Predestination & Free Will
Foreward	One of the doctrines that has divided Christians is the subject of Presdestination. At a very basic level, the doctrine states - through scripture - that some of us were bound for salvation and were known to be going to Heaven - all determined before the world began. The main problem that people have are mainly: doesn't this override free will? And if it does, then therefore this doctrine is wrong. In short, there are both correct and incorrect elements on either side of the arguement. And because nobody has tried to reconcile the differences, there are certain denominations that remain apart on this issue. We will attempt to redefine Predestination and arrive at a middle groud without watering down the Gospel and wavering from the Truth!
Defining Predestination	Let's look at several scriptures first. I invite you to read them in their proper context, and to momentarily lay down any preconceived ideas. Most denominational differences have a truth somewhere in the middle of both opposing extremes! Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Romans 8:28-30 - "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." Basically, in Jeremiah 1:5, God is saying that He intimately knew Jeremiah and had a preordained purpose for his life before Jeremiah was even born. God is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. He knows the End from the Beginning, and is lovingly acquainted with every detail of our lives. Psalms 56:8 says, "Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?"
Predestination and Free Will	Clearly, God gives Mankind free will and does not override it. Yet, we see here in the scriptures that there are people that God foreknew before the beginning of the world. How can that be? Let's put it into persepctive. The key word of Predestination is the word destiny. Consider this key point: if you are not a Christian, you have a choice between accepting salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, or you can refuse Christ as your personal Savior. If a man rejects Jesus Christ, then on the day of judgement, none of his sins had been forgiven by God (and thus covered by Christ's blood to make him righteous) so that person goes to everelasting punishment in Hell. Does God have an intimimate relationship with such a person? Does He have a destiny plotted out for such a person? The answer to both questions is no. Now if you accept Christ of your own free will, it turns out that God has a relationship in store for you, one of mercy that triums over judgement. He has a calling prepared for you, a destiny, and all kinds of spiritual gifts and talents you dreamed not. Ultimately, when you move on from this life, you will be in His arms. The key word that puts all this perspective is the word "know". For those whom God foreknew, those were the people God predestinated to be made more like Christ, according to Romans 8:29. The word "know" means having an intimate relationship, such as you have if Christ is your Lord and Savior! But a non-Christian who rejects Christ has no such relationship. Simply put, God already knew before time began that He would have to sacrifice Jesus, who was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). In other words, God had already set aside His Lamb, because He knew you before you were born, and knew the pain, hardships and sin you would suffer and commit, and He wanted you dearly and desired to show you his love and mercy and spare you from judgement. He knew, as a result of their free will who would be saved and who would reject Him. The bottom line is that God knows who, as a result of their free will would accept or reject Him. He knows the answer ahead of time already, since God is not limited by the "time-space continuum" like we are And those of us whom He had already known would accept Him, He "predestinated" us to be more like Christ, and to give us a hope and a calling. And a destiny.
Tough Questions	"So are some predestined to go to hell? If so, should we give up on certain people because they are bound for hell?" No, and certainly not! First off, God does not predestine anyone to hell, but He knew before time began who would accept Him and who would reject Him - out of their own free will. But, like any true Father, God would still pursue each and everyone in Creation. 2 Peter 3:9 says, "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." John 3:16 says that God so loved the world - not part of it, not everyone but you, but everyone. As the truest Father ever to Mankind, God has to try even though He has the wisdom, power, and the foresight to see that it's a lost cause. For if He did not try even though He knew a particular person would ultimately reject Him, then His love is not as great as the Word claims it to be!
Conclusion	Thus, we can see that as a result from studying the scriptures, the topic of Predestination does not necessarily conflict with Free Will. It takes an act of will on our part to lay down our preconceived ideas and biases and to look at the subject objectively. Moreover, we begin to see the true character of God. Yes, He is a God of righteousness that brings Him to judge sin, but He is a God of tremdous mercy, which brings Him to judge His sinless Son instead. So that by placing your life in Christ's hands, you will have a destiny in Him, and you will begin to intimately know God the way He has known you before the beginning of Time.