Predestination & Free Will

 

Predestination & Free Will

 

In Christian theology, election refers to God's choosing of individuals or peoples to be the objects of his grace or to otherwise fulfill his purposes. Most often God's election is associated with his choice of individuals unto salvation. The Calvinist view of election (also known as unconditional election) teaches that in eternity God chose some individuals from the mass of fallen humanity unto salvation without regard to any merit or foreseen faith in them, but solely based on His sovereign intentions.

 

Election and predestination are very similar concepts to the point that the terms can sometimes be used interchangeably. However, there is a difference in the emphasis of the two terms. Election primarily has in view God's sovereign selection, whereas predestination accents the purpose or goal of His election. Scripture clearly teaches both election and predestination; however, there are a variety of views as to who, when, why, and how God does so.

 

Jacobus Arminius disagreed with the Calvinist understanding of election. His view is that of prevenient grace, that is God’s grace that enables mankind to make the choice to believe or not believe. Those that God foresees will believe, obey and endure to the end (as enabled by His grace), are the ones whom He chooses from the beginning for salvation. The choice to be chosen is ultimately based on the individual, not on God, whom they insist wants all to be saved.

 

According to Arminianism, salvation is accomplished through the combined efforts of God (who takes the initiative) and man (who must respond); man’s response being the determining factor. God has provided salvation for everyone, but His provision becomes effective only for those who, of their own free will, choose to cooperate with Him and accept His offer of grace. At the crucial point, man’s will plays a decisive role; thus man, not God, determines who will be recipients of the gift of salvation.

http://www.bible-researcher.com/arminianism.html

 

Arminians use primarily Rom 8:29 ("those whom He foreknew, He also predestined") and 1 Pet 1:1-2 ("chosen according to the foreknowledge of God") to argue that foreknowledge of faith is the basis of election. They also argue from deductive logic based on God's character, and the necessity of free will for man to be morally responsible.

 

For John Calvin (1509-1564), the doctrine of "eternal election" refers to both the predestination of the elect and the reprobate [4].

By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death...

 http://www.theopedia.com/election

 

Calvinists use John 15:16, Romans 11:7 and Thess. 5:9 among other scriptures to “prove” their point. My opinion is these Scriptures have been and are presently misunderstood.

 

In John 15:16 (Joh 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.) Jesus is talking to His apostles. Now the case can be made that He intended this for all believers but in this instance Jesus was talking with, teaching and giving instructions to the apostles He chose for their specific work.

 

In Romans 11:7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,) Paul is speaking about Israel, those under the Mosaic Law. Israel was looking for salvation but the majority did not find it. Only the “elect” or those who chose to follow God’s Word found salvation.

 

1 Thess 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,) can be interpreted to meet Calvin’s idea of election and predestination but seems to be much more in line with the idea that God did not create mankind for Hell but, because we chose (and choose) to sin Y__H provided Jesus so we could obtain salvation through His blood.

 

Election, predestination and eternal security all seem to go together. Election says we have no choice about salvation. God chooses who will and will not be saved. If God did not elect a person they are out of luck and will go to hell when they die. Predestination says an “elected” person has their life’s work chosen for them. Again, they have no choice, it is totally and absolutely God’s decision. Eternal security says once a person is saved they can chose to leave but they are saved regardless of their subsequent actions, words or beliefs. When questioned about those who leave their belief in Christ the answer often is “they were never really saved.” This is a judgement we cannot make. It is a convenient, but insufficient and wrong-headed, answer.

 

The doctrine of election would seem to do away with grace and faith. If those to be saved and those to be condemned are chosen by God and they have no say in the matter, where is the grace? How does faith operate if there is no choice? Why have faith if a person is condemned before they are born? Finally, and perhaps most important, why did Christ come, die on the cross and resurrect if who is saved depends only on Y__H and individuals have no choice in the matter.

 

Now we come to the matter of God knowing everything and does that mean free will is no longer valid. It does not mean that at all. A few examples will clearly show this to be the case. I know the sun will come up tomorrow. My knowing that has no effect on the sun rising tomorrow. My knowledge neither causes it to happen or prevents it from happening. I give a small child a choice between ice cream and Brussel sprouts. I know which the child will pick, the ice cream. My knowing that did not cause the child to pick the ice cream, the child picked it of their own free will. Because God knows our choice does not mean He bypassed our decision making, our free will. No matter what choice we freely make, it can be known by God, and His knowing it doesn't mean we aren't making a free choice.

https://carm.org/if-god-knows-our-free-will-choices-do-we-still-have-free-will

 

My final thought is Calvin’s doctrine of election is not Biblically sound and, in fact, is diametrically opposed to many scriptures: John 1:16; Acts 15:11; Romans 5:21; etc.