Book Review - Chosen But Free

I come from a Christian high school, where debating over theology was an everyday occurrence. Many times the debate of Calvinism versus Arminianism would come up, and no conclusion could ever be made. Will there ever be a unanimous decision in regards to God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility? I do not believe that this will occur until Christ comes and explains this to us. However, I do believe that Norman Geisler’s book Chosen But Free is an excellent example of combining these two truths, and explaining them according to the Scriptures.

I agree with what Geisler says on page 140 of his book. He basically argues that love is not and cannot be irresistible. He states “God is love, and true love never forces itself on anyone, either externally or internally. Forced love is a contradiction in terms” (Geisler, 140). Go back to when God created the world. He created Adam and Eve to be free creatures, so that they could choose to worship God from their own accord. If these people did not have a free will, we would not have the story of the Bible. All men would be dolls in God’s play house. They would not have the image of God, they would not be given a job in the Garden, and they would not be given a choice to obey or disobey God. Therefore, to say that God uses his “irresistible love” to save his creatures appears to disagree with his nature.

Geisler made another important point that caught my eye. At high school, the students were known for being either Calvinists or Arminians. There was not an issue of Calvinists not loving Arminians or vice versa, but there was some sort of separation. However, the debate is not as clear cut as it seems. On page 158, Geisler states that God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are not in contradiction with one another. We may not completely understand how they relate, but they do not contradict. The only statement in direct opposition to God’s sovereignty is “God is not sovereign.” Likewise, the only statement in direct opposition to man’s responsibility is “Man is not responsible.” Neither one of the statements in quotes is from scripture. In fact, they are in direct opposition to scripture. Stating “man is responsible” is not in direct opposition to “God is sovereign.”

This brings me to the last point. As Geisler eloquently pointed out on page 158, we are arguing over a difference in perspectives. If we look from the perspective of God, he is completely sovereign. He sees what will happen and choses it to be so. From man’s perspective, man is completely free and choses to live howsoever he pleases. While this may not make complete sense, it may be better for the Christian to place it in the same category as some other points in the Bible. Take, for example, the presence of the Trinity. How can there be three persons in one God-head? Another theological point of confusion is the incarnation. How can Christ be completely God and completely man? In the same way, this too, while it does not make complete sense as to how it fits together, it does fit as it is presented in scripture.

Geisler, N.L., (2010). Chosen But Free (3^rd edition). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House Publishers.

Reaching the Community

The Calvinist tradition of worship is considered a very traditional, Presbyterian, frozen chosen worship. In their tradition, the pastor is a teaching elder, who speaks the truth of the word to the congregation. The emphasis within the church is discipleship for its members, and not as much reaching out into the community. The worship is reflective and very conservative, consisting of mostly hymns. I went to a church like this my freshman year of college, and there is a problem with this system. I love the Presbyterian beliefs and doctrine; however, if the church spends too much time looking into doctrine during worship instead of a new life found in Christ, non-believers will not be reached when they go to that church. I had gone to an Orthodox Presbyterian church. The people there were some of the nicest people that I had ever met, but the church itself was dead. For the whole year I attended, I never saw the church grow in numbers, or try to reach out to the community, or preach a sermon on the saving power of Christ, or vary their music to reach more people. It was a church for the members, not for the outsiders. If someone were even to come late to the service, it seemed that they would be looked down upon by the congregation.  

            If this type of church were to apply their passion for God and truth in the lives of others who were not Christians, the church would be doing a better job of reaching out into the community. Christian love should not only be given to others in the “Christian club.” If the church applied more of a Lutheran form of worship, teaching to the common man and not focusing so much on tradition, the church would probably reach more people. Luther believed in using songs that many people knew, and changing the words to something that related to theology to teach the message of the saving life in Christ. In this form of worship, Luther was recognizing that the world needs to be reached, not just the church itself. If that church that I went to for my freshman year, and other churches like it, started to apply more of this principle of reaching out into the community, they could better follow the Great Commission, and reach out to the lost in their area. Doctrine can still be incorporated into the sermon, but the emphasis and point of each sermon should relate back to Christ and the salvation we find in him. As it says in Matthew 28:19-20, ^“therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

            Christian brothers and sisters, let us try to reach the world and not just keep the good news to ourselves!

Testimony and Salvation Story

When I was little, I was told that my position with God was not the way it should be. Basically, God, the creator of the whole universe, had originally made all mankind innocent from evil, but he had a free will to chose to do evil if he so desired. One day, man decided to reject God and live according to his own rules. As his punishment, God let the world become the way it would with men ruling themselves – full of evil and death. But God decided he would save man from this state of separation from Him. So he sent down his son – Jesus Christ – to live a perfect life in man’s place, and die for man’s evil actions (sins), and rise again from the dead so that men could live with God after they died. When my parents told me that Christ had done all of that for me, I had a strong desire to be a Christian – a follower of Jesus Christ. How could I not accept such an amazing offer from such a loving God? So, at the age of six, I did. Since this day, I have been living for God in everything I do. I do not live perfectly. That is why Christ lived a perfect life in my place. Despite my imperfection, I want to give my life for the one who died for me.

The same offer stands for you. Will you accept it?

New Semeter

"Now, begin the work and the LORD be with you." I Chronicles 22:16b