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THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD THE SALVATION OF MAN Ratio Christi Texas A&M

IMPORTANCE Is God sovereign over all things? Does God know the future?Does God know the future? What role, if any, does human free will play in salvation?

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY God exhaustively knows all thingsGod exhaustively knows all things God is in control of all thingsGod is in control of all things God is free from all thingsGod is free from all things God is holy and righteous in all thingsGod is holy and righteous in all things

GOD KNOWS ALL THINGS God exhaustively knows the present Psalm 33:13-15Psalm 33:13-15 God exhaustively knows the future Isaiah 46:10Isaiah 46:10 1 Peter 1:201 Peter 1:20 God exhaustively knows things involving other agents Hebrews 4:13Hebrews 4:13 Psalm 147:5Psalm 147:5 “His understanding“His understanding is infinite”is infinite”

GOD IS IN CONTROL OF ALL THINGS God meticulously controls the big things Psalm 135:6Psalm 135:6 God meticulously controls the little things Proverbs 16:33Proverbs 16:33 Matthew 10:29-30Matthew 10:29-30 God meticulously controls events involving other agents Genesis 50:20Genesis 50:20 Acts 2:23Acts 2:23

GOD IS FREE FROM ALL THINGS Aseity: God is self-existent and independent Contra Platonism which posits an infinite amount of self-existent abstract objects John 1:3, Colossians 1:16John 1:3, Colossians 1:16

GOD IS HOLY IN ALL THINGS If God is sovereign, how is there evil in the world? God is pure and holyGod is pure and holy 1 John 1:51 John 1:5 God is not the source of our temptations James 1:13-15James 1:13-15 God’s relationship to evil is one of permission Mark 5:12-13 (demons)Mark 5:12-13 (demons) Matthew 19:7-8 (divorce)Matthew 19:7-8 (divorce)

HUMAN FREEDOM Contingency - certain things could have been otherwise Conditionality - some contingent choices are placed before humans Counterfactuality - statements detailing the outcome of contingent choices, even those not made (if…were…would)

CONTINGENCY Things could have been otherwiseThings could have been otherwise God rejects Saul as kingGod rejects Saul as king 1 Samuel 13: Samuel 13:13-14 Elisha’s prophecy to King JosiahElisha’s prophecy to King Josiah 2 Kings 13:192 Kings 13:19 Relationship to sin is contingentRelationship to sin is contingent “Was it not under your control?” - Acts 5:4 Escape from temptation is always available - 1 Corinthians 10:13

CONDITIONALITY Scripture is replete with conditional prophecies, promises, and threats If my people… - 2 Chronicles 7:14 If you are willing… - Isaiah 1:19-20 If that nation…- Jeremiah 18:8-10

COUNTERFACTUALS A conditional in the subjunctive mood which is contrary to fact and expresses a truth about the actual world Example: If I were to drink this poison, then I would die. Scripture regularly employs counterfactuals 1 Samuel 13:13-14, 23: Samuel 13:13-14, 23:10-13 Jeremiah 38:17-18Jeremiah 38:17-18 Matthew 11:21-23Matthew 11:21-23

FOREKNOWLEDGE, ELECTION, AND PREDESTINATION Romans 8:28-30Romans 8:28-30 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 1 Peter 1:1-21 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Ephesians 2:1-10Ephesians 2:1-10 …in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing;it is the gift of God, not a result of works,so that no one may boast. John 6:44John 6:44 No man comes to me unless the Father who sent me draws himNo man comes to me unless the Father who sent me draws him

THE CALVINIST SOLUTION Man is totally depraved, controlled by sin God unconditionally elects individuals God’s grace is irresistable and He sends it only to the elect Foreknowledge is what God wills to be the future

DISCUSSION - CALVINISM

CALVINIST WEAKNESSES Struggles with God’s relationship to sin viz. deterministic sovereignty Problem of the “well-meant offer” View of election struggles with double predestination

THE ARMINIAN SOLUTION Humans are sinful but not totally depraved God elects a corporate body (the Church); whoever chooses to be a member is predestined God gives “previenent grace” which enables everyone to make a choice Foreknowledge is “looking down the corridors of time” to see what will happen

DISCUSSION ARMINIANISM

ARMINIAN WEAKNESSES Struggles with a weak view of God’s sovereignty Simple foreknowledge struggles with making God “guess” Struggles with synergismStruggles with synergism Election is a “fifth wheel” i.e. causally irrelevant

THE MOLINIST SOLUTION: MIDDLE KNOWLEDGE Middle Knowledge is the part of God’s knowledge between His natural knowledge (what could happen) and free knowledge (what will happen) Contains the truth of what possible creatures would do if they were in certain circumstances

THE MOLINIST SOLUTION Man is not as bad as possible but unable to choose God God selects individuals according to middle knowledge God overcomes the elect’s resistance; permits the non- elect to continue in rebellion Foreknowledge is exhaustive knowledge of future

DISCUSSION - MOLINISM

MOLINIST WEAKNESSES Grounding ObjectionGrounding Objection “How does God know what people would do?”

QUESTIONS?