The LORD is good to all (Psalm 145:9)
The Calvinistic doctrine of predestination falsely portrays God as a cold and calculating ruler. From His heavenly throne He determines who lives and dies spiritually. He appoints eternal life to the "elect," and eternal damnation to everyone else. Man's free will is irrelevant. It is an elitist, arrogant theology that violates Scripture and God's character.
The passage above says God is good to ALL. His grace is not limited to a few lucky souls who happen to win a celestial lottery. In our western, Greco-Roman culture, good is an abstract thought. To a Hebrew, words represent actions. God expresses His goodness by extending kindness and mercy to all men – the just and unjust. Here's rabbinic commentary from the ArtScroll Tanach Series book on Psalms:
How different is our God from mortal kings who restrict their goodness and favors to a small group of courtiers and intimates! Only God is capable of bestowing beneficence upon every one of His creatures. Moreover, if a mortal king is challenged by rebels he will seek revenge. Not so our Almighty God: He seeks the welfare of the wicked who defy Him and tries to inspire them to repentance.Posted by Jeff King at December 30, 2009 12:28 AM