Expert: Thurman C. Petty, Jr. - 1/2/2007

Question
I have plenty of biblical backing for conscious choice of salvation  Are there any supporting predestination?

Not in one of the below verses does it say or imply only a few predestined.  Infact I really could not find any in context that spoke of predestination.
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through me" (John 14:6).
"For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24).
Romans 10:13 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Matthew 9:13 - "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance,?
1 Timothy 1:15 - "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,"
Ephesians 2:8,9 - "For by grace are ye saved through faith... it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast."
Titus 3:5 - "Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy he saved us."

How can predestination be factual when it is promised that
2 Peter 3:9 - "The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance?.

A God that promises me peace would not leave me wondering if I was saved (as in predestination)  It is in my hands to accept His Son in this free gift of salvation.

Matthew 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid".


Answer
Dear Whitney,
I couldn't agree with you more. Here's an answer I sent to someone else who asked about this subject.

This is a subject that is, as you say, heavy,
and it has been used by many people to as an excuse to disobey God. Some have come to hate
God because they think He's unfair to “predestine” some to be lost; and some have felt like they
are predestined to be saved so they feel they can do anything they want–kind of like those who
believe that once saved, always saved. And I've never known anyone who really believed in
“predestination” in the Calvinistic sense of the term to feel that he's predestined to be lost.

So, what to make of the texts you've quoted above? Let me quote them again and then we can
look at them more closely.

Rom 8:29 (NIV) For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of
his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Rom 8:30  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he
justified, he also glorified.

In verse 29 Paul clearly states that God predestined those to be like His son whom He foreknew.” In
actual fact, God “foreknew” every single person who has ever or will ever live–whether that person will
be saved or lost! And He has predestined every one of them–us–to be saved. So God predestined every
person on the planet–past, present, or future–to become a citizen in His kingdom.

And God called all of these to be justified. But doesn't a person have to accept Christ in order to be
justified? Yes. But even so, whether or not a person chooses to be justified is his own choice, not God's
plan.

So, with this in mind we can then see the beauty of the “whosoever will” promises.

John 3:16  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.

God appeals to each of us to “will” to serve Him–not because of some arbitrary decision He made before
they were born, but because Christ died for “whosoever” will choose Him as their Savior.

Ephesians 1:4-5. 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: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Here again, when compared with Rom. 8:29, 30, we find that God chose all men whoever lived to be
adopted as His children through Jesus. This portrays the good pleasure of God's will.

This is, in reality, a general election, not a specific election of certain people to be saved or lost.

Those who come to Christ are chosen to be saved, just as a person who joins a choir is chosen to sing.
There is no arbitrary selection on the part of God, because He will choose to save all who choose to place
their faith in Jesus as their Redeemer.

Here are some texts that clarify what I've been talking about:

a. John 1:7  He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might
believe.
b. John 12:32  But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
c. Rom 5:18   Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the
result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
d. 1 Tim 2:4-6 . . . who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is
one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom
for all men--the testimony given in its proper time.
e. 1 Tim 4:10  (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the
Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.
f. Titus 2:11  For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

Jesus died to save ALL mankind–not just a few that He selected long before they were born. Doesn't that
just thrill you to the core? It does me. I can't understand how God could love us sinners so much as to
send His Son to die for all the vile sinners of our ghastly world. But the fact is that He does love every
one of His children–even if they don't love Him in return. And He loves those who stray especially and
expends inexhaustible energy to save them.

So God didn't choose certain people to be lost and certain others to be saved. Those who are saved will
be saved because they choose to let Jesus save them, and those who are lost will be lost because of what
they have chosen for themselves. But who would choose to be lost? Anyone who neglects to choose
Christ as his Savior has chosen to be lost.

Thanks again for your question. I'd be glad to discuss this more thoroughly, or attempt to answer any
other question you might have.

I invite you to visit my web site–www.PettyPress.com. On it I've place 16 of my books, scores of articles,
stories, and poems. There's a section where I've listed some of the other questions I've been asked and
another which provides 40 lessons on major teachings of the Bible. Let me know what you think.

Thurman C. Petty, Jr.
Petty@hyperusa.com