, this is a general term.

John is talking about the sin in the world.

He's talking about the presence of evil in the world.

He's talking about the fallness in the world.

Here, world is used as a general term.

Love not the world.

In other words, he's telling Christians that you know what?

You need to be separate and apart in your thinking and in your mind and the way you live in this world from the way that the world conducts business.

In other words, Satan is the lowercase G God of this world.

And this world is full of fallen creatures, for lack of a word.

It's a modern-day Babylon.

Throughout all the ages, it's just a terrible place.

It's full of sinful human beings.

It has fallen ideas, fallen concepts.

It is full of sin and death and the flesh and all the desires of fallen men.

And so John is telling us as Christians, we're not supposed to love that.

You've been called out of that.

You've been born again.

You're supposed to be different from that.

He's telling us, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

You see, there's a contrast drawn between the love of the world and the love of the Father.

They're two very different things.

One is very godly, very holy, unpolluted, and the other one is fallen and sinful.

The love of the world is fleshly, earthly.

The love of the Father, that's spiritual, that's godly.

Two different things.

Verse 16.

So John goes on to clarify.

For all that is in the world, and here he's telling us these things.

The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

So again, this goes back to James, and he talks about how the sin originated with us, not with God.

And notice what it says here.

So these are two different authors, two different authors.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

In other words, where did this lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes and the pride of life that this old fallen world has, this appetite for sin, this appetite for consumption, this appetite for selfishness, where did all that come from?

It did not come from holy God.

It did not originate with the Father.

That's what he's telling us.

He says that these things are not of the Father, but is of the world.

In other words, all of this had its origin with the creature, with Satan and mankind.

That's where it came from.

It didn't come from the Father.

So when people want to charge God with sin and say God is the author of sin, brothers and sisters, you haven't read the Bible.

Because the Bible is clear that God is not tempted, and neither tempteth he any man, that sin does not have its origin in God.

Sin has its origin in man, in the creature.

That's where it came from.

And so God is uh you know, God is not the author of those things.

Verse 17.

And the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

Amen.

Let me take you to another place.

In Romans chapter 5, verse 12, we see that origin story in Romans chapter 5, verse 12, with Adam.

Romans 5:12 Romans 5:12

Wherefore, 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.

So you and I could do like Adam did.

Well, God, why did you give me a woman?

And so he blamed God.

That's where the sin came from.

That the woman tempted him.

And then, you know, you know, she's the one who wanted me to eat.

But God, you gave her to me.

So, God, what you what God, what you should have done is you should have not given her to me.

Well, the Bible says Adam was lonely.

But see, Adam wanted to blame God.

Well, and you and I could want to do what Adam did.

And, well, Brother Josh, I can't help it.

I'm just a child of Adam.

Well, you and I are a child of Adam.

But I can assure you that every one of us in this church house, uh, when we had the opportunity to sin as a youngster or even as an old person, all of us have availed ourselves very much of many opportunities over the course of our life to sin many, many times.

How about even this past week?

Does anybody here want to volunteer to go through?

Would give a laundry list of all of your failings just this past week?

I don't.

Every one of us, brothers and sisters, even though we had our origin in Adam, you and I are all willful sinners.

We are willful participants in this old fallen flesh.

So you and I are to blame.

God is not.

So this idea that God is the author of sin, or God made me do it, or God allowed Satan to be in the world and he made me do it, brothers and sisters, this is a very sinful accusation of the most holy individual in the world, God.

So when somebody says that God is the author of sin and he's a sovereign God, and we're just like these palms on a chessboard, and God makes me do it, shame on you.

God does not do that.

God is not the author of sin.

He has made no man sin ever.

Coming down from the Father of lights is only good things.

So as it says here in Romans 5.12, wherefore as by one man sin entered in the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sin.

That's you and me.

Now, real quick, I want to give you one more real biblical example.

Turn me to Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

We're going to look at an example where that God's foreknowledge and predetermining work overlap with man's sinfulness.

In Acts chapter 2, so this is the case where that God had foreordained that Jesus Christ would go to the cross for all of God's children, and then also those folks that crucified him.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

So in Acts chapter 2, verse 22, we see that God had, you know, the Bible says that Jesus Christ was a lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

Acts 2:22

So that means that God knew all of this was going to transpire and transpire in this way.

Adam didn't mess up God's plan.

God knew what Adam would do.

And God had already made provisions for that because he does know all things.

But in Acts 2.22 we read, as Peter is preaching to this gathered group on the day of Pentecost, he says in Acts 2.22, ye men of Israel, hear these words.

Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you, by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.

So Peter is saying, Peter is preaching at Pentecost who Christ was.

And he's saying, you know, you Jewish folks, y'all were eyewitnesses to all of his miracles and wonders and signs.

He's the Son of God.

He has made that, uh, God has made that clearly evident through the powers and the miracles that have been manifested in the life of Jesus Christ.

It should be self-evident that this man is who he claims that he says he is, that he's the Son of God, because he has proven that by his miracles and also by how he's carried himself and by the things that he's taught.

And he's never violated God.

Everything that he said has uh has agreed with God.

Jesus Christ said, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father, that Jesus Christ is literally the express image of the Father.

And so Peter is basically preaching that.

That he said, you know, uh, you men of Israel, y'all have been eyewitnesses to this man.

Y'all seen him.

Verse 23.

The same man, Christ, him.

Notice this right here.

Him, Christ, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.

Stop.

Two things are true right there.

It was true that God had before the foundation of the world determined that Christ would offer himself up to God for our sacrifices to pay for our sins.

But you know what?

There's another place in the Bible that says that no man taketh Jesus' life from him, that he layeth it down.

They don't have the authority to do that.

So it is simultaneously true that God had foreordained that Christ would sacrifice himself for God's children.

That's what it says here.

But it's also true that the men who crucified him did that wickedly and sinfully, and they are held 100% accountable for their sinful choices and actions.

That is a duality.

Both things are simultaneously true.

And I also want to make a point here as well.

Man, by his sin, is not able to disrupt God's plans.

Amen.

God knows all things, understands all things, and so man or Satan or Adam or no one is able to disrupt the plans and the purposes of God.

And so can God use a sinful man to glorify him?

Absolutely.

What about Pharaoh?

You know, Pharaoh was the most powerful world leader at the time, and God hardened Pharaoh's heart.

Well, there you see, brother Josh.

God predestined Pharaoh to sin against God.

No, he didn't.

The Bible said he just hardened his heart.

Pharaoh was already a sinful, fallen, wicked man, and he thought himself to be a God.

He thought himself equal to God.

God just showed Pharaoh that Pharaoh was not equal to God and was not the world power.

That God was the actual world power.

He just put Pharaoh in his place.

And as a result of God putting Pharaoh in his place, Pharaoh's heart was hardened against God and wanted to rebel against God and hated God and the Israelite people for that.

Now, my point is this.

It can be simultaneously true that God is doing his work and his plan and his purposes in this world, and yet sinful man is out there doing his own thing, and they're not gonna, sinful man is not gonna disrupt God, but can God use sinful man to bring him glory?

Absolutely he can.

So Christ laid his life down willingly.

That was the purpose of God to lay his life down, but it's also simultaneously true that Christ was crucified by sinful, wicked men.

All of that is simultaneously true.

Now, so God does not allow sin to hinder his purposes.

He doesn't, because he's an almighty God.

He binds or constrains it as he decides.

So that's the first point, that God is not the author of sin.

Second point, really quickly.

Predestination discourages holy living, prayer, and evangelism.

I know that y'all all heard, if I believe the way you did, that God just chooses who he wants, that I'm just going to go live how I want.

I know y'all have heard that before.

By the way, that's somewhat absurd.

You know why?

Read the Bible.

In other words, aren't God's children all throughout the whole Bible?

From Genesis to Revelation?

Exhorted to do what?

Exhorted to glorify God, serve God, honor God, be obedient to God, be faithful to God.

I mean, there are whole books of the Bible about uh teaching about lessons about man's obedience and the consequence when we're not obedient.

And then God's long-suffering and God's mercy and God's kindness.

The whole Bible, brothers and sisters, is exhorting us to follow God, and in the doing of it, we're very blessed, even here in time, by the doing of that.

So it's almost absurd to think that the Bible, well, if I believe the way that y'all did about predestination and election, then the Bible's just telling me I can just go live like a heathen and go live it up.

He doesn't say that anywhere in the Bible.

Well, not only that.

Think about this.

If you know, brothers and sisters, that God has predestined and elected you, and you and I understand about the depravity of man.

Okay, Brother Josh, I understand that God is not the author of sin, that the creature is the author of sin, and I'm a part of the creature.

I'm a man.

So you're telling me that I'm the problem.

Nobody else.

Josh King is the problem.

Okay?

So I need an intervention.

I need somebody greater than I to intervene and save me, to do a work in my life.

I need the Lord Jesus Christ to come and die for me because I can't save myself.

I can't choose God, I can't follow after Him.

You know, my default nature is only the flesh and lust and the things of this world.

I think like a man, I act like a man, I do like a man.

And so I need somebody to intervene in my life and to save me because I'm a terrible human being.

And if we understand sin in the Bible, and then you understand that, well, now I want to serve God, I want to follow after God.

Well, why is it that I want to seek God?

Well, the Bible said that there's none that seeketh, no, not one.

But wait a minute, I want to seek him.

Well, why do you want to seek him, brethren?

Because he's done a work in your life.

Because he's elected you, because he's chosen you, because he's regenerated you, because he's called you out of the fallen world.

Then when you realize that, that God has done an electing work in your life, that he's made you a son or daughter of a king, he's literally adopted you, then what does that make you thankful?

It makes you grateful.

It humbles you.

You know, see, that's what people don't realize.

That predestination election, brothers and sisters, that it doesn't incite us to sin.

Oh, I got a sin card now.

I can just go sin how I want to, and in the end I get to go to heaven.

No, brothers and sisters.

I don't want to disappoint my father.

I don't want to bring shame on my daddy who sent my brother, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be my champion and my savior.

He died for me.

How dare I sin against him one more time?

How dare I bring shame on the name of Christ, on the name of the Father?

How dare I go live in sin after he's born me again?

How dare I trodden underfoot the Son of God after I've been born again?

See, predestination election, brothers and sisters, doesn't lead us to want to live more sinfully.

Instead, it humbles us.

It brings us low.

It says, you know, I could have never done this myself because I understand how grievous a sinner I am.

And Lord, I'm all so thankful that you intervened in a wretch's life like me.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.

That saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now I've found, was blind, but now I see, Lord, I'm just so thankful that you intervened in my life.

When I couldn't do anything about it, you did something about it.

And now that you have done something about it, I want to live all the days of my life better.

I want to do better, I want to act better, I want to think better, I want to spend my money and my time and my energy and my efforts better.

I want to bless other people.

Now, do we do that perfectly?

No, we don't.

But do we want to try harder and do better every day?

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

We are spurred on to do that.

Why are y'all folks here today?

If y'all believe in predestination election, why don't y'all just stay at the house and drink coffee and read the newspaper?

Why did y'all get dressed up and come to church and hear some man yell at y'all this morning?

Why did y'all do that?

I mean, are y'all just gluttons for punishment?

I don't understand.

It's because you want to serve God.

It's because you want to honor God, it's because you want to do your due diligence and offer yourself a living sacrifice to him because he's asked us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

You want to serve God.

So the idea that somebody who believes in predestination election, they just have a license to sin, that's not biblical.

The Bible, all throughout the Bible, is exhorting us to follow and serve God.

And then not only that, in the lives of actual living saints, those who have been transformed by the saving grace of God, they actually want to serve God.

And we're ashamed when we fail him.

So eternal salvation is the work of God alone.

Timely salvation, which is mine and your discipleship, is a is our calling and our ongoing work of service and obedience to God in this life.

God makes us sons and daughters.

But you and I walk with him after he's made us sons and daughters.

And may the Lord help us all to walk with him better.

But the doctrine of predestination election actually makes us more thankful.

See, and that's the other thing.

You and I are not constrained to serve God out of a fear of hell.

Amen?

You and I instead are constrained to serve God out of his great love for us.

The Bible says that true love casts out fear.

See, when you talk about predestination election, you're actually seeing the real motivation for serving God.

The real motivation for us serving God is God has done it all, and I owe him everything.

See that?

That man, me, the preacher, I've done nothing right.

He's done it all right.

And he's intervened in my life, and therefore I should give him my everything.

The love of Christ constraineth us.

You and I are not motivated to serve and follow God out of fear of going to hell.

You and I are motivated to serve God out of love for him.

I don't want to disappoint my daddy because look what my daddy did for me.

Look what my brother did for me.

And I, and in my heart of hearts, I know I owe him that.

And may I spend the rest of my life giving that to him.

That is our motivation to serve Christ.

Real quick, we're going to get two scriptures and we're going to try to close this up.

Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

I know that y'all have heard, and this scripture is often quoted.

Romans 8.28.

That's that scripture that talks about that all things work together for good.

Romans 8.28.

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.

And again, I'm not going to preach this sermon, but we know that the context is the all things working together, for there is our election, our calling, our justification, glorification.

That's for another day.

But what I want you to see is after you read this verse, this famous verse, and we know that all things work together for good.

And notice that to them that love God, who are the folks that love God?

That's God's born-again elect children.

To them who are the called, who are the called?

That's the born-again elect children.

According to his purpose.

Look at the next verse.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that we might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Stop.

Let me ask y'all a question.

How did Jesus Christ act when he was in this world?

He's the most holy man that ever lived.

Amen.

He never sinned.

Jesus Christ is mine and your perfect example of what a human being is supposed to live like in the service of God.

Amen?

That's right.

So, Brother Gius, if you believe in predestination election, which by the way is the context right here in Romans chapter 8, look at what this verse says.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Verse uh Romans 8 and 29.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate, that's these called elected folks, to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

In other words, you're saying, Brother Josh, that children of God are supposed to look like and act like Christ?

Yes.

Surprise, surprise.

That in the very context of predestination and election, the Bible tells us that, well, Brother Josh, if I just believe the way y'all do, I have a license of sin.

You know, I'm just going to go live it up as a heathen in the world, and when I die, I'm going to get to go to heaven.

Is that how Christ lived when he walked here in this earth?

No, sir, no ma'am.

When Christ was here in this world, he was primarily concerned about serving his father, right?

And loving his father and serving other people.

And he lived a holy and righteous and sinless life all the days of his life, and he is a perfect example of a man.

And all of God's children are called to walk and act like Christ did.

Just like it says here, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first morning.

Meaning, brethren, God calls us to act like Christ.

Follow him.

I think it's Luke 9, 23.

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

That's what Christians are called to act like.

So when people accuse us of having a license to sin because you believe in predestination election, that is a falsehood according to the Bible.

For time's sake, uh very quickly because we're out of time.

Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8 and 9.

Ephesians 2:8

I tell you what, we're just gonna have to have to get two of our three points today.

We're just gonna have to cut it short.

We'll just have to pick up here.

But let me close out this second point.

So the second point is that predestination election, you know, uh discourages people from holy living and from prayer and from evangelism.

Okay?

Look at Ephesians chapter 2, which is also one of the passages of scripture in the Bible that is directly and purposefully talking about predestination election.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

It's the very context of the first uh chapters of this book.

And in the context of predestination election, Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 through 10, let's read.

Ephesians 2:8–10

Ephesians 2, 8.

For by grace are ye saved through faith.

And that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

And you understand this is in the context of Ephesians 1 that God has adopted us, he's elected us in Ephesians 2 that we are dead in our trespasses and sins, and then he's now telling us here that we are saved by grace, and that that grace and that faith is a gift of God.

In verse 9, not of works, lest any man should boast.

Look at the next verse.

Ephesians 2.10.

So Ephesians 2.10 tells us, for we, this is the elect, this is the chosen, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to behave badly until the time we die and go to heaven.

Is that what it says?

No.

It says, we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

In other words, God is calling Christians to live godly lives like Jesus Christ.

And Christians, by the way, are the only ones that can live a godly life because they've been delivered out of the jailhouse of sin, the bondage to sin.

They're the only ones that actually can do that.

So we don't have a license to sin because we believe in predestination election.

Instead, we have a high calling to press into the kingdom all the days of our life to follow after Christ.

And that's all over the scriptures, brothers and sisters.

It's not just in one place.

And I'm out of time.

We will have to get to that last point that God is not a tyrant and he is not unloving.

Instead, it's the exact opposite.

That God loved us and chose us as sinful people.

And we didn't deserve it.

But we'll just have to get to that next time.

Oh.

I will tell you this, I want to close with one verse and we'll just pick up there.

But it's in John 6.37.

I love this.

Well, you know, Brother Joshua, if I believe the way y'all did, you know, y'all got all these folks that are just, you know, if God predestination predestines and elects, and you know, that there's what about all those people that are just that they want to serve God, they want to follow God, and God won't let them do that.

They just go, they're they're going to hell, just dying and screaming and wanting to serve Jesus Christ.

By the way, that creature does not exist, by the way.

But John 6.37 tells us, true statement of the Bible, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me.

And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.

And by the way, that's the words of Jesus Christ.

So, Brother Josh, what you're saying is, is that every single individual that comes to Christ and wants God and wants to follow after Christ and loves the Lord, as it says here, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.

Jesus is not going to turn any one of those away.

Yes, that is correct.

Christ is not going to turn a single one away that comes to him in genuineness and truth.

Amen?

Not a single one.

There's not a single man who's just who's fallen to a devil's hell, just died and screaming, Oh, I want to serve Christ.

Oh, I want to follow God.

That creature does not exist.

Because if a man wants to follow God and wants to serve God, Christ said, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.

And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.

Every one of those that is genuinely seeking God is welcome.

But by the way, every one of those that's genuinely seeking God is one of God's elect children.

So, brothers and sisters, we're just walking through some of these oppositions to predestination election.

It is some of the most beautiful and historical doctrines in the Bible.

It was not originated with the primitive Baptist, brothers and sisters.

We are not new on the block.

In case the world doesn't understand, what we are preaching here from this pulpit today is not some new, different, uh cult-like deviation from historical Christianity.

No, it is the exact opposite.

What we are proclaiming from this pulpit is the very essence of the gospel.

It is the word of God.

It is historical biblical Christianity.

And again, I know I'm not doing a good job of that, but the word in its purest form.

That God did it all and man did nothing.

Salvation is a work of God, not of man.

And yes, are you and I called to walk with him and follow him and evangelize and pray and bless other people?

Yes, but not for their salvation to heaven.

Instead, we do that to glorify God and to bless and benefit our brothers and sisters who are wandering lost out in the world.

We don't save anybody to heaven.

This is not a deviation from the Bible.

This is not something new.

This is the very oldest form of the gospel, the original form.

The ones that the disciples preached.

And we are attempting to preach in a world today that doesn't want to hear it because they don't like the idea that God is in control and man is not.

But FYI, God is in control and man is not.

And I'm so thankful for that.

To God be the glory.

I hope this has been an encouragement to you.

I want to ask Brother Don if he would come up and help us close in a word song.

The church doors are always open if you desire to unite with the membership of our church.