Advocate and Messenger, January, 1936

Predestination is loved and believed by all our dear people who are willing to take the plain Bible teaching and their experience as a guide. We should not fall out with our good brethren. But our expressions should conform to Bible teaching. Predestination is an act of God, what He does, intends, designs, purposes, appoints and determines to be done or restrict or overrule to His glory.

A person cannot build a house without predestination, -- he purposes and designs the dimensions and the kind of material of which he shall build. The good woman practices predestination in making a dress, cooking or house-keeping. We see an orchard of beautiful fruit trees; there is a design in all the kinds of trees in the orchard, and back of that there was a designer. We practice predestination in our every-day life. The merchant, the mechanic, and in all avocations of life predestination is practiced by man. The trouble with men they may purpose, design, intend and determine; but for lack of means they are often thwarted in their expectations. A wise person will count up the cost before he begins to build. Will we suppose that God will perform His work on more of a haphazard system than man?

God spoke this earth into existence out of nothing. He purposed, designed, intended and determined to create the earth. The universal, vegetable, and animal kingdoms were all created by the mighty hand of God and was all according to His predestination. God determined to make man for a purpose of His own glory. Out of the great mass of Adamites He purposed, intended, determined and designed to save a portion of the human family. He gave them to His Son and gibes them grace in Him, and a sufficiency of grace to meet all the demands of the law, which He knew man would violate and bring death and condemnation upon all of the human family,--all alike fell in Adam their head and representative. Adam, of his own will without compulsion, coercion, or God's approval, acting voluntarily, fell under the death sentence. He, in his entirety, fell and died a death in transgression and sins, and all his posterity being in him. This was a fruit of man's will. He and all his posterity are justly condemned. Since then he has been described as a corrupt tree which cannot bear good fruit. Notwithstanding God saw that man would fall, He chose them-a portion - in Christ, before he fell, and all of the sins of His chosen were imputed (charged) to His Son. The Father laid all the iniquity of the sheep or chosen upon the divine Shepherd. Their names were written in the book of Life before the world began-before there was any of them in existence. He knows His sheep and they were predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son. This number He calls, justifies and glorifies-This is the number that are predestinated into the adoption of children. God has appointed them to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ. He ordained them that they should bear fruit and their fruit should remain. He ordained them to eternal life-and belief is a fruit of it. It is according to predestination that Jesus came here and redeemed all the chosen who had sold themselves for naught. He redeemed them by His blood,--redeemed them to God our of every nation, kindred, tongue and people,--redeemed from all iniquity. By one offering He perfects forever all the chosen. Bears their sins in His own body on the tree. Put away all their sins by the sacrifice of Himself. He, as the Surety, Head, Husband pays all the debt-nothing charged to His people. We are complete in Him. He saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His purpose and grace given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest. (2 Tim. 1:9).

When I saw myself a poor, justly condemned sinner, seemingly with mercy's door closed, sweet deliverance came into my soul, and I, by faith, could look to Calvary and see all my sins were atoned for in the blood of Jesus. Yes, sweet Jesus brought this salvation to my soul. He intended, determined or predestinated to save me before He saved me. He did not save me accidentally or unintentionally. Predestination is also taught in our experience. All blessings, for time and eternity, come to us from the blessed hand of God,--which blessings He intended to bestow before we received them. All promises of God are full of His sweet predestination-what He wills, purposes, intends to do for poor needy sinners. We need the Lord in providence and in grace. His left hand (providential blessings) is under my head. His right (covenant or spiritual blessing), hand doth embrace me. How good to feel that we are in the bosom of Jesus-near His heart-where we shall be kept until He calls us to our eternal home. Is not this predestination good enough? Let us be satisfied with Bible teaching and all live in peace.