Only those who will put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ will go to Heaven, so we might re-phrase that question like this: Is salvation for people who have been predestined, or is for anybody who will believe Jesus? To answer that question, let’s look at a few verses from the Bible.

  • Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, ALL ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
  • Mark 3:35, “For WHOSOEVER shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.”
  • Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST.”
  • John 3:16, “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.”

We have the Gospel message presented in all four Gospels of the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. If you read those verses above, you will see words such as ALL, WHOSOEVER, and LOST. These words are descriptive of all the world, teaching us that the Lord called all to come to Him to be saved. We read in 2 Peter 3:9 that, “The Lord is…not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance.”

Listen to the Lord as He laments over how Israel rejected Him as their Messiah. Matthew 23:37, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, AND YE WOULD NOT!” The fault was their own. The Lord certainly desired that they would receive Him, but they refused.

Is the Gospel message for everyone? It certainly is! He said in John 11:26, “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” We read in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That word, whosoever, is so important. It literally means anyone and everyone, or ‘who so chooses’. It shows the responsibility of man to choose the Lord. It shows the grace of God in offering salvation to the whole world. However, there is a dark side to this ‘whosoever’. We read in Revelation 20:15, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Anyone and everyone that does not put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ does not have their name written in the book of life and will be cast into the lake of fire at the Great White Throne judgment of God. Let’s also consider 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ.” There is only the judgment of God to look forward to for those who refuse to accept Christ as their savior.

Can anyone be saved? YES. Anyone who desires to be saved can come to the Lord in confidence, knowing that the Lord Jesus said in John 6:37, “…him that cometh to me I will in NO WISE CAST OUT.” That simply means that if you respond to the Gospel message and put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, He WILL accept you. He turns no man away!The topic of predestination, election, and being chosen are precious truths to the believer on the Lord. HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT TAKE AWAY MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY TO CHOOSE THE LORD, NOR DOES IT LIMIT THE NUMBER OF THOSE WHO CAN BE SAVED. (267.2)