Objection: Doesn't predestination mean that God randomly picks who He wants to save?
Objection: "So how can a just God just randomly pick people He wants to save? I am a Christian, but now I have no
clue whether or not I am saved... I am a born-again Christian and even this makes me wonder whether or not I am saved... I mean, yes,
I agree there is nothing I can do to get into heaven, but that means that saved people don't have to do anything to get in, i.e they
can do drugs/rape/steal they will get in because God chose them... Am I wrong? DO you see my dilemma? I know I can't do anything, but
I really want to get into heaven, and if it means there is nothing I can do to get in... Well, what is stopping me from turning to
drugs/rape/steal and my chances of getting into heaven is exactly the same as before?
Answer: Nothing God does is random. Ephesians 1:11 says that God works all things after the counsel of his
will. Therefore, nothing that occurs in the world can occur without the counsel of God. This means that those whom he saves are saved
because he has chosen them for salvation (2 Thess. 2:13), has appointed them to eternal life (Acts 13:48), and granted that they
believe in him (Phil. 1:29). God Is not arbitrary. He always has a reason for what he does and what he allows to occur. Since
God is everywhere, all the time, and knows all things, it cannot be that his choice to elect and predestine individuals is random.
Besides, randomness means that God is not in control.
When we become saved, we become new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17). As a result, there is a change in us, and we fight against our
sin. For someone to go out and purposely seek and practice sin would be evidence that the person has not been regenerated. In
other words, there has not been a change within the person. 1 John 2:4 says that if we do not keep the commandments of God,
then truth is not in us, and we are liars. This does not mean that we are saved by our works, but it does mean that the manifestation
of our regeneration, of our being born-again, results in doing what is right before God.
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