God is God.......He told Pharaoh.....UNTO this end is why I raised the up, He also raised up Cyrus and prophetically stated by Isaiah some 200 years ahead of schedule that he would USE Cyrus to allow his people to return BEFORE they had been carried away captive to Babylon.....
God foreknew Pharaoh, He knew how Pharaoh would respond to Gods will.. And God chose to use Pharaoh as a vessal of wrath to show the world by the great signs God performed to Liberate the Hebrews, that is was an act of God.. Not an act of Pharaoh or Moses.. And yes God foreknew Cyrus and also used Cyrus as a tool to perform Gods will in regard to the Jews..
I think there is a balance to be struck........God knows the end from the beginning and being outside of time allows him to see the whole painting before it is done......Like Judas for example.....Did he have a choice or was he destined to sell Christ out?
He had a choice, made that choice and sold Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver.....God, having the ability to see the future and then end from the beginning was able to prophesy of Judas in the O.T. well before Judas came on the scene........
I totally agree..
Having said that, we cannot alleviate the truth that MANY (not ALL) are called, but few are CHOSEN......God can if he chooses call all of humanity to salvation, but by his very word and nature which he will not break....will only CHOOSE those who believe and exercise faith........
Yes many are called by the Holy Spirit.. But many resist the Holy Spirit and thats why few where chosen to be predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus.. And Yes We are saved by Believing Jesus and Faith ( which is trusting God) for our salvation.. In what Jesus said and in what Jesus did..
The question is asked....can one be saved without hearing the word and exercising faith?
My answer as I have watched this thread..........Did David's first born with Bathsheba hear a message and exercise faith? YET DAVID, under inspiration states he would go to that child and see that child again......
Davids illigitimate son from Bathsheba died as an innocent and therefore did not need the Atonement of Jesus.. As all innocents who die before they have knowledge of good and evil.. They are acceptable in eternity with God because they are without blemish..
God is fair, merciful and just......and we must balance free will, with election based upon all of the facts...not just a few verses one way or another.........just saying......
And this balance is achieved between free will and predestination when we understand that the Predestination of God is based on Gods Foreknowledge of all History.. Thus He knows beforehand each and every persons response to His will.. And thus He already knew who would and who would not accept His will at the start of Creation..