I like John MacArthur’s response to this question.

http://www.biblebb.com/files/macqa/1301-Q-11.htm

The words never speak of individuals being pre-destined. I believe this passage speaks of *Mankind* being pre-destined to be in an unfettered relationship with God.

There is a tandem work of God’s Spirit guiding us into faith, and the response of our will to accept it. But the actual “work” of Salvation was accomplished by Jesus alone, obviously. God can use any means necessary to accomplish His will, however, “it is not meant that any should perish.”

Along with pre-destination comes God’s “foreknowledge.” Even though He has predestined all of mankind to be adopted as sons, he also knows who has the will to accept Him.

Accepting limits is part of accepting His ways are higher, which I do (and thus acknowledge the follwoing may be completely off base). So then, limiting ourselves to describing with accuracy the meanings and parameters of the finite seems a more plausible logic, though not nearly as inviting to consider perhaps.

Within the finite, the idea of free choice makes more sense than ascribing all control to God, though He may from the infinite perspective being doing just that. The regular guy doesn’t ponder the supernatural nor the implications of various scriptures all that deeply. Most folks live seeking to gain some control over that which is believed to be their responsibility before the accountability which God holds. It is finite, but logical to do so.

If we allow predestination to be extrapolated far enough, what prohibits a person from saying, “I am sinful because God is hardening my heart. Therefore, I must resign myself to sin and damnation, which is all God’s responsibility”? Contrast that with, “The power of the cross sets me free to make decisions rather than be a slave to sin. So why do I want to sin? Oh, I love me more than God. My answer then is to learn to love God more than me, therein I will discover that I am my own agent (united with Christ by choice) against sin. I choose loving Him through Christ over loving me through sin.”

What are we being held responsible for if not overcoming sin in light of the completed work of Jesus on the cross? It strikes me that a powerless religion needs to develop an understanding of God which can justify the lack of power over sin in Christian lives. Which is a backhanded way to gain control over something which seems uncontrollable.

Interestingly to reduce one’s responsiblity to being loving calls one to release personal controls over destiny and the material through the chosen rule by the Spirit of God. Or put another way, when I accept the finite and my responsiblity therein, take the leap of will to overcome sin purposely and replace sinful motivations with loving ones, I begin to live an infinite experience.

I guess I am arguing for a simple, finite human reality, in which I am able to stand on the work of Jesus as an agent of His love. If I must put down a belief in my free will, I cannot experience by faith the cross and standing on His completed work, overcoming sin through His in-dwelling Spirit, nor be an agent of His love. I am just another primate following instincts which are innately from God.

In any case, great topic– the discussion that never ends.

I personally believe that at some point we’re going to realize that a lot of this is a manner of perspective on time. What does past, present, future mean to a God that envelopes time– that is outside of time? If all of what we know as reality is really external to God, and He sees the beginning and the ending, and yet we only see minute by minute, who’s to say that both aren’t correct based on perspective?

This is what I think of with the term “pre-destination”. There is a future we are “pre-destined” for in God, but not everyone will partake of that destiny. We must choose to live in that pre-destined purpose.