Mail Archives: djgpp/1999/04/20/09:19:17
The Paradox of Biblical Predestination & Free Will
Resolved, by Alfred K Persson.
The paradox of Predestination by God of some to
salvation and God's command to all mankind to freely
choose Him over death while the opportunity
genuinely exists has bedeviled both Jewish and
Christian Scholars in one form or another for over
5,000 years.
That paradox is has finally been resolved.
Predestination of God's Elect to salvation is clearly
taught in Scripture. So is Free Will. We do choose
whom we will serve and God's offer to all of salvation
must be genuine or He is not the righteous and just and
merciful God of love revealed in Scripture.
Predestination and Free Will choice stand against each
other only in apparent contradiction. They can be
joined by a conceptual model that resolves all the
paradox—in a way that is faithful to every relevant
Bible text and concept of God-- without reliance upon
dubious "hair-splitting" of terms or other eisegesis.
Resolution of paradox is possible because God's
selection of the Elect is not arbitrary, it is based upon
His foreknowledge of those predestinated.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them
he also called: and whom he called, them he also
justified: and whom he justified, them he also
glorified. KJV
However God's choice was not based upon anything in
the predestinated, for it is written:
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. KJV
The saved do not merit salvation "lest any man should
boast." Salvation is through "grace" (undeserved
unmerited kindness), it is a "gift of God." Neither does
God "show favoritism." (Rom.2:11 NIV) He does not
discriminate according to race or sex.
So "how" exactly was foreknowledge used to
"predestinate" some to salvation if God does not Elect
any to salvation because of who or what they are or
what they do?
Another aspect of the whole to consider is "why did
God use "foreknowledge" anyway when it is clear that
He already fully knows "all things" and He "inhabits
eternity:"
Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that
inhabiteth eternity..."-KJV
To God the future is "now." Time to us is linear like a
tunnel, it has a beginning and an end and we travel
within it. God however, inhabits eternity, every part of
this tunnel is filled with the Being of God. In fact God
is infinite, this time/space continuum cannot contain
Him (1 Ki 8:27) for it exists within Him like a glass
tube floating beneath the ocean. God "fills" all things
(Jer.23:24). There is no part of this "tunnel" where
God is not. To God past present and future are "now."
In God's experience, the Elect are already with Him in
His Kingdom.
Eph 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated
us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.-
NIV [Gr., indicative.]
This is why it can be said that:
Rev 13:8 ... the Lamb that was slain from the creation
of the world.-NIV
Once God began to create, everything future came to
be, including the crucifixion. There are not infinitely
possible "futures" arising from each and every free will
act or event occurring within time, there is only one
future, it incorporates within it the consequence of
every event. To God "the future is already past."
In the following passage the apostle Peter is not saying
that God is unaware of the passage of time, as though
He were in some kind of stupor. He derives from the
truth that God inhabits eternity one aspect of how God
sees time. To Him it is meaningless:
2 Pet 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one
thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years,
and a thousand years as one day.-KJV
To recap:
1.) God used foreknowledge when predestinating some
to salvation.
2.) Election and Rejection are not based upon what
mankind actually is nor on what they do.
3.) God's use of Foreknowledge seems
redundant—completely unnecessary because God
already knows all things without it. God inhabits
eternity.
There once were two blind men trying to learn what an
elephant is. One held the tail and described what it felt
like. The other held the elephant's foot and of course
his description was entirely different.
They argued with each other continually who was
"right."
Being blind they just could not see the whole, how
these different parts were joined to a greater whole.
Rather than argue these two blind men could have
taken a more brotherly and logical path that also would
have been more faithful to what they both knew to be
true.
They could have concluded from the obvious
dissimilarity of the tail and the foot that these were but
lesser parts of a greater whole.
The whole "Elephant" revealed:
Before God created the world He foreknew everyone
without "sin nature" in an "age" (Grk, aion) where the
devil did not exist to mislead them. It was
foreknowledge, i.e., this "aion" did not exist save in the
Mind of God.
All Mankind was therein given every possible choice
and thoroughly put to every conceivable test to prove
what kind of person they really are. This reveals their
innermost inclination of their heart. Does the foreseen
person love God or not?
Foreknowledge was done, not for God's benefit—He
already knows all things, but for our sakes that we
might know His Election of some to salvation and His
leaving the rest to their own willful rebellion could be
seen by all as being truly "merciful" and "just."
The "foreseen" us represented the innermost inclination
of our hearts. It was what we should be and not what
we actually are today. Hence our salvation truly is not
"of ourselves" lest any should boast. Who can boast
when the "hypothetical" us condemns and shames the
real us, for unlike the real us, by its own power it
actually did the right thing all the time without
deviation. None of us come close to that reality.
As "foreseeing" something does not call it into
existence--this aion of testing never existed save in the
Mind of God. Hence our salvation truly is not "of
ourselves."
Because hypothetical mankind was constructed from
the essence of their heart of hearts inclination and
motive, it is valid for God to use that foreseen "aion"
to justify His actions in our sphere of existence to any
"heavenly court."
Rom 3:4 ...As it is written: "So that you may be proved
right when you speak and prevail when you judge."-
NIV
We were all gone astray and none of us any good. Yet
God in His mercy and love chose to save some, and to
do that in such a way as to be gladden our hearts once
we realize the magnificence of His Glory and the
Righteousness and Mercy of His Judgements.
He does not wrongly condemn any. The proof of that is
documented. In His Kingdom we will be able to
inspect that proof and get to know the truth with our
own eyes.
It could be said it was God's good pleasure and will to
work these things out this way (cp. Eph.1:5).
Those who chose God and not evil in that hypothetical
aion are then predestined unto salvation in this aion.
They are saved in spite of who they really are. God
gives them the gift of salvation. It is completely
unmerited. It is not "of themselves."
Now those who under the best of circumstances still
would choose evil over living with God in
righteousness--He Sovereignly leaves them to their
own choice. He makes no attempt to circumvent their
free will rejection of Him. They are judged for their
own sins (Ezek.18:4). The opportunity to choose God
over sin was there in the hypothetical aion, and it truly
is here now in our present time available to all. If they
did choose God over evil He would accept them and
heal them. However, they will not. As it truly is they
themselves who choose to do wrong, their sin is on
their own head:
Mat 13:15 For this people's heart has become callused;
they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed
their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and
turn, and I would heal them.'-NIV
This is what Christ means when He says:
John 6:65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you
that no one can come to me unless the Father has
enabled him."-NIV
No one can go to Christ unless the merciful God
enables them, period. It is a statement of fact regarding
the sorry condition of all mankind. The reverse
however is not true. Christ did not say God will
prevent those not enabled from going to Him. As is
clearly said elsewhere, the opportunity to choose Christ
is genuinely available to all (Jn.3:15), and if they did
choose God over evil He would heal them.
None of us are any good (Rom.3:12) and without
God's active intervention in our lives (Phil. 2:13)
neither would the Elect be able to go to Christ (Jn.
6:65). However, God in His unmerited mercy chose to
select some from among mankind for Himself
(Rom.11:5). It was entirely by "grace" according to
God's good purpose and will and not according to
anything actually in us. Although our "hypothetical
heart inclination" truly does represent what we could
have been, in our present reality we do not possess
enough "inclination" to choose Christ. Our hearts
require rebirth by God's Spirit--a new creation (2 Cor.
5:17) to put the proper inclination in us. There is no
real connection between the two. There are no grounds
for anyone boasting whatsoever. God is very merciful
to do this, the Elect do not deserve such kindness at all.
Among those of mankind that have freely chose to
reject God's sole offer of salvation (Jesus Christ), God
may assist in the hardening of their hearts lest they
escape the judgment God knows they truly deserve.
These are made to manifest within their short life span
who they really are in order that they may fill up the
full measure of their sin for all to see. All onlookers
will declare God righteous in judging these severely.
2 Th 2:10 ... They perish because they refused to love
the truth and so be saved.
2 Th 2:11 For this reason God sends them a powerful
delusion so that they will believe the lie
2 Th 2:12 and so that all will be condemned who have
not believed the truth but have delighted in
wickedness.-NIV
This way the justice of God is satisfied. Unlike human
justice where evil men might be charged only for minor
crimes because sufficient evidence is lacking to
convict, God will see to it that these reveal their true
selves within their short life span in order that they may
punished fully:
And all creation will have to say:
Rev 16:5 ... Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and
wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
Rev 16:6 ...for they are worthy.
Rev 16:7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even
so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy
judgments.-KJV
Argument Against this view: It is inferential and not
explicitly taught in Scripture.
However, some aspects of the orthodox doctrine of the
Holy Trinity must be deduced from the scriptural data
for the terms describing it are not as clear as we would
like, for example, the Eternal Generation of the Son.
So not all inferences are bad:
To the Sadducees Christ inferred both life after death
and the Resurrection of the righteous from the
implication of the words "I AM" (not "I was"):
Mark 12:24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error
because you do not know the Scriptures or the power
of God?
Mark 12:25 When the dead rise, they will neither
marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the
angels in heaven.
Mark 12:26 Now about the dead rising--have you not
read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush,
how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?
Mark 12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the
living. You are badly mistaken!"
If this thesis is deemed only inference, it's a good one.
The conceptual model exposited synthesizes the whole
of the scriptural data in a way that removes all of the
paradox. It is faithful to the whole of Scripture and to
the revelation of who God is—Merciful, Just and
Love:
Paradox is removed, God's justice and mercy to all
mankind made known therefore Christian apologetic
benefited. Orthodox doctrines of Election and eternal
security strengthened. The stain of eisegesis removed
from theological discussion. It is completely faithful to
all the relevant Biblical texts and concepts.
However, lest some think more of me than is correct, I
hereby confess that I believe God granted me this
insight. If there be error it is mine, for I am a jar of
clay, but if there be truth-- it is from Him!
I beseech all in the Church Universal to consider this
"conceptual model" calmly-- logically, as a scientist
might any body of apparently contradictory data. Do so
prayerfully. I am confident you will soon appreciate the
beauty of this concept.
It is sparkles like a diamond turned slowly in the light,
no aspect dark.
However, for many no doubt this proverb will be true:
Luke 5:39 And no one after drinking old wine wants
the new, for he says, 'The old is better.'" NIV
*******End*******
A prayer:
Let us put aside our differences and unite under the
Lordship of Christ, and so we will prove ourselves
faithful to the Great Commission Christ gave us all to
do:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Christians have my permission to reproduce my work
any way they desire. Please share.
Copyright (c) 1999 by Alfred K. Persson a.k.a.
LetsObeyChrist.
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