Free Will Research Paper
PREDESTINATION AND FREE WILL
Predestination does not interrupt free will. Actually the two go hand in hand. Our God is such a loving God that through his divine will he gave us free will. God did not predestine anyone to salvation or damnation. He has the Divine foreknowledge of who will live a righteous life and who will follow the path to damnation. Knowing this, He gave us the option to choose our path in life, therefore, placing our salvation in the decisions that we choose throughout our lives. Christians believe“16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”1 This is why we are called Christians due to Christ. God gave the ultimate sacrifice …show more content…
Adam’s fall from God’s grace resulted in humanity’s fall as well, thereby removing the gift of free will, leaving humanity totally dependent upon God’s “merciful grace”. Free will to make righteous choices throughout one’s life is not a consideration. He centers his belief around grace not free will because he believed that none of humanity deserved redeeming and it is only through God’s grace that some are predestined for salvation. Only the elect will receive God’s grace and salvation and no one knows the number or names of the elect but God himself. In other words man does not need any type of religious order, because, according to Augustine, we are to live throughout our lives hoping that we are one of the “elected” that God decides to “grace” with exaltation. …show more content…
John Calvin, however, sermonized on double predestination. He stated that “out of the common multitude of men some should be predestined to salvation, others to destruction.”5 According to Calvin double predestination is when God predestines humanity to salvation and also to damnation. He believes that not only does God predestine the elect to receive his grace and know Christ for an eternity, but he also predestines those he will not allow to know Christ and sentence them to eternal suffering. His deduction for this belief, as was Augustine’s, was Adams fall from grace. Calvin expounds on the belief that God only creates perfection, thereby, Adam created in God’s image, was created perfectly. However, through Adam’s gracious gift of free will, Adam chose unwisely and “since in Adam all are sinners, deserving of eternal death, it is obvious that nothing but sin will be found in men”6 causing the whole of humanity to suffer the loss of God’s grace. In other words, Calvin’s view is God does not condemn man to damnation; man condemned himself through God’s grace and free will. Calvin believes that humanity does not deserve God’s grace and it is not for us to reason why or how God decides who receives redemption and who
Predestination does not interrupt free will. Actually the two go hand in hand. Our God is such a loving God that through his divine will he gave us free will. God did not predestine anyone to salvation or damnation. He has the Divine foreknowledge of who will live a righteous life and who will follow the path to damnation. Knowing this, He gave us the option to choose our path in life, therefore, placing our salvation in the decisions that we choose throughout our lives. Christians believe“16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”1 This is why we are called Christians due to Christ. God gave the ultimate sacrifice …show more content…
Adam’s fall from God’s grace resulted in humanity’s fall as well, thereby removing the gift of free will, leaving humanity totally dependent upon God’s “merciful grace”. Free will to make righteous choices throughout one’s life is not a consideration. He centers his belief around grace not free will because he believed that none of humanity deserved redeeming and it is only through God’s grace that some are predestined for salvation. Only the elect will receive God’s grace and salvation and no one knows the number or names of the elect but God himself. In other words man does not need any type of religious order, because, according to Augustine, we are to live throughout our lives hoping that we are one of the “elected” that God decides to “grace” with exaltation. …show more content…
John Calvin, however, sermonized on double predestination. He stated that “out of the common multitude of men some should be predestined to salvation, others to destruction.”5 According to Calvin double predestination is when God predestines humanity to salvation and also to damnation. He believes that not only does God predestine the elect to receive his grace and know Christ for an eternity, but he also predestines those he will not allow to know Christ and sentence them to eternal suffering. His deduction for this belief, as was Augustine’s, was Adams fall from grace. Calvin expounds on the belief that God only creates perfection, thereby, Adam created in God’s image, was created perfectly. However, through Adam’s gracious gift of free will, Adam chose unwisely and “since in Adam all are sinners, deserving of eternal death, it is obvious that nothing but sin will be found in men”6 causing the whole of humanity to suffer the loss of God’s grace. In other words, Calvin’s view is God does not condemn man to damnation; man condemned himself through God’s grace and free will. Calvin believes that humanity does not deserve God’s grace and it is not for us to reason why or how God decides who receives redemption and who