Predestination And The Saving Work Of Christ

PREDESTINATION AND THE SAVING WORK OF CHRIST
It is sometimes argued that, if God has predestined only certain people to be saved, then it is inconsequential whether Christ has died for their sins, since the elect will be saved regardless. In answering this objection, we must point out that a proper understanding of predestination will greatly enhance the value of the saving work of our Lord. Paul explains the relationship between predestination and the saving work of Christ.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:8-10). In the midst of exhorting Timothy to join him in suffering for the sake of the gospel, Paul describes the salvation to which that gospel proclaims. There are five parts to that description: This salvation, as well as its accompanying call, is not according to our works (Ephesians 1:9). This is contrary to the heart of man. Man naturally wants to approach God on his own terms. He thinks that he can do something that will satisfy God. But salvation is not on the basis of anything that man does. It is provided on the basis of what Christ did on man's behalf and quite apart from anything that we might try to add to it. This salvation has been provided according to God's own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity (1:9). We have already seen from Ephesians 1:4 that God chose us to be in Him before the foundation of the world. From all eternity, it has been determined that you would be in Christ Jesus. Who made this determination? It was not you, for you did not yet exist. Nothing existed except for God and so no plan could have yet existed except for His eternal counsel. This plan was selective. It did not merely call anyone who happened perchance to believe. It did not draw a circle in the sand and say that anyone who steps within that circle would be saved. Paul is very careful to say that we were called not according to our works, that is to say, not by anything that we did, but according to His own purpose and grace (Ephesians 1:9).

It is not only the salvation, but also the calling that is according to the purpose and plan of God. This means God did not only plan the fact that you would be saved, but He also ordained the means and the method by which that salvation would be brought to you. The substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross has always been a part of the plan and purpose of God. This does not render it insignificant. To the contrary, it means that the death of Christ is the most significant event in all of time and eternity. At the appointed time this salvation was revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:10). It was at this time that the central factor of God's plan of predestination and election came to pass. This is the central point of all of history. All of the events of human history have focused and will forever focus upon this one moment in time when God became flesh and died for sins.