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May 5, 1909. THE PRESBYTERIJ
PREDESTINATION, NOT FATALISM.
By Rev. Julian S. Sibley, Pensacola, Fla.
One of the excuses given by men for not considering
the subject of their personal salvation is, "God is oniniscent,
hence foreknows my destiny; therefore, there
is no use in my being worried about it.''
It is true that God foreknows all things, and that
he knows my destiny; but he has laid down certain
laws by which man can be saved, if he obeys them;
and if he does not, he will be lost.
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n.e aiso requires tnat we oe active, and not inactive,
concerning our soul's salvation, and holds us responsible
for our decisions. Not only does he require this of
us, but God helps us to believe in Christ as our Savior,
helps us to come to Christ by the Holy Spirit's agency,
and the reason why men do not believe and do not
come, is because they will not.
The fact is. God offers men salvation upon certain
specific conditions, and they must comply with these
conditions or be lost.
Failing to justify their position, men say, "That doctrine
of predestination bothers me; what's to be will
be; therefore, if 1 am to be saved, I'll be saved, and if
I am to be damned. I'll be damned; so there is no use
in my being bothered about it."
Such a statement as this is not predestination; you
f . ? - -
are coniouncung predestination and fatalism.
There is nothing more obnoxious to the ears of the
well-grounded Presbyterian than for a man to say,
"Well, I am that much of a Presbyterian that I believe
what's to be will be," for the Presbyterian Church does
not believe in any such doctrine, and she repudiates
such a statement, because predestination and fatalism
are two entirely distinct doctrines.
Let us get a clear idea of the meaning of predestina
tion. It means to pre-determine, or to positively fix
anything.
What has God predestined concerning the soul's salvation?
He has positively fixed (predestined) all the
means necessary for the soul's salvation. He gave his
only begotten Son to become incarnate in human nature,
so that by a vicarious atonement man might have
a Redeemer and Savior. He sent the Hoi)- Spirit to
convince of sin, to enable to believe, to regenerate and
sanctify the souls of believers, by application of the
atoning blood of the Christ.
In addition to positively fixing (predestinating) all
the means necessary for the soul's salvation, he has foreI
ordained, or made an unchanging law that whosoever
shall avail themselves of the predestinated means of
salvation shall be saved, anr1 thnep ei,?n
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be lost.
In view of these clearly revealed facts, I ask, "Who
is responsible for the soul which is lost?" Most assuredly
not God, for God has positively fixed (predestinated)
the necessary means for the soul's salvation, and
offers it to all men, on the condition of compliance with
his demands. If a man, therefore, wilfully refuses to
accept the proflfered salvation on these terms, he, and
he alone, is responsible for his lost condition.
This being true, we readily see that God does not
create any soul for the purpose of damning it.
Let me illustrate what I mean. Here is the state,
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MJ OF THE SOUTH. 9
acting as sovereign, predestinates (positively fixes) the
preservation of human life. She says that human life
is sacred and must be preserved at all hazards. In addition
to this, she fore-ordains that whoever takes a
human life must pay the penalty with his life. The
state, as sovereign, holds each individual responsible
for his acts. This being true, then that man who deliberately
transgresses the law by taking another's life, is
responsible, and he alone, for his act.
Who, then, is it that hangs the man? Assuredly not
the state, for it has predestined the preservation of human
life, and fore-ordained that the murderer shall forfeit
his life. Therefore, the man-slayer, by not availing
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ov.i ui un. iu<.aus h_ji picscrving nis own me, Dy nis
own act hangs himself, and he, and he alone, is responsible
for it.
At this point let me show you the difference between
predestination and fatalism.
Yonder sits a mother in a chair by a fireplace, in
which a fire is brilliantly burning. Through the open
door her eighteen-months-old babe enters the room.
Attracted by the fire, she rushes towards it with delight,
not knowing her danger. If she falls into the
flames she will be sure to be burned to death. Suppose
the mother sits unmoved, and says, "What's to be,
will be. If my child is to be burned up she will be; if
not, she will not be, so I'll just sit here and see." If
she does this, you know, and I know, what would be
the result. This would be bald fatalism.
The fact is, God had predestined that that mother
WOllld be there tr> nrr?teet her o.wl 1-...
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he had implanted in her heart a mother's
love for her child, and had given her reasoning powers
to know that God had fore-ordained that fire burns, so
instantly she springs forward and saves her precious
babe from so horrible a death. This is predestination.
Herein is the error of such a reasoner. He supposes
that God has fixed, or determined, the end without the
means, whereas the converse is true, he always determines
the end by the means.
One of the great fundamental laws of God is that
man shall live by the partaking of food. Here's the
food. If man refuses to eat, he dies, and he alone is
responsible for his death.
God has also ordained, as an unchanged law, that the
soul can live only by partaking of the bread of life,
Christ Jesus, by faith in Christ, by faith in Christ as a
personal Redeemer and Savior. If a man, therefore,
refuses to eat this bread, his soul must die eternally,
and he, and he alone, is responsible for his lost condition,
if he refuses to partake of the God-ordained means
of salvation.
The position of the one who refuses to consider this
subject for the reason herein assigned, is not only dan gerous,
but it is one of folly. If he carries out this line
ui reasoning in lire, men would say that lie had lost his
mind.
Let me illustrate. He says, "What's to be will be. If
I am to be rich, I will be rich ; if not. I will not be, so
I'll just sit still and see." All sensible people know that
effort, along established or ordained lines, must be put
forth in order to succeed in life.
Again, his reasoning would cause him to say, "I am