If God Predestines Us for Salvation, Then Why do We Need Free Will or to Worry about Mortal Sin?

God predestines no one to go to hell, for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want “any to perish, but all to come in repentance.”  (Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 1037) “2 Peter 3:9”

To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore He establishes His eternal plan of “predestination,” He includes in it each person’s free response to His grace. (CCC 600)

“God destined us in love to be His sons” and to be conformed to the image of His Son,” through “the spirit of sonship. (Eph. 1:4-5, 9 and Rom. 8:15) This plan is a “grace [which] was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,” stemming immediately from Trinitarian love.”  (2 Tim 1:9-10) It unfolds in the work of creation, the whole history of salvation after the fall, and the missions of the Son and the Spirit, which are continued in the mission of the Church. (CCC 257)

For example, neither the Bible nor the Catholic Church teaches that Judas Iscariot can be known with certainty to be in hell. Pope Benedict XVI in his general audience at St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, October 18, 2006, clarified the teaching on this as it pertains to predestination.

Judas “repented and brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood” (Mt. 27:3-4). Even though he went to hang himself (Mt. 27:5), it is not up to us to judge his gesture, substituting ourselves for the infinitely merciful and just God.

Pope Benedict further states that after the Apostle Peter opposed Jesus, he repented and found pardon and grace. Judas also repented, but his repentance degenerated into desperation and thus became self-destructive.

 “Let us remember two things. The first: Jesus respects our freedom. The second: Jesus awaits our openness to repentance and conversion; He is rich in mercy and forgiveness,” the Pope said. “In His mysterious salvific plan, God assumes Judas’ inexcusable gesture as the occasion for the total gift of the Son for the redemption of the world.”

Lastly, he said, “We draw from this a final lesson: While there is no lack of unworthy and traitorous Christians in the Church, it is up to each of us to counterbalance the evil done by them with our clear witness to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.”

The Catholic Church believes that predestination is not based on anything external to God. The grace of Baptism is not merited but given freely to those who receive Baptism. No one can know for certain who will be or not be saved, unless revealed by God, since the Council of Trent (1545 – 1563) condemned belief in eternal security. In addition, the Council of Trent and Councils of Orange (441 and 529 AD) decreed that God predestines no one to hell.

In conclusion, many non-Catholic Christians believe in predestination in that if they attest to their belief in God they will be saved. Catholics take a more balance perspective that balances God’s divine plan and human free will. It emphasizes the necessity of cooperation with God’s grace and rejects the notion of God arbitrarily predestining some to salvation and others to damnation.

For our part we need to repent of sin, believe in Christ and in His Church, receive Christ in Baptism and remain in communion with Christ and His Church until death. And, if we do commit a mortal sin, we must confess it to God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.