"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28).
"All things" = good experiences and bad, experiences that bring joy, and experiences that bring pain and sorrow.
Mankind was created to live on earth, in a body. We were not created to "go to heaven when we die and live forever in heaven". That's not God's purpose.
Psalm 8:3-9
"When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have established;
what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man, that You visit him?
For You have made him a little lower than God;
- (Hebrew: 'elohiym, see Genesis 1:26-27 Hebrews 1:3) -
and have crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet:
all sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field; the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, and all that pass through the paths of the seas.
O Jehovah, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!"
GOD'S PURPOSE
And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after our likeness.
And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle,
and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth.
(Genesis 1:26)
According as he hath chosen 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 the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will Ephesians 1:4-5
- Adam (mankind) did not exist before the foundation of the world, but Christ did exist before the foundation of the world, therefore Adam is predestined to be saved by Christ through faith in Christ.
1 Peter 1:18-20
For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Who verily was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
See the words "from the foundation of the world" in Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 17:8.
Who is it who was foreknown before the foundation of the world to become Adam (mankind's) Savior?
We are ALL descended from Adam, and we are ALL in Adam until we are born again into the last Adam (Jesus). But in Calvinist theology, Adam was sawed in two FROM the foundation of the world so that one part can be saved and the other part not - because according to Calvin, BEFORE the foundation of the world God chose to save one part of (the sons of) Adam and the other not.
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
Loving darkness rather than light implies choice on the part of man:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:16-19).
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness. (Hebrews 3:7-8).
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. (Hebrews 3:14).
Scripture places the responsibility for choice, for the hardening of the heart, not on God, i.e not on God's predestination, but on man. God has not predestined anyone to unbelief, but has only predestined and pre-elected (for salvation) those who through their faith in Christ, are in Christ, who was foreordained before the foundation of the world.
"And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say: "Come!" And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge." (Revelation 22:17).
It should be obvious that if someone by his own choice hardens his heart when he is called, then his heart will be hardened. God did not predestine Adam to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, nor (as Calvinist theology teaches) did He predestine any of the sons of Adam to harden their hearts, or for their hearts to be hardened, while others are "predestined" to receive a saving faith.
Only Christ is foreordained. Only Christ is foreknown. Only Christ was predestined to become the Savior of all who want to drink of the water of life freely. Those who choose life are predestined in Christ:
Ephesians 1:4-5, & 7
"According as he hath chosen 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 the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."
Psalm 2:7-8
“I will declare the decree of the LORD. He has said to Me, You are My Son; today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I shall give the nations for Your inheritance; and the uttermost parts of the earth for Your possession.”
Revelation 19:5
"And out of His (Christ's) mouth goes a sharp sword, so that with it He should strike the nations. And He will shepherd [poimaínō] them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and of the wrath of Almighty God."
So God created Adam (man) for a purpose - a purpose which was fully achieved before the fall of Adam, but Adam fell into sin and death.
In Jesus, who is the Son of God, who is also called the last Adam and the Son of man, God's purpose is achieved, and His purpose for us is to make us more and more like Christ, to change us into the image of His Son, Jesus our Messiah (Romans 8:29).
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28).
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