I need some clarification on this subject. I am a member of a Southern Baptist Church and have mainly been Southern Baptist my whole life. For some reason I just can't get my heart to agree with the whole Predestination Theology. Is there a definitive verse or chapter in the Bible where It says that God chooses who goes to Heaven or Hell. I know it says that no man seeks after God. But it also says that "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" 2 Peter 3:9. Now that verse tells me that God wants and longs for ALL to come to repentance not just the ones he has chosen.

Ok now lets think logically, say I am an inventor and I have invented two wonderful machines that do similar things, lets just say one cleans my house and the other grooms my yard. Now do you think in your right mind that I would actually create one to fail? That I would say ok while the machine is cleaning my bathroom I want it to burst in to flames and burn all the way to dust. No! Of course not. The same goes for God. Why would God create human beings for ONE purpose and then send one half to Hell and the other half to Heaven? Why would he do that? Why wouldn't he give all of the humans time to repent and turn to Him so that they can live with him forever? Oh wait he is doing that 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that.

If the Predestination Theology is correct then that would me that if a friend and I both come to Biblical repentance and give our lives to God. And follow Christ's example and live for the glory of almighty God as the Bible tells us to. So far we have done EVERYTHING required of us to be "born again", so by the teachings of the Holy word of God we are destined for Glory (Heaven). But by the Predestination Theology I and my friend still have just as much chance of going to Hell then me did before we repented and put our faith in Jesus.

So basically it is my understanding that by the Predestination Theology there is salvation but no guarantee of it. So I can be Biblically saved and destined to go to Heaven but still go to Hell. Right?

I'm not trying to attack this theology I am just trying to figure it out. Because it seems to me that if our soul purpose on this Earth is to Glorify God and to strive to be like him so that we can spend eternity with him the Predestination Theology tells me that I will not know of my salvation until I die and it is not in my hands, so I can pretty much do what I want drink, do drugs, cheat on my wife, murder someone, rob a bank because I have no control over my salvation and God has chosen for me. So I can do all of those things and not change my ways and still end up in Heaven. Right?

Edited: Removed duplicated section.

Last edited by Pilgrim; Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:37 AM.