Midweek Review #8 (Acts 4:23-31)

Contend with this, struggle with this. Verse 28, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. Sixth, this teaching that whatever God has predestined to take place includes the salvation of man.

The TULIP Doctrines and Predestination

And of course you know the acronym TULIP, or maybe you've heard of that, maybe you haven't, that refers to God's saving sinners and him uniquely being the one to do that. His force alone being what saves sinners.

We won't go into that today, but to just point out that this is a subset of the larger biblical teaching. Total depravity, Romans 8, seven, man is not even able to do it. To believe, not even able to please God through faith.

You, unconditional election is taught in Ephesians 1, 4. He has predestined us in Christ. We're the object of that predestination, unconditionally, before the world began. Third, what's unfortunately called L, limited atonement, better said, definite atonement, because there's no limit in what God was able to do.

Listen, God did more than what most evangelicals think. He didn't just make man savable, he saved on the cross. He accomplished redemption in his blood on the tree. And what is the limit? It's not to the value of Jesus's blood.

Jesus's blood is so valuable, it can atone for all the sins of all people in any world in this universe for all time. The value of his blood is not questioned. The issue is intention. For whom did Jesus intend his blood?

Definite Atonement in John 10

And that's taught very clearly in John 10, verse 11. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. And then later, verse 26. Why is it that some don't believe you are not my sheep?

That's why you don't believe. Don't flip those two things. So the scripture teaches limited atonement, definite atonement, better said. I stands for irresistible grace, that God's grace is irresistible.

John 6, 44, no one comes unless the father draws. And if he draws, they will be raised up. It's a certainty that the ones drawn of the father will be raised up on that last day, John 6, 44. And P, perseverance, of course, Ephesians 1, 13, 14, teaches that he seals and keeps us for that day.

Jude 1, 24, he's able to keep us from stumbling and present us blameless before him on that day. So yes, those are biblical doctrines, but the salvation of a particular people that God has predestined from before the foundation of the world is only a subset of this larger teaching.

God's Sovereign Predestination of All Things

What I'm telling you is that everything has been predestined, not just the salvation of the elect. But every hair that falls from your head and every tear that you cry, and even the sinful, most wicked things that were ever done in the history of the world, and the sparrow that falls and dies, it's an antinomy.

We can't understand how it is that God holds us responsible when he is the one in control. But don't sacrifice his control on the altar of human freedom. God is in control. And so now we move to that last point that all scripture being God-breathed harmonizes with what is taught here.

Acts 4:28 and the Harmony of Scripture

Right here, taught in the text, our text, the word of God, Acts 4 .28, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. That correlates with the scriptures in general.