Predestined To Suffer

The doctrine of predestination is something that cannot be overlooked by the church. Predestination speaks to more than just foresight, but it speaks to the reality that the course of this world has already been established in the mind of God. We often say that God knows the end before the beginning; however, His knowledge is from the fact that the beginning, the end and everything in the middle has already happened in our Father’s mind. It is imperative that we also understand the distinction between time and eternity. God created time for the physical world; however, there is no time in eternity. With that said we can speak to the fact that the Holy Spirit is an eternal spirit. Consider the following scripture.

Romans 8:29-30

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

God foreknew the hearts of every man that would ever be born. The Scriptures remind us that He searches the hearts of men. This is made manifest when He called Jeremiah as a Prophet even before conception, likewise Esau, before birth was hated by God. Based on His judgments of the hearts in eternity they are manifest in time according to His will and eternal purpose. The Father had predestined Judas to be the traitor of Christ, knowing that even though He would allow him to dwell with Jesus; he would still choose greed over godliness. However, there are those who God foresaw that given the right circumstances would choose Him; and based on their hearts He predestined a course for their lives that would ultimately lead them to salvation.

Ephesians 1:3-4

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Notice that the Scripture does not state here, ‘chosen us to be in him’ but it states ‘chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world’. Paul here makes reference to eternity. He is making known to us that the moment one is baptized into the Spirit of God, they have entered eternity. At that moment they, through union with the Spirit, have been everywhere God has been, is and will be. By predestination we were in God before we were ever born in the realm of time. However, time is used to manifest how we got in the Spirit in the first place.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Now with this understood, we can examine an important statement Jesus made in His discussion with the Pharisees.

Luke 17:20-21

20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

John the Baptist was sent as a forerunner to prepare the hearts of the people for the Kingdom. Jesus confessed to Nicodemus that except you were born of the Spirit you cannot see the Kingdom of God. However, the scripture above lets us know that the Kingdom of God is within us. It is clearly expounded by Paul in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 14:17

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

The Kingdom of God is the Holy Ghost: who is the Spirit of Jesus Christ having conquered death, living forever. However, what is a kingdom without citizens and a king? Our souls have all been baptized into the same Spirit, freeing us from the kingdom of satan and making us citizens of a new kingdom – The Kingdom of God. We have been placed in the Kingdom of the Son; however, the Son is in God. This is what Jesus attempted to relay to Nicodemus in His conversation with him. At that moment God was in His flesh, and the Spirit of the Lord was a Kingdom in which the souls of the saints dwelt.

The Kingdom and all who dwelt therein were in Him; placed there in eternity past by the Father. We have learnt that we are the body of Christ. We together make up one body, and Jesus operates through it. However, the inverse is also true. When Jesus walked the earth two thousand years ago, He was the church in one. All the souls of the saints that were in Him since eternity entered His flesh when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary. We are all in one eternal Spirit, the same Spirit which was inside Jesus.

Colossians 3:2-3

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Our souls are hidden with Christ in God.

The fullness of the church was in Jesus, it was however His soul that was given stewardship and expression through His flesh. Jesus was the one who was touched with the infirmity of the flesh. He entered into a hostile world that hated Him, and He suffered greatly. The torturing of His flesh was felt by His soul, which makes Him the Captain of our salvation. However, it was the righteous judgment of God for us to enter into the fellowship of His suffering in this present time.

1 Peter 2:20-21

20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.

He was the one who experienced the pain and the suffering and He did it for our sakes. Therefore, we are now called to suffer for His sake. Likewise, when we are baptized into Christ we are given stewardship over the flesh. However, Christ is a suffering servant and will remain the same as He continues His life through our vessels. He leads us into suffering; however, we are the ones who are touched with the infirmity this time. Again, this is the fellowship of His suffering. He suffered for us then, so we suffer for Him now. He has, however, returned as a Comforter to us, and does not allow more than we can bear. Jesus is able to bear the sufferings of this world, because He already overcame in His life. Now He continues to live, and strengthens us by His Spirit that we may love Him just as He loved us.

Be strengthened in the Lord.

Kareem Flowers, Servant of God