Much debate has arisen, and continues today around the subject of predestination, and Man’s free will to choose God. From Isaiah, Psalms, Proverbs and on into the New Testament scripture of Matthew, Luke, Acts and St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, clearly whether linguistically or spiritually, there arises from these texts a tension that challenges us to question exactly what role we must play in the product of our beliefs, and our life at large.
In deliberating these challenging issues, it occurs to me that we must go back to affirming the most fundamental aspects of the creator God, but also try to understand our purpose, our real purpose. In my book “Why God? Why Now?” I tackled the issue of evil in the world as only being possible by God’s allowing it as a part of His larger plan by which we humans must suffer the temptations of evil and all the destructive forces aligned with it. This constitutes the means, by which and only by which we can grow in faith towards a better knowledge of God in developing the relationship with Him that is His wish for us. Thus, we must also accept that our human nature is infused, and I would submit, at the time of our conception, with both the spiritual essence of God as well as the disobedience towards God that was brought down to earth in The Garden of Eden. Our challenge, whether we are born into fortuitous circumstances, or amid the worst of human depravity, is to enable our spirit to emerge and ultimately flourish. In this context I am reminded of a little boy who lived across from a church we were renting in a poor area of town where prostitution and drugs were the principal forms of commerce. His bedroom was the closet of the room his mother occupied, and his circumstances were deleterious to all aspects of his development; physical, mental, and spiritual. Yet, for whatever reason he would begin each Sunday to cross the road, enter the sanctuary, and participate in the service. While we would eventually relocate to a space of our own, I like to think that whatever sparked that curiosity would lead him, eventually, away from the circumstances of his birth. I also think of leaders such as Dr. Benjamin Carson, who have extricated themselves from the worst kinds of neighborhood environments to go on to study and learn and put themselves through college, proceeding on to give back much good to the community.
In accepting that God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent, and that His reality was, is now and ever shall be, and our “value” to Him can only be the product that results from our extricating ourselves from the power of our sinful (that which separates from God) nature, towards the relationship God seeks for us through the saving Grace of His son Jesus Christ. I must accept that all things are known by God beforehand, and this is clear from reading Matthew 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” God knows of the corruption and desolation that will ultimately consume mankind. Certainly, today it feels as though we are accelerating towards it, but I do not believe that God has pre-selected the small number that will enter through the small gate. Rather, I believe he understands the struggle involved in overcoming our attraction to sinful behavior and its capacity to hold our spirit captive. Those enticements, especially with today’s technology, are more numerous and stronger than ever.
Sin, as stated, is simply about our separation from God, moving towards the secular pursuits rather than the behaviors He knows are essential to a fruitful, joyful, and complete life. Every second of every day in our thoughts, words, and deeds we make choices which either move us closer to that which God wishes for us, or we move away from Him, and the promise He offers. I think of it as a running ‘account’ of pluses and minuses that accumulates and grows. Over time, one side or other begins to dominate, moving us towards a spirit filled life, or a secular one in which we seek satisfaction in the material things which ultimately corrupt our spirit, and leave us still dissatisfied. If we are unaware of this choice balance sheet, then we are unlikely to comprehend the consequences of leaving its secular account unchecked, and our spiritual account to eventually become bankrupt.
From a logical perspective, in what way would it benefit God to pre-ordain winners and losers in the realm of salvation? It would not, for it would be a self-fulfilling outcome that would serve no purpose in bringing mature spirits back to the Creator. Furthermore, it would render Christ’s sacrifice on the cross meaningless! If those who are saved through Christ were already determined saved, why the death and resurrection? Surely none other than those so predetermined can possibly be saved, regardless of Christ. Such a situation would make a mockery of faith, and the sacrifice not just of Christ, but also the tens of thousands who have died in the defense of that faith down through the ages, even unto today’s persecution of Christians.
Our free will has everything to with our salvation, and the choices which we make eventually add up to an ultimate decision of which path we will take. God has abundantly demonstrated His amazing patience for His defiant creation, He will never give up on us and we should never give up on Him!