Ask a Pastor Column

Presenting Biblical answers to tough questions

Q: Does God decide who goes to heaven and who goes to hell?

A:  While I do not claim to have all of the answers when it comes to God’s sovereign will and our own responsibility, there are certain truths from Scripture I can state with confidence.

First, Christ died for the sins of the world and this provides everyone with the opportunity to go to heaven (John 3:16). While God knows who will accept this gift and who will not, this does not prevent Him from showing truly unconditional love by offering salvation to all; even those who will reject Him. This is seen in many verses (John 3:15-18; Ro. 5:6-8; etc.), but most clearly in 1 Timothy 4:10 where God is called, “The Savior of all men, especially those who believe.” This does not mean everyone will go to heaven (John 3:18); it means that God’s offer of salvation is offered to all in good faith, but effective only for those who believe.

Second, we are told on a certain level God desires everyone to go to heaven. I Timothy 2:4 says God “desires all men to be saved,” and II Peter 3:9 says God is “not willing that any should perish.” This desire will not be completely fulfilled since we know many will not believe in Christ but it shows us God’s heart and other factors can keep Him from receiving all His desires. In other words, we are not mindlessly carrying out God’s program; we have influence on our existence and our eternity.

       The Bible does talk about God “choosing” people to fulfill certain roles in His divine will (Ro. 9:10-13; Gal. 1:15-16). These sovereign choices (sometimes referred to as God’s election) are primarily concerned with God’s call upon a person’s life, and while this has implications for salvation that is not the focus. In short, God does not choose certain people to go to heaven and others to go to hell. He sovereignly reveals His grace and nature to certain people and assigns them positions as a part of His mysterious will.

If you have a question that you would like a Biblical answer to, you can send it via email to [email protected] or by mail to Formoso Church; P.O. Box 66; Formoso, Kan. 66942