Do you believe in Predestination? That "we've already been chosen"? I find it hard to follow this path of thought. I mean what if I'm not? This is from John 10:29 NKJV "My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand."
However, if you read the KJV you can maybe interpret this differently. "My Father, which gave THEM ME, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."
1. Regarding John 10:36 "neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" if you look at the context Jesus is talking only about his sheep. The sheep are His followers, or, Christians. Not everyone is a sheep. They are choosing to follow Jesus and choosing to believe and choosing be sheep by their own freewill and decisions. We know this because of what it says just prior to that. John 10:25-27. In v26 he says they are NOT His sheep because they don't believe. So, if we combine this verse with Matthew 7:13-14 one can presume that most are NOT sheep. Many most are wolves and some are wolves in sheep's clothing. Matthew 7:15.
2. Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the thoughts" or "plans" and hope for a "future" some translations say. Just because an all-knowing God can know this doesn't automatically mean its robbing you of freewill. You are not an automatic robot following a specific script. God is big and powerful enough to know everything and also let us have freewill at the same time, even if little human brains have a hard time comprehending it. God is much bigger than our assumed limitations. God is also big enough to change His mind, as happened relating to Sodom and Gomorrah.
Maybe God's plan is just a broad overview of what would be best for you, maybe like a map, but its up to you whether you follow it or not. Maybe you take a few detours along the way, maybe you get confused and even go the wrong way at times. This doesn't automatically mean you are following God's plan. Maybe you're not following Him at all. I think if you ask most people who believe in predestination, they generally admit that when they ordered a chicken sandwich for lunch and held the pickles that it was mostly their choice and not necessarily God's plan. Or when a Christian sins 1 John 1:8, I don't think most people actually believe that God causes people to sin. God forbids us to tempt or lead others to stumble in sin: Luke 17:1-4.
I'm probably not going to answer this Biblically enough. If you have a destination in mind_you buy a ticket and go stand on the train platform for boarding.
If we wait to do something or respond; until "we feel like it", the moment can completely pass by us.
No one is guaranteed tomorrow. Best to move on it when it today. " Today if you hear My Voice"
John 10:29 is not talking about predestination and predestination has nothing to do with God choosing who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell. John 10:29 is showing the permanency of salvation to those who are presently saved.
Predestination in the sense that God knows who is going to accept Jesus' sacrifice and be saved and predestined them for eternal life, then yes this is right. But predestination in the sense that God planned beforehand whom He is going to save and act accordingly, then no this is wrong. If the latter was true then God wouldn't be righteous. Love, Truth and Righteousness is God's nature. God will not condemn people for what they would or wouldn't have done bur for what they do or don't. The verse you state from John means that nobody can take us from God, as long as we stay on the right path. Interpretation of verses must always be done in accordance to all other verses that are related to the same topic.
Predestination, like .secured salvation no matter what, in my opinion are wrong beliefs.
However, if you read the KJV you can maybe interpret this differently. "My Father, which gave THEM ME, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."
1. Regarding John 10:36 "neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" if you look at the context Jesus is talking only about his sheep. The sheep are His followers, or, Christians. Not everyone is a sheep. They are choosing to follow Jesus and choosing to believe and choosing be sheep by their own freewill and decisions. We know this because of what it says just prior to that. John 10:25-27. In v26 he says they are NOT His sheep because they don't believe. So, if we combine this verse with Matthew 7:13-14 one can presume that most are NOT sheep. Many most are wolves and some are wolves in sheep's clothing. Matthew 7:15.
2. Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the thoughts" or "plans" and hope for a "future" some translations say. Just because an all-knowing God can know this doesn't automatically mean its robbing you of freewill. You are not an automatic robot following a specific script. God is big and powerful enough to know everything and also let us have freewill at the same time, even if little human brains have a hard time comprehending it. God is much bigger than our assumed limitations. God is also big enough to change His mind, as happened relating to Sodom and Gomorrah.
Maybe God's plan is just a broad overview of what would be best for you, maybe like a map, but its up to you whether you follow it or not. Maybe you take a few detours along the way, maybe you get confused and even go the wrong way at times. This doesn't automatically mean you are following God's plan. Maybe you're not following Him at all. I think if you ask most people who believe in predestination, they generally admit that when they ordered a chicken sandwich for lunch and held the pickles that it was mostly their choice and not necessarily God's plan. Or when a Christian sins 1 John 1:8, I don't think most people actually believe that God causes people to sin. God forbids us to tempt or lead others to stumble in sin: Luke 17:1-4.
God bless.
If we wait to do something or respond; until "we feel like it", the moment can completely pass by us.
No one is guaranteed tomorrow. Best to move on it when it today. " Today if you hear My Voice"
John 10:29 is not talking about predestination and predestination has nothing to do with God choosing who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell. John 10:29 is showing the permanency of salvation to those who are presently saved.
Predestination in the sense that God knows who is going to accept Jesus' sacrifice and be saved and predestined them for eternal life, then yes this is right. But predestination in the sense that God planned beforehand whom He is going to save and act accordingly, then no this is wrong. If the latter was true then God wouldn't be righteous. Love, Truth and Righteousness is God's nature. God will not condemn people for what they would or wouldn't have done bur for what they do or don't. The verse you state from John means that nobody can take us from God, as long as we stay on the right path. Interpretation of verses must always be done in accordance to all other verses that are related to the same topic.
Predestination, like .secured salvation no matter what, in my opinion are wrong beliefs.
GBU
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