What does predestination mean?

Question

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Answer 1

Romans 8:29-30 tells us, “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” Ephesians 1:5 and 11 declare, “He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will…In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.” Many people have a strong hostility to the doctrine of predestination. However, predestination is a Biblical doctrine. The key is understanding what predestination means, Biblically.

The words translated “predestined” in the Scriptures referenced above are from the Greek word “proorizo,” which carries the meaning of “determine beforehand,” “ordain,” “to decide upon ahead of time.” So, predestination is God determining certain things to occur ahead of time. What did God determine ahead of time? According to Romans 8:29-30, God predetermined that certain individuals would be conformed to the likeness of His Son, be called, justified, and glorified. Essentially, God predetermines that certain individuals will be saved. Numerous Scriptures refer to believers in Christ being chosen (Matthew 24:22, 31; Mark 13:20, 27; Romans 8:33; 9:11; 11:5-7,28; Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 2:9; 2 Peter 1:10). Predestination is the Biblical doctrine that God in His sovereignty chooses certain individuals to be saved.

Answer 2

There is a reason for everything that happens. The saying; "That ye shall surely die" is predestined in some way. It is how and when we die sometimes that is in some way our free will. Some things are meant to be no matter what road we choose. Some use the word Karma also as if this life we are now living has more than one function that we serve even if only to be as an example or in a certain place at a certain time. Others refer to the matrix. Free will is mostly multiple choices within limitations.

Answer 3

Predestination and foreordination are religious concepts, under which the relationship between the beginning of things and the destiny of things is discussed. Its religious nature distinguishes it from other ideas concerning determinism and free will, and related concepts. In particular, predestination concerns God's decision to create and to govern Creation, and the extent to which God determines ahead of time what the destiny of groups and individuals will be.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestination

Answer 4

Predestination means that a certain people were chosen before the foundation to be heirs of salvation. God foreknew those whom He would show His grace towards. Unfortunately this also means that those who were not selected will never obtain salvation.

Those who never obtain salvation never would have wanted to believe and wanted to be saved in the first place. There is no one come judgment time that can say to Christ "I truly wanted you but never found you." or "I truly sought out after you but I was not selected". Those who desire salvation are the ones God is drawing to Himself and are those whom God has chosen.

Answer 5

Predestination and Free will is a paradox.

Predestination means that God chooses who goes to heaven.
Free will means you choose if you go to heaven.

Because both decide, yet not contradict each other, it is a paradox.

Answer 6

Christian theology teaches the doctrine of prevenient grace, which briefly stated means this, that before a man can seek God, God must first have sought the man. Before a sinful man can think a right thought of God, there must have been a work of enlightenment done within him; imperfect it may be, but a true work nonetheless, and the secret cause of all desiring and seeking and praying which may follow.
We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. 'No man can come to me,' said our Lord, 'except the Father which hath sent me draw him,' and it is by this very prevenient drawing that God takes from us every vestige of credit for he act of coming. The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him; and all the time we are pursuing Him we are already in His hand: 'Thy right hand upholdeth me.' In this divine 'upholding' and human 'following' there is no contradiction. All is of God, for as von Hugel teaches, God is always previous.
In practice, however, (that is, where God's previous working meets man's present response) man must pursue God. On our part there must be positive reciprocation if this secret drawing of God is to eventuate in identifiable experience of the Divine. In the warm language of personal feeling this is stated in the Forty-second Psalm: 'As the hart panteth after the waterbrooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?' This is deep calling unto deep, and the longing heart will understand it.

Answer 7

Its an act of pre destining the salvation of people. For example the Christian John Calvin who said you, you, you, oh but not you are saved. He really didnt know who was saved. Another would be Jim Jones, but I dont want to get into that gruesome suicidal christian influenced part.

Answer 8

It means that your life-play was written before you were born and the information was coded in your genes. IMO it is a bunch of malarky. IMO you were born to enjoy life and to enjoy life one needs to have a choice as to what one prefers to do. We were not born to eternally be in school, or to work.
We were born to have fun within the context of free will, which means you get to decide what you prefer to do. Have fun my friend!

Answer 9

This means your fate has already been decided by the gods and there is nothing you can do except live it out.

Answer 10

It means simply that the outcome has already been decided