Because, I was watching a oldish Latin musical movie where the man said just this or so.
God is an infinite, omniscient being who has no beginning and no end (eternal). He knew everything that would happen in the universe long before He made it – and that includes each and every person. This is a hard concept for us to grasp, as we are finite (limited) beings. We (humans) see things … shall we say (for lack of a better word), “linearly” – by that I mean bound by time. As such, we assume everything else must be bound by time as well. God, however, is beyond time (He created time). Therefore, He sees/knows everything that has ever happened, is happening, or will happen – at all times. This means that He knows every person's thoughts – before they think them. This does not mean He makes us think or do certain things; only that He knew what we would do before we were.
God does put us where He wants us. That’s because before He even created us He already knew where we could be of the most “use” (via our abilities, obedience/disobedience, personality, etc.). Even so, we are the ones who choose to do what we do. God never “twists our arm” (meaning He doesn’t force us to do things). We are responsible for our own actions. However, our actions (choices) have consequences. When those consequences are good, we’re usually quick to take credit for them. However, if they are unpleasant, we usually want to blame someone/something else for them (e.g. the devil made me do it, it’s God’s fault, the government is to blame).
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Did I misunderstand this? Honest question..
God does not arbitrarily choose to save or not save certain individual people (such as, I will save Kevin, but nor Bill). Rather, God chooses to save anyone who does what He says to be saved (believe on Jesus). “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” - John 3:16.
Thus everyone who believes in Jesus is “predestined” to be saved. When it says – “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate…” (etc.) - it’s talking about everyone who believes in Jesus, not just certain individuals.
Does God already know who will and who won’t be saved? Yes. Does that make anyone better or worse in His sight? No! He loves each and every person equally (God does not play favorites)! God longs for everyone to repent and turn to Him - even those He knows won't. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9 (emphasis added).
Let’s see if I can super-oversimplify this… Say there's a train that's going non-stop to New York. Since the train’s destination is New York, we can say that anyone riding on that train is predestined to go to New York (unless they jump off first). They are not predestined to go to New York because someone arbitrarily decided they should go to New York - whether they wanted to or not, rather they are going because they got on the train. It’s the same way with salvation. We choose whether we want to be saved or not. We don’t get to choose how to be saved (e.g. being good, giving to the poor, chanting some words, etc.). God tells us how to be saved (believe in Jesus); it is our choice whether we do it or not. We can choose to get on the “Jesus train” (so-to-speak) or not.
This post was edited by Shuhak at September 22, 2024 10:01 AM MDT
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