But in that “blind faith” that you talked about trusting God because He knows what he’s doing, I completely agree and we won’t completely understand until we are in our glorified bodies in heaven with Him. I mean, hopefully we will have some things cleared up that are difficult to understand. The thing that really sucks is that people think this is a life or death issue and there are denominations formed and churches split over this very issue when in all reality, it doesn’t affect our salvation at all. I know how to drive a car, but I don’t understand completely how every little detail of it works….but it doesn’t keep me from using it and appreciating it. We shouldn’t let the biblical things that aren’t basic Christianity 101 be able to hinder our love for other Christians and hinder our unity….but we do…which is very very sad.

The Arminian side of the whole Predestination thing is that in His foreknowledge, God knew who would accept him, and therefore predestined them to be His people.Check out Romans 9:13-24…..that helped me realize that even though we may think it’s unfair by our standards, that who are we to ask our Creator why he does things that way. There’s also other passages about how repentance is a gift from God, so being a gift from God, he gives us the ability to repent, therefore the ability to realize that we need Him, so isn’t that Him kind of instigating our choice of salvation? Kind of boggles the mind….Jesus said “All that the Father gives me, come to me, and them I will in no wise cast out”…..sorry that’s my rough rememberance of the KJV version. There’s also a verse in Revelation talking about how all the ones that weren’t written in the Book of Life before the foundation of the world were cast into the Lake of Fire….so there’s plenty of evidence supporting predestination….the parts of Calvinism that people really have problems with are the other four points….and mainly Limited Atonement….cuz it’s not fair.

People ask “Well what about people off in the jungle somewhere who have never heard the Gospel?”. This is kind of an error in thought because we have to remember that EVERYTHING God does is for His own glory. It may seem selfish to us, but it’s not because He is God. If we did stuff for our glory, we have tainted reasons. Secondly, we need to remember that EVERYONE deserves to be burning in hell (Total Depravity). “There is none righteous, no not one”. I forget the reference. So in His ultimate plan and omniscience, His election of believers shows his AMAZING grace for us and we should be humbled by that. We are all sinners and none of us is better than anyone else. It’s only by His grace that we are anything at all. We are no better than anyone who goes to hell. Another good passage to check out is Romans 1 because it talks about the depravity of man and that how bad man was and that God turned them over to their lusts and sins because of their sinfulness, but also talks about how they are without excuse because God is revealed in EVERYTHING. There is a hunger for a relationship with God in every man, and He is revealed in Creation. There’s no way that this earth points to random evolution….it points to a Creator and a God of order. Anyway, I hope this helps. I’m sorry about writing so much. I didn’t intend to get on a soapbox. I saw your request for input on Facebook though and wanted to put my two cents (maybe fifty cents?) in. haha

Why?

Because it is the what the Bible teaches – when it is taken in context and through proper study.

Do I understand it?

Not completely. I don’t fully understand how God allows me to choose Him freely, yet He’s already chosen me. However, I trust that the infinite all mighty God whose power created me and the world and orchestrated history as He did understands it just fine. I imagine that He knows how He did it and amazing as it may seem – that is enough for me. Its not “blind” faith, but instead trusting that God’s got it under control and I don’t need (and can’t) understand it all.

Let me add this, I once had it explained to me that predestination is much like taking a handful of clay out of a much larger chunk of clay. The larger chunk represents all of humanity – fallen, sinful, rejecting of God, deserving of eternal punishment because of that rejection. The smaller chunk taken out represents those that are predestined for faith and salvation.

So is God sending some to Hell and saving others – in a giant game of favorites? No, I don’t think so. Instead, we all (all of us humans throughout history) have earned eternal separation from God because of our rejection. He is choosing, however, to extend His loving grace and mercy to certain ones. We’re all still guilty, but by His grace and mercy we are saved.

How did He choose us? Don’t know. Maybe He’s got one of those giant game-show type spinning wheels up in Heaven. “Who’s being saved to day, St. Johnny?” More likely, in His infinite knowledge He also knew who would be more receptive to His truth and also used blessing to choose some. To those that reject and hate Him, He says, He’ll extend a curse for many generations. But to those that love Him, He says, He’ll extend grace and mercy for a thousand generations.

I’m confident that my faith is a result of my grandmother’s and my mother’s. Funny thing? I didn’t know of my grandmother’s or my mother’s until well AFTER I came to faith on my own. Yet, God still blessed the faith of those fine women.

Here’s a problem for you: if some are predestined, what is the point of missionaries? Gimme your thoughts and I’ll hit you back with mine.

Thank You Sir…
God Bless You