If it is a foregone conclusion that all will be reconciled, what about free will?

What about it?

Some of the greatest minds humanity has ever known have grappled with the “paradox” of free will and do so to this day. If anyone thinks they have it figured out, whatever they believe, they are fooling themselves.

The great debates between Calvinism and Arminianism, begun more than 500 years ago, centered on the paradox of free will and its roll in salvation, but are by no means the earliest discussions on the subject. Aristotle (384-322 BC) debated with his contemporaries regarding free will in its earliest forms – determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism. Augustine (AD 354-430) taught predestination based upon God’s foreknowledge early in his career and based on God’s autonomous and inscrutable choice (a completely different view) later in his years. Hobbes, Hume, Leibniz, Hegel, and particularly Emmanuel Kant (all philosophers of the late Middle Ages leading up to the Renaissance) wrote extensively on the subject of autonomous free will, or free will that stands on its own.

So, before anyone can address a question like, “What about free will?”, they would need to know the context in which the inquirer is asking. Most who ask this question are not ready for an in-depth dialogue on free will and the sovereignty of God. I don’t know that I am.

I would ask a question in return: What role does free will play in your view of salvation?

Does a sinner exercise free will in choosing to follow Christ? Knowing that none of us can be saved without being drawn, did God violate the sinner’s free will when exerting tremendous influence upon this individual in leading him/her to a change of heart? We don’t know where the heart is let alone know how to change it. We are saved by Grace through faith, but even that saving faith was given to us by God. Free will?

 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:44

Our Lord has perfect foreknowledge in every detail, so He knows when and where you will repent and be converted. Does that mean He knows who will be lost? If the orthodox view of judgment and eternal punishment is true, then yes, He does. So, He has created a person born in sin, whom He knows is without capacity to choose salvation. That person was effectively created to be damned.

What about Pharoah’s ability to repent after God hardened his heart? Did he exercise free will? And what of Nebuchadnezzar? He was cast mindless into the wilderness to crawl around on all fours, foraging for food with the wild beasts. Did he have free will for those seven years out there?

Philosopher, Marilyn Adams¹ said that we start life ignorant, weak, and helpless – incapable of choice. After a long and difficult process influenced by deeply flawed people in situations beyond our control and comprehension, we develop dispositions and habits to choose using an incredibly impaired free will. Yes, our freedom to choose is fragile and impaired. All of this before we consider the impact of addictions, trauma, abuse, neglect, poor parenting, etc., etc., etc.

Such impaired adults are no more competent to be entrusted with their individual or collective eternal destiny than a two-year old is to be allowed choices that could result in death or serious physical impairment.

Free will? We didn’t even choose to be here. That is how much control we possess with regard to our lives.

Biblical Universal Reconciliation is the only view that makes sense. Predestination makes sense, only if all are reconciled. God is not sovereign unless His will and purpose are accomplished in every detail. Free will is just as compatible with this viewpoint as with any other. UR does justice to and is compatible with the love of God, the omniscience of God, and His great power to save all of those whom He loves – without exception.

For a more in-depth treatment of the subject, see The Paradox of Free Will in the blog section.

ENDNOTES

¹Marilyn McCord Adams, an American philosopher and Episcopal priest specializing in the philosophy of religion, philosophical theology, and medieval philosophy. She was Professor of Historical Theology at Yale Divinity School and Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford.