“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executes my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.”
(Isaiah 46:10-11)
The will of God, expressed through His unalterable decrees, governs all creation with infinite wisdom and sovereign authority. These decrees flow from His very nature and are as unchangeable as He is (Isa. 46:10). Known to God from eternity (Acts 15:18), they encompass every event, every life, and every outcome (Eph. 1:11).
His purposes stand firm. They cannot be altered by human will or circumstance, for He ordains not only the ends but also the means. For example, God decreed Peter’s salvation through faith and repentance while ensuring the Spirit would work those graces in him. This truth, often called predestination, answers the question of who will be saved: those whom God has chosen, according to His sovereign pleasure (Rom. 8:30; 1 Thess. 5:9).
For God’s election is not based on human merit.[1] Romans 9:11 clarifies that His choice precedes any good or evil we might do, ensuring that “the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of him that calleth.” His mercy is given freely, not earned, as Romans 9:16 states, “It is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.”
Before the foundation of the world, God chose His people in Christ to be holy and blameless (Eph. 1:4), a decision rooted solely in His will (Rom. 9:13). This doctrine should truly humble us, knowing that our salvation rests entirely on His grace. And it should stir in us a spirit of continual gratitude and devotion to the God who secures our eternal hope.
Contemplations:
- Signs of election. Lord, what signs of election do I have? As 1 Thessalonians 1:3-4 states, “Remembering without ceasing, your work of faith and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God, and our Father: knowing brethren, beloved, Your election of God.” These graces in my heart assure me of Your choosing, filling me with joy and confidence in Your sovereign call.
- Glorifying Your sovereignty. Lord, I think about what election and predestination serve for me as I meditate on them, and I find that they promote Your supreme sovereignty, independence, wisdom, grace, righteousness, and truth (Rom. 11:33).
- Humbled by Your choice. I find predestination completely humbling, Lord (Rom. 9:20-21). You chose me, before the foundations of the world were laid. You decreed by Your counsel to deliver me from curse and damnation to everlasting salvation even before You created Adam and Eve. What an unspeakable benefit it is to be called according to Your purpose, by Your Spirit working in me through grace, moving me to obey Your call and become Your son by adoption. This reality overwhelms me with gratitude.
- Comfort in election. The words of Jonathan Dickinson warm my heart, Lord, “As the godly consideration of predestination and our election in Christ is full of unspeakable comfort to godly people, and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh, and their earthly members, and drawing up their minds to high and heavenly things; as well because it greatly establishes and confirms their faith of eternal salvation, to be enjoyed through Christ, because it fervently kindles their love towards God.” (Jonathan Dickinson, A Vindication of God’s Sovereign Free Grace. Boston: Rogers and Fowle, 1746, 7.) This truth anchors my hope and fuels my love for You.
Prayer (Thanksgiving)
O sovereign and eternal God, You are the unchanging One whose decrees stand firm from eternity, ordering all things with infinite wisdom and unyielding purpose. Your counsel shall stand, and Your pleasure will be done, revealing Your supreme authority over creation and salvation. I worship You for Your unalterable will, which secures the destiny of Your elect with perfect faithfulness. Your glory shines in Your sovereign choice, displaying Your grace, righteousness, and truth.
I confess that I have often questioned Your ways, doubting the certainty of Your decrees. My heart has sought to rely on my own works, as if my efforts could sway Your eternal plan. I have failed to rest in Your sovereign grace, at times living as if my salvation depended on me. Forgive me for these sins, for presuming to add to Your perfect will. Cleanse me through the blood of Christ, renewing my trust in Your unchanging purpose.
With profound gratitude, I thank You for choosing me before the foundation of the world, as Ephesians 1:4 declares, to be holy and blameless in Your sight. Thank You for decreeing my salvation through Christ, not based on my works but on Your mercy alone. I am grateful for the faith, hope, and love You have worked in me, those signs of Your election that assure my heart (1 Thess. 1:3-4). Your Spirit’s work, mortifying my flesh and drawing me to heavenly things, fills me with comfort and kindles my love for You. Thank You for calling me, justifying me, and promising me glory (Rom. 8:30), securing my place in Your eternal kingdom. I rejoice that nothing can thwart Your purpose to save me through Jesus.
Lord, I plead for grace to live as one chosen by You. Deepen my faith, hope, and love, that I may reflect Your glory daily. And conform me to Christ’s image, that my life may honor Your eternal purpose.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further References for Isaiah 46:10-11:
Prov. 19:21; Acts 5:39; Isa. 25:1; Heb. 6:17-18.
[1] “It is true, we say, it’s Absolute, because God did not look to anything in us, as a cause, or a merit, antecedently to his Election, yet we say, God elects to faith and holiness, as well as to salvation.” Anthony Burgess, An Expository Comment, Doctrinal, Controversial, and Practical upon the Whole First Chapter to the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians (London: A.M. for Abel Roper .., 1661), 154.
