Q/A: Some of your answers make me wonder if you are a Calvinist.  Is it possible that God wants everyone to be saved by his grace, but then doesn’t allow some to believe?  Or is it that he does require some response on our part since he doesn’t want robots?  After all, he tells us to repent, not that he will do it for us.  Let me know what you think and thanks for your time. - Robyn

Q/A: In Ephesians 1 we learn that some people are predestined to be saved.  In 2 Peter 3:9 we are told it is not God’s will that anyone should perish.  My question is, are some predestined to be lost?  Do they have a choice? - Floyd

Q/A: I have been reading many of the resources at www.ptm.org. and I find them very helpful.  One question I have is if God allows man to have his own free will.  If he does, then what about in the book of Revelation when God intervenes and pours plagues and catastrophic events onto the earth?  Is this not forcing mankind to give up his own free will? - Steve

Q/A: I’ve been a Christian for about 15 years and I know I certainly don’t know everything, but some things I felt I had a pretty good understanding of.  Well, today I had the rug pulled from under me.  I was talking to a Christian friend and somehow we got on the subject of what God knows.  We both agree that he knows everything, but how we interpret “everything” is where we differ.  She says that he knows everything literally, as in from the moment I’m born until my death.  He knows every single, solitary thing that I will do, think and say even before I am born.  My interpretation of “everything” is that he knows all possibilities or all ways that things can happen, but since we have free will he doesn’t know what we will choose in every circumstance.  Does that make sense?  For some reason I can’t see why we would have the life experience if he already knew everything we would all do.  I feel as if he created us in his image and he wanted to see what we would do with what he has given us.  So while he certainly knows all possibilities, does he really already know every single thing?  No pleasant surprises from his children?  Please share your understanding on this subject. - Alexandra

Q/A: Can you answer this conundrum for me?  If Christians accept that God is all knowing (not just knowing the possibilities of an event, but also its outcome) then you must admit that God knows whether a person is going to heaven or hell.   If you accept some sort of alternative reality then I guess it’s possible that in one reality a person goes to heaven and in another he goes to hell. If there aren’t any alternative realities then a person will be going to either heaven or hell, but not both.  If God knows everything then God knows where we’ll end up.  In other words, there is no such thing as choice; it’s all pre-determined.  Yes, you can be saved, but again there is only one outcome to any event and God knows what it is, doesn’t he? - Simon

Q/A: I have a question for you.  It concerns this whole predestination thing.  I realize that God is Holy and that he can’t accept sinners without a substitute, so I don’t understand why he would even bother sending Jesus if he were already planning on saving just a select “few” regardless of whether they would have chosen him on their own or not.  It’s hard for me to trust a God who might just create you to send you to hell for reasons entirely of his own.  It seems to go against everything I thought was true about our Lord.  But wouldn’t that seem to go against his loving nature?  Question #1--is he just as bound to his loving side as he is his holy and sovereign side? ... Question #2—does it actually state anywhere in the Bible that man was given “free will” to accept Christ, or was that a man-made term based on assumption? ... Question #3—if God can’t stand to be around sin, then how could Jesus walk the earth in our midst? ... Question #4—do you think that the fact that I’m having this struggle means that I’m not one of the chosen (because I’m not just accepting him without questions)? - Robin

Q/A: I’ve been taught for many years that when we die it is God who takes us away.  Recently I’ve been hearing ministers on the air saying that this isn’t true.  Is there a verse in the Bible to support this or is this just a manmade idea? - Darrell

Q/A: You make it sound like everyone is being called right now when you talk on your radio program.  I don’t feel God is going to grant wishes to someone who isn’t being called and given repentance.  If you don’t have His Spirit, you are none of His.  What do you think? - John

Q/A: Looking through your Q&A’s about predestination, I see that you have recommended “Chosen But Free” more than once to people asking questions -–and that this is presented as a “balanced” view.   Have you read (and what are your thoughts) “The Potter’s Freedom” and “Four [Five?]  Views on Predestination” (which Geisler also participated in)?  I disagree that “Chosen But Free” presents a balanced view.  I think it presents an incorrect view of both classical Arminianism and Calvinism – and confuses the reader with ‘moderate Calvinist’ definitions of terms (i.e. – determined, foreknow).    Do you think it would be a good idea for people to reference these other books mentioned above to get a view “from the other side” as it were? - Rick

Q/A: Was it a foregone conclusion that Judas had, repeat, had to betray our Lord? - Bob

Q/A: What is this idea of "irresistible grace" all about? They often believe that everything has been chosen. We cannot resist this grace. How could God be omnibenevolent if he operates this way? R.C. Sproul is also espousing this stuff. Are they misrepresenting what Zwingli, Calvin and Luther really taught? - Donald

Q/A: What is the purpose of us being here on earth? - Wayne

Q/A: I have been reading Plain Truth magazine on and off and I have learned many things. I appreciate your ministry. Recently I have been somewhat struggling about Calvinism and Arminianism. I have just started reading some books about the 5 points of Calvinism. I have been a born again Christian about 7 years now and started from an Assembly of God Church, which is influenced by Arminianism.  Predestination confuses me because both views have Scriptural support and both make sense. Please help me understand a little bit more about this issue and how to view this issue as a good Christian. - Jin

Q/A: Thank you for your advice. You somehow inspire even the "down and out." You are the only rational "religious" personality I have come across so far. You may not claim to answer all questions, but somehow that even makes it better. Here’s my question: Is God active in human participation nowadays? We have these disasters. For instance, no matter how one strives, all seems to go awry. Isn’t man the ultimate controller of his own destiny? And God only watches what we become? Sometimes my existence seems to be a big joke. What is there to hope for when everything is bad and you can do nothing about it. - Jesse

Q/A: My question deals with two doctrines really – that of baptism, primarily infant baptism, and election. The Bible makes clear that God chooses us to be saved, and that we cannot "make a decision" for him by our own will or power. But how does this doctrine reconcile with infant baptism, where the vast majority of babies in Christian families are baptized? The baptism is a decision made by the parents and the family. But if God chooses when he will, what good is our decision to baptize infants, or even ourselves as adults? Does baptism make one "eligible" for the Lord’s election? - Mark

Q/A: ...I  have always assumed that we all have free will and that WE CHOOSE God. But many verses in the Bible indicate that HE in fact chooses us (John 15:16, Thess. 2:13, Romans 8:29-30). Are there any Bible verses to support that WE CHOOSE God? Did God know before each of us were created if we would choose Him or not? Romans 9:13-24 seems to say that God may even create people he knows will be destroyed. - Diane

Q/A: There is much discussion concerning the ability to “SENSE” God’s “leading”.  For example, “I sensed God’s call. . .”, “I prayed and sensed that God wanted me to…”, “One of our members felt led to…”, etc.  ..... My question, “Is there any record or evidence of knowledge referring to discovering God’s will based on “sensing” or internal prompting?”   I cannot find in the scriptures where we must “hear” or “sense” God before we can make decisions.... - Nancy