PREDESTINATION

Since the Bible describes Christians in terms such as “elect,” “called,” “predestined” or “foreordained,” it could be concluded that free will does not determine our eternal state. God, therefore, must have predetermined some people for salvation, while others he deliberately consigned to damnation. Such thinking is a tenant of Calvinism, derived from the 16^th century reformer John Calvin. I believe it's a distortion of scripture and incompatible with the clearly revealed character of God. The erroneous teaching of Calvinism is a classic case of a false premise polluting every conclusion derived from it, resulting in glaring contradictions, glibly attributed to the “mystery of God's sovereignty.”

This is not an innocuous theological debate, because wrong thinking is a stronghold that obstructs the supernatural love of Christ, the goal of all doctrine. Many have since diluted Calvin's teachings, but the leaven of religious bondage and elitism remains. Its promotion of eternal security has infected churches with fatalism, impotence and compromise. It's noteworthy that Calvin's attempt to establish the kingdom of God in Geneva produced horrific fascist oppression. Check it out.

Doctrinal discussions often evoke pride, and “Pride only breeds quarrels,” (Prov 13:10) Therefore, if contention arises in our hearts over doctrine, our discernment is distorted, because pride aborts faith, and without faith we cannot perceive truth. It's “through faith that we understand.” (Heb 11:3)

Predestination is a quest into the mind of God, which we tend to approach in blind conceit, creating God in our own idolatrous image. We can't even understand physiology or economics, how then can we possibly comprehend the unsearchable heart of God? Only a fool would be dogmatic about God's secret thoughts and intents. My pet cats know, love and trust me, but their relationship with me is shallow and insensible, and they haven't a clue as to who I really am or what makes me tick. Aren't we almost as clueless about God?

Nevertheless, God has chosen to bypass our intellectual defects, revealing certain mysteries to those who have “ears to hear and eyes to see.” In spite of our partial and superficial understanding, the Bible implies that sound doctrine is attainable.(1 Tim 1:10; 2 Tim 4:3; Tit 1:9) “He that knows God hears us. . . hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 Jn 4:6) Knowing God personally, not facts about Him, keeps us from doctrinal instability.(Eph 4:13-14) We are to be witnesses of God, which requires first-hand knowledge, not second-hand indoctrination. Reasoning without spiritual insight is darkness. (1 Cor 2:14; Rom 8:7)

Calvinist writings unrealistically assume that intellectual objectivity is the key to Bible interpretation. However, pure unbiased objectivity is a myth. “The things of the Spirit of God . . .are spiritually discerned,” (1 Cor 2:14) “because the carnal mind is enmity against God.” (Rom 8:7) If no one can authentically say “Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit,” (1 Cor 12:3) and “flesh and blood” cannot discern Christ, (Mt 16:17) how then can we possibly interpret scripture with just our egocentric minds?

If your security is dependent upon how well you grasp a doctrine, your intellect has become an idol. A doctrine cannot save you. Paul didn't say “I know what I believe,” he said, “I know whom I have believed.” (2 Tim 1:12) Jesus wasn't a theologian, he was truth incarnate, and only his Spirit can enlighten you. (Gal 1:12; Eph 3:3) Thankfully it's not limited to smart people.

FOREKNOWLEDGE

Jesus, Paul and Peter all spoke of predestination, and amazingly all three restricted it to “foreknowledge.” Apparently they were trying to preempt an approaching deception. “Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not.”(Jn 6:64) Paul revealed that whom God “foreknew, He also predestined ...” (Rom 8:29) And Peter mentioned the “elect according to the foreknowledge of God.” (1 Pet 1:2)

“For those God foreknew he also predestined. . . And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Rom 8:29-30) Notice, this Biblical sequence of salvation begins with foreknowledge. If foreknowledge precedes predestination we must conclude that free will, not God's decree, is the pivotal factor. Why else would the Holy Spirit use that term? God simply foreknows everyone's ultimate choice, he doesn't pre-select some for an unalterable involuntary destiny. Limiting predestination and election to foreknowledge is profoundly revealing.

The eternal realm is foreign to our natural mind, but the Bible draws us into eternity because that's where ultimate truth resides.(2 Cor 4:18) Being seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:6) is not allegory, but a transcendent reality. The indwelling Holy Spirit transports us into the timelessness of Calvary where “I am crucified with Christ” and by His “stripes you were healed.” God dwells in eternity where your choices are already known. If the past and future are a present reality, then from earth's perspective, your future has effectively been predetermined (predestined) . . . but only by free will.

FREE WILL

Moral free will may be philosophically disturbing, yet it is an obvious sacred reality. Since the garden, man's innate ability to embrace or reject salvation has been so self-evident that only gross spiritual blindness could misunderstand it. If we have no moral free will, why did God blame Adam for his sin? God didn't download Adam's response, it was clearly Adams choice. (Rom 4:14; 1 Cor 15:21)

The Bible declares a remarkable seven times that “God is no respecter of persons.” (2 Sam 14:14, Job 34:19, Acts 10:34, Rom 2:11, Gal 2:6, Eph 6:9, Col 3:25) He is never partial, political or biased in his dealings with us, but is utterly fair. This blatantly contradicts Calvinism, where God fiendishly designs some for rejection and others for acceptance, an idea that's not only unscriptural, but violates our most sublime longings and intuitions of God.

“The Lord is . . .not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” (2 Pet 3:9) and he “will have all men to be saved.” (1 Tim 2:4) It's clear and irrefutable that God does not will for anyone to go to hell. What kind of schizophrenic god would create people for hell, declare it as “good,” and then weep over their demise? (Gen 1:31) (Lk 19:41)

God's ordained will is not always fulfilled. Jesus made it clear, “It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” (Mt 18:14) Yet, children do perish contrary to God's will. Jesus cried out over Jerusalem, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!” (Lk 13:34) God “would,” but Jerusalem “would not.” I can only conclude that man's will is not always bound by God's loving intentions.

Evidently Abraham, the father of faith, was not a Calvinist even after he died. When the rich man in hell pleaded with Abraham to rescue him, Abraham didn't mention predestination, but rather told him he was in hell because of his lifestyle.(Lk 16:19-31) In other words, his choices led him to hell. If salvation excludes man's will, why warn anyone (Ez 3:18) and why pray “Thy will be done?”

In the most potent terms, the Lord declares, “I call heaven and earth to record this day, I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life.” (Deut 30:19) Is there any question? The fruit of our free will is either life or death. The responsibility for our final state depends upon our choosing.

Free will is so fundamental that it’s included in the Bible’s final summation. “And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” (Rev 22:17) “Whosoever” means anyone without exception. “The free gift came upon all men unto justification.” (Rom 5:18)

No one comes to Jesus unless the Father draws him, (Jn 6:44) but foreknowledge is part of that equation. The question is, does the drawing of God guarantee the outcome? Does free will cease after you respond? Love and forced compliance are contradictory.

“IRRESISTIBLE” GRACE

Calvinism's false assumptions lead to absurd and convoluted theology such as, man is so depraved that he cannot respond to the gospel, therefore God appoints certain ones to eternal life, which they can't resist, while others are categorically damned. This approach to salvation has all the imponderable qualities of a Zen riddle which says “The unsaved have no access to saving faith because such faith is a gift that only believers possess.” To an unbeliever that is a hopeless verdict, violating God's edict that, “first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions . . . be made for all human beings,” because he “desires all humanity to be saved.” (1 Tim 2:1-4 CJB)

Saving faith is indeed an unearned gift that only believers have. (Eph 2:8) However, Calvinists strangely conclude that non-believers are powerless to position themselves to receive that gift.

Jesus says that if you simply keep my commandments I “...will manifest (reveal) myself to you.” (Jn 14:21) You cannot be born again if you have no revelation, but according to Jesus, if you begin to align your thoughts and actions with Him, you will have that life changing revelation. Referring to spiritual blindness, the Bible promises that “whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” (2 Cor 3:16) In other words, repentance can precede saving faith. “Draw near to God and he will draw to you.” (Jas 4:8) You cannot save yourself, but you can position yourself in such a way that God draws near to you. It's called repentance.

There are many examples of repentance preceding believing. When religious pretenders saw publicans and harlots responding to God, Jesus rebuked the hypocrites saying, “Even after you saw this, you did not repent, that you might believe.” (Mat 21:32) Jesus began his ministry with, “Repent and believe...”(Mk 1:15) When the Bible lists our foundational beliefs, repentance is the very first, then followed by faith. (Heb 6:1) Repentance is also mentioned as preceding conversion (Act 3:19) and receiving the Holy Spirit.( Act 2:38)

Calvinism says grace is irresistible for those who are called. If that's true, how can many be called yet few chosen? (Mt 22:14) If grace is irresistible, how can those who were once partakers lose grace? The Bible says you can receive grace “in vain,” (2 Cor 6:1) “fall from grace,” (Gal 5:4) “fail the grace of God (Heb 12:15) and “pervert grace.” (Jude 1:4) How could Paul, of all people, think he could be rejected as a “castaway,” if the possibility didn't exist? (1 Cor 9:27) In the great falling away, what are they falling away from,(2 Thes 2:3) and why all those sobering warnings implicating hell for renegade believers? (Mat 5:22; 5:29-30; 6:15; Gal 5:20-21; 1 Jn 3:15)

The fundamentals of Christianity are not complicated. There is a refreshing simplicity in Christ, (2 Cor 11:3) but our darkened hearts distort plain Bible truths. Child-like simplicity is found in the Spirit, but the carnal mind's desperate attempt to find security in a doctrine offers only nagging discord and bizarre interpretations.

ROMANS CHAPTER NINE

A quick reading of Romans chapter nine may leave you with the sinking feeling that we are mere pawns in some cosmic battle, with no say in our eternal destiny. We're told of God's pre-election of Isaac, and how He loved Jacob and hated Esau. We see God making vessels of honor and dishonor, and hardening Pharaoh's heart to demonstrate his power. What are we to conclude from this?

Keep in mind that chapter nine is predicated upon predestination “according to foreknowledge,”(Rom 8) and it concludes with yet another universal free will declaration . . . “whosoever believes in Him shall not be ashamed.” (Rom 9:33)

A closer look reveals that Romans nine is not about salvation, it only addresses calling in this life. Salvation is available to all who will respond, but God's earthly role (calling) for us is God's exclusive prerogative. This chapter is about the historical calling of a nation and certain individuals, but no where does it mention their eternal destiny. This is an important distinction because it reconciles Romans nine with the rest of scripture.

I can only conclude that God's calling and election are based on foreknowledge. This would explain why God could order the slaughter of thousands of “innocents” in the old testament. When He hardened hearts, withheld mercy and endured vessels of wrath, it was with foreknowledge of there eternal state. In the last days when He sends “strong delusions” it will be to those whose ultimate rejection of God is foreknown.

GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY

Calvinism's concept of Divine sovereignty appears to be a euphemism for tyranny, and a theological icon excusing man's accountability. Of course God's ultimate plan shall be accomplished, yet nevertheless, we each have the freedom to reject Him and by default choose evil.

Sovereignty is mans' term describing a Biblical truth. The closest word in Hebrew is often translated “Almighty,” which means “all powerful or impregnable.” It does not imply despotic micro management, but rather suggests ultimate justice and accountability for violating God's law of sowing and reaping. Man retains his free will, but God has the last word. Webster defines sovereign as “one who possess the highest authority without control.”

The enemy relentlessly seeks to neutralize our will by oppression, depression, fear and wrong thinking through false doctrines like Calvinism. When you’re tempted to succumb to passivity or fatalism remember “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Mat 11:12) Don’t allow satan to haunt you with the fear that you may not be one of God’s chosen. Instead, be aggressively proactive and choose God! He’s waiting and will never turn away an honest seeker. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” That is one outcome that is guaranteed! The eternal consequences of exercising your free will are profoundly serious.

The paradox is this: Salvation is all God, and yet it's also all man. Grace and free will are not mutually exclusive, they are mutually dependent. Those who will be saved are special objects of God’s grace even in their ignorance and rebellion, because their ultimate choice has already been consummated in eternity.

To probe beyond what is apparent would be foolish. We are told to avoid foolish questions because they are unprofitable and vain. (Tit 3:9) Even Peter said that some of the New Testament was difficult to understand.” (2 Pet 3:16) Only two aspects of predestination are clear to me. It is limited by foreknowledge, and from our perspective the outcome is not guaranteed. All else is conjecture and speculation.

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“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.” (Heb 3:12-14)

Copyright 2011 by Hayden Humphrey