Predestination

[princess2000]

Here's what I don't get, why would anyone believe in predestination? I mean why would you believe that only a certain amount of people will get to heaven? Why? That's messed up, and why would God choose you? Why not any of the hundreds of saints that passed before us? If God so loved the world He sent His only Son to save us, why then, would he only want a few with him in heaven? I'm just saying, this Predestination is a load of bull, God wants all his children around the dinner table, not 144 or 144,000 or whatever.

Why would God 'permit' evil, He's God, He doesn't like it when we sin, yes He uses that sin to teach us and draw us closer to Him, but He didn't want us to sin to begin with.

Assuming I did believe in predestination, here's something else, why would God want me? I'm not very smart, I'm not very pretty, in fact, I'm fat, I love Him, but others love Him more, I serve Him, but others serve Him better. Why would God want me?

The fact is, God wants all of us, and He hates it when he has to send one of us to Hell. That's why St. Peter is at the gate, so God doesn't have to tell us that we screwed up.

Peace out

~ Beka

[~candice~]

Here's what I don't get, why would anyone believe in predestination? I mean why would you believe that only a certain amount of people will get to heaven? Why? That's messed up, and why would God choose you? Why not any of the hundreds of saints that passed before us? If God so loved the world He sent His only Son to save us, why then, would he only want a few with him in heaven? I'm just saying, this Predestination is a load of bull, God wants all his children around the dinner table, not 144 or 144,000 or whatever.

Why would God 'permit' evil, He's God, He doesn't like it when we sin, yes He uses that sin to teach us and draw us closer to Him, but He didn't want us to sin to begin with.

Assuming I did believe in predestination, here's something else, why would God want me? I'm not very smart, I'm not very pretty, in fact, I'm fat, I love Him, but others love Him more, I serve Him, but others serve Him better. Why would God want me?

The fact is, God wants all of us, and He hates it when he has to send one of us to Hell. That's why St. Peter is at the gate, so God doesn't have to tell us that we screwed up.

Peace out

~ Beka

It's not messed up at all. It is biblical. Perhaps you do not fully understand what biblical predestination means.

Ephesian 1 (NIV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love

5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

(snip)

11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Romans 8 (NIV)

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;

30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

1 Peter 1:20 (NASB)

20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you

21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

God chooses you not because of any quality you have, or any works that you have done. God loves you! He loved you while you were a sinner, while you had nothing to offer Him at all.

Romans 5:8 (NASB)

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 2 (NASB)

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

[Fez]

I did not vote because there is so much more to predestination and the argument for it. This could be a long and interesting thread, which I am sure has been done before. Try reading "Chosen by God" by Sproul. I am wading through it at the moment and it is opening a lot of thought doors in my head! I guess it depends on what your definiton of predestination is, and I am not ready to form that conclusion yet.

Blessings

[Hunterpoet]

I voted " yes I'm ", but heres the twist....it is my choice.

God has predestined that all people belong to Him, but does not force people to belong to Him.

In the end, everyone will understand that they belong to Him, some cheerfully, others not so cheerfully.

[nebula]

I like the last choice!

Is it not God's desire for all to be saved?

[Miss Elly]

Here's what I don't get, why would anyone believe in predestination? I mean why would you believe that only a certain amount of people will get to heaven? Why? That's messed up, and why would God choose you? Why not any of the hundreds of saints that passed before us? If God so loved the world He sent His only Son to save us, why then, would he only want a few with him in heaven? I'm just saying, this Predestination is a load of bull, God wants all his children around the dinner table, not 144 or 144,000 or whatever.

Why would God 'permit' evil, He's God, He doesn't like it when we sin, yes He uses that sin to teach us and draw us closer to Him, but He didn't want us to sin to begin with.

Assuming I did believe in predestination, here's something else, why would God want me? I'm not very smart, I'm not very pretty, in fact, I'm fat, I love Him, but others love Him more, I serve Him, but others serve Him better. Why would God want me?

The fact is, God wants all of us, and He hates it when he has to send one of us to Hell. That's why St. Peter is at the gate, so God doesn't have to tell us that we screwed up.

Peace out

~ Beka

I don't know if St. Peter is at the gate, but I do know that Jesus hates to send his creation to hell. I agree with you, that God so loved the WORLD that hr gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everylasting life. I believe we are "predestined" only in that God knew in advance would our choice would be, he knew us before the foundations of the world were laid and he knew we would choose him. I honestly think though, that "predestined" and "unpredestined" are trying to say basically the same thing, only with different words. Faith in Jesus will get us to heaven, so what difference does it make.

[~Shalhevet~]

I am going to have to say "no" just because what would be the point of all this (life) if there wasn't some sort of pull in other direction. Don't know quite how to explain it. God vs. satan. Isn't really a war between the two?

[Sir Gareth]

I think the best scripture i nhave seen about predestination is when Peter refers to the saved asthose 'destined according to the foreknowlege of God'

I don't believe God has chosen people who will go to heaven or hell without a choice but I do believe he uses his omniprecence to make plans around those he knew would chose him

[2Joyful]

Here's what I don't get, why would anyone believe in predestination? I mean why would you believe that only a certain amount of people will get to heaven? Why? That's messed up, and why would God choose you? Why not any of the hundreds of saints that passed before us? If God so loved the world He sent His only Son to save us, why then, would he only want a few with him in heaven? I'm just saying, this Predestination is a load of bull, God wants all his children around the dinner table, not 144 or 144,000 or whatever.

Why would God 'permit' evil, He's God, He doesn't like it when we sin, yes He uses that sin to teach us and draw us closer to Him, but He didn't want us to sin to begin with.

Assuming I did believe in predestination, here's something else, why would God want me? I'm not very smart, I'm not very pretty, in fact, I'm fat, I love Him, but others love Him more, I serve Him, but others serve Him better. Why would God want me?

The fact is, God wants all of us, and He hates it when he has to send one of us to Hell. That's why St. Peter is at the gate, so God doesn't have to tell us that we screwed up.

Peace out

~ Beka

I don't know if St. Peter is at the gate, but I do know that Jesus hates to send his creation to hell. I agree with you, that God so loved the WORLD that hr gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everylasting life. I believe we are "predestined" only in that God knew in advance would our choice would be, he knew us before the foundations of the world were laid and he knew we would choose him. I honestly think though, that "predestined" and "unpredestined" are trying to say basically the same thing, only with different words. Faith in Jesus will get us to heaven, so what difference does it make.

Amen, Miss Elly

[Guest HIS girl]

I like the last choice!

Is it not God's desire for all to be saved?

Absolutely!

We know Jesus doesn't lie....

John 3 v 16:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." NKJV

Jesus also stated -

John 12 v 49 - 50: "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command (what I should say and what I should speak). And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore,whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." NKJV