Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight. He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him, regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. (vv. 3-14)

There have been many objections to the doctrine of predestination, but at its core, the disagreement stems from differing understandings of who God is. Many people grow up in church and form an image of God that does not fully align with what Scripture teaches. Instead, their understanding is often shaped in a way that seeks to comfort and please everyone.

A common view portrays God as one who forgives everyone, saves everyone, never becomes angry, and always desires earthly prosperity for us. In this view, He gives whatever we ask and protects us from all harm. While such an image may attract more people to Christianity, it is not a true representation of God.

Before one can properly understand predestination, one must first consider deeper questions: Why did God create the world, and why will He bring it to an end? Does God have complete control over all things? Does He ordain and accomplish His plans, or does He merely foresee events and respond to them?

Those who reject predestination often, whether intentionally or not, lean toward the idea of salvation by works. It is difficult to deny salvation by works while also rejecting predestination. Likewise, the concept of the active obedience of Christ can be misunderstood in a way that unintentionally supports a works-based view of salvation.

God created the world and humanity for His Kingdom, and all things unfold according to His purposes. When we witness the evil in the world—war, famine, rape, exploitation, violence, and suffering—it is natural to feel sorrow and even anger. Yet we must also acknowledge the limits of our understanding. We do not see the full picture. What we do know from the Bible is that God has promised a coming Kingdom where He will wipe away every tear, and where there will be no more death, suffering, or pain.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

In considering predestination, we must also recognise that it is not our role to determine who is predestined and who is not. Within the church, we are often surrounded by people who profess to be Christians, and this can lead to the assumption that we should associate only with fellow believers. This mindset can be particularly strong in some Reformed circles, where, in my view, predestination is sometimes misunderstood or misapplied.

The truth is, we do not know who is truly saved. Our unity is not grounded in a social or institutional identity, but in the Word of God and the work of the Spirit. It is through the Word that we come to know God, and it is the Spirit who unites us in truth.

There is only one true church, that is the invisible church.

In the end, it is not the church community itself that should be our primary focus, but the truth of God. Our faith must not be built on the visible community on earth, but on God Himself.

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (vv. 15-23)