Problem: If God knows everything, why would He create people whom He knew would never believe in His Son, and would thus end up in hell?
Answer: Different Christians will handle this question variously. Some believe that God has such a high respect for human freedom that He gives people the chance to make their own choices, even though He knows in advance that some of them will choose wrongly. This position is not entirely without merit. Certainly, human beings are held accountable for the choices they make, whether good or bad. And there is no doubt God knows in advance what choices people will make.
However, it is also true that human beings are creations of God. We are His property and He is therefore entitled to do with us as He pleases. The Bible says that certain people have been created with a hard, faithless heart in order to facilitate the salvation of others. For example, God created many Jewish people who, for the time being, absolutely refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. Yet this temporary hardening of Jewish hearts is specifically designed to facilitate the salvation of Gentiles [Romans 11:25] and will one day come to an end [Romans 11:26-27]. Thus, as history wraps up, many Jews will at last see the light and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
There is a certain pride in the human heart that prompts us to dismiss the very idea that God might use us, interfere with us, or even kill us – all for the sake of His prophetic purposes. When people read through parts of the Bible that talk about God choosing only a select group for heaven, and giving only these elected ones the ability to come to faith in Christ, it often provokes an angry, sneering response. After all, most people would like to think they have a fair bit of control over their destinies. But when a person has been humbled and softened by the Holy Spirit, given the gift of faith, and made ready to repent, this pride is supernaturally replaced with an extraordinary peace that passes all understanding – a deep inner knowledge that the Lord is in control.
Of course, this begs the question, “How can we tell if someone is on God's heaven list?” The only biblical answer is, we can't know. God keeps the list of the elect private. But we do know this: Those whom God has elected will one day respond to the gospel and come to faith in Christ. Consequently, Christians must never assume that a person is “unsavable”. It is my duty to pray hard and preach with clarity. The results are up to God. That's why I'm not particularly concerned about trying to convince you that my faith is correct. If you are one of God's elect, He will open your eyes through the preaching of His Bible, and you will melt like butter in the warmth of His mighty hand.
Recently, I was speaking with a Buddhist friend in another forum. He accused me of being little more than a slave to my God. Though he didn't intend it as a complement, he is nevertheless correct. I AM a slave to Christ, my God. Every born again Christian is held captive by the love that set us free from sin and death. And it is that perfect love that compels me to live for the Lord and share my faith with others [2 Corinthians 5:14]. If you are ready to turn away from everything God says is wrong and give your life to Jesus Christ, then He is ready to receive you as His child.
