I think it is really simple.

God is the only "Person" with absolute free will.

The rest of us have limited free will, partially because what we are is largely determine by our blood and our ancestors choices... just as we are all Seed of Adam and Eve and suffer because of them.

Modern Christians tend to have this notion that we are universe's to ourselves, in regards to our independence. WHile in fact, i would say we are very much a PART of our ancestors and even their Choices were influenced by their ancestors, through their blood, as well. Which is what I see taught in scripture.

OUr independence is often an illusion and our free will is often not free.

When I look at ephesians, I dont have a problem with what its saying. I dont believe that Paul is talking about individual predestination, like God says matthew can go toi heaven but John cant, because well, I didnt predestine his salvation, I believe Paul is talking about the church. The church was planned before the foundation of the world, and it was predestined to be saved by Gods grace.

think about it, in Corinthians Paul talks about the church being ONE body. therefore, christians are in fact ONE with each other, which is why in Acts it says that the believers were one in spirit and mind. There was complete unity. In that sense, we as christians are prededestined as one body to recieve Gods grace and enter into eternal life.. As far as I understand, there is no predestination on an individual level, but the body of Christ was predestined for salvation.

I asked a question before which no one answered in another similar thread, what is Arminism? Just give me a simple answer.

I was predestined before the foundation of the world to be confomed to the image of Jim Morrison ....and then to apostasize from that Dionysian/Hedonistic faith and re-embrace Christ!

the way I understood it is all humans were predestined to be with God in the end, we just have the free choice to make whether we want to be with Him or not.

Why do you believe in individual predestination?

Because I believe the Bible teaches it.

Ok, I figured that. But I meant which scriptures can you show about it that, when interpreted that way, do not contradict other scripture?

"The Gospel according to John Calvin."

Wow, others who are not Calvinsists. I did not know you existed on these pages, I am glad I read to the end of this thread.

Ok, from what I gathered there are 'degrees ' of Calvinism. I already knew I was not the strictest one in the world.

I still believe an unregenerate person is not able to choose rightly or righteousness in Christ unless the Holy Spirit draws and allows them.

Sometimes I think this whole issue is simply two sides of the same coin.

(Romans1) teaches that no man is without excuse. Everybody can clearly see there is a divine creator through creation. Thus a person could start a spiritual search just through a analytical thought process. Therefore free will or free moral aganecy is utilized. I only except a few of the concepts of Calvanism. One is the sealing of a believer with eternal security. That is the one of the 5 points that makes perfect sense to me scripturally.

A “Free” Will in Bondage to Sin
We all realize that human beings have wills—we have the capacity to make decisions. The glitch is this: Human beings can choose to do whatever they desire. Yet our desires are rarely under our control! If this is what is meant by free will, then the Bible assumes that we have it. God commands us to be perfect, and we have wills and therefore may choose either to obey or to disobey. But given the choice, does the fallen, sinful human have the moral and spiritual ability to incline his heart toward God?
Biblically, the only possible answer is No. As Augustine pointed out, unbelievers are not even able to cooperate with God's grace—sinful man is not just mistaken; sinful man is hostile toward God (See chart). If humanity had the opportunity to kill God, it would do so (as it did 2,000 years ago). Human depravity runs far deeper than we realize. Saving faith can only flow from a heart that loves God as He actually is—good fruit cannot come from a bad tree. Yet Scripture teaches that man in his natural, fallen condition does not and cannot love God. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:10-11). As Luther argued in his 1524 Bondage of the Will, sinful man is incapable of seeking God, for man's free will is in bondage to sin. What do the following passages teach about human inability?
Psalm 58:3
Genesis 6:5
John 6:44
1 Corinthians 2:14
2 Corinthians 4:4
Luke 16:19-31

Michael Horton puts like this, “We cannot find God for the same reason that a thief can't find a police officer.” Sinful man cannot find God because he doesn't want God. R.C. Sproul explains, “Fallen man has the natural ability to make choices but lacks the moral ability to make godly choices.” From conception onward, humanity is spiritually dead, hostile to God, and unable to incline its heart toward God. Free will profits man nothing, for the will is in bondage to sin, leaving human beings helpless.