I. Introduction
Is Jehovah God glorious because of what He has created and sustains? Yes. Is He glorious because He wills His sun to shine on the good and the wicked in equal measure? Yes. Is He glorious because He is gracious? Yes. Is He glorious because Truth finds its quintessence in His reality? Yes. Is He glorious because He forgives and is longsuffering? Yes. Is He glorious because He disciplines and guides for the sake of righteousness? Yes. Is He glorious because He is sanctified, set way up high apart from everything else? Yes. Is He glorious because He is good, and delights in goodness? Amen—here is His glory manifested, made lucid, per all of the above (Exd 33:18-19, Jhn 1:14).
By God’s grace and with His help we hope in this study to come to better appreciate our God’s theology of Election and Predestination. And God’s glory, His goodness, we think is the blessed dynamic instrumental in attaining to this appreciation. In some respects what follows holds at the national level as well.
Jehovah God is unmitigated, thus quintessential glory, in every conceivable respect. Here is an axiom we will lean on throughout. The “election” (positive) which we consider in this study may be defined so:
Election is the determined espousal (2Cr 11:2, Rev 21:9, et al.) of a fallen human being unto Salvation by Jehovah God.
We believe election is a Christian biblical reality, and further we believe that it is conditional per foreknown human response to the call of the Gospel [1]. Specifically, it is conditional per one’s response to the wooing by Father God Jehovah (Jhn 6:44) to embrace Himself by way of the redemptive grace extended to all through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on their behalf (Jhn 10:30, 12:32-PANTAS hELKUSW-character map), which grace makes espousal of Father God possible. To clarify, election is not conditional based on works of piety per se, but on one’s response to the call of the Gospel. Some analysis follows.
On the human plane, God ‘s glory manifests itself in a manner that is extrinsic to Him (Isa 6:1-3), by way of His goodness. And election is clearly an aspect of that goodness, as is the Creation more generally, mundanely. In this—election with an eye to Salvation—God is glorified (Jhn 17:1). Conditional election as put forth above, namely, per foreknown human response to the call of the Gospel, leaves the entire burden of Redemption-Salvation with God, and thus does not tarnish this glory, does not take the shine off of God’s goodness; does not mitigate it, all of which is requisite, for God is unmitigated, quintessential glory in every conceivable respect. Now suppose that election were unconditional; let us move to the extreme even and propose that it were perfectly unilateral, driven entirely by the omniscience and righteousness and sovereignty of God—precisely how would He elect in this case? The answer is sure—as deity, He would be forced to elect in accordance with His eternal Word, which requires human involvement that is consistent with the Gospel call (“A Letter of Invitation”). We have arrived at the conditional criterion starting from an extreme unconditional premise, it follows that election must be conditional per that criterion, that is to say, per foreknown human response to the Gospel call; no more condition than that is here assumed. Accordingly, and of necessity, a righteous God, good, draws all peoples to Himself with equity.
Thus we ask—dearest reader, are you elected? This begs a second question that only you can answer—friend, has God ever tried to woo you to Himself (Jhn 6:44, 12:32)? If so, how did you respond, for hard on the heels of that wooing only is where is anticipated some effort on your part ( Rom 10:13-15, ‘…how beautiful are the feet of those that bring the lovely sounds of God’s cooing and wooing; that bring the possibility for a priori Election…’ Fig. 1).
Now a negative analysis. The foundation of our argument stands: Jehovah God is unmitigated, quintessential glory in every conceivable respect. The exercise: In the context of God’s quintessential glory (goodness), why are some not elected per above: ‘…Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated…’ Or perhaps: ‘…Jacob I elected, but Esau I did not elect…’ (Gen 21:12, 25:23, Exd 33:19, Isa 34:5-6, Mal 1:2-3, Rom 9:13)? Not least because they are determinedly, are resolutely oblivious to the Gospel call—hands down here are the wicked. There is not a little attendant “good-logic” here: God’s goodness is manifested by His election (positive), and this necessitates, for the consummate good of the Elect (positive), that some not be elected (Psa 1:5-6, Pro 16:4, 1Pe 2:8). The point is that God’s goodness as concerns election (positive) is necessarily, is consistently vectored in the direction of promoting the good of His Elect (positive), for otherwise election (positive) would be somewhat mitigated good, which is uncharacteristic of Jehovah God, who is unmitigated, quintessential good in every conceivable respect.
Finally, does election seal one’s fate? That is to say, if elected for Salvation, is Salvation a surety? Dear friend, yes, it is a surety (2Cr 5:5, 1Th 5:23-24, Hbr 7:25, 1Pe 1:1-2).
III. Are You Predestined?
Does not election find its purpose in predestination? Are not these two inseparable? They are inseparable, and eternal, thus our definition of predestination is nothing new:
Predestination is the determined espousal of a fallen human being unto Salvation by Jehovah God.
Friend, if you are elected per above, then you are predestined. Predestined to what? Specifically, to Salvation (life eternal in the presence of Jehovah God; this is very good, Rom 8:28-30, 2Th 2:13).
And the negative: Notwithstanding one’s election per above, might one be predestined to a temporal life of hardship with suffering; even great suffering, and sorrow? Perhaps (jhn 9:2-3, 11:3-4, 40-44). How can this be “good?” It is good if it serves Salvation—here is election (positive), for oneself, or those one influences in that regard (“Have You Considered My Servant Job?”). Friend, with all respect, and feeling, if you are suffering, consider—perhaps God is trying to work a mighty work in and/or through you, one that He knows that only you can do, because He raised you up specifically for that particular work. Perhaps. And we are concerned for you suffering friend, and have prayed for you, both in regard to your suffering, and that God be glorified in you.
Once more a sort of negative: Let us pose it as a question with a specific example that has wider applications: Was Pharaoh predestined unto evil (Exd 4:21, 9:14-16)? No, he was hardened in his Sin—hardening (in one’s Sin) is not an Election|Predestination issue, though we can be sure that Pharaoh was not elected given his stubbornness to acquiesce to God’s commands—he failed his personal Old Testament times “response-condition” test (consider here Esau giving away [disdaining] his God-ordained birthright [Gen 25:32-34]; cf. Jacob [Gen 28:18-22]—Esau disdained and trifled with the appointments of God, while Jacob revered them—the response is markedly different). Jehovah God hardens some unto their ultimate destruction (gives them over to their evil ways unto their inevitable [physical, spiritual] destruction)—and here He always hardens in the direction of prevailing Sin (endearing Sin that prevails, lingers). The theological principle of Galatians chapter six verse seven (Gal 6:7) applies here, and so we have somewhat moved out of the domain of the theology of Election and Predestination that interests us in this study. The upshot then concerning this last point: yes, God hardens in the direction of prevailing Sin (Isa 63:10), but He does not predestine (and thus elect) a soul unto evil. Though He as Sovereign has the incontestable right and might to so predestine one, this would be inconsistent with the character of His deity, which is, at least, unmitigated, quintessential glory (good) in every conceivable respect. Notice that predestination unto evil obviates both the Gospel call and its attendant free-choice- response-dynamic, and thus would show the eternal Word of God to be fluid (inconsistent, shifting), which in turn would strip Jehovah God of any claim to deity seeing that the eternal Word is His Word; nay, it is identically Him—deity, by definition, must be absolute. Evil should never be understood to be a function of Jehovah God somehow—not only is this notion absurd (1Jo 1:5), it is blasphemous (Mat 12:24ff).
IV. Concluding Comments
This study reasoned out of a well wherein Jehovah God is understood to be unmitigated, quintessential glory in every conceivable respect, which glory was understood to be a function of His goodness, ever operative. It was thought that God’s glory is tangibly realized by (dynamic) and in (static) His goodness, in accordance with His own proclamation in this.
The study focused on our God’s theology of election and predestination. Both were defined in accordance with the overarching Christian theology of Salvation, to which they were understood be be subordinate: each was proposed to be the determined espousal of a fallen human being unto Salvation by Jehovah God, predestination being the end of election. In this it was understood that Salvation is life eternal in the presence of Father God Jehovah, itself a very good end, the best.
Concerning election we said that it is a Christian-biblical reality; we proposed that it was conditional per foreknown human response to the call of the Gospel; specifically, per one’s response to the wooing by Father God Jehovah to embrace Himself by way of the redemptive grace extended to all through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on their behalf. We sought to stress that in this proposal election is not thought to be conditional based on works of piety, but rather on one’s response to the call of the Gospel. It was noted that election has always been operative in this way, but the manner of the condition appears to have been somewhat different along the way in Old Testament times, notwithstanding, the goal was the same, in line with the salvific definition given. A simple logical argument tempered by theology was given to show that election was in all likelihood conditional as proposed.
A key element of election presupposed was that of foreknown response to the Gospel call (the omniscience of Jehovah God). We thought it inconceivable that He as deity not know these things, and found it similarly inconceivable that He elect in a manner that is inconsistent with His Word, which, like He, is eternal.
We considered God’s quintessential goodness in light of the negative—why some are not elected, and the easy conclusion was that it is because some are determinedly oblivious to the Gospel call. It was pointed out that such as these are quintessentially the wicked, elected unto eternal separation from Jehovah God, and by their own hand are they thus separated [2]. And this serves the greater good of Election—we proposed that God’s goodness is manifested by His election (positive), and that this necessitates, for the consummate good of the Elect (positive), that some not be elected. Finally, in this section we said that election (unto Salvation), once instituted for an individual, was a surety.
Concerning predestination it was said that once elected one is predestined; predestined unto Salvation (life eternal in the presence of Jehovah God). While predestination has its focus on the eternal (Salvation), there is, to varying degrees, a temporal element to predestination that may manifest itself presently by way of hardship and sorrow, perhaps even great suffering and great sorrow (a negative). In the context of God’s quintessential glory (goodness) such a negative is best understood by its capacity to serve Salvation for oneself or those one influences in that respect, for Salvation is quintessentially good. “Tough to swallow” though that seems to be, one should actually thank God here (not easy to do oftentimes, but if God has helped you reach that plateau, good for you suffering friend); certainly one should not curse God for one’s lot in life here, or stiff-arm Him out of one’s life in a sort of angry, pouting, display of inner hurt over it (‘…why me Lord?…’); nor should one fight against Him in this, but get busy, together with Him, to bring in the harvest; get busy together with Him to secure Salvation, wherever He has planted one, under His leading and by His Power.
We considered the possibility of predestination unto evil—that is, the possible manifestation of evil in the world as a function of human beings that have been predestined by Jehovah God unto evil. We suggested that such a notion is an oxymoron in that God is unmitigated, quintessential good in every conceivable respect, and thus by default He cannot thus predestine a soul, even though He as Sovereign has the incontestable right and the might to do so. From another perspective, it was said that predestination unto evil obviates the Gospel call, which shows the eternal Word of God to be fluid, which in turn would strip Jehovah God of any claim to deity. Rather, a wider theology that incorporates Satan, demons, and the insatiable lust of humankind to sin (the Adamic sin nature ever at work) explains the manifestation of evil in the world. It was said that evil should never be understood to be a function of Jehovah God somehow; that not only is such a notion absurd through its inconsistency, it is blasphemous.
Finally, we discussed the hardening by Jehovah God of some in their Sin, that is, His giving them over to their evil ways unto their inevitable physical and spiritual destruction, and said that God always hardens in the direction of prevailing Sin, which is consistent with the theology of Galatians chapter six, verse seven. Of course this hardening is never directed toward the Elect (positive), for how can it be, these have tethered themselves to the eternal Word. Discipline, not hardening, is the watchword for the Elect (positive).
Election unto Salvation (and by default predestination thereto) is highly intimate and personable—it bespeaks of Jehovah God betrothing what is to Him a very specific, a very unique and thoroughly foreknown fallen soul who simply has resolved to betroth Him in loving response to and in accordance with His Gospel-call-wooing, which wooing speaks countless volumes to God’s goodness. That said betrothal is a surety puts a foundation under this goodness in that it attests that our God will effect (and has effected) whatever means are necessary to bring that beloved, redeemed one home to Himself for an eternity of loving fellowship with Himself. This is very good.
Praised be your good Name Father God Jehovah, glorious…