DETERMINISM/COMPATIBILISM/OMNICAUSALITY, ARMINIANISM & THE STRUGGLE AND VICTORY MOTIF

DETERMINISM/ COMPATIBILISM/ OMNICAUSALITY

Determinism is the belief that all things were predestined before creation. It goes to the full extent, to say that if I wave my hand in the air, God determined I would do that. Everything, no matter how big or small, up to and including the choosing of Christ as savior was determined by God before the earth was even created.

Compatibilism is simply a redefinition of free will. It simply says that free will is an interaction between people, so a person cannot force another person to do anything, but supernatural or earthly forces can. It is Determinism for all intents and purposes, but allows for choices to be made in personal situations. For purposes of salvation, I would deduce, that Compatibilists believe that their salvation was predetermined as it requires supernatural interaction.

Omnicausality is like clockmaker theory. It says that God is not only the determiner of all things, but that He is the cause of all things. Not only does He choose who does what, but by His omnipotence, He set into motion all events before the dawn of time and is simply watching to see (and to prove in the heavenly realms) the outcome of what He has caused to happen. What is interesting is that this theory does not necessarily imply that God chose anyone for salvation, but simply that He caused it to happen,   by what He set into action. It is also incompatible with God’s timelessness.

ARMINIANISM

First of all, Arminian theology has nothing to do with Armenians or the country of Armenia. It comes from 16^th century theologian Jacobus Arminius. Arminianism does not so much tackle the subject of free will, except where it relates to salvation. Armenianism says that man cannot make any effort to become saved. All the effort is made by God Himself. Salvation requires acceptance, which is conditional upon faith. God allows man to choose to have or not to have faith, thereby giving man the deciding factor over faith without negating God’s sovereignty over salvation.

THE STRUGGLE AND VICTORY MOTIF

This theory is focused on human causality of suffering. It doesn’t so much take a role in salvation; rather all mankind is part of the war on evil. As we experience suffering as a result of sin, we are strengthened in faith. It basically says that whether we are saved or not, we will struggle with the effects of sin in the world. Since the purpose is to strengthen our faith, it likewise should lead us to an understanding of sin, resulting in a choosing of salvation. In essence, that we are called to Christ because of suffering.

CONCLUSION

The issue of freewill over predestination is clearly not something we should form a solid doctrine on, since there are numerous educated refutations of all theories; certainly, there is wisdom in pondering the hidden things of God. For this reason, I won’t disclose my perspective at this time. I would leave you with this thought: if the Determinists are right, then your choosing of Christ was predetermined and you are going to heaven. If the Armenianists are right, then the Determinists, still better choose Christ or they will not be going to heaven.

Image Credits: luci, sxc.hu

Chosen But Free: A Balanced View of Divine Election
By Norman Geisler / Bethany House

The debate between Calvinism and Arminianism, between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, continues to be discussed through the Christian church. It is an issue that has immense influence on how a believer relates to prayer, evangelism, and other Christian responsibilities.