Will: Robb Moser
Genesis to Revelation Bible Blogs
Free will and predestination represent a core theological tension between God’s absolute sovereignty in determining salvation or election and human responsibility for choices. Predestination posits that God chooses who is saved, while free will suggests humans independently choose to follow God. These concepts are often held in tension, suggesting they are complementary or that God’s foreknowledge incorporates, but does not force, human choices.
Key Aspects of the Debate
Predestination: Sovereignty is the doctrine that God, due to his unchanging character and divine plan, has chosen specific individuals for salvation before the foundation of the world. This is often interpreted as necessary because, following the fall, human will is deemed to be in rebellion and incapable of choosing God without divine intervention.
Free Will: Human responsibility is the view that individuals have the capacity to make genuine choices regarding their salvation, often encouraged through commands to repent and believe.
Reconciliation of Concepts:
Complementary View: Some theologians, such as those quoted in a Reddit thread, argue that these doctrines are not mutually exclusive but function like “train tracks” that appear to converge in the distance, balancing God’s plan with human accountability.
Foreknowledge: Another perspective is that God’s omniscience allows Him to know the future, including who will choose Him, without causing or forcing those choices.
Sovereign Grace: Another view is that while individuals must choose, their wills are first freed by God to do so.
Core Differences
Source of Salvation: Predestination places the initiative entirely on God (grace), while free will emphasizes the human response to God’s offer.
Purpose: Predestination provides assurance of salvation, whereas free will highlights the importance of active pursuit of faith.
Fatalism vs. Choice: A potential risk of extreme predestination is fatalism, while extreme free will might minimize the importance of divine grace.
Theological Perspectives
Calvinism: Strongly emphasizes predestination, holding that God determines all things, including the “elect,”
Arminianism: Emphasizes free will and that God's election is based on His foreknowledge of who will believe.
The tension between these two concepts is often considered to be beyond full human comprehension, representing a profound mystery in the relationship between God and humanity.