Predestination and Free Will - Part 1
Outlining the Problem
God is sovereign. That is a
statement Christians usually do not debate. In order for God to
be God, He must be in control. However, when trying to
understand just what it means we run into a problem - if God is
sovereign, does that include the choices of man? If it does,
then we must ask can we really consider them choices?
Thus we find ourselves in the
midst of a debate that has been continuing for centuries. In
popular circles, this debate is usually cast in one way:
predestination versus free will. Notice the either/or mentality
that frames the argument. Either God predestined man to do this
and that (usually in reference to salvation) or man is a free
moral agent with the ability to choose God's way or follow his
own path to destruction.
In the next few articles, I'd
like to take some time to explore this issue. We'll examine each
viewpoint and show the various pros and cons. Then, perhaps we
can see if any middle ground exists, and we'll encounter a view
that isn't widely known but is almost as old as the debate
itself - a view known as "molinism". Before we begin,
though, I think it would be helpful to look at the problem and
see why it is so important to the Christian community.
We Are
Predestined
The Apostle Paul was probably the
foremost evangelist of his or any other day. His life and work
give the church the model of evangelism. And his epistle to the
Romans is seen by many scholars as his magnum opus. Ray Stedman
calls it "undoubtedly the most powerful human document that
has ever been written.." (1)
Not surprisingly, Romans' chief
topic of concern is man's sin and God's salvation. It is right
in the middle of Romans, where we read "For those whom He
foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image
of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn of many brethren,
and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He
called, he also justified; and these whom He justified, He also
glorified." (Rom. 8:29-30)
It is clear that salvation is in
view in this passage - God glorifies the saints and they are
conformed to the image of Jesus. But notice at the beginning,
Paul states that God not only knew who would be saved, but
"those whom He foreknew, he also predestined." God
actively picked specific individuals to be saved. This idea is
corroborated by other passages such as Ephesians 1:4-5
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world… Having predestinated us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to
the good pleasure of his will."
Clearly the verses above
demonstrate that predestination is a Biblical concept. The
Ephesians passage states it is God's will according to His
pleasure. It cannot be our will because we don't yet exist!
Even beyond salvation, passages
such as Proverbs 21:1 say that God controls the very hearts of
kings. We see that demonstrated in the book of Exodus with the
hardening of Pharaoh's heart. If God is sovereign, then it's His
will that rules and human decisions fall under His control.
Man's Freedom to
Choose
If the Scriptures only
highlighted that aspect of salvation, the problem wouldn't
exist. However, there is another aspect to be understood. Over
and over again, we are told that we must choose God and his
ways.
We are also told that God will
hold us accountable for our sins. In the same book of Romans we
read, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the
truth in unrighteousness.(1:18)" Notice here, Paul states
that man is making a choice against God - they choose to ignore
Him. In John's gospel we also read "As many as received
Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God"
(1:11-12). Revelation 3:20 also demonstrates this.
The Tension
Between
We have established that God
predestines individuals to be saved and that God holds us
accountable for the choices we make. But how can both these
ideas coexist? If God is sovereign, He is in control of what we
do and how we act. That means that He is responsible for our
choices. But how then can a just God then hold us accountable?
And are they really choices at all? If God has foreordained a
specific thing to happen, then it's going to happen. We cannot
choose for something else to happen since there is only one
outcome available. So how can human choices be meaningful?
If our decisions are meaningful -
if we are true moral beings - that means we must be able to
choose an action that goes against God. Otherwise, won't we just
be robots acting out a preprogrammed play? But to do so would
mean that we have the ability to override God's will on some
issues, and that says that God is not sovereign in all things.
As you can see, the problem is
quite clear and you can see why people have wrestled with it for
ages. Skeptics will point to it as the ultimate contradiction.
Next month, we'll look at those who believe that God is
sovereign over all of man's decisions. After that, we'll look at
those who hold to the opposite view. I pray that you'll come and
join us.
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