By Jill Roberts and Michael Canalé
Last week, Michael and I were reading C.S. Lewis’ iconic book, The Great Divorce. Some of the choices made by its characters, all of whom are fully imbued with the ability to choose between heaven and hell, led us to a fascinating discussion with regard to the concept of free will. One theological step further in our talk and, as night follows the day, came the seeming contrast to this freedom, i.e., predestination, and how on Earth these two ideas can ever be harmonized. Though Biblically concerned with a separate topic and context, there is a verse that sets forth this dilemma perfectly:
“Behold, I show you a mystery…”
(1 Corinthians 15:51) NIV
Over the centuries, scholars of Scripture have written countless volumes about this “mystery.” Indeed, there is a truly voluminous record of their thought and reasoning. Michael and I are, therefore, humbly writing this week’s blog about free will and predestination with full appreciation of the topic’s scholarship and complexity. At this point, you, the reader, may be surprised that we would venture into such a subject, given the limitations of a blog’s length and breadth, just to scratch the surface of why one might let pass such a daunting undertaking. The reason is that Michael and I felt a strong calling to demystify this apparent contradiction and are relying on the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us advance yet another perspective on the subject.
To begin with, what, exactly, is the problem? It is this – On the surface the Bible appears to be taking two contradictory positions: it is said that each of us has been divinely given the free will to act and choose, though in that same world of choice, God has predestined the course that our lives and eternal dispositions will take.
With regard to free will, Jesus said,
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock: If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with that person.”
(Revelation 3:20) NIV
Joshua announced,
“CHOOSE (emphasis added), for yourselves this day whom you will serve…”
(Joshua 24:15) NIV
Moses spoke for God when he stated,
“…I set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE… (emphasis added).
On the other hand, Scripture is replete with verses that all is predestined. Job, speaking to God acknowledged, without dispute, that,
“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
(Job 42:2) NIV
Indeed, at the outset of the Book of Job, God makes it clear that Satan was restrained by the boundaries God set for him. ( Job 1:12) NIV
Luke writes of the Gentiles’ salvation plan, that,
“When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad…and all who were APPOINTED (emphasis added) for eternal life believed.
(Acts 13:48) NIV
Paul writes in very explicit terms,
“For those God foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…And those he predestined, he also called, those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
(Romans 8:29-30) NIV
Having established the apparent problem, how can it possibly be resolved in a manner that satisfies the intellect and the soul? How can mankind’s clear grant of free will coexist with God’s preordaining the universe?
Decades ago, I began my first serious Bible study wherein we reached the point when the issue of free will versus predestination arose. My teacher, Pastor Chuck Smith, gave an explanation that has stood the test of time, as well as my further reading of the most erudite Biblical scholars ever to address this otherwise theological labyrinth. Pastor Chuck said that the tension between these two concepts is removed when you think of our lives as a continuum, like a train that moves along from Point A to Point Z, analogizing life from birth to death. In His omniscience, God looks down on this metaphorical train and sees its journey from start to finish. He has a clear view of the continuum and knows what we will do before we do it. He also knows the number of our days:
“…all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of then came to be.”
( Psalm 139:16) NIV
We were chosen according to the FOREKNOWLEDGE (emphasis added), of God the Father.”
(1 Peter 1:2) NIV
God is in complete control, yet he allows us to make choices and, in so doing, mistakes, costly ones. The ability to DECIDE in the Garden of Eden and subsequent to that, cost Him His Son’s life on a Roman cross.
Michael so astutely speaks of a frequent theme in our blogs – the path or road of our journeys in this life:
“A fork in the road is one decision. This decision has seasonal consequences – it is how we transition from one season to another. This will happen in your life thousands of times, but you’re going to end up where you’re supposed to be. There is no chance to it.”
We must become intellectual and heartfelt friends with God’s preordainment of our lives. We must not fear this. It’s not scary. What is, however, scary and, in fact, horrifying, is something else altogether. What should terrify us is the antithesis to God’s providence and plan – that is RANDOMNESS. That there would be no theological rhyme or reason to our lives in this universe, should set us on our ears! That there is, instead, a plan laid out by a God that loves us enough to allow His Son, Jesus, to die for us and in our place, should be the greatest comfort of our entire lives.
How, then, do we know whether God’s plan for us includes eternal life with Him? Chuck Smith said it perfectly:
“Just choose Him and you will find out that He has chosen you.”
We must remember these amazing verses:
“He predestined us to Sonship.”
(Ephesians 1:5) NIV
Jesus is speaking:
“All those the Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me, I will never drive away…And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of these he has given me…For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will rise them up at the last day.”
( John 6:37-40) NIV
“My sheep listen to my voice..,no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
John 10:26-30) NIV
“ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, (Jesus), so that through him ALL MIGHT BELIEVE. (emphasis added). He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.”
(John 1:6-7) NIV
As Michael says, “Free will might take you to a season , but it will never take you off God’s path for you.” In an earlier blog, God’s GPS, we wrote about Peter and his three denials of Jesus, David and Bathsheba and Jonah fleeing God and the mission in Nineveh. All unwisely and egregiously exercised their free will and God said, “Repositioning.” They were soon back on His path, predestined for them by God.
Today, I saw an amazing and highly relevant tweet by Noah Herrin, one which has an application here:
“If you think you’ve blown God’s plan for your life, rest in this. You, my beautiful friend, are not that powerful.”
Having said this, Michael points out that “We must guard our hearts and minds so that we do not become indifferent or even calloused to the fact that all is predestined. He says that the key is to allow Jesus’ teaching and practice to guide us.” As stated in our Two Kingdoms blog, he reminds us that there is a kingdom in this world that would have us choose the wrong path at the moral forks in our roads and that God will acquiesce to this. God let Peter decide to deny Jesus, David to sin with Bathsheba and Jonah to run in the opposite direction from Nineveh. Significant pain in their lives was the result.
However, at the end of the day, God providentially “Repositions.” Michael states that “ We cannot be derailed; it is all set in stone. The key move out of the fallen angel’s kingdom in this world is to turn to God’s Kingdom and to His sovereign plan.”
As the beautiful hymn from an earlier era sets forth,
“ Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face.”
Paul writes that,
“In him, (Jesus), we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of HIM WHO WORKS OUT EVERYTHING ( emphasis added), in conformity with the purpose of his will…”
(Ephesians 1:11) NIV
The Message is particularly compelling and understandable in its translation of Paul’s words:
“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”
He is our rock and our deliverer. It is written.
Glory!