Predestination and Free Will

If there ever was a misunderstood concept about salvation predestination is it. The Bible clearly says that God predestines his elect. This means he ensures his children will receive salvation. It doesn’t have to mean anything more.

Some think this means that everything we do, experience, or encounter in our lives, has already been determined by God. They think we have no control, that there is no such thing as free will. All we can do is accept our fate, i.e. the cards we have been dealt.

To me it is surprising that this idea should prevail as long as it has. Even with our limited reasoning we can understand that there would be little point in God creating a bunch of robots to do his bidding and pleasure. That does not sound like a good and loving God. Obviously, God doesn’t want the love of robots, that isn’t really love is it.

On the other hand I believe there is no such thing as total free will in this world simply because God’s will must prevail, by definition. The Bible clearly demonstrates that God intervenes where and when he wills, and quite often. (One issue to cover at another time is why some people do not see his intervention in today’s world.)

God has his plans and he has a purpose for all of us in his plans. He has said so. Gods plans and purpose for us will be done regardless of our decisions and choices. But this doesn’t mean we lack free will. We have considerable free will. God set the universe up to operate according to rules. Our science is a process of discovering these rules. These rules govern cause and effect. Our decisions, and choices operate in this universe, bound by these rules. God is the only one that can overcome or work outside of these rules. It is within this universe that we have free will.

So does predestination exist? Yes, it does and here is how. We are, in fact predestined by God. We are predestined to salvation and to fulfill his purpose for us. But that is all. We make all the choices in our life. While we have our free will, we are influence by others and the world around us. Even devils and demons are able to influence you. But God has the power to work all things together to fulfill his purposes. It is the privilege of God to act, influence, will into being anything he desires. So we are predestined, but only to God’s will or purpose for us.

The important idea to understand about predestination is that it only involves our spiritual relationship with God. You are assured salvation. God predestined you to it. You are not a robot. Your course in life is determined by your choices. You decide what to do, who to love, whether to sin or not, whether to follow Christ’s teaching or not, and most importantly what we believe. This is the way you grow greater rewards in heaven.

Do not fear, God’s will, will be done. He insures that things work together to enable his Elect to believe. He ensures that they hear the Word and that they grow in faith as a Christian. He does this though his Holy Spirit.