Paul writes;
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Phil 3:12-14
Paul knows he has not attained to the status that God is calling him to. Paul was already "saved". Paul was already a Christian, he was ministering to the saints of God. Paul was the most prolific author of Scripture from the New Testament. Paul traveled most of the known world at that time, establishing expressions of the Body of Christ throughout most of where he traveled. This was a phenomenal Christian, yet, he had not attained.
Now what does this have to do with Predestination? ... well everything.
There is another misconception in part of the church world, primarily those that follow the teachings of Calvin. Calvinistic thought teaches that there are those that have been predestined by God to become Christians. If God has predestined you to be a Christian, then no matter what happens, YOU will be a Christian. "Come hell or high water" You WILL be saved. The flip side of this teaching; if God has NOT predestined you to be a Christian, then no matter what, you, you unlucky sap, will NEVER be accepted into the Beloved. I have known some Calvinists, and have seen some of the fruit of this teaching. In some of the ones I have met, they do not have a love for the lost, because they were not chosen, so why waste the time. In some others, they were not concerned with being holy or following God's commands, because they were predestined, and nothing they can do can kick them out of their place in Heaven.
The traditional answer from Non-Calvinists regarding this doctrine has been; God predestined those he foreknew would receive him. Much like the scripture where it says "Jacob have I loved, Esau I have hated." God knew Esau would despise his birthright, so God hated him, and loved Jacob, because He knew Jacob would desire his birthright from God.
While this has some truth in it... and until just this morning, 2 Jun 07, I have always believed that, and even recently taught it. However this thought and teaching does not capture the fullness of what God was revealing through Paul.
The fault lies not in the predestination meaning. Calvinists have the truth of the word, but they are misapplying it to the wrong people.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Rom 8:28-30
This is the scripture passage that people quote when talking of predestination. Many people know the first part, "...work together for good..." they quote it and rely on it. They take it out of context to the rest of the passage. The part about predestination, they also quote out of context with the first part. But they go together.
Those that have been foreknown and predestined are those "who love God... who are called according to His purpose." They are not predestined to be Christians. They are not predestined to love God. They are not predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, UNTIL they love God. They, We, The Body of Christ is predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son AFTER we love God. In other words, "He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it"
The "doctrine of predestination" is not an absolute, firm, fixed, established, written in stone, predetermination that a certain person is going to become a Christian. It is a promise to those who have turned to the Lord for their salvation, that He will not neglect you. He decided before time began, that those who turn to Him will have every resource, every ounce of His attention, every aspect of creation and aspect of the heavenlies from before creation, will be turned towards one purpose, that they will reach the end result of bearing the express image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus is the express image of God, the effulgence of His glory, then we also will be the same effulgence of Jesus Christ's glory. And He will not stop until that is accomplished. He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it.
Becoming saved from the judgment that is to come, is not the completion of what God is doing. Restoring us to a position that Adam had before he fell is not even the completion of what God is doing. Adam obviously did not have the nature of Christ, or he would not have fallen and subjected the entire creation to death, decay and destruction. Adam was perfect in the day that he was created. He was exactly as God had intended him to be. However, he was NOT the fullness of what God was and is still creating man to be. Until Adam himself became just like Christ, he was not complete. When man (The Body of Christ) has the very nature of Christ, then we are complete.
Right now, we still succumb to weakness and gossip, backbite, steal, etc. etc... "For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice." But here's the good news. He has predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. We WILL be like Christ. Completely. Fully. We WILL be a Bride without spot or blemish. He has promised it. It was predetermined before the foundation of the world. He foreknew us as such. Those who loved God, he predestined us to be like Him.
