As Satan Watches

Before the foundations of the world, was I predestined to give my life to God? Or was I in complete control of my decisions, my fate, which lead me to choose God? Queries such as these are the very type asked throughout history by not only by the founding fathers of the Christian faith but also by current theologians. The battle of the will has drawn stark white lines between denominations and close friends. Nevertheless, few choose to accurately examine what they are debating in depth and tend to have shallow understanding of the issue. Steeped not only in theology, this dispute is also based in history and has applications to daily life. In the end it is up to each man and woman to make their own educated choice upon which side they take. What is imperative is that Christians do not fight each other but come together to worship one God and fight one enemy.

Theology of free will and predestination is neither basic nor complex. Asking whether we have a will, seems as though it would be simple to answer. However, it is in the answer that the intricacies begin to stem. Before answers are allowed to be given, definitions must first be offered. First, what is freewill and what is predestination? Freewill, defined by David Bennett, is the ability to accept or reject Gods plan for salvation. In contrast, predestination is that God chose to save certain people.

The clash begins at the very beginning of the world. For some, the foundation is the first flaw to predestination, for proof they point to verses such as Genesis 1:31, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (NIV). Everything God created was entirely good, how than did sin enter the world? Freewill retorts concisely that man chose sin, and our freewill is the vehic...

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Works Cited

Bennett, David. "Predestined for Free Will." Free Will VS Predestination. 2004. Web. 12 Mar. 2011

Genesis. New International Version. Colorado Springs: Biblica, 2011. Print.

Lutzer, Erwin W. The Doctrines That Divide: a Fresh Look at the Historic Doctrines That Separate Christians. Second ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998. 165. Print.

Lutzer, Erwin W. The Doctrines That Divide: a Fresh Look at the Historic Doctrines That Separate Christians. Second ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998. 168-169. Print.

Sproul, R. C. "Augustine and Pelagius." Leadership University. Leadership U, 14 July 2002. Web. 12 Mar. 2011.

Romans. New International Version. Colorado Springs: Biblica, 2011. Print.

Ritchie, Mark S. "Story of the Church - Augustine and the Pelagian Controversy." Ritchie Family Home Page. 1999. Web. 13 Mar. 2011