Ephesians 1:3-4: “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.”
We are chosen in Christ. So what does that mean?
Adrian Rogers explains: “How do you get into the family of God? You are spiritually born into the family
of God. You are legally adopted into the family of God. Now when you are born in to God’s family, that’s thenew birth. That deals with your position in Christ. When you are adopted, that deals with your privilege in Christ, and in Christ, we have both birth and adoption and we are predestined to this adoption. Therefore, we are fully accepted.”
Ephesians 1:5-6: “In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”
Adrian Rogers explains: “What is Predestination? Predestination is not God saying from eternity that one man’s going to heaven and another man is going to hell. Predestination deals primarily with what God intends to do for those who trust Him and what God will do for saved people. Predestination teaches me on the authority of God that when I’ve trusted Christ as my personal Savior and Lord, I will be like Jesus Christ.”
If you adopt a child, then you have adopted them into your family. They take on your own last name. They are no longer outside of your family, calling you “Sir” or “Mr.” Therefore, when we receive the spirit of adoption as sons, we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15) Our position in Christ, is the basis for our adoption in the Father as the children of God. That is the eternal plan of God in Christ.
4 comments:
Though there is much more to say than either of the two samples of the predestination debate, I tend to agree with Rogers' position over Sproul.
Predestination is a fun topic in theory to rehearse the arguments. However, let's face it, there are those in Baptist life who hold to either position. Will it divide the SBC? Can the two sides co-exist in a denomination, an association, a seminary, or even better, the local congregation?
I hope all is well. From your FB posts, it sounds as if you have been busy! Thanks for your presence and prayers at Davo's funeral. God bless!
I notice in Dr. Rogers exegesis an inconsistency in recognizing the passive and active regarding man. In vv. 3-4, he rightly says you are born and you are adopted. Nothing done by you.
Then, in vv. 5-6, it all comes down to what you do. He says that predestination is "primarily" what God will do for saved people. By that, I assume he means predestination deals with what happens after you have already been saved.
He confuses me.
Jeff,
I think that all of Jamie's snippets that he has offered need unpacking...Sproul's argument was very weak also. However, I chalk it up to brevity and know that all these pastor/teachers have given the issue more thought than what is represented. Probably Rogers' argument needs more unpacking, as all do.
Again, an interesting topic: However, can they co-exist in Baptist life? Or, will these debates lead to division?
Tim, I recognize what you are saying and appreciate you pointing it out. I should have been more clear: I have listened to this sermon by Dr. Rogers and others in the series in their entirety and my comments were coming from that basis.
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