O Wondrous Plan

The idea of predestination, which seems to have a scriptural basis, is actually a Trojan horse. While appearing to many to be a gift of grace, it is actually full of deceptions and completely inconsistent to the plan of salvation-holding that man has no free choice and that God has already selected a favored few of his children for salvation while committing the rest (most of mankind) to damnation, regardless of merit. To explore this subject with maximum clarity, I will present the doctrine of predestination in sharp relief to the true doctrines of the wondrous plan of salvation for all mankind. This presentation includes a detailed description of what the doctrine consists of, it's origin and history, the scriptural authority referenced to support the doctrine, its implications, and a discussion of how and why the idea of predestination is inconsistent and at odds with the gospel of Jesus Christ. To better introduce this subject, I begin the first chapter of this book with a personal experience-an experience that heightened my own awareness of the issue.

-- J. Peter Baumgarten