Predestination Or Free Will?

I know the Lord is all knowing and knows who will come to him and who will not. But I am having a very difficult time thinking that the Lord has predetermined who will be saved and who will not. I truly believe that the Lord is love and he would not create some simply for them to go to hell.

Q. I am currently involved in a Christian chat room whereby debating and fellowship occur. One of the debates that comes up frequently is whether man has free will when it comes to choosing our Lord. Many feel that it is predetermined and those that will be saved are the ‘elected’.

I know the Lord is all knowing and knows who will come to him and who will not. But I am having a very difficult time thinking that the Lord has predetermined who will be saved and who will not. I truly believe that the Lord is love and he would not create some simply for them to go to hell.

Can you clear this up for me? Do we have free will or is there predestination? Thank you.

A. This question can be put to rest with a careful reading of the best known verse in the Bible. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes will not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) The word “whosoever” means that any one who chooses to can believe and be saved.

Romans 10:13 also tells us that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. There are several other verses I could cite but you get the idea. Salvation is the gift of God offered freely to all who will receive and accept it.

In Matt. 7:7-8 the Lord said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” He was talking about our salvation. It really sounds like it’s our decision, doesn’t it?

In order to deny this you have to put words in the Lord’s mouth that He never spoke.