YOU ARE NOT PREDESTINED FOR FAILURE

YOU ARENT PREDESTINED FOR FAILURE

Matt 13:14” In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:"'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving’’
     The theory of determination or determinism which says that our belief in God has been predetermined runs contrary to the principles of the Christian faith and portrays God as both good and evil and unjust. It is the same when one says God’s favour isn’t fair.   And very often those who preach this doctrine erroneously quote the aforementioned scripture. 
     The belief in determinism runs contrary to scriptures and the Christian’s right to choose. In mark 11: 23-24 the scriptures says”.. whatsoever you desire when you pray…”…if determinism was the case , we shouldn’t have any desires and should not be held accountable for our actions and decisions since they have all been predetermined .
   Going by this theory, some people were never given the opportunity to believe in the gospel because of Isaiah's prophecies. If that were the case, God will be unjust to judge the sinner since He alone determines human action and this is an infringement on our rights to choose.
      When the bible speaks of predestination as in Ephesians 1:5 “ He predestined us to be adopted as sons…” the word predestined is a Greek aorist verb ( having an external viewpoint) and in this case , it serves as a figure of speech meaning to ordain or determine before. It means to make a prior arrangement. An example, every nation builds prisons as a prior arrangement for those who would commit a crime. That doesn’t mean that there are some citizens who a born prison worthy. Under normal circumstance most persons who go to jail are simply paying for the choices they made.
     God has given us an equal opportunity to be saved and  no one has ever been denied the opportunity to accept the gift of salvation (Ti. 2:11). It is our belief system that determines how God deals with us.In Mark 6:5 the bible says that "he (Jesus) could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them."  It is evident that the reason Jesus couldn't do any mighty work was not because He was incapacitated, but because He chose not to use His influence against a person's choice. God respects our right to choose. It is what makes Him a judge in human affairs.  He wouldn’t force a miracle upon you except you are willing and ready. Most people are willing but not ready. Likewise, the unbelievers do not believe because of their choice to reject Jesus. They could not believe because they chose not to believe. Believing in Christ requires being selfless and most people are not willing to pay the price. Unbelief is selfishness or self preservation mostly because we want to be in control so we can take the glory for a miracle. People want to worship God by their terms. That’s religion.    
   . "They stumbled at the stumbling stone" (Rom. 9:32), which was Jesus. God did not predestine them to this fate. Isaiah saw that very few would receive the truth in the gospels (Isa. 53:1) about the Messiah, and therefore would be kept from the knowledge of salvation because they rejected Him in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found (Col. 2:3). This is what Isaiah prophesied, and it is evident today .May the eyes of your understanding be open to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ that you may prosper according to His will. Amen