Sermons

Predestination by Representation – Part 4

Speaker: Pastor Ben Bienvenue
Ministry: Wellspring Ministry

“And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” — Revelation 5:5

Sermon Overview

This message reveals the eternal purpose of God through predestination by representation, showing how Christ stood in our place as the Kinsman Redeemer to restore everything that was lost in the fall. Revelation chapter 5 presents the Lamb as the only One worthy to open the Book of Redemption, reclaiming the inheritance of the redeemed and restoring sons and daughters back to their original position before God.

1. Predestination Begins in God’s Thought

The message teaches that no one can be the Word unless they were first a thought in God. Predestination is proven by divine foreknowledge, not human effort. If a believer was not in God’s thinking at the beginning, they could never receive eternal life. What God thought, He spoke, and what He spoke is now expressed in flesh.

2. The Book of Redemption

In Revelation 5, a sealed book appears in the hand of God, representing the title deed to mankind’s lost inheritance. No man in heaven or earth was worthy to open it until Christ, the Lion of Judah and the slain Lamb, prevailed. This book reveals God’s legal plan of redemption and confirms that restoration was always part of God’s eternal design..

3. Christ Our Kinsman Redeemer

God became flesh in order to redeem humanity lawfully. As a Kinsman Redeemer, Christ took upon Himself human form to reclaim what was lost. Redemption is not creating something new, but restoring what once belonged to man—eternal life, fellowship with God, and authority under God’s dominion.

4. Restoration of the Lost Inheritance

The Lamb redeems everything that was lost at the beginning. Man once possessed eternal life, dominion, and perfect fellowship with God. Through redemption, these blessings are restored. Nature itself is groaning, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, because creation fell with man and will be restored when redeemed sons take their rightful place.

5. Fellowship Is God’s Desire

God created man for fellowship. The message emphasizes that prayer maintains fellowship with God and keeps the believer spiritually refreshed. Even Jesus spent long hours in prayer to remain in fellowship with the Spirit. When fellowship is broken, dryness follows; when prayer is restored, revival and refreshing return.

6. The Battle and the Christian Walk

The believer’s journey is a continual battle. Just as Israel had to fight for every inch of the promised land, Christians must contend spiritually for their inheritance. Dry places come when fellowship is lost, but the water of the Word and the Spirit brings life, tenderness, and fruitfulness back to the believer.

Conclusion: Redeemed and Restored

Predestination by representation reveals that Christ stood in our place to redeem and restore us fully. The Lamb has prevailed, the Book has been opened, and the Bride is being restored to her original inheritance. Believers are called to live in fellowship, walk in prayer, and manifest the life of Christ as sons and daughters of God until full restoration is complete.

Key Scriptures

Revelation 5:1–10
Romans 8:19–23
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Luke 6:12
Matthew 14:23