Do you believe in predestination?

Question

Here is what I have read, and it makes sense I will point out which point I feel is 100% true. Oh yea I do not believe in predestination.

There is a very popular long-time theory in religious circles which holds salvation to be a matter of presdestination. That is, you are saved because God predestinated you to be saved. The logical (and often-stated) corollary is: "If some are predestinated to Heaven, the rest are predestinated to Hell." This teaching, which began with Augustine (354-430 A.D.) and was systematized by the Protestant reformer John Calvin (1509-1564 A.D.), is usually called "Calvinism." It affirms that we have no choice in the matter of salvation; it was all settled long before the world was created.

No the point that I find to set it in stone is "If some are predestinated to Heaven, the rest are predestinated to Hell." That right there is saying that God condemns people to hell which is not true. It is our choice that takes us there, because you did not want to..

Okay primoa since you believe so than you don't believe in free will than do you? Which also means that God has created humans to go to hell, why would He do that? He wouldn't so are you agreeing with this?

Answer 1

No, I don’t. First, for every verse that is cut and paste into a yes answer, I could cut and paste a greater number that appear to oppose predestination. Cut and paste without the surrounding verses and more does not answer the question. Instead I’ll make some general comments and provide resources. The commentary book directly addresses these verses, but not as standalone scripture.

1. When trying to understand what a verse says, you must consider to whom it is being said. Many things in the Bible address specific persons. They are not meant to be applied to a larger group that is neither present to hear nor the recipient of a letter. Sometimes “we” and “us” means just what it says, the author and the people he’s addressing at that moment.

2. All the books were written by Jews. The OT covers a huge period of time, but the NT’s frame of reference is pretty tight. Before you understand these books, you must understand the culture and idiom of that specific time, specifically Jewish culture at that time. No one stressed his Jewish-ness more than Sha’ul (Paul).

3. If you don’t think the translators who worked under King James changed anything, consider this. Who wrote the book called James? There was no Jew at that time (and probably darn few today) named James. His name was Ya’akov, which does not translate James, but Jacob. Do you think maybe King James had his name inserted into holy scripture?

4. Below I list a Jewish Bible, commentary on the NT, and a website from Jerusalem. If anyone is interested in the audio files, I suggest starting with Elhanan Ben Avraham’s “The People Known as the Early Christians.” And if you’re worried that he’s using some strange Bible, he uses the KJV to prove all of his points, because he is addressing an American Christian audience.

Finally, having attended a Calvinist church for several years, I have a few comments. First, predestination states, in modern terms, that God sat down, before creating anything, and made out a short list of people that He would forgive. There are two alternative destinations, heaven and hell. If the short list goes to heaven, the other list must go to hell.

These same people tell me that they’re spreading the Good News. It sounds to me like for one heck of a lot of people, this is the Bad News. Yet I’ve never heard one say, “Sister, if you have a minute, I’d like to tell you that you might be on God’s shortlist, and just in case you are, you need to hear the Gospel.”

Answer 2

It's a lose-lose any way you look at it. Even if free-will existed, it is a very very weak force. Our actions and decisions were put in place by the preceding events. If circumstances had been a fraction of a fraction different, then we would have made a different choice. This means we have a very limited sphere of control over who we are, or what we do.
With this in mind, predestination would make decent sense--except that God creates souls knowingly to send to hell. Doesn't seem that merciful and loving.
On the other hand, God is not omniscient or prescient. God -cannot- see the future, or know which path humanity will take. That would certainly be a strike against an all-powerful, all knowing creator.

The better assumption is that there is no Hell. There can't be if God knows everything and is just and righteous, because that would imply that he created billions of souls to torture for eternity, knowing perfectly well that they were going there.

The best assumption is that God doesn't exist as you think of him.

Answer 3

Yes, I do believe in predestination.

God has chosen some out of the human race to be saved through the finished work of Christ, thus inheriting eternal life. Others of the same human race are not chosen to eternal life and therefore foreordained to everlasting punishment.

In other words, God sovereignty ordains the eternal destiny of every human being—the lost as well as the saved.

In the case of the elect there is a divine intervention called regeneration. This is a sovereign work of God the Holy Spirit whereby a sinner who is spiritually dead is made alive. It is this that enables a sinner to see and enter the Kingdom of God (as Jesus teaches in John 3). In other words, God works in those whom he has chosen to enable them to repent and believe. All the praise, credit and glory belongs to God alone, not to the elect sinner who repents and believes.

In the case of those who are not elect, however, there is no internal work of God. It is not God who makes them evil. They already are evil. In their case the Word of God only hardens them in their sin. And it is to them alone—and not to God—that the blame therefore must belong for their final reprobation.

“For the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls,…“Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated’. …Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens…..Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?” Romans 9:11,12,18,21

Answer 4

I believe God gives everyone a free choice to either accept Him or not. Also if those who preach predestination why do they preach it if God has already chosen those who will be saved and all they doping is wasting their money on things that have already been determined. God sent His Son Jesus to die for all so that whoever believes in him shall have eternal life.

Answer 5

Nope, don't believe it at all.

Here in the deep south, many do but never can explain why. Lots of quonset hut bible college seminary settings for it. Hey, it makes money so I guess they're predestined for profit.

I agree that death is the only certain predestination.

Answer 6

No one is predestined to Hell! God forgives.

Answer 7

"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." - Ephesians 1:11

Yes I can accept the doctrine of predestination - but only on the terms of the infinite looking at time as circular rather than the finite looking at time as linear.

Answer 8

God wants us to contribute positively to addressing the extremely serious problem in this world, so the future here will be better. Any one, no matter what they believe, who does this, will be treated well, by our good and very moral God.

Answer 9

That's silly.

If that is true, then God predestined people like Hitler and Stalin to kill millions of people.

Answer 10

No, I believe everyone makes their own destiny. Every choice you make affects it in some way.