The Prodigal Son Contradicts Predestination

[Dale]

I like to ask Aminians where do you see someone "accepting Christ," "making Jesus their personal Lord and Savior," or "Inviting Jesus into their heart" anywhere in this passage? All I see is God doing what He does in regard to one being a sheep. I don't see God needing someone's permission to "work" in their life to preform His unconquerable will. People love to quote Jonh 1:12. But they ignore John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood (Jewish bloodline), nor of the will of the flesh, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, BUT OF GOD! That one little part of the verse, "nor of the will of man" totally destroys "free will" salvation!

BC: “I like to ask Aminians where do you see someone "accepting Christ," "making Jesus their personal Lord and Savior," or "Inviting Jesus into their heart" anywhere in this passage?”

Arminian is a word used by Calvinists. I don’t know what an Arminian is. The word isn’t in my dictionary.

 

[Carl Emerson]

ARMINIANISM is a teaching regarding salvation associated with the Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius (1560-1609). The fundamental principle in Arminianism is the rejection of predestination, and a corresponding affirmation of the freedom of the human will. Shortly after his death, the followers of Arminius (later called Arminians) presented a statement to the governing authorities of Holland in which they set forth five articles of doctrine. These were: (1) that the divine decree of predestination is conditional, not absolute; (2) that the Atonement is in intention universal; (3) that man cannot of himself exercise a saving faith, but requires God's help to attain this faith; (4) that though the grace of God is a necessary condition of human effort it does not act irresistibly in man; (5) that believers are able to resist sin but are not beyond the possibility of falling from grace. In essence, the Arminians maintained that God gives indispensible help in salvation, but that ultimately it is the free will of man which decides the issue. After a period of sharp theological controversy the Dutch government convened a National Synod of leading churchmen, which met in Dordrecht in the years 1618-19. At this "Synod of Dort" the members adopted five articles in direct opposition to the five articles of the Arminians. The articles of Dort have come to be known as the "five points of Calvinism."

 

[Dale]

ARMINIANISM is a teaching regarding salvation associated with the Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius (1560-1609). The fundamental principle in Arminianism is the rejection of predestination, and a corresponding affirmation of the freedom of the human will. Shortly after his death, the followers of Arminius (later called Arminians) presented a statement to the governing authorities of Holland in which they set forth five articles of doctrine. These were: (1) that the divine decree of predestination is conditional, not absolute; (2) that the Atonement is in intention universal; (3) that man cannot of himself exercise a saving faith, but requires God's help to attain this faith; (4) that though the grace of God is a necessary condition of human effort it does not act irresistibly in man; (5) that believers are able to resist sin but are not beyond the possibility of falling from grace. In essence, the Arminians maintained that God gives indispensible help in salvation, but that ultimately it is the free will of man which decides the issue. After a period of sharp theological controversy the Dutch government convened a National Synod of leading churchmen, which met in Dordrecht in the years 1618-19. At this "Synod of Dort" the members adopted five articles in direct opposition to the five articles of the Arminians. The articles of Dort have come to be known as the "five points of Calvinism."

We both know that getting the government involved is not the way to settle theological controversies.
My views do not derive from Arminius.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Well spoken...

 

[Mark Quayle]

What happens when someone gets to be forty years old and they realize that there is no sign they are among the Elect?

What happens when someone is 15 - 60 years old and the realize that there is no sign they are believers?

 

[childeye 2]

I confess that I have never been able to understand predestination. It doesn’t make sense to me.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is the most frequently quoted of the Parables of Christ, the most preached on, and one of the most studied. Since it takes up 21 verses in Luke 15, it is certainly one of the longest parables, perhaps a sign that it is worth some study to understand it. Some call it the crown jewel of the Parables.

Luke 15:17 starts off: “When he came to his senses …” Luke 15:20 follows this up: “So he got up and went to his father.”

The predestinationists tell us that no one knows anything about God, the afterlife or religion, until God calls them. God decides who will be His followers, His worshipers. Yet, Luke 15:17-20 tell us that it is the son who comes “to his senses” and makes the decision to return to his father.

So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a
long way off, his father saw him and was filled with
compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around
him and kissed him.
Luke 15:20 NIV

In the Parable, the father sees his son coming but it is the son who made the decision to return, and is received with great joy.
If the predestinationists had written the parable, the father would have sent someone to kidnap the son and drag him home. Then the son would have said, “Now that I’m here, I think I’ll stay.” This is completely different from the story that Christ gave us.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is perfectly consistent with free will, and free will in matters of salvation. It is not consistent with predestination.

There is an established Truth wherein lies the knowledge of God. So, when the prodigal son comes to his senses, it's then that he has learned and realizes how good his life with the Father was. This knowledge afforded humility and repentance. I think knowledge and ignorance is what made the difference in the prodigal son's change of attitude.

 

[FireDragon76]

Predestination is mentioned in the Bible. Classical Arminian and Roman Catholic theology also has a doctrine of predestination or election, as do Lutherans. The differences are down to what is the cause of ones election.

 

[Dale]

Predestination is mentioned in the Bible. Classical Arminian and Roman Catholic theology also has a doctrine of predestination or election, as do Lutherans. The differences are down to what is the cause of ones election.

FireDragon: “Predestination is mentioned in the Bible.”

I’m not convinced of that.


The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
– II Peter 3:9 NIV


Peter says that God wants everyone to be saved, that is, He does not want anyone to perish.
God wants everyone to repent.

 

[FireDragon76]

FireDragon: “Predestination is mentioned in the Bible.”

I’m not convinced of that.


The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
– II Peter 3:9 NIV

It's mentioned in several Pastoral Epistles, such as Ephesians 1:4, or 2 Thessalonians 2:13. There are several other verses that speak of God's election in that manner.

Peter says that God wants everyone to be saved, that is, He does not want anyone to perish.
God wants everyone to repent.

Yes, that language is biblical too. I'm not arguing against Arminianism per se, merely against this notion that predestination is unbiblical. That kind of talk shows an ignorance of the Scriptures, and any good systematic theology must account for it.

 

[bbbbbbb]

FireDragon: “Predestination is mentioned in the Bible.”

I’m not convinced of that.


The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
– II Peter 3:9 NIV


Peter says that God wants everyone to be saved, that is, He does not want anyone to perish.
God wants everyone to repent.

Yes, predestination is mentioned in the Bible - here is one verse for your enlightenment -

Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

 

[Dale]

Predestination is mentioned in the Bible. Classical Arminian and Roman Catholic theology also has a doctrine of predestination or election, as do Lutherans. The differences are down to what is the cause of ones election.

FireDragon: “Classical Arminian and Roman Catholic theology also has a doctrine of predestination or election, as do Lutherans.”


Does the Roman Catholic Catechism say anything about predestination?

 

[Carl Emerson]

As I ponder on predestination, I am comfortable that it applies to election.

However some extend this to 'all aspects of life are predetermined' - this I feel is a dangerous assumption to make.

Sure our free will is limited but not to the extent that we are not accountable to choose what is right.

A passive view that claims all our choosing is predetermined will not lead to blessing and is like the eastern notion of the path of least resistance.

This is rather a subtle captivity that stifles self effort and renders one fruitless, fatalistic and frustrated.

 

[bbbbbbb]

FireDragon: “Classical Arminian and Roman Catholic theology also has a doctrine of predestination or election, as do Lutherans.”


Does the Roman Catholic Catechism say anything about predestination?

To answer your question here is a link to the Catechism of the Catholic Church where it does mention predestination - Catechism of the Catholic Church Search Results

As you will see, the Catholic Church, having rejected the monergism of St. Augustine and having embraced synergism, has a very synergistic understanding of predestination.

 

[FireDragon76]

FireDragon: “Classical Arminian and Roman Catholic theology also has a doctrine of predestination or election, as do Lutherans.”


Does the Roman Catholic Catechism say anything about predestination?

Predestination in Catholicism - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Brightfame52]

dale

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is perfectly consistent with free will, and free will in matters of salvation. It is not consistent with predestination.

How can you prove that with other scripture ? The prodigal son was dead to God wasnt he ? What does this mean ? Lk 15:24


For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Did he by his own freewill come alive again ? Did he from his own freewill found himself while being lost ?

 

[Dale]

To answer your question here is a link to the Catechism of the Catholic Church where it does mention predestination - Catechism of the Catholic Church Search Results

As you will see, the Catholic Church, having rejected the monergism of St. Augustine and having embraced synergism, has a very synergistic understanding of predestination.

Your link only leads to more links. Can you summarize what the RCC teaches about predestination?

 

[JSRG]

Your link only leads to more links. Can you summarize what the RCC teaches about predestination?

Here is the summary offered by the Catholic Encyclopedia (it is taken from a longer article on the subject at CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Predestination).

We may now briefly summarize the whole Catholic doctrine, which is in harmony with our reason as well as our moral sentiments. According to the doctrinal decisions of general and particular synods, God infallibly foresees and immutably preordains from eternity all future events (cf. Denzinger, n. 1784), all fatalistic necessity, however, being barred and human liberty remaining intact (Denz., n. 607). Consequently man is free whether he accepts grace and does good or whether he rejects it and does evil (Denz., n. 797). Just as it is God's true and sincere will that all men, no one excepted, shall obtain eternal happiness, so, too, Christ has died for all (Denz., n. 794), not only for the predestined (Denz., n. 1096), or for the faithful (Denz., n. 1294), though it is true that in reality not all avail themselves of the benefits of redemption (Denz., n. 795). Though God preordained both eternal happiness and the good works of the elect (Denz., n. 322), yet, on the other hand, He predestined no one positively to hell, much less to sin (Denz., nn. 200, 816). Consequently, just as no one is saved against his will (Denz., n. 1363), so the reprobate perish solely on account of their wickedness (Denz., nn. 318, 321). God foresaw the everlasting pains of the impious from all eternity, and preordained this punishment on account of their sins (Denz., n. 322), though He does not fail therefore to hold out the grace of conversion to sinners (Denz., n. 807), or pass over those who are not predestined (Denz., n. 827). As long as the reprobate live on earth, they may be accounted true Christians and members of the Church, just as on the other hand the predestined may be outside the pale of Christianity and of the Church (Denz., nn. 628, 631). Without special revelation no one can know with certainty that he belongs to the number of the elect (Denz., nn. 805 sq., 825 sq.).

The later New Catholic Encyclopedia offers a similar summary in its article on predestination which I will also share. It can be viewed in the context of its full article at New Catholic encyclopedia : Catholic University of America : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. I couldn't simply copy it like the above, though, and had to type it up, so it is possible I made some typos. Here is the portion of the article that offers the summary of the Catholic Church's teaching:

Teaching of the Church. Throughout the years, on the occasion of these pernicious doctrines, the Church condemned these aberrations from revealed truth. In addition, the Church reaffirmed with greater precision and clarity the revealed doctrine of the sincere universal salvific will of God.

The following are some of the declarations that are pertinent:

1. God predestines no one to evil (Denz 1567).
2. He wills, on the contrary, the salvation of all men (Denz 623).
3. Christ did not die solely for the predestined or the faithful (Denz 2006, 2304, 2430).
4. There is a grace that is truly sufficient and that is a true gift of God (Denz 2306).
5. The grace of conversion is offered to sinners (Denz 1542).
6. They only are deprived of it who, failing in their duty, refuse it; this is something which God permits but of which He is by no means the cause (Denz 1556, 1567, 2866).

To sum up, one must say that the Church affirms particularly three truths against Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism: (1) The cause of predestination to grace or justification is not the divine foreknowledge of naturally good works that are performed by men, neither is the cause preliminary to any act of the natural order that prepares men for salvation. This efficacious calling is due solely to God. It is initiated by Him because of His divine largesse. (2) Predestination to glory is not a result of foreseen supernatural merits that would continue to be effective apart from the special gift of final perseverance. (3) Predestination, viewed in its totality, that is, the entire series of graces from beginning to end, is gratuitous, and hence previous to the foreseen merits of man. In a word, that some are saved is a gift of Him who saves (Denz 623).

Against the various forms of predestinationism the Church teaches that: (1) God sincerely wills the salvation of all men and thus makes the fulfilment of His precepts possible for all. (2) There is neither predestination to evil as a final end nor predestination to any evil deed in particular. (3) Christ died for all men without exception. (4) Nevertheless, God has decreed from all eternity to inflict eternal punishment for the sin of final impenitence, which He has foreseen for all eternity. He is by no means the cause of the impenitence, but merely permits it.

In the words of St. Prosper, "That many . . . perish is the fault of those who perish; that many are saved is the gift of Him who saves."

If one is curious about what all of these "Denz." and "Denzinger" things are, they are references to the work Sources of Catholic Dogma, often referred to simply as "Denzinger" after its original editor; it's a numbering of various statements made by councils, encyclicals, letters, and other such things that is used as a point of reference. Just to make things more confusing, though, they were re-numbered between the two Catholic Encyclopedias, so the numbers in the original Catholic Encyclopedia point to the original numbering, whereas the numbers in the New Catholic Encyclopedia point to the new numberings. An English translation of the original numbering can be found at http://patristica.net/denzinger/ (this does omit some of the footnotes in the original publication, which can be found, although only in Latin, at Heinrich Denzinger, Enchiridion symbolorum definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum (ed. 1957) : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive). I don't think there is an English translation of the new numbering, though one can see it in Latin at http://patristica.net/denzinger/enchiridion-symbolorum.html.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Your link only leads to more links. Can you summarize what the RCC teaches about predestination?

I have been accused by our Catholic friends in the past of failing to present Catholic teaching accurately. I am not a member of that denomination and I do strive to present their teaching as they themselves receive in their catechism, so here are the references from the Catechism of the Catholic Church which mention "predestination".

381 Man is predestined to reproduce the image of God's Son made man, the "image of the invisible God" (Col 1:15), so that Christ shall be the first-born of a multitude of brothers and sisters (cf. Eph 1:3-6; Rom 8:29).

488 "God sent forth his Son", but to prepare a body for him, he wanted the free co-operation of a creature. For this, from all eternity God chose for the mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, "a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary":


The Father of mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman had a share in the coming of death, so also should a woman contribute to the coming of life.

600 To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore he establishes his eternal plan of "predestination", he includes in it each person's free response to his grace: "In this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." For the sake of accomplishing his plan of salvation, God permitted the acts that flowed from their blindness.

1037 God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want "any to perish, but all to come to repentance":

Father, accept this offering
from your whole family.
Grant us your peace in this life,
save us from final damnation,
and count us among those you have chosen.

2012 "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him . . . For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified."

2782 We can adore the Father because he has caused us to be reborn to his life by adopting us as his children in his only Son: by Baptism, he incorporates us into the Body of his Christ; through the anointing of his Spirit who flows from the head to the members, he makes us other "Christs."

God, indeed, who has predestined us to adoption as his sons, has conformed us to the glorious Body of Christ. So then you who have become sharers in Christ are appropriately called "Christs."
The new man, reborn and restored to his God by grace, says first of all, "Father!" because he has now begun to be a son.

 

[Dale]

dale




How can you prove that with other scripture ? The prodigal son was dead to God wasnt he ? What does this mean ? Lk 15:24


For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Did he by his own freewill come alive again ? Did he from his own freewill found himself while being lost ?

Brightfame: “How can you prove that with other scripture?”

Why do I have to prove it with other scripture? This is from the Gospels. Jesus is speaking. The core of the teaching of Jesus is in His parables, and this is one of the Parables.

Brightfame: “The prodigal son was dead to God wasnt he? What does this mean?”

Calvinists may be assigning a meaning to “dead” that isn’t in the Scripture. Perhaps “dead” means that the son was headed for spiritual death, but not beyond repentance.

Brightfame: “Did he by his own freewill come alive again ? Did he from his own freewill found himself while being lost?”

Do you have a prejudice against the term “freewill”? Here is what the Parable says:

“… he came to his senses.” --Luke 15:17
“… he got up and went to his father.” --Luke 15:20

The son isn’t dragged home. No one gives him a map, he knows the way. No one tells him, “You’d be better off to go back to your father.” No one converts him. He figures it out for himself.

The father does send a messenger to find his son and tell him that he is welcome home. It is the son who decides to return, come what may, even if he is not well received.

““But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him …”
--Luke 15:20

The father sees that his son has decided to come home, but it is the son who made the decision.

 

[Dale]

Here is the summary offered by the Catholic Encyclopedia (it is taken from a longer article on the subject at CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Predestination).

We may now briefly summarize the whole Catholic doctrine, which is in harmony with our reason as well as our moral sentiments. According to the doctrinal decisions of general and particular synods, God infallibly foresees and immutably preordains from eternity all future events (cf. Denzinger, n. 1784), all fatalistic necessity, however, being barred and human liberty remaining intact (Denz., n. 607). Consequently man is free whether he accepts grace and does good or whether he rejects it and does evil (Denz., n. 797). Just as it is God's true and sincere will that all men, no one excepted, shall obtain eternal happiness, so, too, Christ has died for all (Denz., n. 794), not only for the predestined (Denz., n. 1096), or for the faithful (Denz., n. 1294), though it is true that in reality not all avail themselves of the benefits of redemption (Denz., n. 795). Though God preordained both eternal happiness and the good works of the elect (Denz., n. 322), yet, on the other hand, He predestined no one positively to hell, much less to sin (Denz., nn. 200, 816). Consequently, just as no one is saved against his will (Denz., n. 1363), so the reprobate perish solely on account of their wickedness (Denz., nn. 318, 321). God foresaw the everlasting pains of the impious from all eternity, and preordained this punishment on account of their sins (Denz., n. 322), though He does not fail therefore to hold out the grace of conversion to sinners (Denz., n. 807), or pass over those who are not predestined (Denz., n. 827). As long as the reprobate live on earth, they may be accounted true Christians and members of the Church, just as on the other hand the predestined may be outside the pale of Christianity and of the Church (Denz., nn. 628, 631). Without special revelation no one can know with certainty that he belongs to the number of the elect (Denz., nn. 805 sq., 825 sq.).

The later New Catholic Encyclopedia offers a similar summary in its article on predestination which I will also share. It can be viewed in the context of its full article at New Catholic encyclopedia : Catholic University of America : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. I couldn't simply copy it like the above, though, and had to type it up, so it is possible I made some typos. Here is the portion of the article that offers the summary of the Catholic Church's teaching:

Teaching of the Church. Throughout the years, on the occasion of these pernicious doctrines, the Church condemned these aberrations from revealed truth. In addition, the Church reaffirmed with greater precision and clarity the revealed doctrine of the sincere universal salvific will of God.

The following are some of the declarations that are pertinent:

1. God predestines no one to evil (Denz 1567).
2. He wills, on the contrary, the salvation of all men (Denz 623).
3. Christ did not die solely for the predestined or the faithful (Denz 2006, 2304, 2430).
4. There is a grace that is truly sufficient and that is a true gift of God (Denz 2306).
5. The grace of conversion is offered to sinners (Denz 1542).
6. They only are deprived of it who, failing in their duty, refuse it; this is something which God permits but of which He is by no means the cause (Denz 1556, 1567, 2866).

To sum up, one must say that the Church affirms particularly three truths against Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism: (1) The cause of predestination to grace or justification is not the divine foreknowledge of naturally good works that are performed by men, neither is the cause preliminary to any act of the natural order that prepares men for salvation. This efficacious calling is due solely to God. It is initiated by Him because of His divine largesse. (2) Predestination to glory is not a result of foreseen supernatural merits that would continue to be effective apart from the special gift of final perseverance. (3) Predestination, viewed in its totality, that is, the entire series of graces from beginning to end, is gratuitous, and hence previous to the foreseen merits of man. In a word, that some are saved is a gift of Him who saves (Denz 623).

Against the various forms of predestinationism the Church teaches that: (1) God sincerely wills the salvation of all men and thus makes the fulfilment of His precepts possible for all. (2) There is neither predestination to evil as a final end nor predestination to any evil deed in particular. (3) Christ died for all men without exception. (4) Nevertheless, God has decreed from all eternity to inflict eternal punishment for the sin of final impenitence, which He has foreseen for all eternity. He is by no means the cause of the impenitence, but merely permits it.

In the words of St. Prosper, "That many . . . perish is the fault of those who perish; that many are saved is the gift of Him who saves."

If one is curious about what all of these "Denz." and "Denzinger" things are, they are references to the work Sources of Catholic Dogma, often referred to simply as "Denzinger" after its original editor; it's a numbering of various statements made by councils, encyclicals, letters, and other such things that is used as a point of reference. Just to make things more confusing, though, they were re-numbered between the two Catholic Encyclopedias, so the numbers in the original Catholic Encyclopedia point to the original numbering, whereas the numbers in the New Catholic Encyclopedia point to the new numberings. An English translation of the original numbering can be found at http://patristica.net/denzinger/ (this does omit some of the footnotes in the original publication, which can be found, although only in Latin, at Heinrich Denzinger, Enchiridion symbolorum definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum (ed. 1957) : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive). I don't think there is an English translation of the new numbering, though one can see it in Latin at http://patristica.net/denzinger/enchiridion-symbolorum.html.

I have been accused by our Catholic friends in the past of failing to present Catholic teaching accurately. I am not a member of that denomination and I do strive to present their teaching as they themselves receive in their catechism, so here are the references from the Catechism of the Catholic Church which mention "predestination".

381 Man is predestined to reproduce the image of God's Son made man, the "image of the invisible God" (Col 1:15), so that Christ shall be the first-born of a multitude of brothers and sisters (cf. Eph 1:3-6; Rom 8:29).

488 "God sent forth his Son", but to prepare a body for him, he wanted the free co-operation of a creature. For this, from all eternity God chose for the mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, "a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary":


The Father of mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman had a share in the coming of death, so also should a woman contribute to the coming of life.

600 To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore he establishes his eternal plan of "predestination", he includes in it each person's free response to his grace: "In this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." For the sake of accomplishing his plan of salvation, God permitted the acts that flowed from their blindness.

1037 God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want "any to perish, but all to come to repentance":

Father, accept this offering
from your whole family.
Grant us your peace in this life,
save us from final damnation,
and count us among those you have chosen.

2012 "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him . . . For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified."

2782 We can adore the Father because he has caused us to be reborn to his life by adopting us as his children in his only Son: by Baptism, he incorporates us into the Body of his Christ; through the anointing of his Spirit who flows from the head to the members, he makes us other "Christs."

God, indeed, who has predestined us to adoption as his sons, has conformed us to the glorious Body of Christ. So then you who have become sharers in Christ are appropriately called "Christs."
The new man, reborn and restored to his God by grace, says first of all, "Father!" because he has now begun to be a son.

Thank you both for the info you provided in response to my question.

It sounds to me like Catholic theologians are tying themselves in knots. One of their saints used the term “predestination,” so they don’t want to disavow it. They wind up disavowing almost every consequence of it.

For instance, “God predestines no one to evil”

and

“There is neither predestination to evil as a final end nor predestination to any evil deed in particular.”


Both of these are quoted by JSRG.

It is a lot simpler to say that I don’t believe in predestination and I haven’t seen any reason that any Christian should.