Freely Destined

Here is a most popular verse that we love to quote: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”¹ So, the question for us is do we know that? Do we believe that all the things in our lives are purposeful? Because if we know that about God and believe that about all things, it will change how we think, how we behave, and how we hope for our future. To put it succinctly: Do we believe that 1) God planned things out and 2) things are going according to his plan? And if that is true, then how does our behavior and our plans play into his plan?

Most of the world believes they are not only free to do whatever they want, they should do whatever they want, and if they are good people, then good things will happen and their dreams will come true. It’s the Disney way. At the end of the great movie Back to the Future III, Doc Brown tells Marty McFly, “Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one.” If this is true, then either God does not have a plan or we have the ability to override God’s plan. And our future is completely determined by our own choices!  Which is a bit scary when you think about it because we make bad choices a lot.

So we have two views: the one view says, the future has been written already because God has already planned it out and it does not matter what we do. And the other view is that nothing has been written and we write our own plan and have the freedom to do whatever we wish.

So, which is it? The Bible says both of those views are wrong, and both of those views are right! And the answer to the questions Are we free or Is there a plan is YES! How can this be? Really, how can this not be?  “Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”² But let’s study it some more anyway.

We read that “We were predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,”³ and also, “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”⁴

Then in Ephesians chapters 2 and 3, Paul keeps reenforcing that idea of being chosen and of God’s will and his purpose. But in chapters 4-6, Paul talks about us working hard to walk in a manner worthy, to use our gifts, to equip the saints, to grow up in every way in him, to mature, to obey and be strong and put on the armor of God and stand firm and on and on and on. And in all of those things we have choices: do it or not. Grow or don’t. Obey or disobey. Be strong or be weak. But if I am destined to be like Christ, then my choices don’t really matter, right?

But Paul says, yes, we are destined and, yes, what we do matters. We are free and responsible for our actions and there are consequences. But God uses all our free choices, works on them, so that everything that we choose—good or bad—is worked into his plan, his perfect plan. We are free and there is a plan. Paul writes, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”⁵

Only the Christian faith understands that God “works all things according to the counsel of his will.”  And we also know Christ said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”⁶   Therefore, as believers in Christ, we have true freedom but everything that happens to us, as well as the choices we make, are worked out to become part of God’s good purpose and will. We are free to be part of the plan.

¹Romans 8:28   ²Jeremiah 32:17   ³Romans 8:29   ⁴Ephesians 1:4   ⁵Ephesians 1:11   ⁶John 8:36