This is proper and acceptable before the face of God, Who desires all men to be saved and come to a full experiential knowledge of the truth – 1 Timothy 2:3-4
God has not determined that some would perish, but rather is longsuffering towards all so that they can make room for a change of the mind (Repentance).
The Lord is not slow of promise as some regard slowness, but is longsuffering unto you, while not determining some to perish, but all to make room unto repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9.
However, this does not mean that humans can force God to save them by their works, for salvation is God’s choice, not by the desirous will of humans. He showed this through the selecting of Jacob over Esau before they were born. Rather than giving Esau the birthright to the promise given to Abraham, God chose Jacob before either one had done good or bad for the purpose of showing that it is not about what humans want, but God’s choice (Romans 9:11). This was done to prove a point, it is not the one who desires or the one who runs, but God who chooses to give mercy (Romans 9:16).
How God chooses to provide salvation is His choice, not ours. God states today that to be saved we are to take Him at His Word and believe that Christ died on behalf of our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
God did determine that certain things would happen. He chose that Christ would die and be raised from the dead (1 Peter 1:20). He chose that all who would be in Christ would have their bounds marked off as sons, they would mature (Ephesians 1:5). And when it became time, according to His purpose, He marked off those in the Church to be sons, just as He had promised before that He would do (Romans 8:28-30). But God did not pre-select who He would save, for He did not determine some to perish, but desires all to be saved.
This hits at the core of the false doctrine of predestination. The word “predestine” is not found in Scripture, only in translations and was used based upon a theological philosophy that states God select some to salvation before the foundations of the world. However, Scripture declares that God did not determine some to perish. This does not mean that God cannot use those who are perishing for His purpose, just as He used Pharaoh, but He is not the One who chose the path of destruction for them. Adam brought destruction and death upon all of us, Christ brings life and righteousness (Romans 5:12-21). Will we believe God, or seek to find our own way to salvation?
