How Does It Glorify God to Predestine People to Hell?

Ask Pastor John
Episode: 52

[RyanGalazka]

we may all have different answers for theological questions. one thing that is agreed upon is this- every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is lord. period.

[Sunshineclfh]

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”-James 1:17

[Write-Stuff]

One must take all of the Bible into account when answering this question. From what I have thus learned, first consider that we were given free will. God knows the outcome of all of our lives. Remember, God was sorry that He made us due to our bent toward sinning and evil. We have to look at our lives as having multiple endings. God knows the outcome of each, but it's up to us to choose the right path and trust in Jesus, thereby giving us eternal life.

[mirrortv]

2:22 "In ellection/pre-destination, God is gracefully choosing SOME sinners to be saved"

Anyone else is troubled by this statement?

[sasquatch]

As John Stott and Charles Spurgeon recognized: the Bible teaches both free will and predestination. It's a Biblical paradox and they said they will teach both. I humbly agree.

[katieryan]

2 Peter 3:9

‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’

[HKSkipgen-]

Rom 11:33-34 O how deep are God’s riches, and wisdom, and knowledge! How unfathomable are his decisions and unexplainable are his ways! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become his adviser?

[cedroncaine]

The Glory is given to God as he gave each of us the freedom to choose heaven or hell... faith in God or denial .... all praise be to God our heavenly father.

[CBALLEN]

There will be no one in Heaven that deserves it either.

[peterglover]

“But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? “But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.
Ezekiel 18:21‭-‬24 NIV

[wagesofsin]

1 Tim 2:4 God's will that all men be saved and come to the knowledge and truth.

[toxendon]

The biblical doctrine teaches both predestination and humanity as totally free actors with full responsibility over our actions, and it also shows God's intervention in other people's lives to force a turn of events in order to fulfill prophecy.

Yea, it's a mess. Yes, it's a paradox. There's no way around it. Many people cannot believe, even less worship God because of these unanswered topics. Yet, God doesn't move a finger to give us the answer. It's like this is a play that has to end before we get the answer, and when the play is over and we can achieve the knowledge of the questions we have pondered over for so long, God says it will be too late.

Every time I hear someone say that the bible is so clear and consistent in its message I roll my eyes.

[paullorence]

For God has bound all men to disobedience so that he can have mercy on what THEM ALL.

[augustine.c]

kudos to Tony who has to say basically the same exact line at the end of every single podcast xD already more than 1000 times to date. Feeling sorry for ya, it's ok to play a recording ;) thank you guys so much for your answers regarding predestination, free-will and God's sovereignty and grace.

[LL-ljkq]

Not predestined to go to hell, but God certainly pre knows what our choices will be. Though He gives us every opportunity and reason to change direction. He will not force us to conform. We are not His pets we are His children. He has given the respect letting us choose.

[david]

Jesus said: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them". So: am I wooed gently by the grace of a loving God, that brings me to a place where I can freely choose? Or am I prevailed upon overwhelmingly by the power of a sovereign God, that makes my decision inevitable? I doubt that the age-old debate between those who adopt the theology of unconditional election, and those who hold Arminius’ ‘free will’ worldview, will ever be settled, at least not before we meet God face to face. Perhaps both views can somehow be reconciled, in a way that we can’t yet understand?

In centering their theology around a strictly literal view of scriptures like Romans 9:18–20, Calvinists come to view the glory of God as being exemplified in the exercise of His sovereign power. While Arminians, in taking a more liberal view, and basing their theology on scriptures like Joshua 24:15 and Philippians 2:5–8, come to view the glory of God as being exemplified in His love and condescension. So, is God all-powerful or all-loving? My understanding of the scriptures tells me that He is both.

I would like to make three points:

1. It’s imperative that we always remain open-minded to revelation of the Holy Spirit, and are willing to continuously overhaul our own theological stance, to whatever extent an infinitely wise God would have us do so. As soon as we become uncompromisingly set in our views, we are no longer able to be taught.

2. Ultimately our trust must be grounded in God Himself — and His ability to judge both justly and mercifully — and not in our own doctrinal interpretations, which are in some way compromised by our sinfulness. Salvation lies in the person of He who said "I am the way, the truth and the life", not in any specific doctrine. ("You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.")

3. Neither the Calvinist nor Arminian views undermine the glorious truth of Romans 10:13 “everybody who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”. I take it as read that “everybody who” literally means “everybody who”. So if I may restate this: if you call on the name of the Lord, you are saved, regardless of whatever combination of events — and to what extent they were ordained by God, or were freely chosen by you — brought you to that point. And you may rest assured that your decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior glorifies God, irrespective of whatever theological views you might hold. 

[narsil.]

“This creature from the dirt, defied the Living God! And the punishment was too severe?! What’s wrong with you people! ...We have forgotten who we are and we have forgotten who God is.”

- R. C. Sproul

[yoyomama]

I’m so glad I’m no longer a Calvinist.

[edwardwilliam]

God’s call goes out to all, yet He foreknew who would answer, and thus predestined the elect. Free will and God’s sovereignty are both biblical truths, though the harmonization of the two is not possible with our limited human understanding, similar to the trinity. God is beyond us and beyond our comprehension. He wills no evil and desires all to be saved, yet also wove the fabric of time. Christians aren’t called to comprehend everything about God, but to embrace the truths He HAS allowed us to understand through His word.

[TheDirtyGuvnah]

"No one will be in hell who doesnt deserve to be there." How could I deserve anything if it my actions, thoughts, and words were pre-determined by God's choice? If I deserve something, I must have done something to gain the status of me deserving that thing, but if I dont have a choice, how do I deserve anything? Did God predestine me to deserve hell? If so, then I dont know if that's a God worthy of my worship.