Free Will -- Part I

In essence, everyone of us is a theologian to some degree. A belief that God does not exist, a belief he exists but in a non-personal way, and a belief that he exists personally and fully in the person of Jesus Christ are basic theological views and of course there are many more.

One of the great debates in the theology of the Christian faith is the question of humanity's free will or lack there of. Does God predestine each individual human to the life they will live? And choose in advance who will and will not spend eternity with him? Or is this more a matter of a personal choosing as to whether or not we respond to him? A broad stroke of the first view is called Calvinism (but Calvinism covers much more) and the second could be called Arminianism. Both John Calvin and Jacob Arminius were products of and active in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. And both fields of thought are still very active today in Evangelical Christianity. Although Arminianism might be more commonly known as Wesley-Arminianism today because of John Wesley's influence.

Although this question can not be answered in an absolute fashion until the afterlife (when we will no longer see dimly), I think it is still a great debate. I hold strongly to the free will position of this argument. I do believe our Heaven Father is all knowing and all powerful, and included in this is his complete foreknowledge of the future. But there is also that thing called love. If God is a master of puppets, I am not sure how he can be truly loved back by his creation. I believe that through the sacrificial act of love and reconciliation on the cross that God has given every person a free will choice to respond to his love. That is what the cross represents. God is love and he wishes to have a loving relationship with us through his son Jesus.

Another strong point that reinforces the free will position is the "problem of evil." Those who do not believe in free will must ultimately come to the point that evil itself is ordained by God. I don't buy this. Although all things can be worked for the glory of God, I don't believe he would sanction evil, even in it's simplest form. I believe that God allows Satan and his evil ways to exist. We are in a constant battle with the spiritual forces of this present darkness. As promised through scripture there will be a day when God defeats Satan and evil will no longer exist. Oh what a glorious day that will be.