Sermon for January 4th

On my family’s recent trip to Nebraska, we listened to an audio recording of the book, The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini, an Afghan immigrant. He mentions in the book that one of the cultural differences between Afghani people and Americans is that Afghans love to hear how a story ends, even if they’ve never read the book, but Americans despise being told the ending of a story before they’re done the reading it themselves. Well, in this one instance, at least, God is much more like an Afghan than an American: He enjoys telling you the end of the story, how all the suffering, drama and conflict is resolved. And so, in keeping with this attitude, I have decided to tell you how this sermon is going to end even before I get there. I’m telling you the last page of the book, so to speak, the final scene of the movie, the last episode. Before you were born, before the foundation of the earth, God chose to love you completely in Jesus Christ. He promises that after all the suffering, drama and conflict in your life, you will live with him in heaven forever as a forgiven sinner, as his beloved child. End of story.

Now that might sound like very wonderful news . . . and it is. But as soon as you get to thinking about it, about the consequences of this statement, about what it all means, you might in fact decide that it doesn’t sound very wonderful at all! In fact, I can honestly say that this little statement didn’t sound all that great to me for a long time and, truly, I hate this statement a great deal of the time. In fact, it was people’s hatred, anger and defiance against this wonderful promise of God’s that created the entire narrative written down in the Bible. But before I become any more confusing or cryptic, let me give you one word that can describe what it is that we all hate about this wonderful promise from God; that word is predestination.

Predestination. It is a word that we hate, despise and will argue against forever. Predestination is one of the longest four letter words in the dictionary. Why? Well, because it appears to fly in the face of everything we believe in as people and, especially, as Americans. Because if there is such as a thing as predestination, then where is our FREEDOM!?

I’m looking at the reading from Ephesians today. Let me read for you just a few of the verses again, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Don’t be misled by the English translation that reads “he destined us” rather than calling it predestination because it is the same Greek verb used in Romans 8 where Paul argues that, “Those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the imagine of his Son.” It’s the same verb and it means the same thing. God has had plans for you for a long time.

But now that you have heard the final chapter, the last lines in the story of God’s love, let’s get right down to the arguments against it. Ephesians says, “God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.” But is that fair, that God can just choose me? No, it’s not fair. But don’t I get a choice? Yes, you do. Can’t I choose God myself? The truth is that you won’t. But don’t I get a say? No. Can’t I use my free will? No. Just a little bit? No, not even a little bit. But can’t I choose to say no? Yes, you can. Won’t that make all the difference then? No, not at all. But God can’t just choose me without asking for my opinion can he? Well, yes, he already has. But doesn’t that just make us puppets? Well, no, there are no strings attached.

Predestination is a very scary word but, simply put, God has decided where your destination is before you get there. But even more importantly than that, he is telling you where that destination is. Ephesians 1:9, “He has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Romans 8 says this in another wonderful way, “Those whom God predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

Sometimes certain theologians have argued for something called “double predestination”; that is, some people are destined for heaven and some people are destined to hell. Of course, what I have always found puzzling is that not only can those people tell with certainty who is in heaven because of Christ (without telling them), but they can often point out who is going to hell, apart from Christ. The Lutheran Reformers argued against this understanding citing scripture as the reason why. They maintained that no one was to discuss foreknowledge or predestination apart from the preaching of Jesus Christ. “Predestination, sometimes called election, is not to be probed in the secret counsel of God but rather is to be sought in the Word, where it has also been revealed.” “It is an article of comfort when properly treated,” they said. They argued that, “we are not to make judgments regarding our election [or someone else’s] on the basis of reason nor on the basis of God’s law. Instead, the true meaning of election must be learned from the holy gospel of Christ. It clearly states, God imprisoned all in unbelief that he may be merciful to all’ and that he wants no one to be lost but rather that everyone repent and believe on the Lord Christ.”

In other words, it is not our job to tell people that they are destined to hell because of something that they have done or have not done. As the gospel of John states, “those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” We are called to give them the good news of their true destination, “Your sins are forgiven. Repent and believe in the good news! You are Jesus’ destination and you will live with him forever”

But no matter how comforting predestination might be, it is often argued against most vehemently by those of us who want to keep our supposed freedom intact. Doesn’t God expect us to follow his laws? Yes, he does. Doesn’t God say that we must repent and believe? Yes, indeed. Doesn’t God want us to accept Jesus as our Savior. Yes, of course. But the real question comes from God’s point of view. What must he do when you don’t follow his laws? When you neither repent nor believe? When you don’t accept Jesus as your Savior? When you start doubting him? When you reject him or become lukewarm in your faith? What must God do then?

Well, as I have said before, he has already done it in Jesus Christ. Romans chapter three explains that “no human being will be justified in the sight of God by deeds prescribed by the law. “There is no one who is righteous, not even one; there is no one who has understanding; there is no one who seeks God. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Martin Luther pointed out in his Heidelburg Disputation, “Free will, after the fall, exists in name only, and as long as it does what it is able to do it commits a mortal sin. It has the power to do good only in a passive capacity, though it can always do evil in an active capacity.” When we argue for our freedom, we end up arguing against God’s gift of grace and arguing for our right to do evil things. For it is only in God’s promise that you are given the Holy Spirit that gives you a new heart and a new spirit created for good works.

Then does predestination mean that you and I are just puppets? No. There are no strings, remember? In fact, even if you decided, philosophically, that everything were determined by God beforehand and that you had no freedom even to decide to eat Wheaties or Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast, once you were finished deciding that, wouldn’t you go and eat a donut anyway? Determinism is an interesting idea, but it doesn’t really change anything. Just like believing that everyone is saved is a nice idea, but if they haven’t heard, how are they to believe? Predestination, however, is not determinism. Again, it is best described in Romans chapter 8, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” God knows his destination for you. He promises to give you Jesus Christ. He promises to give you forgiveness. He promises to give you heaven. In between now and then, you might get cancer. You might win the lottery. You might have ten children or have five miscarriages. You might go to church every Sunday or come not so often for awhile. You will, one day, die. But throughout all this suffering, all that drama and conflict, God promises that he will be at work for you and lead you to the destination he has created for you—to live with him forever. Predestination is not an idea, but a promise for you from God.

You see, as I said at the beginning of this sermon, God has already written the last page for you and then told you all about it. Before you were born, before the foundation of the earth, God chose to love you completely in Jesus Christ. He promises that after all the suffering, drama and conflict in your life, you will live with him in heaven forever as a forgiven sinner, as his beloved child. That’s God’s last word for you. Amen.