Question submitted via the Ask a Question page. When answered, this subject will be reposted under the Ask Mike category.

QUESTION: How does PREDESTINATION work?  How does it involve free-will and God’s sovereignty?  And how does it fit with John 3:16?  I want to understand God’s heart in this matter.

STATUS: Rough Draft finished.  Refining and shaping key issues.

WHAT I THINK I KNOW RIGHT NOW:

I think the nature of free-will, in the absence of sin and experiential revelation, cannot help but result in a challenge to God, resulting in damnation.  From that, God chooses some to redeem, and others to judge.  God is righteous in His choices, and men are rightly and fairly judged for their defiance of God.

So understanding free-will and how it responds to the declarations of God is of great importance.  More than this, it’s worth noting that our predestination is not just to be with God, but rather to be conformed to the image of Christ himself.  That too affects how men are both drawn and kept for God’s purposes in election.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  (Romans 8:29, NIV)

WHY AREN’T YOU DONE YET?

There is so much that can be said on this subject, I’m trying not to say it all.  Eventually this subject will be uploaded in book form to the main Steward’s Portion site.  So for now, I need to trim the content down to blog size.