Hey Y'all!
This evening I would like to take some time with one of the most difficult theological questions of our day, that of the doctrines of election and free will.
To begin, let us define Election and Free will. Quotations are taken from Evangelical Dictionary of Theology.
Election-"Election is a Sovereign , eternal decree of God." "The Most common New Testament Reference to election is God's Eternal election of certain persons to salvation in Jesus Christ."
Election, then, is the doctrine that God, by His will, chooses those whom He will save. Election is similar to predestination.
Free Will is the doctrine that We choose salvation in Christ as an act of Our will.
Now that we have the definitions, Let us examine to see if one or the other (or perhaps both of these doctrines are Biblical. That is, Are either of these two doctrines affirmed in the Word of God?
Election is Biblical- Romans 8:28-11:35, and Ephesians 1:3-11 both speak of election. The latter reference reads:
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Free will is also Biblical- Joshua 24:15, and Revelation 22:8. Revelation 22:17 says
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
The word will in the King James is translated in other versions as "Wants to or wishes to." The verse is saying that all those who wish to follow Jesus are invited to do so.
The Biblical Evidence supports the claim that BOTH election and Free will are doctrinally sound. Wait a minute! How can this be? Isn't that a contradiction? No, and here's why. God chooses us and we choose Him. Do I fully understand that? No, and I don't think I ever really can until I get to heaven. This kind of question is why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:25 "...the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."
Now, while we know that both the doctrine of free will and election are Biblical, both doctrines can lead into dangerous territory if taken too far.
If one takes the doctrine of election and predestination too far, man's responsibility to hear and respond to the Call of Christ is totally negated. In fact, it does not matter what one does because if they were "predestined" to be saved God will work it out. If they were "predestined" to go to hell, it does not matter if they served God all their lives and had a saving faith in Jesus. It's a "Damned if you do, Damned if you don't" scenario.
If one takes the doctrine of free will too far, you get what was said by the by a professor at Baylor Baptist Seminary about the bridge collapse in Minnesota... Read the article Here. Dr. Olsen is preaching a sort of Open Theism, which says that because humans have free will, God cannot know the future. This doctrine is very much UnBiblical, most obviously for two reasons. First it denies the sovereignty of God, saying that God is not in total control, and secondly, it casts doubt on Prophesy, much of which is God revealing what is going to happen on the future.
In answer to the question posed by Stan from Birds of the Air, no, not every Baptist believes what Dr. Olsen is teaching. I attend a prominent evangelical Southern Baptist Seminary in Virginia, and my New Testament professor said that Dr. Olsen and the Baylor Seminary are NOT indicative of what Evangelical Baptists actually think or believe.
I agree with John Piper's assessment that God was not surprised by the tragedy in Minnesota. God knew it was going to happen, and He allowed it to happen. Do I know why? No- I am not God, and I do not wish to be God. I went back and Read Piper's original article. You can read it Here. Piper did not say, as Dr. Olsen contends, that God caused the bridge to collapse- he says that God knew it was going to happen, as He is omniscient, and that He allowed it to happen for His Divine will. Do we always like God's plans? No, but just because we don't like God's plans does NOT mean that that they are not, in actuality, His plans.
The Bottom line is that God is still in complete and total control and He allows us limited free will. He allows us to make the choice to follow Him. He knows which way we will choose, but that does not mean that He forces us to make the choices that we do. God did not force Adam and Eve to fall, and He does not force us to follow Him. We make the choice to do so. (See Joshua 24:15)
I hope this helps to clarify that not every Baptist, and not everyone who believes in free will, believes the heresy spewed by Dr. Olsen.
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1 comment:
Defining terms is often difficult. "Free will", for instance, finds no definition in Scripture. So when we use the term, it's very easy to make assumptions. Does it mean "the ability to choose anything at all without any influences"? Some think so, without thinking it through. Not only does that not make sense, it's not biblical.
Then there are those who like to take ideas to their extremes. "Election means God does all the choosing, so you have no choice in the matter." No, that's an extreme. "We are the ones who decide; God has no say." No, that, too, is an extreme. As you point out, both are facts. God chooses whom He will save, and we are required to choose Him. (The mechanics of such a truth are a major discussion on their own, but the fact of both is biblically sound.)
I know that "Baptist theology" has its roots in Reformed theology (as in the London Baptist Confession, for instance). I know that the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is run by a die-hard "Calvinist". In other words, I know that Olsen was not reflecting "Baptist theology". Mine was a rhetorical question ... you know, the kind meant to shake someone who was gazing quietly at Olsen's ideas without examining them. They were supposed to answer exactly as you did: "No! That's not Baptist theology!" Good job!
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