Here's a link to the recent NY Times article about Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church -Who Would Jesus Smack Down? - Mark Driscoll, a Pastor with a Macho Conception of Christ
BTW, is Driscoll going to start wearing suits while preaching? Apparently the answer is temporarily yes.
"...you may not recognize me on Sunday because I will be wearing suits for this series, in keeping with the old-school black-and-white court imagery of Trial. Occasionally, though, I will wear a suit with Chuck Taylors to ensure the look is Mars Hilled."
When I first read this article, or any that portrays man as having been predestined for heaven or hell before the beginning of time, I got nervous. It doesn’t make sense to me that we don’t have a choice in the matter of our eternal future. After some thought this is what I have come up with. These are just my thoughts on the matter.
ReplyDeleteThis article brings into good question the conflict between God’s sovereignty and our free will. My whole foundation in my belief in God is that he is Lord over all, at all times, in all situations, always. Yet, somehow my free will fits into God’s sovereignty. Many people confuse our free will as us having the ability to limit, hinder, or even advance God’s will. This can not be the case. If I thought that my decisions had the chance of changing or affecting God’s plan, then He is not in control of that situation and does not deserve to be worshiped as my God. He is sovereign and at the same time I have my free will that somehow fits into God’s sovereignty. It can be rather confusing. The best way I have been able to understand it is to look at a scientific comparison. Scientists have proven that light is made up of particles called photons. Scientists have also proven that light is a wave. How can this be? It doesn’t make sense that light can be made up of individual particles and still be a wave. Somehow the two are one. I can’t explain it, but God’s sovereignty and our free will our separate and yet are one.
I am still not fully decided on how our predestination, free will, and God’s sovereignty fit together. What are your thoughts dad?
I think your illustration about light being both a wave and a particle is a good one. Well done!
ReplyDeleteFree will is the ability to choose to do what you want to do. But the Bible says no one naturally wants to seek God or serve God (Romans 3:10-18). Therefore, if we have free will to do what we want, our free choices will always be to sin, to reject God's rule - unless He intervenes in our lives. Thus, Jesus says no one comes to him unless the Father first draws him to do so (John 6:44). This drawing is by God's choice alone. Once God draws us He changes our heart to want repentance, and we then make a free choice to do so according to our new transformed wants. In this mysterious form and way, both God's sovereignty and our free will are both maintained.
See also Acts 13:48; Ephesians 1:3-5; and Romans 8:28-30
Got some good books on the subject if you are interested.