Bible Question:
Just a bit of logical reasoning about the issue of "predestination" vs "free will." I've seen many who question as an either-or proposition a person's fate by God's "predestination" with a person's "free will" to determine his/her own fate. I don't think these things are contradictory and I can't help but consider how this may be applied to Jesus, himself. I mean the Bible points to the fact his fate on the cross was predetermined (See Isaiah 53:5)--God knew what would happen and gave that information to the prophets, such as Isaiah, centuries in advance--and yet, Jesus still had the free will to sacrifice himself on the cross. (See John 10:18) So, I think the same applies to us. God KNOWS who will and will not follow Him in advance--thus, in that sense our fates are predestined--but, the choice is still ours to freely make, just as it was with Jesus. Would anyone else like to comment on this? |
Bible Answer: "predestination" vs "free will" ? bcbloyd: In no way do I mean to suggest that your wording of the question is "wrong". In fact, I believe it is highly inappropriate for one poster to tell another: "You are wrong!" Such a comment would be the height of rudeness, ignorance and disrespect. With all due respect, an alternate wording of the question "predestination" vs "free will" might be "divine sovereignty vs human responsibility." Again no criticism of you is intended. While I see no possiblity of a middle ground between the mutually exclusive positions of Calvinism and Arminianism, I do think we can and must acknowledge a balance between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. For anyone to suggest that man's responsibility and so-called "freewill" somehow outweigh the sovereignty of Almighty God, would be to take a foolish and indefensible position. For what it's worth, I have re-read the basic points of both Calvinism and Arminianism. Frankly, there are points in both extremes that I find unbiblical and unacceptable. I am neither an Arminian nor a Calvinist. (I used to wonder why everyone is so down on Calvinism. Having read the postings of the last week, now I think I know why.) What I do believe is the Bible doctrine of Election, which is defined in the Bible itself, and does not need to be defined or defended by thousands of pages of the dogma of any denomination. I would like to address here your remark: "God KNOWS who will and will not follow Him in advance--thus, in that sense our fates are predestined--but, the choice is still ours to freely make, just as it was with Jesus." May I point out the following? "Occasionally someone will suggest that God's election is based on His foreknowledge of certain events. This argument suggests that God simply looks into the future to see who will believe, and He chooses those whom He sees choosing Him. Notice that 1 Peter 1:2 says the elect are chosen "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father," and Romans 8:29 says, "whom He foreknew, He also predestined." And if divine foreknowledge simply means God's knowledge of what will happen in advance, then these arguments may appear to have some weight behind them. "But that is not the biblical meaning of "foreknowledge." When the Bible speaks of God's foreknowledge, it refers to God's establishment of a love relationship with that person. The word "know," in both the Old and New Testament, refers to much more than mere cognitive knowledge of a person. Such passages as Hosea 13:4-5; Amos 3:2 (KJV); and Romans 11:2 clearly indicate this. For example, 1 Peter 1:20 says Christ was "foreknown before the foundation of the world." Surely this means more than that God the Father looked into the future to behold Christ! It means He had an eternal, loving relationship with Him. The same is true of the elect, whom we are told God "foreknew" (Romans 8:29). That means He knew them--he loved them--before the foundation of the world. (...) "In summary, we can say that God has had a special love relationship with the elect from all eternity, and on the basis of that love relationship chosen them for salvation. The ultimate question of why God chose some for salvation and left others in their sinful state is one that we, with our finite knowledge, cannot answer. We do know that God's attributes always are in perfect harmony with each other, so that God's sovereignty will always operate in perfect harmony with His goodness, love, wisdom, and justice." (The above is but one part of a more comprehensive article by John MacArthur. See: www.gty.org/IssuesandAnswers/archive/election.htm) |