Why Would God Predestine Anyone For Destruction?

What do people do with the idea that some go to heaven and others go to hell?

And how do they make sense of it without feeling like God is being unfair? A lot of people wrestle with that. They also hear the NDE stories, the bright lights, the peace, the overwhelming love, and they wonder if “everyone” is going somewhere beautiful.

It raises real questions.

But Scripture gives a clear picture of God’s heart. God says, “I do not want anyone to die, so change your hearts and lives and live.” (Ezekiel 18:32 NCV) Peter says the same thing. “The Lord is patient because He does not want anyone to be lost.” (2 Peter 3:9 NCV)

God does not enjoy people going to hell. His instinct is mercy.

Predestination itself is tied to compassion. “I will show mercy to anyone I choose.” (Romans 9:15 NCV)

And Revelation shows a God who saves a countless number. “There was a great crowd so large no one could count them.” (Revelation 7:9 NCV) That does not sound like a God looking for people to condemn. It sounds like a God overflowing with grace.

Many people also wonder if more people go to hell than heaven.

Jesus actually said something that sounds like that. “The road that leads to destruction is wide and many people enter it. But the road that leads to life is narrow and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13 to 14 NCV)

This does not necessarily mean God saves only a small group. It means the easier path is always the one rejecting God. The wide road requires nothing. No surrender. No obedience.

The narrow road is tighter. It requires trust, discipline, repentance, and choosing Christ over self. It is not narrow because God keeps people out. It is narrow because following Jesus means giving Him your whole life.

So what about those who are lost?

Romans 9 makes a distinction people often skip. God “prepared beforehand for glory” those He saves. But those who perish are described as people who “prepared themselves for destruction.” They resisted. They rejected. They hardened. “They stumbled because they did not want to obey God’s message.” (Romans 9:32 NCV)

In other words, God actively prepares people for salvation. People actively resist toward destruction.

C. S. Lewis said it well. “Hell is the greatest monument to human freedom.” In the end, no one in hell wants God, and no one who wants God is ever denied heaven. Jesus said, “I will never turn away the one who comes to me.” (John 6:37 NCV)

So where do NDEs fit in?

Many are real. Some have details that defy medical explanation. But NDEs are not theology, they come from people, not God Almighty. They are powerful, emotional, but incomplete. A peaceful experience at the threshold of death does not equal the full truth of eternity.

Scripture gives the whole picture. “People are destined to die once and after that they will be judged by God.” (Hebrews 9:27 NCV) And those peaceful glimpses may even be God’s mercy saying, “See what is possible. Choose My Son.”

This also brings up the question people always ask. So is predestination true? Yes. Are we responsible and free to choose our eternity? Yes. So how do both work at the same time?

Here is the clearest way to understand it. God initiates salvation, but He never forces anyone. We respond, but we never save ourselves. Only God saves. God opens the door, shines the light, calls our name, softens our heart, and draws us in. But we still freely step through that door. God is the Savior. We are the responders.

And this leads us back to Jesus. If predestination feels confusing, the answer is simple. Choose Christ.

Jesus Christ chose the cross to save you and me. This was God’s plan. That’s not an angry, judgmental plan. “Christ died for sins once for all to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18 NCV) His suffering bought our salvation. His death paid for our guilt. His resurrection defeated our death. Christ makes us whole, alive, and redeemed.

This should create gratitude in me. God pursued. God softened. God called. Our salvation is mercy and love from beginning to end.

And it shapes how we see others. If God prepares people for glory, maybe He is preparing people around us right now. Maybe our prayers matter more than we realize. Maybe our conversations matter. Maybe our lives become part of someone else finding Jesus.

Who do we minister to? I say the one standing in front of you.

So the real question is this. Do I see my salvation as pure mercy? Do I trust Scripture more than someone’s story? Do I pray like God is drawing people? Do I want God to use my life to help others see the Savior who rescued me?

God predestines many for salvation. He forces no one into destruction. He invites everyone. And “everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13 NCV)

LORD, thank You for saving me by mercy. I do not understand every mystery or every NDE or every detail of predestination, but I trust Your Word and Your heart. Draw people to Jesus. Use my life to help them see the One who redeemed me. IJNIP amen ♥️