Personally I can't believe in predestination because of what Scripture says, and what I know, about the character of God.
Scripture says that -
God made us in his image (Gen 1:26)
God put HIS breath in us (Gen 2:7)
God saw us even before we'd been born, knows all our ways, everything about us and how long we will live (Psalm 139)
God is our Father (Matt 6:9, 32) and that if our earthly fathers know how to give us good things, how much more will God (Matt 7:9-12.)
God is love (1 John 4:8). A good description of love is given in 1 Cor 13:4-8.
Quite simply, my own father would never have got my mother pregnant knowing that he wanted nothing to do with the child when it was born, having made up his mind to disown and disinherit it - not because he didn't want more children, but because he didn't want that particular one; so why would God?
Why would God give someone life/allow them to be born knowing that his plans for them were ultimately that they spend eternity without getting to know the One who made them? That's not love.
Yes, I know there are Scriptures which use the word "predestined"; that doen't necessarily mean that the authors had that scenario - ie God creating someone with the intention of sending them to hell, never giving them the opportunity to find him - in mind. They may have meant something else by the word, or maybe it meant something different when it was first used.
If God WANTED to send people to hell, he could have sent us all there, and never sent Jesus at all. Why would he - who is perfect, holy and above all, love - pick and choose which of his children to save? I.e, "I fancy saving that one, but not him/her?"
Because He is God & it is His determinate council to make:
Ephesians 1:
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3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
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4] According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
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5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
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6] To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
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7] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
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8] Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
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9] Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
& Romans 9:
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11] (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil,
that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;[12] It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.[13] As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
[14] What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.[
15] For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.[16] So then it *(election unto salvation)*
is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
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19] Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
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20] Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Question Gods motives? Not a
good idea.
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21] Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
Nevertheless, He DOES tell us why:
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22] What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
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23] And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
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24] Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
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25] As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
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26] And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
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31] But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
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32] Wherefore? Because they sought it
not by faith,
but as it were
by the
works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
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33] As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
I love predestination (God in control)
