There is, within the soul of man, a persistent yearning to untangle the mysteries of salvation, justice, and the divine will. Few doctrines arouse more awe or resistance than that of predestination. Yet, if one is to approach the Scriptures with honest inquiry and not with the prideful assumption that God’s ways must resemble our own, the truth of it emerges like a thread running through the tapestry of redemptive history.
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).
Indeed, the gospel begins with a wide call – Christ came into the world to save sinners, a term that includes all humanity. The Son of God was not sent to rescue the righteous, for there were none, but to redeem those dead in trespasses and sins. And yet, despite this, not all are saved. Why?
The Elect and the Remnant
Scripture speaks clearly of a remnant, a chosen portion, preserved by divine will. Not all Israel was Israel, and not all who heard believed. In Acts 13:48, we read, “As many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” This is not a matter of capacity or personal merit, but of divine ordination.
Titus 1:1 speaks of “the faith of God’s elect,” implying a specific people chosen by God for salvation, not on the basis of foreseen faith or human excellence, but by the mysterious counsel of His will. The elect are not merely those who chose God, but those whom God, in love, chose before the foundation of the world (cf. Ephesians 1:4).
All Without Distinction, Not All Without Exception
One must be careful with language, for words are both wings and chains. When the Scriptures say that Christ died for “the world,” the term does not necessarily mean every person without exception, but all kinds of people without distinction; Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. The wideness of God’s mercy extends to all nations, but not to every individual. Were the sacrifice of Christ intended to save all without exception, then none could be lost, yet Christ Himself mourns: “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40). The fault is not with the offer but with the unwilling heart.
Why Are Not All Saved?
The answer lies not in the deficiency of Christ’s atonement but in the sovereign intention behind it. God is not bound to save all, nor is He unjust in not doing so. “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?” asks the householder in Matthew 20:15, and with those words, the parable speaks not only of wages, but of grace.
Grace, by its nature, is undeserved. If God owed salvation to all, then grace would be no longer grace. But “by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10), says Paul, and elsewhere he asks, “Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). The very capacity to believe is a gift, not a work of human origin.
The Reprobate Mind and Divine Patience
Some remain hardened, not because God delights in destruction, but because He gives them over to their own will. The prophet Ezekiel records the promise of God to “take the stony heart out of their flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19), and yet not all receive this transformation. Why? Because God, in His wisdom, allows some to remain in rebellion, confirming their rejection not as passive neglect but as judicial abandonment. This is not the cruelty of a tyrant but the justice of a holy God who “is not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9), and yet ordains that His justice be displayed alongside His mercy.
The Mystery of Foreknowledge and Freedom
It is no contradiction to say that God knows all things and yet holds man accountable. He knows who will believe and who will not, but He does not coerce the heart with violence. His Spirit persuades, convicts, and draws, but never in a way that violates the will. If some resist and remain reprobate, it is not because God’s hand is short, but because His purposes include both vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy (cf. Romans 9:22–23).
A Humble Conclusion
In 2 Thessalonians 3:2, Paul writes, “For all men have not faith.” This brief sentence sums the dilemma well. Faith is not universal, nor is it a natural possession of man. It is given. And God gives it to whom He will.
The doctrine of predestination, when rightly understood, does not diminish human responsibility, it magnifies divine mercy. That any are saved is a wonder of grace. That not all are saved is a mystery of justice. We do not sit above God to weigh His decisions. We sit below Him in awe.
Let us then not contend with the Potter, but rejoice that, though we were sinners, Christ came into the world for our sake, and by grace, some believe. If you believe, give thanks, for that faith is not your own. It is the gift of God. Let none boast in being chosen, but rather tremble and adore.
For He has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will, He hardens. And yet, to all who come to Him in humility, He never turns away.
In Christ’s service, ~ JFH
Key Scriptures Referenced:
1 Timothy 1:15
Ezekiel 11:19
John 5:40
1 Corinthians 15:10
2 Thessalonians 3:2
Acts 13:48
Titus 1:1
Matthew 20:15
1 Corinthians 4:7
- Cross-references: Romans 9:22–23; Ephesians 1:4; 2 Peter 3:9
Seeking Truth in Today's Troubled World 
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