Bible predestination is the belief that God has predetermined that those who believe shall be saved and have eternal life and that those who do not believe shall perish. Thus, God has left it up to every person to decide whether or not to believe. The Lord said, “choose this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). Any devotion that is not voluntary is useless.
Paul wrote, “In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will … In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:3–12).
God foreknew each generation of people that would come upon earth, He coupled immediately with His foreknowledge the desire to predestine all to be saved. God never had any other purpose than the salvation of His created beings. For God “will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11).
Christ Himself said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
God sets before all people life and death and invites them to choose life, but He does not stop their contrary choices, nor does He save them from its natural results. In the Last Day, judgment will be passed on men independently not collectively based on their free will.
While salvation is offered freely to all, sadly, not all will accept it. “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). Salvation is not forced upon people against their wishes. Divine foreknowledge and divine predestination in no way work apart from human liberty. Nowhere in the Bible we read that God has predestined certain men to be saved and certain others to be lost, irrespective of their own choice.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
