“In his omniscience, God foreknew the evil actions of the ignorant conspirators. In his wisdom, God used their foolish actions—actions for which they are morally responsible—to bring about the salvation of those who are lost and hopeless. In his love the Father sends and the Son becomes incarnate.” — Forsaken: The Trinity and the Cross, and Why It Matters by Thomas H. McCall
… which is in direction opposition to Acts 4:27-28, “for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”
This is not to say that the Bible teaches a ‘hard determinism.’ The Bible teaches ‘theological compatibilism.’ Theological compatibilism is the view that absolute divine sovereignty (God determining all events) is consistent with human freedom and moral responsibility. It argues that humans are free to act according to their desires, even if those desires and actions are pre-ordained by God.
This position highlights the harmony between two biblical truths that appear in tension: God’s exhaustive sovereignty and genuine human agency/moral responsibility. Also It avoids the misconception that people are robots or puppets. It aligns with the Biblical truth which affirms the decree of God while protecting human responsibility and God’s use of second causes. It also ensures that we don’t make God the author of sin.
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