by Matthew Dearden

Created on: May 18, 2009

In the constant debate over free will there seems to be no clear answer. Whatever position one takes, it is bound to be derailed at some point along the line by somebody. Speaking in these terms, this paper is already doomed to fail. However, I will attempt to put my feeble mind to the task of understanding this predicament to the best of my ability. We must first look at Scripture, for there are some things that are simply non-negotiable. First, God is completely sovereign over everything he has created. Second, God holds us, in some way or another, responsible for every one of our actions. From that point on, it's anyone's game.

Determinists like Calvin point out that God is completely sovereign as well. In his sovereignty, God is either the direct or indirect cause of everything. He is omniscient, so he knows everything that has happened, that is happening, and that will happen. As a result, he knows what I will do ten minutes from now, and I can never choose anything other than that because in choosing, I would cause God to hold a false belief. Calvin asserts that we still have freedom to act, just not freedom to choose. We act because God has put the desire in our heart to act that way. Consequently, there is no metaphysical freedom involved. We are not the sole cause of our actions, and we do not really have options that we are choosing from. Although there are several scriptures that seem to support this position (Jeremiah 10:23, Psalm 139:1-4), I believe the Bible as a whole teaches something far different. I will present four arguments for my position.

First, God has given us all we need in the Bible for life and godliness. We are guaranteed to be in God's will if we follow the Bible. If any source contradicts the Bible in any way we can automatically disregard it. Further, if someone tells us that we need to do or need to believe something that is not laid out in the Bible, we should disregard that as well. God created us in his image, and gave us the Bible to follow and understand; consequently, we do not have to rely only on teachers to understand the Bible - we are able to understand it ourselves. God also created us as thinking creatures, able to analyze and understand our situation to some extent. Much of the New Testament is made up of commands: do not steal, live in harmony with others, live in peace, be joyful, and don't grumble. In our understanding, we see that these commands imply action, and action implies

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