No. You're not listening. Knowing that I have a lot fewer hairs than my son is a lot different than making me have fewer hairs. Micromanaging is causing everything to happen. I know what all of my high school son's classes are, but I didn't choose his schedule for him. I helped by giving him some wisdom, but the choice of what classes he is taking was ultimately up to him.
It's like the example I gave earlier of the difference between knowing my little boy was going to bust his head on the wall, and me picking him up and intentionally busting his head on the wall. There is a huge difference.
No, I can't believe it because there are too many logic holes, and you're having to skew plain-as-day scriptures to work with it how you want. God wants everyone to be saved. When He sent His only begotten Son, He did it because He loves the whole world. You can't seriously tell me that God can look at individuals and want them to not be saved. It goes against every description of God's character and personality in the Bible.
A few biblical descriptions of God. God is merciful. If He looks at a person and doesn't allow them to have a chance to be saved, that is the opposite of merciful. God is a God of justice. If God judges a person as a sinner, but never gave them any opportunity to get out of that life of sin, yet He chooses other people to have that opportunity, and doesn't judge them by the same standards, how in the world is that just? And where do the scriptures come into play that say that God shows no favoritism, or God is not a respecter of persons? With your version of election and predestination, God absolutely shows favoritism. By what criteria does He pick and choose people? Saul despised followers of Christ and was involved in their persecution and murder. But God transformed him into Paul, one of the greatest apostles. Talk about someone who didn't deserve it. Why do other people deserve it so much less that God doesn't even give them a chance? And if it's about that at all, where does grace come into play?
Your version of election and predestination is so convoluted with contradictions and logic issues that it just doesn't make any sense to me. The way I described it in Post #36 makes a whole lot more sense and it doesn't contradict anything the scriptures say.
If God wants everyone saved, everyone would be saved. It is the will of God that causes the salvation of every individual. The will of man does not want God. God loved Jacob but hated Esau. God did not want to save Esau. It is always up to God who is to be saved. (Is. 6:9-10) "And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed."
As I have said, all men everywhere have turned away from God. They don't want God. God provides a salvation for all. Yet none will come to God unless He does a work in them to bring them to Himself. So, don't say none have a chance. But none will come unless God brings them. And it is up to God who He wants to bring. You dislike that. But you are not God. God is not unjust in sending all to hell. He is merciful in calling out some, His elect. Can God do with His creation what He wants? (Rom. 9:21-24) Are your ways more just than God's? (Is. 55:8-9)
And, did God not elect some angels also. And He provides no salvation for the non-elect or fallen angels. Do you see that as just?
Stranger