What Will Be Will Be

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. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified (Romans 8:29-30, NIV 1984)

Free will is a strange concept. It seems simple enough, but have you ever noticed that, when you try to predict what someone will do at a specific moment, they almost always let you down. You may know their character, as well as what they've done in the past, but when you decide to predict their next move, they won't do it. That's free will. However, if you try and predict how many of a group will do a certain thing, you will always be very close if you base your prediction on past statistics. When you study statistics of this nature, it will make you believe that we operate of one mind.

God tells us through numerous authors of the Bible that we have free will (Psalm 110:3, Luke 13:3) but also tells us that we are predestined (Romans 8:29-30). That seems strangely contradictory and only God knows exactly what that means. But, He also knows that, even when some are called, they won't necessarily follow Him. And, because He is omniscient (Jeremiah 1:5, 29:11), He knows who will follow and who won't. Since our free will makes us susceptible to the power of suggestion, I suggest we follow Him because He is God and He is the only way. The payoff is big (John 3:16).