The Best 50+ Bible Verses About Free Will Vs Predestination

Free will and predestination are two concepts that have sparked countless debates among theologians and believers. This article brings together 50 Bible verses that explore these themes.

Whether you're curious about the balance between human choice and divine plan, these verses offer a range of perspectives. Some highlight the freedom to choose, while others emphasize God's control over our destinies.

50 Bible Verses About Free Will Vs Predestination

10 Bible Verses on Free Will Vs Predestination in Salvation

• "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will" — Ephesians 1:4-5
• "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." — Romans 8:29-30
• "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began" — 2 Timothy 1:9
• "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day." — John 6:44
• "Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." — Acts 13:48
• "For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.' So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy." — Romans 9:15-16
• "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied." — 1 Peter 1:2
• "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." — John 3:16
• "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." — Revelation 17:8
• "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" — Philippians 1:6

10 Bible Verses on Free Will Vs Predestination in Choice

• "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live" — Deuteronomy 30:19
• "And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." — Joshua 24:15
• "For many are called, but few are chosen." — Matthew 22:14
• "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." — Galatians 5:13
• "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." — 1 Corinthians 10:13
• "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." — James 1:13-15
• "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." — Romans 10:9-10
• "If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority." — John 7:17
• "A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." — Proverbs 16:9
• "'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.'" — Isaiah 1:18

10 Bible Verses on Free Will Vs Predestination in God's Plan

• "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." — Jeremiah 29:11
• "There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand." — Proverbs 19:21
• "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." — Ephesians 2:10
• "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!" — Romans 11:33
• "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’" — Isaiah 46:10
• "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;" — Acts 2:23
• "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations." — Psalm 33:11
• "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory," — 1 Corinthians 2:7
• "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." — Romans 8:28
• "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." — Colossians 1:16-17

10 Bible Verses on Free Will Vs Predestination in Human Responsibility

• "For each one shall bear his own load." — Galatians 6:5
• "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." — Matthew 12:36
• "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!" — Ezekiel 18:30-32
• "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." — 2 Corinthians 5:10
• "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God." — Romans 14:12
• "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." — James 4:17
• "But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." — Luke 12:48
• "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." — Philippians 2:12-13
• "They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead." — 1 Peter 4:5
• "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’" — Matthew 25:14-30

10 Bible Verses on Free Will Vs Predestination in Scripture Interpretation

• "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." — 2 Peter 1:20-21
• "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons," — 1 Timothy 4:1
• "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." — Acts 17:11
• "If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken)," — John 10:35
• "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." — 2 Timothy 3:16-17
• "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." — Hebrews 4:12
• "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." — Psalm 119:105
• "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." — 1 Thessalonians 2:13
• "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." — Romans 15:4
• "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near." — Revelation 1:3

What Does the Bible Say About Free Will Vs Predestination

The Bible offers a rich tapestry of insights on the concepts of free will and predestination. These themes have been the subject of much thought and discussion among believers. The verses provided above give us a glimpse into how these ideas are woven into the fabric of Scripture. They show us that both human choice and divine planning play significant roles in our lives.

When it comes to salvation, the Bible presents a balance between God's sovereignty and human responsibility. Verses like Ephesians 1:4-5 and John 3:16 highlight that while God has a plan for us, we also have the freedom to choose to follow Him. This duality can be comforting, knowing that our choices matter, but we are also part of a bigger divine plan.

In terms of daily choices, the Bible encourages us to make decisions that align with God's will. Deuteronomy 30:19 and Joshua 24:15 remind us that we have the power to choose life and blessings. These verses inspire us to take responsibility for our actions and seek God's guidance in our decisions.

God's overarching plan is another key theme. Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28 assure us that God has a purpose for each of us. Even when life seems uncertain, these verses offer hope that everything works together for good for those who love God. This can be a source of great comfort and motivation to trust in His plan.

Finally, the Bible emphasizes human responsibility. Verses like Galatians 6:5 and Matthew 12:36 remind us that we are accountable for our actions. This encourages us to live thoughtfully and purposefully, knowing that our choices have consequences. By reflecting on these teachings, we can strive to live in a way that honors both our free will and God's predestined plan.

How to Apply These Bible Verses About Free Will Vs Predestination

Applying the Bible's teachings on free will and predestination can deeply enrich our daily lives. These principles guide us in making choices that align with God's plan while recognizing our personal responsibility.

Here are some practical steps to live out these biblical principles:

• Daily Prayer: Start your day with a prayer asking for guidance in your decisions. This helps you stay connected to God's will.
• Reflect on Scripture: Spend a few minutes each day reading and meditating on Bible verses. This can provide clarity and direction.
• Make Thoughtful Choices: Before making decisions, consider how they align with God's teachings. This can be as simple as choosing kindness in your interactions.
• Join a Community: Engage with a faith-based group or church. Sharing experiences and learning from others can strengthen your understanding and resolve.
• Practice Gratitude: Regularly thank God for His guidance and the freedom to make choices. This fosters a positive and humble attitude.

Remember, God is always with you, guiding and supporting you. Your faith-driven actions can lead to meaningful transformation. For more prayers and Bible verses, visit PrayersFor or try our Bible Verse Generator to deepen your understanding and faith.