Does God PREDESTINE Some People to HELL!? | Live Free with Josh Howerton

August 31, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In a conversation that could have been a theological cage match, pastors Carlos Raso and Paul Cunningham instead model something rarer: two people who disagree on a foundational doctrine—predestination—and still finish the episode laughing. The central question they wrestle with is whether God predestines some people to hell, and they do so by refusing to caricature the opposing view or pretend their own side has no tensions. The result is a patient, verse-by-verse exploration of what the Bible actually says about election, human responsibility, and the mystery that sits between them.

The episode opens by distinguishing the two main views. Unconditional election (associated with Calvinism) holds that God chooses who will be saved before the foundation of the world, not based on anything He foresees in them. Paul Cunningham, who leans this direction, puts it simply: “I choose God because God first chose me.” Conditional election (associated with Arminianism) holds that God, in His foreknowledge, sees who will choose Him and then elects them on that condition. Carlos, who grew up in the Assemblies of God tradition, explains that this view emphasizes human free will and God’s desire for all to be saved. Both men agree the Bible uses the word “elect” or “chosen” dozens of times—Jesus alone speaks of the elect around 15 times—so the debate is not about whether the concept exists, b

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **Opening: Framing the Debate** - The episode opens by stating the core tension between Calvinist and Arminian views of predestination, framing the mystery differently for each side.
2 (01:10) **Introducing the Topic and Guests** - Carlos Raso and Paul Cunningham introduce themselves and the episode's difficult topic: whether God predestines people to hell.
3 (08:44) **Hidden Detail in Jonah: Sovereignty Over Chaos** - Carlos shares a historical insight about the pagan god Oannes to illustrate God's sovereignty even in Jonah's rebellion.
4 (13:57) **The Weaver's Tapestry: God's Sovereignty in Our Lives** - Paul uses the metaphor of a master weaver to explain how God works all things—including our chaos and bad decisions—for good.
5 (14:24) **Spiritual Grit: Soldier, Athlete, Farmer** - The hosts reflect on a recent sermon about 2 Timothy, using the three analogies to discuss Christian faithfulness and discipline.
6 (19:56) **Training vs. Trying: The Key to Christian Growth** - Paul explains that the life you want to live lives on the other side of the rhythms and relationships you need to have.
7 (24:56) **Paul's Example: A Lifelong Pursuit of Knowing Christ** - The hosts use the Apostle Paul's request for scrolls even as he faced death to illustrate a lifelong commitment to knowing God.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Paul Cunningham

Show Notes

Predestination. Election. Free will. Calvinism. Arminianism. Few theological conversations generate more questions—or stronger opinions. So what does the Bible actually say, and how should Christians respond when faithful believers reach different conclusions?

Pastors Carlos and Paul begin in 2 Timothy 2 with a practical conversation about spiritual grit, discipline, and the difference between simply trying to follow Jesus and intentionally training to become more like Him. Then they dive into one of Christianity’s most debated subjects: how God’s sovereignty, election, human responsibility, salvation, and evangelism fit together.

Rather than ignoring the difficult passages or pretending every mystery has an easy answer, they examine the tension Scripture itself presents and explain why Christians can hold strong convictions without allowing secondary theological disagreements to divide them.

In this episode:

• What the soldier, athlete, and farmer teach us about following Jesus

• Why spiritual growth requires rhythms and relationships

• What “election” and “predestination” actually mean

• The difference between Calvinism and Arminianism

• How God’s sovereignty and human responsibility fit together

• Whether predestination means God chooses people for hell

• Who Jesus died for and the debate over limited atonement

• Why belief in election should never weaken evangelism

• How Christians can disagree strongly without dividing

• Why difficult theology should ultimately produce humility, gratitude, and greater trust in God

Stand firm. Think biblically. Live free.

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