Do we have free choice? Do we have the choice to accept or not accept the free gift of eternal life? Yes! Are Calvinists right? Or are the Arminians right? No. Neither are correct. If you read the Bible you will find out that either of these views is not totally correct. They both have some correct theology. They both have some correct observations from the Bible. They also do not teach the whole truth of what the Bible says. READ it for YOURSELF. If you read it carefully and keep an open mind you will find that the reality the Bible reveals is not either teaching. We are chosen before the world was made, AND we have to choose to confess the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead. If we do not choose to believe and confess (Romans 10:9-10), we will NOT be saved. How does this all work? God is the only one who knows exactly how it all works. All we can know is what is written in the Bible. The best way that it has been explained is, there is a door in front of us labelled, “Free Choice,” and on the other side after you walk through the label says, “Chosen By God!” We will never be able to tell who is going to be saved or not, so we need to treat everyone as a possible repentant person. All of us do not know if we ourselves are chosen, until we actually choose to believe in Christ (or die). We need to treat everyone as if they can choose even when God has chosen believers from the creation of the world, because they can choose. Not one of us knows who the chosen are, not even if we have been chosen, UNTIL we accept the call. All are called but many are those who do not choose to believe in Christ (2 Peter 3:9). They can choose to ignore the call to redemption, either way – they choose.

Why does God give us free choice?

If we do not have free choice we are just slaves or puppets. Who wants to be a slave? How would we feel about the one who made us slaves and kept us as a slave? Would we be able to have love toward them? Would we respect them? How would we feel about God if we knew He created us and was keeping us as slaves without a choice? God does not go against our free will. He has given us the ability to choose to obey and be with Him forever in heaven. God did not make us as puppets. We have freedom to choose whom we will follow, God who loves us and knows everything from beginning to end, or our own shortsighted choices. He wants us to love Him as He loves us. It makes God happy when we choose to follow Him (Luke 15:7). It makes Him sad that some people do not choose to follow His word (Ezekiel 33:11; 1 Timothy 2:3-4).

Do we have to make a choice?

No, but we are born sinners and when we do not choose to repent and accept Christ we choose to stay in our sins, stay in our fallen state, stay in our spiritually dead state, stay on the wide road to Hell. Either way we choose, by active choice or by default. If we are not making the conscious decision to believe and embrace the Son of God then there is no way we will be rejoicing in eternal life. It is easy to gain eternal life (Romans 6:23). It is a gift and all we have to do is believe and confess (Romans 10:9-10).

Living for eternity

We ALL live forever. The term eternal life is used to speak of the people who choose to be with God. The other choice (or non-choice) is eternal death in Hell. Either way we exist forever, with God (life), or without God (death/ seperation from God). There will be no time when everyone will make it to heaven with God. There will be no end to the suffering, no annihilation, no second chances, just as there will be no end to the joy of fellowship with God. Some will be thrown into Hell with the devil and his angels. Forever.