Is Predestination Unfair? (Part I)

Is Predestination Unfair? (Part I)

Pre-Ramble

If you’re struggling with the idea that Jesus is the only way, otherwise known as, “the particularity of the gospel,” this article may not be for you. It contains the “secret sauce” of who gets saved and how, which absolutely cannot be revealed until after you’ve become a Christian. Just kidding. Jesus and the writers of the New Testament spoke of the “sauce” openly and often. Words like, “predestination,” “elect,” “born again”, and “chosen” are all bible words, even though they give lots of Christians the willies, not to mention folks outside the Church. If you’re one of those people, we hope you’ll give us a fair hearing — we’re not here to beat up on anyone who differs from us; we’re merely seeking to engage respectfully. At least we’ve tried to do that; but, as always, remember our motto: “We purport, you deride.”

Please also keep in mind that we’re not seeking to convince the reader that predestination or its alternative (Arminianism) is taught by the bible, although PROOFs and SPOOFs is thoroughly convinced predestination is a true and fully biblical doctrine. We trust that you’ve reached or will reach your own conclusion on that, after careful study of the scriptures.

Instead, our narrower goal is to show that the doctrine of predestination is actually fairer than autonomous human agency in salvation (Arminianism), which we’re persuaded is far more deterministic than generally assumed. So, in four successive posts, we’ll do that by 1) introducing the topic and defining our terms; 2) explaining why this debate even matters; 3) examining what free will is and what it isn’t; and finally, 4) demonstrating that predestination is actually superior in fairness than the Arminian alternative.

Part I: Is Predestination Unfair?

Predestination, or God’s predetermination of who gets saved and who doesn’t, remains a minority doctrinal position within the American church, despite its solid scriptural foundation. “Many are called, but few are chosen,” Jesus says. Yet, for many, if not most inside and outside the church, the idea that people won’t choose God unless God has first chosen them can be shockingly elitist and offensive, since everyone deserves a “fair chance.”

Most American denominations and congregants adhere instead to the notion that God grants all people a “free will” to choose Him or not, holding that “free will” preserves human dignity, in addition to maintaining God’s impartiality, by affording every person the privilege of determining his or her own eternal destiny. Christians who embrace such self-determination as regards salvation frequently characterize it as being fairer and more just than predestination.

Doctrinally, these “free will” Christians are known as, “Arminians;” they are the modern day adherents of Jacobus Arminius, a 17th century preacher who rejected predestination, as was espoused by Reformation leaders Martin Luther and John Calvin, among others.

Calvinists, the believers in predestination, argue that “free will” is illusory, because no one would ever choose to trust and obey God due to a universal spiritual deadness and inborn hostility toward God, a consequence of Adam’s fall. Thus, say Calvinists, apart from God overcoming and reorienting an unbeliever’s will, he or she has no hope of eternal life.

Calvinists insist that no one can be saved unless God has decided — before a person is even born — to save them. God’s pre-determination is referred to in scripture as “election.” In addition, those God has elected, or chosen to save, must be saved: these elect persons are in fact unable to resist God’s call. Jesus puts it this way: “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37; my emphasis) This tenet of Calvinism is appropriately known as, “irresistible grace.”

Astoundingly, in the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul asserts that God had already chosen every single person on earth to be saved among those who have ever lived or will live before He had even created the heavens and earth: “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will . . .” (Ephesians 1: 4-5)

Indeed, before the cosmos began, the fix was in for you and me; although, of course, we are not privy to who God does or does not save, and thus, should never assume any one to be beyond God’s mercy.

That divine predestination rankles Americans as a whole and even American Christians isn’t surprising. American culture is deeply ingrained with a confidence in the power of the human will to accomplish any feat or overcome any obstacle. America is culturally Arminian to the core. So, American religiosity naturally favors belief in the individual’s capacity and right to determine his or her eternal destiny. In short, Arminianism passes the American philosophical “smell” test, given that we are a culture deeply rooted in individual liberty and the autonomous self. It would actually be quite surprising if the deterministic doctrines of predestination and irresistible grace were not anathema to most Americans.

By now, you may be asking yourself, “How is this arcane controversy even remotely relevant to me, an above-average Christian or skeptic?” (All readers of PROOFs and SPOOFs are at least somewhat above average . . .) “I’m just trying to, keep on, keepin’ on,” you’re thinking, “and we can sort this all out in heaven some day — but not today; we’re having mac and cheese for dinner.”

Good question. So, before we get too far into why predestination is fairer than the competition, we’ll attempt to explain why this debate matters to you, the mac and cheese-eating above-average reader. We’ll get to that in our very next post, which will be up shortly. Thanks for reading, and see you soon.