If anyone has looked into the issues that seperate various theological camps, then the topic of predestination is likely to be on their radar. I won’t pretend to be able to explain what theologians have debated over the centuries and come no closer to agreeing on, but there are a few guidlines to help us apply to our lives what scripture says about the topic without getting bogged down in the debate its mechanics.

First, the doctrine of predestination–how, when and why God choses people to be saved, and who it is that he choses–is a doctrine given to those of us who believe. There are two perspectives in scripture: one is God’s perspective, which is never explained totally to us, but only enough for our faith in him to be strengthened, and secondly, the perspective of humans.

These two perspectives often seem to contradict eachother. For example, scripture says that “whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but who ever does not believe will not be saved.” This seems to put the salvation of a person in their own hands. Scripture also says “those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” This seems entirely God from start to finish.

The key is to understand the context. The first passage is speaking of people to whom the gospel will be preached. From a human standpoint, whenever the gospel is preached there is one of two responses: either the hearer believes or he doesn’t. It is the ones who believe and are baptized who will be saved.

The second passage is given as an encouragement to people who already believe, but who are discouraged because of the sin in their lives. Paul encourages them (in Romans 8) by telling them of how their salvation is not in how they feel or even the sin they commit from day to day, but in Christ who is their security for all eternity.

Why God predestines, who he predestines, and when he predestines them, are all questions that may remain a mystery for our whole life, but what God has told us about our responsability to believe and obey him, and the words he gives us to encourage us in our relationship with him are no less able to draw us closer to himself.