PREDESTINATION

I’ve noticed that those who believe in “predestination” have really gone out of their way to take the scriptures out of context. According to their logic, God has already chosen who is and is not going to heaven. Well, then if that’s the case, God is one sick twisted individual, because from Genesis to Revelation God says over and over again that he wishes NONE would perish. He says again and again that he desires that all be saved. BUT, he DOES say that ALL are called and few are chosen. He DOES say that ONLY those found to be clean and obedient to the Bible will be chosen to see heaven. What is even more sickening with the idea of predestination is the fact that God sent his Son Jesus Christ down to heaven to save us ALL from our sins. If God had already “chosen” those who were “predestined” to salvation then why would he send his own Son? Is God such a sick and twisted God that he would send his own Son to earth to be torture, rejected, beaten beyond recognition and so much more before finally being killed in the most humiliating of ways if he already knew who he had “chosen” to be saved?

Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.
(Isaiah 52:9-11)
- Why would God want people to rejoice in knowing that “all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God” if that wasn’t true or possible?

For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
(Matthew 18:11-14)
- If we are all “predestined” then wouldn’t Jesus have said “If that sheep was ‘chosen’ the shepherd go and look for it”?

And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
For many are called, but few are chosen.
(Matthew 22:1-14)
- This is a perfect example of what entering into heaven will be like. If we come to God and are not pure as he wants us to be, then we will not enter heaven, but will be thrown into hell, NOT because he didn’t “choose” us before.

As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
(Luke 3:4-6)
- Why would Jesus make a point to repeat what was written thousands of years ago about “all flesh shall see the salvation of God” if it was already “predestined” who would and would not be saved?

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.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
(John 3:16-21)
- As I mentioned before, is God such a sick and evil God that knowing who would and would not be saved he still sent his own Son to be betrayed, tortured, beaten, mocked, humiliated and killed? If God had already “chosen” who would be saved then there’d be no reason for him to have sent his own Son. But more so, this shows that those of us who accept the way of God will enter into his light.

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
(I Peter 2:5-10)
- This is the scripture that most “predestination” preachers like to take completely out of the context of which it was written. How could we have been “predestined” if “in time past” we were not God’s people, but now are? That doesn’t make any sense. If we were “predestined” then if we were not God’s people before, there’s no way for us to be God’s people now, because it would have already been “predestined” long before our own birth.

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
(II Peter 1:4-11)
- Once again, if we were “predestined” then why would Peter tell us here that we should “give diligence to make your calling and election sure”? If we were already “predestined” and “chosen” then why would it matter what we did or how we acted? Since we’re “predestined” we wouldn’t have to do anything to be sure of our salvation.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
(II Peter 3:8-18)
- Peter even warns us of people who would deceive us (with messages of “predestination” and others). He reminds us of God’s promise that he is “not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance”. Now if some are “chosen” and some are not, why would Peter say God’s promise is that we ALL come to repentance?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(I John 1:9)
- If we were already “predestined” and “chosen” why would we need to ask for forgiveness for our sins? It wouldn’t matter what we did, since it’s already “predestined” whether we are saved or not.

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
(Revelation 17:14)
- As I mentioned before, to be with God, our ONLY requirements are to be reborn in him, obedient to his word and faithful in the grace he has shown to us.

I have come to realize that predestination is nothing more than a false doctrine imagined by so called “Christians” who want to ignore the fact that it is NOT up to God who is saved and not saved, but it is up to US, regarding our own salvation. WE MUST CHOOSE whether or not we become reborn Christians. WE MUST CHOOSE whether Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of our lives. WE MUST CHOOSE whether we live our lives for God or not. WE MUST CHOOSE whether we are obedient to God’s word or we reject it. WE MUST CHOOSE whether or not we will walk perfect according to God’s word or we walk in the world. WE MUST CHOOSE whether God is the Lord of our lives over all, or if he is not Lord at all.

ALL who BELIEVE are worthy of not only salvation and God’s grace, but his blessings that come with being His children. God sent his own Son to become sin for us and to take sin from us (II Corinthians 5:21). The Bible says that once we are in Christ we have become brand new creatures and are no longer sinners in God’s eyes (II Corinthians 5:17). He also says that as such it is God’s reasonable requirement of us that we remain spotless from the world and free from sin (Romans 12:1-2). Jesus himself said the ONLY way (requirement) to see heaven is to be born again (John 3:3). So, the ONLY thing “predestined” about God is that he can ONLY allow those who are without sin to enter into heaven and those who have sin in their lives will only see eternal torment in hell (Revelations 21:6-8).

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
(II Timothy 3:14-17)