Predestination And Free-Will – Why Does God Save Some People And Not Others?
Predestination And Free-Will
Why Does God Save Some People And Not Others?
This is a question that can best be answered by another question: “For who hath know the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” (1 Corinthians 2:16). We do know that whatever God does, it is for His own good pleasure:
Luke 12:32 – “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Ephesians 1:5 – “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will“
Ephesians 1:9 – “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself“
Philippians 2:13 – “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
If we look at Romans chapter 9, we will find one reason why God saves some and not others. It is a very sobering passage:
Romans 9:22 – “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory”
Is not God saying that He is showing the redeemed just how much a gift of grace they receive from Him? When we look at how hardhearted and rebellious the unsaved around us are, we are reminded of our own sinfulness, especially before we became saved. We also get a striking picture of the depravity of man that serves as a testimony to how fair and just God is in the damnation of sinners. If not for the grace of God, no one would be saved.
Summary: This article is a section of a much larger article on the Bible doctrines of Election and Predestination called “Who accepts Whom?“. You are urged to check out that larger article for many other thought provoking questions pertaining these “Doctrines of Grace”. — RM Kane