Predestination?

When someone dies, can this be regarded as their "fate"?

While some people typically accept predestination of believers in God and His son, Jesus Christ, to heaven, many of these same individuals also believe that predestination to hell always involves man's free will so that man, not God, is ultimately responsible for his own damnation. Interestingly, those who adhere to this view also tend to believe that even the "predestined faithful/believers" can also fall away from the faith.

"In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved" Ephesians 1:5-6

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will" Ephesians 1:11

The truth of the matter is that the Bible speaks of both free will AND predestination. It speaks of certain events that were predestined, such as Christ being predestined to come to earth, knowing He would be crucified, die and buried, only to rise again. The Bible also mentions certain people who were born with a handicap, or who became very ill, and some of these were predestined as well.

The reason?

To somehow glorify God; whether by a miracle healing taking place, or to show believers that even when man is faced with adversity, faith in God can allow us to not only over-come, but to actually have peace and joy.

"And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed" Mark 16:20

Another support for predestination is that the Bible mentions that the names of the saved are already written in the Lambs Book of Life. "Only those will enter whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." -Revelation 21:18 Meaning, even before we are born, God knows who will or won't accept Him. The Bible also mentions that God knows the hour of our death. However, this does not always mean that God will always initiate this death. For example, a teen on drugs may slit his wrists and die. Does this mean this teen's death was predestined; chosen by or planned by God?

No. Man also has free will. In this example, the teen is using drugs and killing himself under his own free will.

Would God chose or predestine a child to be kidnapped, raped by a molester, then brutally murdered, or was this child a victim of another man's free will?

Since God has, at times, used predestination, and there is also of course, free will, ultimately, we have no way of knowing for certain if a life event is caused by fate (predestination), thus having some greater purpose or deeper meaning than what we are currently aware, or if man has created his own fate through his own choices or free will. However, what we CAN know is that it is God's desire for ALL men to be saved, "... God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" 1 Timothy 2:3-4, and it is His desire for man to live abundantly. "The thief [satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

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Contributed by Melanie Schurr (Copyright (c)2005 Melanie Schurr) Melanie Schurr is author of "Ecstatic Living: A Christian marriage manual and Life-guide", "Son Salutations" and "Daily Contemplations", which are a collection of read-one-a-day modern inspirations. For more information, visit www.MelanieSchurr.com