Predestination and Human Responsibility

SOURCE:  Attributed to J.I. Packer.  Looking for a source.  

KEYWORDS:  free-will, predestination, salvation, grace,  

Although this is not a quote, the illustration has been attributed to J. I. Packer.  The speaker says his pastor did not originate the illustration.  According to John Piper, Packer called this tension between God's sovereignty and human responsibility an "antinomy"—"an appearance of contradiction between conclusions which seem equally logical, reasonable or necessary".  This illustration certainly is of a similar character.  

My pastor once gave me a good illustration of free will and predestination:

You come to an arch inscribed with Christ's words: "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  You stand staring at it, consider, and walk through. On the other side, you can see that the arch has another inscription on the back: "In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons."

Don't turn from Christ for fear that you're "not predestined." Accept his invitation, knowing that if you do, it was because he loved you first.