The word “predestinate” appears twice in the King James version of the Bible–Romans 8:29,30.  The word “predestinated” appears in Ephesians 1:5,11.  We must understand that these words do not apply to everyone who claims to be a Christian.  They apply only to a small group–God’s remnant, His little flock, His Very Elect whose claim to Christian status is based on their obedience to God’s pure Word.  These people are predestined to holiness, but only AFTER THEY HAVE SUBJUGATED THEIR WILL TO GOD’S WILL.  The choice to subjugate or not to subjugate is theirs until their final breath.  At any point they can choose to leave the Lord and suffer the consequences.  Notice in Ephesians 1:1 that the Apostle Paul has addressed His letter “to the SAINTS which are at Ephesus … the FAITHFUL IN CHRIST JESUS.”  As the Apostle Peter noted in 1 Peter 4:17,18, not all within God’s church are righteous, and that “only the righteous will be saved.”  Those few (Mat. 7:13,14) in God’s true church then and now have been spiritually begotten (birthed) by way of His Holy Spirit which they have received.  They are the “saints, the faithful in Christ Jesus.  These have not been born again and will not be born againuntil the return of Jesus Christ to earth.  Read Born Again.  Key word–Born.  And of those who have been begotten–declared righteous by having all past sins forgiven–justified (Rom. 3:25)–and who remain holy by obedience to God’s Holy Spirit residing within them (Rom. 8:14) will be saved upon Christ’s return (Mat. 10:22/ Rom. 5:21; 6:22).  These will rise to meet Him in the air following the first resurrection and will be used to teach the ways of the Lord and to offer eternal life to the rest of mankind following the second resurrection (2 Cor. 11:2-4).  Read The Three Resurrections.  Key word–Resurrections.

Note that those in God’s church could, if they had chosen to do so,  depart from Him, even to the point of worshiping “another Jesus” (1 Cor. 11:4).  There is only one way to know if one is walking with the Lord and maintaining one’s holiness–BY COMPARING ONE’S WALK TO GOD’S WORD.  No amount of religiosity, no amount of faith, Bible study, service, etc. will substitute for obedience to God’s Word, which He views as WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.  Without such works one cannot be saved.  Read James 2.

As the Lord tells us in His Word, He has assigned certain ones of the “whosoever” group to positions of leadership within His true church.  He tells us in Ephesians 4:11-14 that, within the true church He has appointed certain men to occupy different positions–apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, etc., “For the perfecting of the saints … until all within the church come in the unity of the faith, and to the knowledge of the Son of God, TO A PERFECT MAN, TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST.”  WE MUST INDIVIDUALLY, AND THEREFORE CORPORATELY, BECOME LIKE CHRIST IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES.  HE IS THE (ONLY) HEAD OF THE (ONLY) BODY.  THE HEAD AND THE BODY MUST MATCH (EPH. 4:4-6). This automatically eliminates those trapped within Satan’s Catholic/Protestant religious system–a conglomeration of differing bodies/faiths/churches/congregations, denominations, etc. whose head is “another Jesus”–Satan who passes himself off as the Lord.

Those whom God has chosen to lead the people to become like Christ must themselves be like Christ in every aspect of their lives.  They must abide by the dictum: “Do as I say AND as I do.”  These specially chosen men must exhibit the traits required of those who are called to such a status.  The walk of Jesus of Nazareth serves as God’s job description which they must emulate.  They must walk in such a way that they can say as did Jesus: “When you have seen Me you have seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9).  There is no substitute for that walk, which is their PREDESTINED MORAL STATUS.  It is also the status to which ALL who would spend eternity with Christ must attain through strict obedience to His Word as exemplified by their leaders.  Jesus will say to those who refute this Biblical Truth, “I never knew you, depart from Me you who work iniquity”–Lawlessness.  These are they who will call Him their Lord, who will remind Him of “all of the wonderful works we have done in Your name.”  These are they who have “… worshiped Me in vain.”  To these He will say, “I never knew you; depart from me ….” (Mat. 7:23,53; 15:9/ Lk. 6:46/ 1 Jn. 2:6/ Eph. 4:22).

All who will spend eternity with Christ in the Kingdom of God are predestined to “come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”  This can be done only by knowing the will of the Lord and fulfilling it.  This cannot be done by knowing the will of Satan and doing it, then expecting Jesus to turn their sins into righteousness simply because they believe in Him, belong to the church, read the Bible, etc.  Even Judas knew better than that.  Let us all come to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.  Let us endure with joy the false church’s condemnation for believing, obeying, speaking and writing the Word of the God (Mat. 10:22).  In this passage Jesus is referring to the false Christians in “the church” who reject God’s true saints.  Those outside the church do not care what we do, say, believe, etc.  Let us walk in holiness and righteousness, the fruit of which is eternal life (Rom. 5:21; 6:22).  L.J.