The Sovereignty of God and Freewill of Man

The question of free will has been a never ending discussion by philosophers and ordinary everyday people for decades. In this paper I will be analyzing the case of Ethan couch, a 16 year old boy accused of manslaughter under the influence of alcohol, from the three different viewpoints of free will; a hard determinist, a compatibilist and a libertarian. Then I will discuss which view I agree best with under the specific conditions of this case.

The idea of predestination is not one that is so easily grasped. Many people have different ideas and understandings of what predestination is and what it looks like. Predestination is merely the concept that God already knows every decision a person makes before they make it, and that they are following a path laid before them. This is hard for people to accept, especially those who do not believe in any supreme ruler or being. John Boykin, Baylor graduate with his masters in Divinity and professor at all six Southern Baptist Seminary Extension Centers, puts the view

Paul addresses several issues that can been seen in today’s society. Taking from the scriptures we can see that Paul’s understanding of God’s plan for his people is very clear. If we look at how our own lives we can relate to these eight chapters in Romans that we can see they have just as much meaning in Paul’s time as they do today. The letters that Paul writes to the Roman’s seems they are harsh, but if we look at them closer we can see it is God’s plan given to Paul for his people to follow.

As time passes, the expectations that society has on women has changed. Many of these expectations had to be met for the woman to be ‘complete’ with her role in society. In Rowlandson’s time, her expectations were to be a housewife, a mother, and a religious follower. Rowlandson’s, “The sovereignty and Goodness of God” demonstrates the role she had when she was in the colonies and how that role changed as she became captive by the Natives. From her writings, one can infer her place at home and how that changed as she became captive.

God, of course, already knew what was in their hearts. The point is that their obedience or disobedience had to be proven in history.”

Throughout history, free will and religion are two concepts often interwoven together. For example, in cultures where religion is a huge influence in an individual’s daily life, one will choose to believe that one’s actions are already determined by an omniscient being. Contrary to this, cultures where religion is less of an influence tend to believe more in the concept of free-will. Fatalism is a concept often used in older literary texts, as it ties in with God’s will and His influence in people’s lives. Such is the case in the epic poem, Beowulf. The story’s protagonist must endure many trials throughout his journey as an epic hero, defeating his opponent each time. However, Beowulf believes it is not his own strength, but the will of God that he is able to become victorious. As his journey through life continues, from warrior to king, fatalism is present time and time again in all his actions. In Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf, the theme of fate dictates the outcome of each battle Beowulf must overcome in order to continue his journey as an epic hero, as seen before his fights with Grendel, the demon’s mother, and, most important of all, the battle with the dragon that fate decides is his last.

If humans are truly free, and God does not know the future with absolute certainty, then what does God know? Christians over the years have taken comfort in God knowing what will happen to them, what their future is. So should they just throw that all out the window and say God does not know the future with certainty

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.͟ Romans 8: 29-30 ͞You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.͟ John 15:16 " And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. " Acts 13:48 "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation." Jude 4 Arminianism- Jacobus Arminius was a student at the University of Geneva, a pastor in the Dutch Reformed Church and theology professor at the University of Leiden.

Throughout history people have questioned election. The question is whether people are predestined to be called to heaven and can not reject the Holy Spirit’s calling such as a John Calvin. Or do we have the free will to accept or deny the Holy Spirit’s calling into our lives such as James Arminius believed. Or is it something else just as Karl Barth or Augustine believed in. But for the purpose of this paper we will look at Calvinism and Arminius viewpoints and touch on the view points of other theologians throughout history to come up with an accurate conclusion of which of the two main theological ideas is most likely the case of election.

Seemingly, when first confronted over the issue of Free Will and Divine Foreknowledge, one tends to initially think that the two are incompatible and cannot co-exist. However in the Consolation, Boethius claims that both do exist and relate to each other, in a freeing yet also in a meaningful determined way.

Though knowledge is a communicable attribute of God, foreknowledge is the segment of it reserved for God alone, making it incommunicable. Surprisingly, it is not directly mentioned in the Old Testament, however the idea is clearly present in places such as Isaiah 46:10 and Daniel 2:28 (blueletterbible.com). The New Testament authors, particularly Paul, Peter, and Luke, were more concerned with the Christian application of this attribute. Paul, in the epistle to the Romans, brings it up in Romans 8:29, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to

Christians also often seem to have their minds so set on temporary earthly things, such as work, family, food, entertainment. ect., that they don’t have time for bible study, prayer and other spiritual disciplines. In this passage, Paul makes it clear that those who walk according to the spirit, have their minds set

This is the best description I could find after researching the issue. “The word "foreknowledge" has two meanings. It is a term used in theology to denote the prescience or foresight of God, that is, His knowledge of the entire course of events which are future from the human point of view; and it is also used in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) to translate the Greek words proginoskein and prognosis in the New Testament, in which instances the word "fore-knowledge" approaches closely the idea of fore- ordination.

One of the most controversial topics in the Christian community has been discussed over the centuries. If God is sovereign, where does man’s responsibility lay rest in it? If the bible confirms the sovereignty of God, then one must wonder how it relates to the human’s responsibility. John 24:17 states, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. One can take it to the extreme that free will presides and binds God into doing certain calls. The other side can take it to the extreme that God completely resides over everything so I don’t have to be obedient to him commanding me to proclaim the gospel and have a license to sin.

Those that align themselves with the predestination doctrine—as Sproul does— commonly promote the idea that the Apostle Paul intended “for all” to mean those that God predestined or elected to be saved. Furthermore, it is common for those in the predestination camp of thought to espouse that the elect do not have a choice in the matter—they are unable to accept or reject salvation. Apparently, God foreordained the