About 40 years ago, in my first ‘Reformed Bible Study’, the topic was Predestination. Wanting to sound knowledgeable, I asked “we won the lottery, eh?” Silence. In recovery, I asked “how do we know we are Predestined”? 40 years later, I still get silence, well they may say the Holy Spirit told them, but, the “humility of surrender”, which is a choice, and to me must come first: to Jesus that is (‘no other name’).

(I know, there is another answer I’m sure. Maybe I will just stay with the Power Ball Lottery idea, let it stand until the Last Day, and find out “whose choice” is valid. I am not worried; I know whom I have ‘chosen’ to believe in.)

(I have some JW friends; they visit all the time. Some are so sincere and really love Jesus. But they are taught that they are chosen, practicing holiness for the Millennium, and they will be in charge – sounds good. But since they ‘are taught’ Jesus became God when He died, they must essentially die for themselves. Practice, practice, practice…).

A few verses, starting with Jesus’ own words:

John 3: 14.  "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  15.  "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  16.  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17.  "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18.  "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And then Paul’s, of course:

Roman 9:33.  As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.''

Romans 10: 8.  But what does it say? "The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart'' (that is, the word of faith which we preach):  9.  that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10.  For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. 11.  For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.''  12.  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  13.  For "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.''

Ephesians 1: 11.  in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,  12.  that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13.  In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14.  who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

If God knows everyone’s destiny, then we are all predestined. It is all about Context, and about the History of Jacob and Esau, and Moses and Pharaoh. We all have a history that has to be dealt with. Hebrews 11, eh?

And Jesus’ use of the word ‘whosoever’ must be considered as authoritative.

Below is an analysis of “Classical Arminianism”. Not the urban legend version that is so prevalent. The key phrase is “cooperative grace” (not cheap or limited), which, to me, sums up and defines the ‘Christian Experience’. Work out our salvation with fear and trembling…. God knows where we are, or want to be… (saves a lot of money on books, tapes, and conferences – not to mention confusion, not only in the Church, but also in the culture where we operate).

Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609) was a Dutch Reformed theologian and professor of theology at the University of Leiden. He is most noted for his departure from the Reformed theology of the Belgic Confession resulting in what became the Calvinist-Arminian controversy addressed at the Synod of Dort (1618-1619).

The Five Articles of Remonstrance were given by followers of Jacobus Arminius who, ironically, did not want to adopt Arminius' name, instead choosing to call themselves the "Remonstrants".

Forty-one preachers and the two leaders of the Leyden state college for the education of preachers met in The Hague on Jan. 14, 1610, to state in written form their views concerning all disputed doctrines. The document in the form of a remonstrance was drawn up by Jan Uytenbogaert and after a few changes was endorsed and signed by all and in July

The Five Articles were the doctrinal summary that in turn prompted Calvinists to issue their Five Points of Calvinism commonly denoted "TULIP".

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The Five Articles Of The Remonstrance 1610

Article I. That God, by an eternal, unchangeable purpose in Jesus Christ, his Son, before the foundation of the world, hath determined, out of the fallen, sinful race of men, to save in Christ, for Christ's sake, and through Christ, those who, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, shall believe on this his Son Jesus, and shall persevere in this faith and obedience of faith, through this grace, even to the end; and, on the other hand, to leave the incorrigible and unbelieving in sin and under wrath, and to condemn them as alienate from Christ, according to the word of the Gospel in John iii. 36: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him," and according to other passages of Scripture also.

Article II. That, agreeably thereto, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, died for all men and for every man, so that he has obtained for them all, by his death on the cross, redemption, and the forgiveness of sins; yet that no one actually enjoys this forgiveness of sins, except the believer, according to the word of the Gospel of John iii. 16: "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life"; and in the First Epistle of John ii. 2: "And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only. but also for the sins of the whole world."

Article III. That man has not saving grace of himself, nor of the energy of his free-will, inasmuch as he, in the state of apostasy and sin, can of and by himself neither think, will, nor do anything that is truly good (such as having faith eminently is); but that it is needful that he be born again of God in Christ, through his Holy Spirit, and renewed in understanding, inclination, or will, and all his powers, in order that he may rightly understand, think, will, and effect what is truly good, according to the word of Christ, John xv. b: "Without me ye can do nothing."

Article IV. That this grace of God is the beginning, continuance, and accomplishment of an good, even to this extent, that the regenerate man himself, without that prevenient or assisting; awakening, following, and co-operative grace, elm neither think, will, nor do good, nor withstand any temptations to evil; so that all good deeds or movements that can be conceived must be ascribed to the grace of God in Christ. But, as respects the mode of the operation of this grace, it is not irresistible, inasmuch as it is written concerning many that they have resisted the Holy Ghost, -Acts vii., and elsewhere in many places.

Article V. That those who an incorporated into Christ by a true faith, and have thereby become partakers of his life giving spirit, have thereby full power to strive against Satan, sin, the world, and their own flesh, and to win the victory, it being well understood that it is ever through the assisting grace of the Holy Ghost; and that Jesus Christ assists them through his Spirit in all temptations, extends to them his hand; and if only they are ready for the conflict, and desire his help, and are not inactive, keeps them from falling, so that they, by no craft or power of Satan, can be misled, nor plucked out of Christ's hands, according to the word of Christ, John x. 28: "Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." But whether they are capable. through negligence, of forsaking again the first beginnings of their life in Christ, of again returning to this present evil world, of turning away from the holy doctrine which was delivered them, of losing a good conscience, of becoming devoid of grace, that must be more particularly determined out of the Holy Scriptures before we ourselves can teach it with the full persuasion of our minds.

The New Dort: http://historyreally.org/newdort.html

Need to convince at least 51% of the ‘electorate’, before Judgment Day.