“If God actually stood powerless before the majesty of man’s lordly will, there would be but little use to pray for Him to convert any one. It would then be more reasonable for us to direct our petitions to the man himself.” -Loraine Boettner
When considering salvation and how it comes about or is initiated, you can really stir the nest. When I explain my thoughts it’s never my intention to cause a huge argument, but it often goes that exact way unfortunately. I have heard the arguments such as “you worship Calvin” or ” your belief makes us robots/ puppets” also “My God is no respecter of persons” generally out of context and insinuating I believe God is…..and finally “God gave all of mankind free will and God can not violate it”.
The arguments are nothing new to this generation, they have been around longer than we have, and will be here after we leave. The Apostle Paul was very familiar with the arguments against God’s sovereignty. He even played the part of the objector in that infamous Romans 9. I call it infamous jokingly, since most think that the Calvinist can only go to Romans 9 to prove their belief.
Just examine the opening quote for a moment and think about these questions. (1)Who holds power in salvation, God or man? (2)If we have libertarian free will, would it not prove our sovereignty in salvation over God’s since the final decision is left to us, no matter what God wants? (3)If man has free will in salvation then why do we pray to God asking Him to violate someones will and save them? (4)If we do have a libertarian free will, what would have happened if not one single person used it to choose salvation? What if the entire world ultimately denied God? Would God have failed in His sending of the Son? Would the sacrifice on the cross have been a vain attempt at nothing?
These very simple questions need honest answers. Many just look past the questions and rely on what they grew up believing, even if it’s faulty and gives them no ability to give answers. Gods foreknowledge, election and predestination are biblical, in fact the entire bible is packed from Genesis to Revelation with these doctrines. It would serve each person well to actually get an understanding of these teachings and not just skip over them and the numerous scripture that explicitly point to, and explain them.
As far as free will, most point to Adam and Eve in the garden. They were given a command of where not to eat. We then see they disobeyed and plunged the world into sin. This was a seemingly free choice indeed but there was a desire behind it, a desire to be like God. Every choice follows a desire. That which we desire most at the particular moment influences our choice. To be truly a free choice would be one that has no driving force leading the way. If given 2 foods that you have never heard of or seen, you will pick one. It may be based on smell, or sight, or color, but something will influence your choice. It may seem free, but it is definitely influenced.
Back to the garden sorta. 1 Peter 1:19-20 says “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you”. Christ was foreordained or appointed/decreed beforehand. Revelation 13:8 backs this up in a very descriptive way by stating Christ is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”. If these verses are correct, and Christians believe they are the inspired word of God, they point to God knowing the actions and outcome in the garden way before it took place. Seeing that God foreordained Christ before creation, then He must have ordained the fall. That would be part of His sovereignty after all. Why ordain a sacrifice if there was a possibility that it wasnt needed? When we speak of God ordaining the fall, we do not mean God is responsible for the sin committed. The actions of Adam and Eve were within God’s providence. God didn’t force them but it also wasn’t something God just noticed happening and allowed it. What happened in the garden was decreed and the foreordination of Christ is clear proof, He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Why? Because there would be a fall.
So what about our free will? Romans 9 gives a clear representation of salvation, and who does what. Paul speaks of Jacob and Esau (rom9:11) “For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” What happened to their free will? This is where Paul plays the objector by giving the responses to this teaching in verses 14-32. In Romans 9:16 Paul sums up who controls what in salvation when he said “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. ” Your “free will” and your works play no part, it’s God’s sovereign decision.
For those who love the red letter edition, check out John 6 where Jesus says things like “all that the father gives me”, not those who give themselves. Or “no one can come to me unless the father draws them”, again, no choice in the matter. We know all aren’t drawn by the father because all aren’t saved, Christ said “all He has given to me, I will lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.” And later in the chapter He said “For this reason I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted him from the Father”.
This is just a very small example of God’s sovereignty in all things, including salvation. If it were left up to us we would perish in our sins. Some say election and predestination isn’t fair….you don’t want fair! Fair would be for God to cast every person into hell for eternity. Some say a loving God would never choose….He loved us when we shouldn’t have been loved, He chose us when we would have never chose Him over the sins we loved so much.
To wrap this up I will leave you with Romans 8: 28-30 which is known as The Golden Chain of Redemption. Notice not one single link belongs to the will of man.
Rom 8:28-30 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
No King but Christ 