Fear over predestination

M1chaeL · Feb 29, 2020

The verses over predestination, have left me very nervous the more I have thought of them.
Out of everyone God could chooses why did he choose me? It certainly isn’t based on how I am, I am sinner and don’t deserve his love.
And yet he chose me to give me the desire to spend my life with him instead of have my heart completely hardened. It could have been eternal punishment but instead it’s heaven.
And it just makes me completely terrified if God hadn’t. Am I just lucky? Luck doesn’t have anything to do with it, but I just can’t comprehend why I could be chosen!
I’m glad God saved me, but I worry so much about eternal punishment for others. Were the ones not saved created to go to Hell because God chose to keep their heart hardened?
I would rather never exist and be completely annihilated than be chosen to have a completely hardened heart and go to Hell!
I love God, but predestination made me feel so nervous!
He loves me but not those who weren’t chosen? Am I loved due to luck?
I don’t understand this well, and I’m sorry if i haven’t been humble.
What position is a pot to judge the potter?
What position is the creation to judge the creator?
These thoughts just feel stuck in my head and leave me so nervous to approach God....

bojack · Mar 1, 2020

M1chaeL said:

Hi Mike, I would too but I don't interpret that the same as many do .. In my opinion predestination means God had predestined a criteria he had in mind for who He would save (he knew us in that sense) and according to our/their free will, a simple criteria.. I don't think it means any particular individual was chosen personally over another come hell or high water at all.. 17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
God is no respecter of persons .. God says 6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: .. Even though Pharaoh was raised for that purpose he relented a couple times to let the Hebrews go, then hardened his heart and changed his mind , then finally as God had said, he hardened Pharaohs heart for him and ''good by'' Pharaoh.. Even Pharaoh had a chance after persecuting and working the Hebrews into the ground .. Pharaoh like many others, riches were too much to give up and he chose riches and hell instead of God .. Riches come in many forms, not just money ... Samuel's mother was barren and I'm sure prayed to God for a child fervently, often and dedicated Samuel to the Lord before he was conceived .. IMO It was settled in heaven by a mothers earnest prayer before Samuel became the great Jewish prophet, priest and judge , I'm not even sure he was a Levite .. Jesus doesn't will that any perish but that all come to Him .. Hell was created for the devil and his angels, not for men .. The sad part to me is when a man assumes with pride he's given a 1rst round bye into heaven like a ball team in a tournament , If I'm right of course .. In the garden Adam sinned and we became like gods in that we know good from evil , we have been born and inherited a sin nature now needing spiritual circumcision through Jesus .. We make our own choice and must meet a criteria God has set before we ever appeared or were created .. To say Adam wasn't predestined is dumb yet he died too because he chose and he failed to meet God's strict criteria .. It is Jesus ''God Himself'' come in the flesh, His righteousness not ours and each man's free will choice to believe and follow Him in which case all were predestined in Jesus .. God remains Holy, True and Blameless what ever our choice ..
This is my opinion

Adstar · Mar 1, 2020

M1chaeL said:

And that's the very reason why God is saving you.. Because you have a contrite spirit..

Isaiah 57: KJV
15 "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

God desires that all would have a repentant heart and that all would come to salvation.. You have a repentant heart , soooo God moves you to accept the Way of salvation he has made.. You have got to get this human thinking of thinking that being worthy is the key to salvation.. That's works thinking.. Salvation is by grace so that no man will be able to boast.. All honor and praise is to God who loves and saves not to us who He Redeems..

No... That's calvinism..

God foreknew all history and He knew us at the moment of creation thousands of years before we where born and from that foreknowledge of our response to His will He has predestined us to be transformed into the likeness of the LORD Jesus Christ..

God hardens the hearts of those who have rejected his loving gift of Atonement.. They either mock it as foolishness or declare it to be evil.. Woe to those who hate the love of God..

Keep loving God and trust in His ability to save and that will see you know the peace of mind that comes from trusting in the LORD and not trusting in yourself..

No luck involved at all. God foreknew that you would acknowledge your unworthiness to be with God in eternity.. In acknowledging ones own unworthiness one is actually affirming that Gods will is perfect and good.. We are in agreement with God in spirit..

You have been humble alright..

Always remain that way towards god..

We should not judge God.. But we can ask as many questions with the spirit of seekin truth .. we can reason with God over many things..

Isaiah 1: KJV
18 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Do not fear the One who Loves you.. Learn about His perfect Love and let it cast out all your fear..

1 John 4: KJV
18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. {19} We love him, because He first loved us."

M1chaeL · Mar 2, 2020

Thank you guys for replying and answering my questions! So i was so late, anxiousness keeps me away from doing anything...

But i do appreciate you guys put time out of your day to help me understand!

Heart_Melody · May 3, 2020

M1chaeL said:

Hi Michael -
I remember being in a college group when I was a missionary (at a Baptist Church) and all of the men there and the leaders had turned hard core Calvinist in their beliefs and pursuits.
They were very argumentative and pushy about this and to be honest - if you make a good enough thesis and stand for any topic backing it up with scriptures - you can argue about anything.
This belief then totally confused me as well and it caused me to trust God less. Even though I was on the other spectrum of feeling at first (I kept bursting out - why would I have been chosen? How was God so good?) However the fact that people I love could have been created to "go to hell" hardened me very much.

My mentor's son who also went there turned away from his faith completely for a time and it scared us all for quite some time - until he finally came back around a few years ago.

Whenever we are faced with World Views - even Christian ones - I think it is crucial that we do not forget whom we are talking about. In this case we are talking about God Almighty.

I had to deduct some facts.

1. God is Righteous and Just (which is why Jesus had to die in our place if we were to stand a chance at salvation)
2. God is Good
3. God is Love

If I look at these alone - I could never believe that God Creates some to go to Hell.
However some DO go there.

This is the mystery of an all-knowing, all-powerful God.

1. He created man and woman in his likeness - in the image of God he created them.
2. He breathed life into them - eternal spirit which will never cease to be
3. He gave FREE WILL to all mankind

Free will means that we can choose which way to go. It is a blessing and for some it will prove to be a curse because they have chosen the path of destruction.

Predestination and Free Will have to work Hand-in-Hand. Ponder it - it's not easy to wrap your head around.
But then if God were SO easy to grasp - so easy to place in a box with a lid - would he truly be God?

Jesus was 100 percent Man and 100 percent God.
That is not logically correct - 100 percent is already FULLY occupied. How can something have 200 percent if 100 is full (my pet peeve is when people say I am 104% on board... NO YOU CAN"T BE MORAN.... 100% IS ALL WE NEED >.<) it's a secret so don't tell anyone lol I am working on that lol

But with GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. Jesus is fully Man and Fully God - The trinity is 3 Persons, ONE God - another mystery...

There are so many things we can delight to marvel over.
However - God would not want you to be anxious - and if a teaching is robing you of peace, of joy, and fills you with angst.. Then I would seriously dig your heels in deeply.

Seek God - pray, read his word - get to know who he truly is. In my opinion - seeking others help is helpful - but it isn't enough. Seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened, ask and you will receive. When you SEEK for the truth yourself - that treasure NOBODY can steal from you. Work for it.

sushiseggrolls · May 23, 2020

I agree with @bojack ! You have the free will to choose how you live your life. That's why it is a struggle. God gave us free will so we can seek and praise Him. I believe God would not choose someone to be predestined to go to hell. He is omnipotent and omnipresent, satan could not and will not be able to defeat Him. It is up to us to choose Him, He wants us and He wants us to want Him.

LovedByMyFather · May 24, 2020

John 3:16,2 Peter 3:9,1 John 2:2,Galatians 1:4,the list goes on and on. Think about this;if God only "cherry picks" people that will be saved,why would anyone ever need to witness to someone else? What would be the point,if they're damned from birth? God is good,and always has been,and always will be. He's your Father,and longs to have a personal relationship with you. Romans,Galatians,Hebrews,and John's epistles are a great foundation for understanding His love and grace. I pray enlightenment over you,in Jesus' name

DrGuyPhD · May 26, 2020

M1chaeL said:

Hey! Listen, I don't want you to shy away from asking these questions. I think that maturing as a christian like Paul talks about, requires asking questions. I also believe that when Jesus says that all who are like these children go into heaven, I think he also allowed asking questions, because that is what kids do!! That is a wonderful question. I personally like to think of it like this. The bible says that Jesus was crucified before the foundations of the world were laid. That tells me that God already determined that we would fall prey to sin and we would be in need of a savior. Now, predetermination can say one of two things. That God knows all who are going to go life without believing in him or that God CAUSES some to not choose him. The second one is a violation based on the fact that we know God wills for us to have free-will or the freedom to choose. Without it we could not love and worship him as love that is forced is not love. That leaves us with the fact that God knows all who will go against him. That is a hard idea to grasp. However, just because God knows every action and our hearts more than anyone, it does not mean that he forces it. If I ask my sister if she would rather have a bacon egg and cheese on a croissant or a pigeon for breakfast, I know she will pick the bacon egg and cheese. I know this because I know her. I did not cause her to pick it, but I knew her well enough to know her decision before she made it. That is how God works. And so yes, God knows who will choose and love him. But he gives us the free will to do so, so that those who love and worship him can do just that. Jesus narrows over 600 commandments from the law of Moses down to two. Love your neighbor as yourself, and love the lord thy god with all you heart, soul, mind, and strength. Jesus knew on these pillars hangs all our morals and reality. And if we were forced to choose and love God, then there is no love to hold truth and morality up.

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Fear over predestination

M1chaeL

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bojack

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Adstar

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M1chaeL

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Heart_Melody

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sushiseggrolls

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