Does Man Have A Decision In Following Christ And What Role Does Predestination Have?
Does Man Have a Decision in Following Christ? The Role of Human Choice and Predestination
The question of whether a person has a genuine choice in following Christ, and how this relates to the biblical teaching on predestination, has been a significant topic within Christian theology. Let us explore what Scripture says about human responsibility, God's sovereignty, and how these truths work together in the process of salvation.
1. The Call to Respond: Human Responsibility
Throughout the Bible, we see clear invitations and commands for people to respond to God’s offer of salvation. Scripture affirms that individuals are called to make a personal decision regarding Christ:
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. - Mark 16:15-16 ASV
Notice that Jesus presents belief as a condition for salvation. This implies a responsibility to respond to the gospel message.
But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name. - John 1:12 ASV
Here, the emphasis falls on receiving Christ and believing in His name—an act that involves human will.
2. The Necessity of Grace: God’s Initiative
Scripture is also clear that apart from God’s gracious initiative, no one would or could come to Christ. Human beings are portrayed as spiritually dead and unable to seek God on their own:
And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins. - Ephesians 2:1 ASV
No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. - John 6:44 ASV
These verses underscore the necessity of God’s work in drawing people to Himself. Salvation begins with God’s initiative, not man’s.
3. Predestination in Scripture
The Bible does address predestination, especially in the writings of Paul. Predestination refers to God’s eternal plan by which He chooses certain individuals to be saved:
Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. - Ephesians 1:4-5 ASV
For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: and whom he foreordained, them he also called... - Romans 8:29-30 ASV
These passages indicate that God’s choice is based on His own purposes and grace, established before the creation of the world.
4. Human Choice and Divine Sovereignty: How Do They Relate?
The relationship between predestination and human responsibility is a profound mystery. The Bible teaches both that God sovereignly chooses, and that humans must respond in faith. Consider how both are presented:
For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory. - Ephesians 2:8 ASV
Salvation is by grace alone, but it is received through faith—an act of trust and dependence. The call to believe is real, and those who believe are saved. Yet, it is God who enables this faith.
Perspectives on Predestination and Free Will
- God’s Sovereignty: God’s plan is never thwarted (Job 42:2 ASV), and He knows “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10 ASV).
- Human Responsibility: People are truly accountable for their response to the gospel (John 3:18 ASV).
- Biblical Tension: The Bible doesn’t fully explain how God’s sovereign predestination and human freedom work together, but holds both as true.
5. Assurance and Comfort in Predestination
For believers, the doctrine of predestination is not meant to discourage evangelism or personal faith, but to provide assurance that God is faithful to complete the work He begins:
Being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. - Philippians 1:6 ASV
Believers can rest in God’s sovereign grace, knowing that all who come to Christ are welcomed and none are turned away (John 6:37 ASV).
Conclusion
Scripture upholds both the reality of God’s sovereign predestination and the necessity of personal response to Christ. While the mystery of how these truths fit together remains, the call of the gospel goes out to all people: “Repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15 ASV). Those who come to Christ do so by the gracious work of God, but they must truly come. Salvation is by grace through faith, grounded in God’s eternal purposes and received by believing hearts.