Does God Choose Us or Do We Choose Him? Let’s Talk Predestination

[David]

Let’s open up a real discussion on what the Bible teaches about predestination. This is not about tradition, philosophy, or what we want to be true, it’s about what the Word of God actually says.

Ephesians 1:4–5 says God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world” and “predestinated us unto the adoption of children.” Romans 8:29–30 clearly lays out that those whom He foreknew, He predestined, called, justified, and glorified. This shows a plan from God that begins before we were even born.

But then John 3:16 tells us “whosoever believeth in him should not perish,” and Romans 10:13 says, “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” So how do we reconcile these verses?

Some believe predestination means God sovereignly chooses who will be saved, not based on anything they’ve done. Others argue that God’s foreknowledge means He looks ahead and sees who will believe, and then predestines them based on their choice.

So let’s debate this biblically. Not what sounds good or feels fair, but what God’s Word actually says. Use Scripture in context. No human systems, no church history, just the Bible.

Where do you stand?

• Is predestination unconditional, based only on God's will?
• Or is it conditional, based on God foreseeing our faith?
• Can both God's sovereignty and man's responsibility coexist?

Let’s go to the Word.

 

[David]

The debate about predestination among those who claim Scripture follows fuels passionate discussions yet the essential question remains what the Bible explicitly declares. Ephesians 1: The verses Ephesians 1:4–5 reveal God selected us before the world began and predestined us to become adopted children through Jesus Christ, which means His choice was independent of our actions and based solely on His purpose and grace. Romans 8: Romans 8:29–30 explicitly lists those whom God foreknew as people He also predestinated and called and justified and glorified. This demonstrates God’s sovereign control over salvation rather than random selection or injustice. His actions demonstrate His sovereign plan as He operates according to His own intentions.

But here’s where people argue. Some say predestination violates free will. Their argument suggests God’s love should extend to all because choosing only some violates their understanding of love. The mistake in this argument is that it bases itself on human emotions rather than divine scripture. The Bible says in Romans 9: Romans 9:15–16 explains how God's mercy operates independently of human will or actions since God alone determines who receives His mercy. God's justice remains intact even if He decided to save no one. God’s act of saving any person shows His mercy. The Bible assigns responsibility to mankind. In John 3: According to John 3:18 individuals who reject faith will face condemnation because they fail to believe. Scripture teaches us two truths which exist together: God makes choices and man bears responsibility.

This is where people split. To reconcile God’s control with human accountability certain individuals choose to weaken one aspect or another. But Scripture doesn’t do that. The Bible presents God’s sovereignty and human responsibility in a straightforward manner that we should accept without alteration. Deuteronomy 29: According to Deuteronomy 29:29 God keeps the secret things while revealing certain things to us and we should accept His Word without forcing it to match our understanding. When we discuss predestination we learn more about our perception of God rather than our comprehension. We face the fundamental question of whether our obedience will be towards Scripture’s authority or towards reshaping it according to human logic.