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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.

Southern Baptists have been either Arminian or Calvinistic in their soteriology. Now when you speak of 'predestination theology' I'm assuming you mean calvinists view of predestination. The truth is Arminians believe in predestination, too. The difference is the basis upon which one is predestined unto salvation. For the Calvinist, of which I am one, predestination of peoples unto salvation has its basis on the will of God alone. For the Arminian it is based on some forseen faith in the believer, or foreknowledge. Your reference to 2 Peter 3:9 was adequately answered, so I won't repeat it.

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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.

You've got your questions a bit backwards, or more accurately they are missing some other facts. It is true that all human beings were created for one ultimate purpose, ie. to glorify God. But it is important to remember that all human beings are sinners and deserve eternal damnation as payment for their willful rebellion against God. The fact that God chooses to save one guilty person over another guilty person doesn't make Him unjust. An example, a governor grants clemency to someone on death row. Is he/she then obligated to grant clemency to someone else on death row? Not at all. All human beings are on death row unless God chooses to remove them from that state.

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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.

Your sentences are choppy here, but I think I get the gist of it. First of all, no one does anything to be born again. That is a completely God centered action. Regeneration is an act of God alone and precedes faith and repentance. The unregenerate heart will never ever turn to faith and repentance. It is not in his nature. The unregenerate freely choose to reject God each and every moment they remain unregenerate. They are not coerced by God into this choice. It's like a fish. A fish is free to choose to get out of the water and walk on dry land, but it is not in its nature to do so. It will freely choose every time to swim in the water. So it is with unregenerate man. They will always freely choose to rebel against their Creator and will not believe the gospel.

Also, if a person goes to hell, they never repented. Ever. Those who truly repent will always be saved because God promised salvation to all who repent and believed. Any that do repent and believe were predestined by God to do so. Every person predestined unto eternal life will be saved. Every person not predestined to eternal life will never truly repent or believe and will face eternal damnation for their sins. Predestination is a doctrine that does help assure me of my salvation.

Hope this helps a little.

Jimbo

Revelation 4:11