And, if it is true, how are we to interact with people whom, say, we have shared the gospel with but whom have not responded and it seems as though they are not of the elect. how are we to view/interact with them with anything but pity and sorrow?
Jesus wept over Jerusalem, and He knew some number of them would not repent. So, it looks to me like Jesus had pity and sorrow for ones He knew would go to hell.
In case someone refuses us, still God is able to change them later . . . even using our message and . . . example. We are not to put some final label on anyone, but trust each person to God. 1 Timothy 2:1-4, I understand, says what to do
"first". To me, this means to pray with hope for any and all people. Love
"hopes all things" > in 1 Corinthians 13:7. If God says to do this
"first", I would say God knows this works.
God uses example. Do what God can use. Your example and what you say and do are sown like seed, which God is able to grow. So, we do what can work, and trust God with this.
Ones of Jerusalem were going to be involved in hating and so torturing and murdering Jesus; but Jesus wept over them . . . knowing, I would say, what they were going to do to Him > I'll bet you also might have a human issue with that
I need to love like that >
"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God or a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:2)
This loving is included in our destiny as God's children. God is guaranteed to succeed in doing in us all His words means . . . to Him > Isaiah 55:11.
Biblical predestination, then, is not a matter only of who goes where and who decides. So, our attention mainly needs to be to how God's grace in us succeeds to have us be and love like Jesus. And grace does this basic meaning, then, of God's word >
"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippines 2:13)
So, whatsoever God's word means for us to do, we do this in sharing with God having us succeed.
So, in case God's word really does mean God is in all-control, how is it Biblical for us to live this? Jesus says to deny ourselves, which includes our own human free wills and where our human ability can get us. Take up our cross, by loving the way Jesus on the cross so loved . . . but while sweetly pleasing our Father >
"as a sweet-smelling aroma" (Ephesians 5:2) > therefore, be sweetly pleasing God while we love any and all people and suffer however. Know how only with God can we do this. And know He is so almighty and in all-control, so there is no hope of ourselves or anything else being able to get us to do this. And so, trust and depend on God at every moment, as the only One who can do anything really right > and so we are worshiping Him while so considering Him and submitting to Him all the time >
"Therefore submit to God." (in James 4:7).
And if we know how God is in absolute control, we can't be fooled into using the world's methods of fighting for things and control; our methods are superior to the methods of conquerors >
"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)
With God, we can accomplish more than what conquerors can do with their methods. And in order to do this, what does God's word say to do
"first"? 1 Timothy 2:1-4 > pray, give all to God. Then do whatever He has us doing . . . in personal and sensitive sharing with Him in His own peace > Colossians 3:15. This peace is almighty, if this is God's peace; therefore, this peace
"will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus," . . . while we pray the way Philippians 4:6-7 means. And as we obey this, Jesus guarantees,
"you will find rest for your souls" (in Matthew 11:28-30) > no matter what this evil world seems to be succeeding in doing, then > you know God is all-controlling and almighty in us to keep us in His perfect peace.
And whatever He has you doing will work, howsoever He pleases. Because He is almighty and His grace is almighty to do all I have summarized above. And I understand that John Calvin said God's grace can not be resisted. If His grace is almighty, this could explain why. Now, as I have offered, our official Calvinists here are of course welcome to evaluate about if I have represented their understanding of predestination correctly. It is about how God's grace is guaranteed to succeed in all God desires . . . all God means by His word. And so we simply give all to Jesus, trust Him with all, while growing in perfect submission with Him and one another helping each other with this.
We do this as family of God, helping one another. This is included in how God's grace blesses us. If God is truly in all-control, then, the Biblical meaning of this is not to judge and criticize Him, of course! But depend on Him totally, and leave behind however we are, at any moment, for the sake of how we can become with Jesus and His loving. Do not look to ourselves to boast how we can do anything, then. Paul says he died
"daily" > in 1 Corinthians 15:31. I see he means he constantly died to self, for the sake of personally submitting to God. So, no matter what or who might come to control our attention, by charming or threatening us . . . answer to God, first, do what He has us doing to love. Because He alone is doing what is good . . . in sharing with us who obey. And He has all-loving results of what He has us doing, like how He did with Joseph > Genesis 37-50.
So, if God is in absolute control . . . no matter how this evil world makes things look >
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)