Do you believe in predestination? If you do or don’t, why or why not? Is it because the Bible says or because our logic dictates it?

One of the reasons why good Christians don’t believe in predestination is because if true, it will render our actions useless. For example, if a certain group of people in jungles of Africa are predestined to be saved, what is the point of going to them to preach the gospel? They will be saved regardless, since they are “predestined.” Or if some people are predestined to be lost forever, it wouldn’t matter what we did. They will not come to faith in Jesus no matter what we did.
In our denomination, Southern Baptist Convention, many people reject predestination not based upon the Scripture but based on where that teaching might lead to –  namely that no one will evangelize if they bought it.
But this is simply our logical deduction that is neither true nor biblical. We equate predestination with automatic, i.e. if something is predestined, then it will happen automatically. But that is not how God works. I do believe in predestination because there are too many verses in the Bible that state so directly (Act 4:28; Romans 8:30; Ephesians 1:5…). However, I do not believe they are automatic. Rather, the wonder of God’s predestination is that they happen, with our actions as a means to make them happen! 
 
For example, God anointed David as the future king of Israel. But he had to flee from the current king, King Saul, in order to stay alive! But logically thinking, why should David flee when God already said he will be the next king? If God said it, wouldn’t it come true no matter what he did? What about the Apostle Paul? He gives a testimony that he was called by God BEFORE birth (Gal 1:15). But if so, why did he go around killing Christians before meeting Christ? God had to show up to him to make this happen. And Ananias had to put his hand on him and guide him to the brothers. In other words, it was by no means automatic!
If you are going to reject predestination, don’t do so based on the logic that if true, then our actions are useless. Even if predestination is true, which I think it is, it requires us to obey God’s commands for it to come true.
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Romans 8:29) 
You are predestined to be like Jesus. Work at it!
PH