What does the Bible teach about Predestination and Freewill?

Several opinion polls have been taken over recent years regarding the viewpoint of the average American citizen pertaining to their view of the afterlife, and by an overwhelming majority, nearly three out of five believe in the existence of 'heaven.' Those same polls, however, by about roughly the same margin, reject the belief in a place called "Hell." To the many respondents, it is inconceivable that a God of LOVE could actually create such an awful place, and not only that, but condemn someone to suffer in agony and torment for all eternity; to wit, how could the righteousness, justice, and holiness of God our heavenly Father who is 'Love' be satisfied with such an outcome since it states in I Timothy 2: 4, that it is God's will for all men to be saved.

Genesis 4: 21

The LORD said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

Romans 9: 18

Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.

Romans 8: 29a, 30a

For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. . . And those He predestined, He also called [to receive salvation];

Romans 9: 11a, 13

Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad-in order that God’s purpose in election [predestination] might stand: Just as it is written: “Jacob have I loved but Esau I hated.”

Ephesians 1: 4a, 11

For He [God the Father] chose us in Him [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us [those of us who are/will be saved] to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ. . . In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined to the plan of Him [God the Father] who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.

John 17: 12

While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name You gave Me. None has been lost except the one doomed (predestined) to destruction (damnation/perdition) so that the Scripture would [must] be fulfilled (Cp. Acts 1: 20; Psalms 69: 25; 109: 8).

Proverbs 16: 4
The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom [evil; destruction??].

Romans 9: 20b, 22

Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this? “What if God, choosing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath, prepared [beforehand] for destruction?

This serves as a perfect introduction to the concept of freewill and predestination; that is the idea that humans have a 'choice' in their lives and social interactions independent of divine intervention, design, or effect in the decisions they make; and the consequences based upon acting or not acting upon the exercise of actions independent of the influence of God, and the circumstances planned by Him in advance to bring about a certain desired outcome; whether good or bad.

WEBSTER’S COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY:
Freewill 2: The freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or made by divine intervention [or will??].

Predestination 2: The doctrine that God in consequence of His foreknowledge of all events infallibly guides those who are destined for salvation.

NOTE: The converse of this is that God DOES NOT guide others [to be saved], allowing them to choose a path of life which leads to eternal damnation.

Romans 9:21-23
Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known (Cp. 17b), endured with much longsuffering, the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand [before the foundation of the world??] for glory.

Jeremiah 1: 5a

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart;

CONCLUSION:
Calvinist theology notwithstanding, there does appear to be ample evidence from the Bible that human beings do not have ‘freewill’ in the usual meaning of the word. It is even more than a little troubling to think that in the greater scheme of things the outcomes of our actions or decisions have already been decided. Esau is rejected by God, prenatally; Pharaoh’s haughtiness of heart is reinforced by God; and Judas Iscariot was predestined to betray Jesus up for crucifixion. This is unnerving, complex, and one of the most fundamental issues of human existence that have baffled the most enlightened philosophers and theologians of all time, that is, trying to explain in a rationally intelligent way the purpose of God in this drama called “life.” Is it true that a certain number of interstellar dust particles are selected in the pre-physical, infinite nothingness to become human souls doomed to torment in an eternal lake of fire, and the others granted the experience of endless bliss in the joys of heaven and immortality? The reward and punishment is not merit-based in the strictest sense of the word because the outcome has already been decided. The experiences and choices we make are inconsequential because all of these have been taken into account, and our fate is final and unalterable because anything and everything that can ever be thought and acted upon, only more than convincingly validates the unimpeachable end result. As a final thought, Isaiah 45: 6b-7 is quite interesting, as it declares: “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create the darkness. I make good and I create evil. I the Lord do all these things.   

Robert Randle

776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
January 24, 2014
robertrandle51@yahoo.com