Has God Foreordained My Future?
Is My Eternal Destiny Already Determined?
The scriptures clearly teach that He has not. There are events that He has foreordained and they have happened or will happen just as He has planned. Likewise there are events that will happen or not happen because He has given us freewill. Whether these events will happen or not is up to us. Our decision may not have been made as yet. Therefore it’s not yet known what we may decide.
Let it be clearly understood that God’s knowledge of all our past decisions, and what we’re doing to maintain our spiritual life, and the temptations that are coming our way, all make it easy for Him to with great accuracy predict what our choices will be. But our choices are not forced upon us.
God knows everything there is to know. He has all knowledge—all knowledge that exist, He has. But, we have been given the opportunity to bring new knowledge into existence by our freewill—this God given ability to choose. So, as we make choices new knowledge is brought into existence.
Consider:
Genesis 22:11-12 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Take notice of the words “now I know”. Did He not know before?
Jonah 4:8-10 let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? Then God saw their works that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
Take note—when they chose to repent, “God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them.” Their choice changed God’s previous plans for them. Did He not know what they would do? If so, how could He say certain things were going to happen that didn’t?
John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Notice— “The world through Him might be saved.” He died for all, but all are not saved, for not all make the right choices.
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. Notice— God’s actions are to be determined by their yet undetermined choices. His actions were not predestined.
There are many things that God has predestined. He knows the end from the beginning. But He has determined that persons have the opportunity to determine their own destiny. After all, that’s the purpose of this whole creation— to bring sons and daughters into His family. Our destiny—His family or otherwise—is determined by our choices.
Choose today who you will serve.
Your choice is not without consequences!