Compatibilism Vs Calvinism

We talk about “doing” the will of God, but the will of God has much more to do with “being” than “doing”. It’s not about being in the right place at the right time; it’s about being the right person, even if you find yourself in the wrong circumstances (pg 30)”.

Compatibilism, in theory, is a world where everything is deterministic but accepts the fact that we have free will. David Hume summarized free will as, some actions are determined by internal interactions. Our internal thought process and physical needs are presumed to allow one to choose anything one may desire. He also stated that, other actions are determined by external constraints. Meaning the choices people make using

This world in which all human kind lives in is distorted and filled with sin but we are called to choose to not give in to the sin, to not conform to the work around us and prove our faith is stronger than our sinful desires. God does not control what we choose to do, he may put situations in ones lives that will test ones faith but the person themselves is in control of their fate and what will come from the challenge that lies ahead. Calvin states, “The Lord has still another reason for afflicting his children: to try their patience and to teach them obedience,” (Calvin, 52). God would not try a persons patience or teach them obedience if God knew exactly what would happen, because it is in those trials that he does not know what will

The consequences of accepting that the goodness of actions consists simply in the fact that God favours them are obviously disagreeable. However, the consequences of accepting the alternative also appear unfortunate. If it is maintained that God favours certain actions because they are objectively good, it seems that their goodness is independent of His will. But such a view appears to be inconsistent with the conception of God as the omnipotent creator and sustainer of all that is. It means that there is a realm of moral values which exist quite apart from God's creative will and to which His will must conform. Such a view must inevitably appear blasphemous to all those who believe in God, for it makes God out to be less than He is.

Compatibilism is the idea that determinism is true, every event in the world is caused, and that free will still exists. Stace defends this view by saying the problem is the definition of free will. The current definition of what free will is a completely and wholly uncaused action. However this obviously would be completely

Compatibilism, also known as soft determinism, is the position or view that causal determinism is true, but we still act as free, morally responsible agents. In the absence of external constraints, our actions are caused by our desires. W.T Stace, wanted to prove that the hard determinist definition of “free” was incorrect. He posed that free does not mean random, but that our acts are casually determined in a particular fashion. There must be a deterministic or causal connection between our will and our actions. This allows us to take responsibility for our actions, including credit for the good and blame for the bad.

Firstly, scripture has an essential role in the revelation of the doctrine of God, as it is an important part of one of the two methods by which he reveals himself to us, these two methods are general and special revelation. To begin, general revelation is the way in which God evokes his work and light in the nature of man, so that we may acknowledge his worth, as well as the beauty of his traits. This innate trait to recognize the beauty and order of nature is prearranged, so that no man can be excused for an ignorance of the Lord and his existence. In the word of God, it is affirmed, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). We are told that God has intentionally left a mark on us and the world, leaving a signature on all of his creations, so that we persistently ask questions about our creator and his plausible existence. The Lord deliberately created such a divine and natural order of the world,

That God decreed to leave some in the common misery and not to bestow on them living faith and the grace of conversion. Calvin also believes that God predestined everything for everything that it does, such that God predestined me to be writing this report right now for my religion class, so that this isn't my own free will but it was God's set plan for me. Zanchius, a Reform Theologian, writes that there is most certainly a double predestination and gives passages to prove through God's Word that there is no other way. II Cor. 4:3 "If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing." I Peter 2:8 "They stumble because they disobey the message-which is also what they were destined for." II Peter 2:12b "…They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish." Jude 1:4a "For certain men who were marked out for condemnation long ago have secretly slipped among you." He concludes his arguments by saying that God could not erase a name that has been placed in the book of life or add a name because it was from eternity. He quotes Luther with, "This is the very thing that razes the doctrine of free-will from its foundation, to wit, that God's eternal love of some men and hatred of others is immutable and cannot be reversed."

Contrary to a common secular belief, the Bible has been possibly the most influential book known to man. From wars to treaties, the range of influence for God’s Word has been too great to fully understand. In an attempt to try to understand some of the effects, how the book of Romans erupted the Protestant Reformation is an intriguing subject. There were other sources like St. Augustine’s works that contributed a lot to the Reformation efforts, but none were more impactful than the Word of God. The Reformation was a huge movement not only for Christians but also for non-Christians in the realms of politics, economics, and philosophy. These advancements could not have happened if not for the inspiration from Paul’s letter to the Roman church. The philosophy that accumulated around Romans was one of redemption, forgiveness, and faith. Thus, the thinkers behind the Protestant Reformation gained their confidence and their message to begin.

There has been an age-old disagreement on the sovereignty and providential power of God. It has always had two sides. The question to be asked is, “Am I a Calvinist or an Arminian?” Christians understand that the Lord is divine and He has written everything that pertains to life in His word. To deny a single word of the Lord is to deny one’s own Father in heaven who crafted them in his image.

In doing so, we can discover that final authority is not in and of scripture itself but of the Triune God who is the Author of scripture. The second obstacle to consider is that many have dismissed scripture as a book of Israelitic & Christian stories. Wright contends that these stories are told to inform us of “internal dynamics” of the past so as to engage us in the present for transformation into Christ-likeness. (p.25). Thirdly, Wright asserts that the question of scripture’s authority should not be viewed as a list of rules where God condescends to man. Rather, scripture should be received as God’s purpose to save and renew the entire world by authorizing the church—God’s agent in the world—with His mission through the work of the Holy Spirit. Thus, it is imperative that biblical scholars “see the role of scripture not simply as being [informative about or revelatory of God’s truth] but as a means of God’s action in and through us.” (p.28)

I believe that God knew before the foundation of the world who would be saved (1 Pet 1:2; Eph 1:4-5). Salvation is a gift (Eph 2:8 ) and as sinners we need to turn from our sin (Acts 3:19). We can accept that gift by believing in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31). The gift is Christ taking on our sins for us and being a substitute for us (1 Pet 3:18). This gift is eternal and our salvation can not be taken away (Rom

It is so because the open theists’ claim that God does not absolutely and infallibly know which possibilities will be actualized insinuate that God’s response to a particular situation is dependent upon the actual outcome not predetermined but determined by the exercise of free will. In other words, God changes his plan for us in corresponds to the choices we make. It is more likely that such an objection to divine immutability posed by open theism is rooted in an inadequate understanding of the classical view on immutability staunchly defended in the patristic theology. That aside, it is appropriate to consult what the Scripture has to say about open theism in light of the biblical

This paper will approach each aspect of God Divine decrees, from a biblical standpoint and His plan of salvation. The working of God’s plan includes three periods in time:

In order to justify an all-inclusive salvation, Universalist use the first chapter of Colossians to argue that God’s intention is to reconcile all things, in heaven and earth, to Him (Col. 1:20). Erwin Lutzer warns that Universalists’ interpretations are seriously lacking and