Predestination and Matthew 25:41 “everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
When an Arminian tells you “predestination is not about Heaven or Hell.” Or (believe it or not) as I have recently seen two of them say:
“Predestination is not even Christian.” and then another immediately commented: “It is when it concerns our conformity to Christ, but never to be saved though.” -
The word PREDESTINATE occurs 4 times in the Bible and it leaves no wiggle room as to the meaning of the word.
It simply means to mark out beforehand and determine the end result. It is always used in reference to God predestinating certain people for a specific end.
“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, them he also GLORIFIED.” Romans 8:29-30
If a person seriously thinks that those God predestinated and also justified and glorified does not include salvation, then you have run into someone who refuses to believe the truth of Scripture, no matter what it says, and is determined to hang on to his “free will choice” Fantasy at all costs.
“Having PREDESTINATED us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of HIS WILL,” Ephesians 1:5
“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” Ephesians 1:11
Notice that it WHOM he foreknew, not What he foreknew. God entered into an intimate relationship with his chosen people before we were even born into this world.
“BEFORE I FORMED THEE IN THE BELLY I KNEW THEE; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah 1:6
See another verse Arminians do not understand where we are told that God’s chosen people are “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God”.
1 Peter 1:2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God”
https://brandplucked.com/foreknowledgeofgod.htm
One purpose of God is to conform his redeemed family to the image of His Son, and those that He chose in Christ before the foundation of the world and predestinated unto the adoption of children according to HIS will (not ours), are called, and justified and GLORIFIED.
It is so absolutely certain that God speaks of us as having already being glorified, and Ephesians 2:5-6 tells us that we who were dead in sins were QUICKENED TOGETHER WITH CHRIST, (by grace are ye saved) and RAISED UP TOGETHER and MADE TO SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN Christ Jesus.
And we HAVE OBTAINED this inheritance BEING PREDESTINATED ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE OF HIM WHO WORKETH ALL THINGS AFTER THE COUNCIL OF HIS OWN WILL.
God’s chosen people are predestinated unto the adoption of children, called, justified, will be conformed to the image of His Son, have obtained an inheritance and are considered as already glorified and seated together with Christ Jesus in the heavenly places.
Ask the Arminian objector to explain that IF this predestination by God is not to HEAVEN, then can they please tell us what it IS about.
Matthew 25:41 - everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Free will choice Arminian asks: “Why or how is predestination true if Jesus says to the wicked on the day of judgment "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”? Matthew 25:41
My Response -
It is amazing how the "free will choice to believe"/Arminians will glom onto anything imaginable in their attempts to overthrow the clear doctrine of the purpose of God according to election.
The Bible relates many things in a chronological order or a linear time frame.
In the Bible (Isaiah 14:12-15) we are told of the fall of Lucifer who became the devil. He wanted to be like the most high and he rebelled against God and apparently took a third part of the angles with him in this revolt. And God then says to him “Yet thou shalt be brought down to HELL, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:15)
But when did Lucifer sin in this way? It obviously was before the creation of Adam because the devil was there in the garden of Eden to tempt Eve to disobey God as he had.
The devil and his angels fell and sinned in their rebellion before man was created, and when they fell God decreed his punishment that he along with his angels would be cast into everlasting fire.
The right Bible (King James Bible) rightly understood, gives us right doctrine. If we are pitting one verse against another that ends up creating contradictions, then we have the wrong understanding of those verses.
Matthew 25:41 cannot rightly be used to overthrow the truth of the doctrines of Gods purpose according to election and of Predestination as they are clearly taught in the Scriptures.
ALL of grace, believing the Book - the King James Holy Bible.
Will Kinney
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