No 26

(Predestination)

“Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.” Acts 18: 9,10

These words must’ve been a great encouragement to Paul to try to do good, since God has chosen among the worst of the worst, the most reprobate, the most debauched and drunken an elect people who must be saved. When Paul took the Word to them and now when we take the Word to them, we do so because God has ordained us to be the messengers of life to their souls and they will receive it; for so is the decree of predestination. They are as much redeemed by the blood as the saints before the eternal throne. They are Christ’s property but yet perhaps they are lovers of evil and haters of holiness but if Jesus Christ purchased them, He will have them. God is not unfaithful to forget the price which his Son has paid. He will not allow His substitution to be in any case an ineffectual, dead thing.

Tens of thousands of redeemed ones are not regenerated yet, but they will be; and this is our comfort when we go forth to them with the Good News of the Gospel. Jesus prayed for these unregenerate souls “Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.” John 17:20. These poor ignorant souls know nothing about prayer for themselves, but Jesus prayed for them. Their names are on his breastplate, and, in time, they will bow their knee asking for forgiveness before the throne of grace. The predestinated moment may not as yet have struck but when it does, they will obey God because He will have His own. They must, because the Spirit is not to be withstood when He comes forth with fullness of power; they will become the servants of the living God. Lest we forget, that we were also unregenerate once and the hand of God touched us and we became His children. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” John 1:12