Rather Than Eradicate, Election Emancipates the Will.

I have found the ministry of the Christian Research Institute more than helpful over the years.  The founder, Dr. Walter Martin was truly a gifted and effective apologist.   My admiration continues for Hank Hanegraaff who has carried the work further, even on to the daily broadcast entitled: The Bible Answer Man.   There is so much investigative and informative work that Hanegraaff does that is of great assistance to the Church, but woven in many of his answers to sincere enquirers includes a presupposition that I find disturbing.    Here's an example of part of a dialogue:

"God creates people, in such a way they can respond to the wooing of the Spirit or reject that.  If that were the case love would be rendered meaningless.  It would be forced.  It would be predicted with a certainty that could not be changed . . . we love Him because we desire to love Him." [1]

Now that quote has a mix of Truth and error.   There are also some presuppositions that are not readily obvious to the reader.  Hank brings to his understanding a refusal to accept the biblical teaching of unconditional Divine election of the redeemed.  By "unconditional" I mean that the Bible teaches that there were no indicators, no meritorious acts or decisions that motivated God to choose a people for Himself and give them to His Son.  The presupposition that Hanegraaff weaves into his answers is this: If God predetermines who will be saved, then the elect offer to God a meaningless, forced and irrelevant affection.

Hanegraaff like multitudes of others who hang their hat in the Arminian camp; the semi-Pelagian stronghold, have this erroneous view that Divine election produces robots.  Now my intent is not to attack Hanegraaff.  I find his ministry helpful and edifying.   He like a plethora of others makes the faulty assumption that for God to predestine whom will be saved (“And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48, ESV), that assumes God robs them, if not does violence to their will.

It is an illogical contradiction to assume that election eliminates human volition.

The grace of God frees the will, it does not eradicate the will.   “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” (Ephesians 2:5, ESV).  The logical conclusion to any system of theology that promotes the notion that God is standing before unbelieving mankind, offering saving grace, if they will but choose it, is this: no one would be saved.  Again, as I often do, I turn with tongue-in-cheek to that great Arminian hymn writer, Charles Wesley, who wrote:

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Mr. Hanegraaff and all of like mind need to know that those who are given to the Son, by the Father, will come – and they will come willingly, gleefully, happily and without reservation.  They will come because for the first time in their lives they are free from the bondage of sin and the blight of evil.  They will come because for the first time in their lives they see a Treasure so vast and so magnificent that they will sell all to have Him (Matthew 13:44).

Perdition is designed for those who want, to not want God.  Heaven is designed for those who want to want God.  Predestination does not violate that at all.   The whole notion that Divine predestination creates a mass of humanity, kicking and screaming, as they are pulled reluctantly into Heaven is a travesty of Biblical understanding.  “Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.” (Psalm 110:3, ESV).

David exclaimed: “I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart [Or for you set my heart free]!” (Psalm 119:32, ESV).   

 

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[1] http://streaming.integrationworks.com:3000/archive/BAM20160114.mp3