Do you accept the doctrine of predestination?
I have heard some people discussing "predestination" and there are some verses in the Bible that use the word "predestined", but I believe they must be misused or misunderstood in order for one to conclude that each person is predestined to be saved or not.
Acts 4:23-30
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23 [/SUP]When they had been released, they went to their own
companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. [SUP]
24 [/SUP]And when they heard
this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, [SUP]
25 [/SUP]who by the Holy Spirit,
through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
And the peoples devise futile things?
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26 [/SUP]‘The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’
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27 [/SUP]For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, [SUP]
28 [/SUP]
to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. [SUP]
29 [/SUP]And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, [SUP]
30 [/SUP]while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”
Here, we have a verse that says that an event (the crucifixion) was predestined to occur. And with it, a list of people that were involved. One could argue that Herod and Pilate could do little to avoid their involvement; and I have heard many judge Pilate very harshly. But, what does Jesus say to Pilate: Jesus answered, “
You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” (Jn 19:11)
Ephesians 1:3-23
[SUP]3 [/SUP]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, [SUP]
4 [/SUP]just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love
[SUP]5 [/SUP]He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,[SUP]6 [/SUP]to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
[SUP]7 [/SUP]In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace [SUP]
8 [/SUP]which He lavished on us.
In all wisdom and insight [SUP]9 [/SUP]He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him [SUP]10 [/SUP]with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him [SUP]11 [/SUP]also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, [SUP]12 [/SUP]to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. [SUP]
13 [/SUP]
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, [SUP]14 [/SUP]who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
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15 [/SUP]For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which
exists among you and your love for all the saints,
[SUP]16 [/SUP]do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention
of you in my prayers; [SUP]
17 [/SUP]that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. [SUP]
18 [/SUP]
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, [SUP]
19 [/SUP]
and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might [SUP]20 [/SUP]which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, [SUP]21 [/SUP]far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. [SUP]22 [/SUP]And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, [SUP]23 [/SUP]which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
You can read this how you will, but I am of the opinion that, as I have said many times before, that Jesus was THE PLAN before Adam was formed. Now, I will not insist that some were not predestined to "carry out their role/part in scripture", but I do insist that we were not "predestined" to eternal salvation or damnation. God is just.
1 Peter 3:17-22
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17 [/SUP]For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. [SUP]
18 [/SUP]
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; [SUP]
19 [/SUP]in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, [SUP]
20 [/SUP]who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through
the water.
[SUP]21 [/SUP]Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
[SUP]22 [/SUP]who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
Romans 1:18-32
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18 [/SUP]For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, [SUP]19 [/SUP]because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. [SUP]20 [/SUP]For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. [SUP]
21 [/SUP]For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
[SUP]22 [/SUP]Professing to be wise, they became fools, [SUP]23 [/SUP]and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
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24 [/SUP]Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. [SUP]
25 [/SUP]
For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
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26 [/SUP]For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, [SUP]
27 [/SUP]and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
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28 [/SUP]
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, [SUP]29 [/SUP]being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, [SUP]30 [/SUP]slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, [SUP]31 [/SUP]without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; [SUP]32 [/SUP]and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
I can see how a person can take a scripture here and there and form this warped opinion, but if someone reads the whole Bible I don't believe that they can hold the view that God has not given freewill to mankind.