Predestined?

Does God predestine people to get into Heaven or not?  Or, does God pick and choose who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell?  And if you are picked to go to Heaven, then can you choose to reject God, if you can't choose then you wouldn't have free will, or vice versa.


Here is the scripture verse that makes me blog about this:


"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Romans 8:29-30


I'm going to lay it out for you.  God predestinates/chooses everyone to go to Heaven.


Yep, I said it, everyone is destined for Heaven.


But not everyone is going to go to Heaven.


"God is love." 1 John 4:8


But He has a problem, not that it crept up on Him or anything, God knew this was going to be a problem and he had a plan.  His problem is between Him loving us and His needing to punish sin.  When Adam and Eve sinned we were separated from God's love.  To get back into God's love He sent his only Son, Jesus, to earth to pay for our sins so we could go to Heaven.


Okay, so, everyone is destined for Heaven, all they have to do is accept Jesus as Savior.


But I know, you're thinking, "Katie, you said all you have to do is accept Jesus to go to Heaven, but you really didn't explain how you know all people are predestined to go to Heaven."


Here is how I know.  Ready?  Let's go.


"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11


Bam! *in my best Emeril Lagasse voice*

So, in conclusion, God destines everyone to go to Heaven, but we, has humans, have free choice and we can reject or accept God.