So what does Romans 8:29-30 mean? Let David Brollier tell the story: "God predestined all mankind to be conformed to the image of his son, but that was his desire, his goal. He knew our sinful nature would preclude that, so he extended his grace to all who would accept the sacrifice of his son for our sins. His goal was that we would be exactly like his son in holiness and purity, but knew that without his power reigning in us it could never happen. So he gave to us not only salvation, but power through the indwelling of his holy spirit." Note, predestination is not for just certain people, but for all mankind. And it has nothing to do with our salvation, but God's desire that we be conformed to the image of his son, Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:5 tells us God predestined, from the moment he determined to create the earth, that man would populate it, and no other beings but mankind should become his children. "Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6) We are also told it was predestined that those who believe and obey the eternal God should be adopted by Jesus Christ himself, through whom we have an inheritance according to God's will (verse 11). Predestination has nothing to do with our future having been set out for us, as our future is dependent on our decisions in life. As John Didymus Pope stated, "If God predestined just one person to die an eternal death, we would have to throw out John 3:16." |
