Apologetics
"Predestination or Free will?", this was the question put to me by one of my kids when I was serving in the Youth ministry. I had answered then and had tried to keep my answer short. I hope to elaborate on that answer here.
"In Him we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will." Eph 11:1
"We have been predestined...
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Furthermore, the theology that God looked down from heaven would not be compatible with Psalm 14, which states that God did indeed look down from heaven to see if any would seek Him and NONE would seek Him.
So yes, predestination and free will can live together in harmony, if it is understood that our free will is limited by our nature. When is the last time you bellied up to a big block of wood to chow down? My guess would be not recently. That's because it's not in man's nature to want to (or even be able to) eat wood. It's a termite' nature, but not man's.
The scripture is clear that man is totally depraved from conception - dead in trespasses in sin! (Ephesians 2) - which would limit our nature from choosing God. Luckily, God made us accepted in the beloved (notice that the word "accept" is used 15 times in the New Testament, always talking about what God has done for us, not what we should do for God.) and gives us the gift of faith, enabling us to believe in Him. Thus, belief is always a RESULT, never a CAUSE of salvation.
Isaiah 59:1 says, "The hand of the Lord is not shortened that he cannot save." If God wants EVERYONE to be saved but left the decision up to us, then inevitably some would not choose him; that would shorten the hand of God that He cannot save - which would not fit with scripture.