Thinking it Through - Part 2

I mentioned on Friday that my initial intention was to continue discussing Free Will vs. Sovereignty (predestination, whichever term you use). The classic stance is that you either have to believe that humans are free to choose or reject God, OR you have to believe that God chooses who will receive him before they even exist.

I have big problems with both of those stances when taken separately, and so I find myself more in the camp that believes both in human choice and in God choice. Let me start with my issue when you take Free Will to its final conclusion. In order for man to choose God there must be some volitional part of us that is capable, in and of itself, of doing good. What I must believe is that there is some part of me that desires God and, even more important, a part of me that is able to act on that desire. The problem arises in the multitude of Scripture that says there is no one who seeks God, no one who desires good, and Jesus himself said that no one will come to the Father unless he is first drawn by the Spirit.

So, it may seem clear then that it is God who chooses, and in that choosing sends His Spirit to woo us into relationship with Himself. There is no human choice, just a God choice, and He elects some to enter heaven. The problem here begins with the Scriptures that point out God's patience; that He longs for all to find salvation and none to enter into His wrath. Other problematic Scriptures include those that say how if we will confess Him as Lord and Believe on His name that we will be saved. But, my biggest problem is a touch more philosophical, and is grounded not in a particular passage but in the picture of God that I see painted by the entire Bible. I believe the Bible paints a picture of God as the loving Father and Creator of all. He knew everything that would happen before it did, and had a plan woven to account for all of these things before time existed. So, if I am going to take the position that God alone is responsible for who enters heaven and who does not I have to believe that He is a Creator who intentionally created things for the purpose of damning them. It would be like me choosing for one of my kids to receive my blessing and then torturing the other one for their entire life. One lives in the house and enjoys my love, the other I keep in the basement so no one can hear their screams.

It is hard even to contemplate such a thing... and I am an evil, heartless being compared to God. That makes it impossible for me to contemplate God as someone who would choose to create something merely for the purpose of torturing it for all eternity. And so, I am left with this understanding of Salvation (limited as it is due to my own limitations), in which God draws me to a point of decision, and then I choose to follow Him or to continue following myself. In the moment of my choosing He fills me with the faith I need to surrender my life to Him, and then I become His child and He begins a work on me that He will be faithful to complete.