Q) Are some people born for destruction? Maybe so they can be examples for God. If so, does anyone really have a choice in anything?
A)
This question brings us to a theological debate that scholars have been having for centuries. There seems to be some confusion about what the word “predestination” means. The Bible has made statements along the lines of “predestined to be His children” or something like that depending on where we are reading.
Some Christians, particularly “Calvinists” believe that if some are predestined to believe, and therefore be children of God, then that must mean that others are predestined to not believe, and therefore are predestined to Hell.
But I think this is counter intuitive to what we read in the famous John 3:16 and other passages that say that all who believe shall inherit eternal life. God loves the world so much that he wants NONE to perish, but that ALL will have eternal life.
I believe we all do have a choice. And unfortunately many choose to NOT follow God, and of those people, some make a pretty hard core choice, making them seem un-savable. But in reality, we are all savable.
So then what is this word “predestination” really trying to say to us.
When we look at the actual context of the various scriptures that use the word “predestination”, and we look at the original languages, and how else this word could have been translated, we start to see a larger picture come into view.
What the writers are saying is that God knew who would choose Him, long before any of us actually chose Him. Jeremiah 1:5 says that before we were even in the womb, God new us and set us apart. Because God knew we would one day choose Him, he started in with the Grace before we even accepted it. He also knew we would desire to please Him, so he “predestined” us for his service.
Because God Foreknew we would choose him, He Predestined us to serve Him.
Think about predestination this way, and I think you will remember this analogy from a previous devotional.
What if I told you what I had for breakfast yesterday? I would be remembering it, sure. But does that change the fact that I made a choice in what I ate for breakfast? No, I had a choice yesterday, even though I am remembering it today. That my memory is of a fixed event, does not take away my choice.
Well, God can see into the future, the way I can remember my past. So if He can see what I will choose to have for breakfast tomorrow, does that change the fact that it is my choice? No, it is my choice, even though God knows what I will choose.
And so if God is pleased with my choice, He can maybe even hook me up with a reward for my choice, even before I make it.
This is predestination. It is grace, based on His foreknowledge of my choice.
This does not imply that one has been stripped of their choice to accept God, and be saved from Hell. God wants that NONE should perish, and He has gone pretty far out of His way to accommodate us by sending Himself, His son, to die. He wants that none should perish, so He made it easy to be saved, if only we would believe, and this offer is given to all humans, old and young, rich or poor, sick and healthy, near and far.
I hope this helps.
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