Why should I witness to non-christians if God has already predestined his elect for salvation?
See related eBible topics: https://ebible.com/questions/265-what-is-predestination-is-predestination-biblical https://ebible.com/questions/3273-how-are-predestination-and-election-connected-with-foreknowledge https://ebible.com/questions/12111-what-is-predestined-referring-to-in-ephesians-1 https://ebible.com/questions/72-does-rom-9-mean-god-predestined-some-to-heaven-while-created-others-with-no-chance-of-escaping-hell https://ebible.com/questions/5307-what-is-the-point-of-living-if-a-person-like-me-is-predestined-to-hell
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
John Anderson
God does know who will be saved and who won't be saved. Calvinism thinks God chooses, and that is not correct.
God will never chose to send a soul to Hell.
If you were get in a discussion with a Calvinist about this, ask them how can they know for certain God chose them, what if they are wrong?
That helps put the absurdity of it to rest.
We are saved by faith and the blood of Christ Jesus, nothing else.
Amen and Amen
Craig Ohlson
The whole book of Jonah is the answer. What was Gods response to Jonah why he should preach to the Ninivites when he had determined they were unsavable?
Jim Stapleton
If God "predestined" men for hell then they would be denied the " choice" that all people have to accept Jesus Christ as the sacrificial lamb for our sins. That would be a terrible thing. We are given a choice, God knows who will accept and who won't. To deny any man free choice would be unjust, and God is not unjust.
Danny Hickman
Should a doctor prescribe medicine for a patient whom he/she knows will get better in time without the medicine?
Nobody ever died from a simple head cold. Left untreated it'll eventually dry up on its own. Why bother treating it?
That's the thought process going on here. If God does the choosing ABOUT ANYTHING, (who lives, who dies, who gets well, who stays sick) why should we DO ANYTHING ABOUT ANYTHING? If God already decided who will live in eternity with Him, why teach and preach?
Because the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
God makes the grass grow. Without rain it won't grow. Why should He make it rain, when He can grow the grass by simply telling it to grow? Because flowers grow from rain.
Danny Hickman
This is as simply as it can be explained: Who decided that I would be born into this world? For sure it wasn't me!
Who decided that I would be "born again" of the Spirit?
I had nothing to do with being physically born into this life, and I had nothing to do with being "born again." Someone chose to give me a life to live. All I can do is live it. Someone also chose to make my life eternal. I've been born again, this time not by human means (my parents), but by the Spirit of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6).
Predestined? Okay... Yeah, the bible says it was all decided beforehand.
God chose Jacob instead of Esau while they were in their mother's womb, "before they'd done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand." (Romans 9:11) That's straight out of the bible; there's nothing ambiguous about any of that. He uses the lives of twin brothers to make this point crystal clear, and I don't think it sets well with some of us. We want some of the glory.
I guess I'm different from a lot of people. I'm thankful and glad to know that I was never really bound for a cold dark grave. I'm thankful to know that I was put here by God for Himself. I was created for eternity, I didn't get lucky or something. I was skillfully and wonderfully made. Like David, all my days were written in God's journal before I lived any of them (Psalm 139).
(even the day I was born again)....
Danny Hickman
Mr Anderson, you're correct. God didn't put anyone here "to go to hell." (your words)
God didn't put Adam and Eve here to sin. The Bible explains that "names were written in the book of the Lamb who was slain, before the world was founded." (Rev 13:8) So evidently, God knew mankind would need a Savior; He knew mankind would disobey; But He didn't put us here to disobey.
Every person is put here; No one volunteers for this. Then, whoever puts us here know before we are put here, that we must be born again of the Spirit or we must die. (go to hell is how you put it) So if He doesn't save some of us, we will all die. (go to hell is how you put it)
Remember: the names were written in advance (Rev 13:8) He had a plan before He put anyone here. He planned on saving some of us. You admitted in your writing that He "know who will be saved and who won't be saved." (you wrote that) Well, how does He know? He knows because He wrote the names in the Lamb's book of life. (It's right there in black and white). l have sinned and should die because of it. But God chose to save some.
You're right. He didn't put anyone here to die (go to hell). He put all here to live, and we sinned knowing before we sinned that the price for sinning would be death. (Gen 2:17, Rom 6:23) So what did He do? He saved some, hallelujah! So in fact, He put us here in order to save some of us. Praise the Lord!!
All SHOULD die.
There's no need for us to guess about it. The Bible is clear on this.
John Anderson
I find it interesting Mr. Hickman that you feel that you did not chose salvation. True, God knows who will accept the offer of free salvation, and who will not. I’m sure he grieves over those who do not.
It is up to us to chose when salvation is presented to us. Luckily several people I knew, all Christians, chose to share the gospel with me, a 39-year-old hardened atheist. Had they not, I would be doomed to a sinner’s Hell. THE HORROR.
As Christ said, the fields are ripe for harvest, but the workers are few. So I try to thank God daily for my salvation, him sending Christians to witness to me over a year or two, and him putting me in the position where I could accept, or reject his free gift of salvation. Well, free for those that chose it, but most certainly costly for father God and his son Jesus who had to offer himself to save my sinful soul.
I just can’t see God saying, “I’ll save you… but YOU I’m sending to Hell.” That is not the way God works. He knows who will say yes, but also who will not. He does not interfere; instead he leaves it to our free will.
Danny Hickman
Thanks Mr Anderson for answering the door.
Please answer this: did I quote/pen Rev 13:8 out of thin air? You say you would be "doomed to a sinner's hell" without the people you seem to give glory to for you being born again.
Was your name written in the Lamb's book before the foundation of the world the way the bible says it, or did the people who witnessed to you put your name in the Lamb's book? It has to either be the way the bible states it, or your way.
No Mr Anderson, I didn't choose Jesus, He chose me. I'm not the only one who didn't choose Him. Peter, James, Paul, even the virgin Mary, were all chosen by God. He told His disciples that in John 15:16. There's no way to get around it, we don't choose to accept anything, we are spiritually traumatized by God.
My brother Bobby likes to say that "God conspires to bring us into a relationship with Himself." (I like the sound of that).
Did God not arrest Paul on that road to Damascus? Paul thought he knew God. He didn't know Jesus, he didn't recognize Jesus' voice. He asked 'who are you Lord?' (Jesus says His sheep know His voice, John 10). He introduced Himself to Paul. Did Paul have a choice in the matter? You seem to think he did. He could have stiff armed Jesus? Does Paul deserve some credit for tagging along with Jesus?
No! And neither does the preacher who was preaching when I first became a believer. To God belongs all the glory! I was conspired against. Heaven had a contract put out on me, Hallelujah!!
Danny Hickman
And then there's this 'I was an atheist" thing I often hear. Here it is: we all begin life as unbelievers. The most dedicated servant God has, began life not knowing God, and not WANTING to know Him. Referring to ourselves by a lofty secular title adds nothing to our case. It's as if the person who tags themselves "an atheist" thinks they were dug up out of a darker deeper grave than the rest of us. Lost is lost! Blind is blind!
The difference is that the "atheist" usually gives voice to their unbelief. WHY? I think they want to know the truth. I go back and forth with them from time to time. I think they are shaking their fist at God, hoping He'll respond to them. They get annoyed when I tell them that.
Who spends time discussing Peter Pan or any other known- to-be fictional character? Nobody!