The question surrounding God’s sovereignty has prompted the great Arminian-Calvinist debate. (1) Does God predetermine our choices, or do we have free will, and thus, full accountability for our decisions?
The Arminian position is that Christ’s atonement is sufficient for all but effective only for those who choose to believe. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive…” (1 John 1:9). And “… whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Calvinists believe that God, in His sovereignty, has predestined certain individuals to be saved. “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you…” (John 15:16) And “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4)
A. W. Tozer rises above the debate in a chapter on the Sovereignty of God. (2) He suggests our time on earth is like a cruise from New York to London. Passengers are free to move about the boat to eat, sleep, work and play, but all will end up disembarking at the destination at the end of the journey.
A. W. Tozer writes, “Our choice is our own, but the consequences of our choices have already been determined by the sovereign will of God, and from this, there is no appeal.”
The fact is that at birth, we arrive on planet Earth. We travel on “Starship Earth” until our expiration date. While on earth we can choose how to live…all within God’s sovereign permissive will. Daily we and fellow travelers make choices for good or evil. We can choose to make a difference or be indifferent, but the limits of our behavior are on planet earth. Of course, we are instructed and encouraged to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
MissionNext is a place to find assignments that allow you to press on and make a difference in your journey. The reward is great.
Register and login at MissionNext to discover scores of options that are a surprisingly good fit for you. It is a safe place to explore.
(1) Calvinism-vs-Arminianism
(2) A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, Chapter 22, The Sovereignty of God. Link to download entire book, now in the public domain.
The Arminian position is that Christ’s atonement is sufficient for all but effective only for those who choose to believe. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive…” (1 John 1:9). And “… whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Calvinists believe that God, in His sovereignty, has predestined certain individuals to be saved. “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you…” (John 15:16) And “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4)
A. W. Tozer rises above the debate in a chapter on the Sovereignty of God. (2) He suggests our time on earth is like a cruise from New York to London. Passengers are free to move about the boat to eat, sleep, work and play, but all will end up disembarking at the destination at the end of the journey.
A. W. Tozer writes, “Our choice is our own, but the consequences of our choices have already been determined by the sovereign will of God, and from this, there is no appeal.”
(Hebrews 9:27)“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.(KJV)”
The fact is that at birth, we arrive on planet Earth. We travel on “Starship Earth” until our expiration date. While on earth we can choose how to live…all within God’s sovereign permissive will. Daily we and fellow travelers make choices for good or evil. We can choose to make a difference or be indifferent, but the limits of our behavior are on planet earth. Of course, we are instructed and encouraged to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
(Hebrews 12:1)“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus …”
MissionNext is a place to find assignments that allow you to press on and make a difference in your journey. The reward is great.
(Mark 10:28-30)“So Jesus answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time – houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions – and in the age to come, eternal life.”
Register and login at MissionNext to discover scores of options that are a surprisingly good fit for you. It is a safe place to explore.
(1) Calvinism-vs-Arminianism
(2) A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, Chapter 22, The Sovereignty of God. Link to download entire book, now in the public domain.
