Many Christians believe that, in eternity past, God sovereignly hand-picked a small number of sinners to be saved and go to Heaven because all of humanity would be incapable of choosing salvation in their wretched, depraved state. They also believe that the vast majority of humans will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire, not because they willfully rejected Jesus as their only means for salvation, but because God deliberately excluded them from the opportunity to be saved. In other words, they believe every individual enters the world on a predetermined track headed for Heaven or the Lake of Fire without the ability or opportunity to change or affect their destiny.
Other Christians believe God does not want anyone to die in their spiritually depraved state. They believe He graciously provides every sinner with the ability to know Him and ultimately be redeemed, should they yield their hearts to Him by faith. They believe God reveals Himself to everyone through Creation and conscience, provides them with a measure of faith to believe, draws them to Jesus, and sends the Holy Spirit to affirm and confirm all He revealed. Therefore, the only thing excluding sinners from Heaven is their sinful rebellion and unbelief.
It is understandable how some Christians conclude that God hand-picked people for Heaven while sovereignly excluding others after reading Scriptures like Romans 9:14-24, Ephesians 1:5, 11, and Romans 8:29-30. However, numerous verses undermine that interpretation and conclusion. For example, consider the following two passages:
“I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?”
(Ezekiel 33:11)
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
(2 Peter 3:9)
Both of these verses express God’s heart for all sinners to repent and be saved, not a select few. They also convey His unwillingness for anyone to die spiritually. However, God places the responsibility upon sinners to freely choose or reject His gracious gift of salvation, having done His part to provide it. Therefore, these passages contradict the notion that Jesus predetermined those He would save, leaving the vast majority of sinners destined for Hell without recourse.
Next, consider what Jesus said to Nicodemus in John’s gospel:
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 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. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
(John 3:14-18)
The first thing to note in these verses is Jesus’ offer of salvation to everyone (i.e., “whoever”). His words do not convey redemption for a limited few nor exclude anyone from His gracious offer. Rather, Jesus’ promise of salvation extends to anyone and everyone who trusts in Him.
To illustrate this fact, Jesus referred to Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness (see Numbers 21:4-9). When the Israelites complained against God and Moses for their unsavory predicament, God sent poisonous snakes in judgment against them, and many were bitten and died. The remaining Israelites repented of their sinful accusations, and God graciously responded by instructing Moses to put a brass serpent on a pole. He told Moses that whoever looked up at the serpent after being bitten would live—and it was so.
Similarly, Jesus said He would be lifted up (i.e., the cross), and everyone who believes in Him would not die in their sins but be saved and receive eternal life. He repeated this fact twice. Jesus’ offer of redemption was also predicated upon God’s love for sinful humanity and His desire for them not to be condemned as opposed to refusing their rescue from their depraved condition. The Bible says, “For God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
The next thing to note from these verses is the sinner’s responsibility to exercise faith in Jesus for salvation, just like the Israelites had to look at the bronze serpent by faith to be healed. Jesus’ words apply to everyone, not a select few—given His repeated use of the words “whoever” and the “world” in context. Jesus also disclosed that those who refuse to believe in Him stand condemned—not because He prohibited them from attaining salvation and going to Heaven but because they willfully rejected His gracious offer of redemption and eternal life.
Next, consider what Jesus said in Luke’s gospel:
“And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. And someone said to Him, ‘Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?’ And He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.’”
(Luke 13:22-24)
At first glance, one might assume that God prohibits many from entering through the narrow door, though they desire admission. However, in context, Jesus’ answer was a call for all sinners to strive to enter Heaven through the correct means (i.e., faith in Him) because many will attempt to gain entrance through other means (i.e., good works) and will be turned away. See Luke 13:25-28 for context.
Additional verses to consider are found in Luke and Matthew:
“There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.’”
(Luke 13:1-5)
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
(Matthew 7:13-14)
Once again, Jesus placed the responsibility on sinners to turn from their wickedness or face eternal death. If God predetermined who would be saved and excluded all others from eternal life, Jesus’ instructions to these people (and all who would read His words in Scripture) would be like telling people how to escape a burning building while intentionally blocking the exit. In other words, Jesus instructing sinners to repent and enter through the narrow gate leading to eternal life would be cruel and pointless if God deliberately prohibited most of them from doing so. Such a belief also maligns God’s gracious and loving character displayed throughout Scripture.
Next, consider what Paul said in Romans:
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
(Romans 10:9-13)
Here again, Scripture states that people are saved by choosing to place their faith in Jesus. It also reveals that God’s invitation for salvation extends to everyone (i.e., “whoever”) and proclaims that all who call on Jesus for redemption will be saved, not the select few God chose ahead of time. Paul went on to describe how sinners are able to call on Jesus by faith:
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!’ However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.’”
(Romans 10:14-17)
Paul stated that hearing the gospel induces faith, and everyone who hears it will either believe or reject it. Since the gospel has the power to save and hearing it generates the faith necessary to believe, Paul emphatically stated, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
Additionally, Paul’s statement that salvation is granted to “everyone who believes” includes everyone—not a select few chosen by God in eternity past. For this reason, Jesus instructs all believers to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).
Finally, we cannot ignore what Jesus revealed about the Lake of Fire:
"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’”
(Matthew 25:41)
Jesus divulged that the everlasting fire (Lake of Fire) was created for fallen angels, not sinful humanity. If God predetermined, from eternity past, whom He would rescue from an otherwise irrevocable and irreversible fate, He would have created the Lake of Fire for sinners because there would be nowhere else for them to occupy after their death and final judgment. Yet, that is not what Jesus expressed in this passage.
Furthermore, Charles Spurgeon said of those cast into the everlasting Lake of Fire, “They had joined the devil in refusing allegiance to the Lord; so it was but right that, imitating his rebellion, they should share his punishment.” I wholeheartedly agree with Charles' statement. However, if God prohibited sinners from the opportunity to offer allegiance to Jesus by faith, they would have no occasion to refuse it.
I hope you found this information helpful and informative on this subject.
