In my last post, I examined the philosophical question of whether libertarian free will is a logical impossibility. Although it is certainly possible to choose and act in accordance with one’s inner desires, which is the compatibilist view of ‘free will,’ the libertarian view of free will - which is that, given any decision, there is the legitimate possibility of choosing otherwise - is neither compatible with determinism nor indeterminism (due to the “luck problem”) and is therefore impossible. (For a more detailed explanation, see my earlier post “Can free will exist?”)
However, another question, which is just as important, is what exactly does the Bible teach about the topic of determinism and compatibilist vs. libertarian free will? Does it teach that, given any decision, there is the legitimate possibility that one could have chosen otherwise (libertarian free will), or that although our decisions are made in accord with our inner desires, they are ultimately determined (determinism/compatibilist free will)? And is our salvation also predestined by God? In this series of posts on the topic of determinism and free will in the Bible, we will examine these questions and more.
Theological Determinism: Is everything predetermined?
Even among those who affirm a belief in monergism (the view that salvation is a unilateral act of God), Christians are divided on whether the sovereignty of God extends to absolutely all events (the view known as “theological determinism”), or whether there is any amount of indeterminism in the universe. But it is my belief that theological determinism is indeed true - that every event is entirely the result of causes which came before it, leading back to the creation of the world, such that all things that take place are ultimately part of God’s sovereign plan. There is nothing in the history of the universe that has taken place apart from the providential will of God.
There are multiple lines of evidence in scripture which lead to this conclusion. For example, God demonstrates His absolute foreknowledge of the future many times throughout the Bible (e.g., 1 Sam. 23:10-12, Ps. 139:4, Isa. 42:9, Jer. 1:5, Acts 2:23, 1 Pet. 1:2). Yet if God knows every future event, which necessarily includes the choices which humans will make, this means that there is only one possible future - which is exactly the claim made by theological determinism. Furthermore, if the future choices of human beings are perfectly known by God, it is not legitimately possible to choose otherwise than one will choose, and therefore libertarian free will must be false [1].
Although there are other scripture-based logical arguments that demonstrate theological determinism to be true, this doctrine is also taught directly in scripture. See the following passages:
“Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My plan will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’” (Isa. 46:9-10 NASB)
The statement that “the end” can be known from “the beginning” (or, in a bit of Hebrew synonymous parallelism, that those things which “have not been done” can be known “from ancient times”) might be represented in more philosophical terms as saying that, given perfect knowledge of the initial state, the final state may be known. Yet this is exactly the claim made by determinism. Therefore, this passage actually teaches theological determinism directly. And since libertarian free will definitionally excludes determinism, we may conclude that the Bible does not teach the existence of free will.
Now, it could be objected that just because that one passage appears to teach determinism over against free will doesn’t mean that the Bible as a whole teaches determinism (although this objection would throw the law of biblical non-contradiction, and thus scriptural infallibility, entirely out the window). However, though Isa. 46:10 is one of the clearest deterministic passages of scripture, there are far, far more passages that teach that determinism is true. For example,
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from Yahweh. (Prov. 16:33)
This demonstrates that even seemingly random events, like the casting of lots, are predetermined by God. Thus, any indeterminism in the universe is merely apparent; even that, too, is determined by Yahweh.
...in [Christ] also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of the [One] working the all things according to the purpose of His will. (Eph. 1:11)
In this passage, Paul describes God as “the One working the all things according to the purpose of His will.” If someone were to ask Paul, “What is God working according to the purpose of His will?” Paul could reply, based on this verse, “He is working the all things.” In other words, if God is truly working all things in accordance with His will, then there can be nothing which is not, ultimately, in accordance with His providential will. This teaching of Ephesians 1:11 leads directly to the doctrine of theological determinism.
Some have objected that the “all things” of this passage could merely be limited to the predestination of believers. However, it would be tautological for Paul to state that “believers are predestined because God predestines believers.” No, the point that Paul is making is far greater; he is saying that we may be confident that our predestination in Christ is secure because God is working all things in accordance with the purpose of His will. Since the scope of God’s will is universal rather than merely limited, our salvation is certain, as is the ultimate “heading-up” of all things in Christ (v. 10).
Come now, the [ones] saying, “Today or tomorrow we will journey into this here city, and will spend a year there, and will trade, and will profit,” who do not know what [is] tomorrow. What [is] your life? For it is a vapor, appearing for a little, and then vanishing. Instead you [should] say, “If the Lord may will, we will live and we will do this or that.” (Jas. 4:13-15)
According to James, both one’s life and the success or failure of one’s future plans are ultimately under the control of God’s providential will. This is only possible if God’s sovereign control extends over the minute details that go into every day, such that one’s plans may either go well or fail.
Although these are far from the only passages that show God’s sovereign control to extend over absolutely everything, which I will show in the next section, these passages alone (especially Isa. 46:9-10 and Eph. 1:11) still demonstrate the validity of the doctrine of theological determinism. Since God is able to determine the end from the beginning, as He works all things according to the purpose of His will, absolutely all events must be predetermined, which leaves no room for libertarian free will. There is truly nothing that is outside of God’s providential control.
God’s control over the human will
The above four passages, I believe, show virtually beyond a doubt that God’s providential will does control every event and choice that takes place in this universe. However, this still does not get to the heart of the main question that we asked at the beginning of this post: does the Bible teach that our will is free in the libertarian sense, or that our choices are actually predestined (i.e., by God)? As a matter of fact, scripture teaches very clearly that our will is also subject to God’s providential control. See the following passages which demonstrate the general principle of God’s control over the human will:
From heaven Yahweh looks and sees all the sons of men; from the place of His dwelling He peers and sees all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashions individually their hearts; He establishes all their deeds. (Ps. 33:13-15)
The plans of the heart are to mankind, yet the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh. (Prov. 16:1)
The heart of a man plans his way, yet Yahweh establishes his steps. (Prov. 16:9)
Many are the plans in the heart of a man, yet the counsel of Yahweh will stand. (Prov. 19:21)
A man’s steps are from Yahweh; how then can a man understand his way? (Prov. 20:24)
Like rivers of water is the heart of a king in the hand of Yahweh; He turns it wherever He wishes. (Prov. 21:1)
“I know, O Yahweh, that the way of a man is not in himself, and it is not in man who walks to establish his own steps.” (Jer. 10:23)
“And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth; and there is none that can restrain His hand, or say to Him, ‘What have you done?’” (Dan. 4:35)
[God] is not served by hands of mankind, [as though] He is needing anything, Himself giving to everyone life and breath and everything... for in Him we live and move and are. (Acts 17:25, 28)
Note: This passage is especially interesting, because it shows that God gives everything to everyone (cf. Jn. 3:27), which necessarily includes thoughts, desires, feelings, etc. The “everything” that God gives to “everyone” is related to the nothing that anyone can give to Him (cf. Rom. 11:35-36); the reason that no one can give anything to God, even obedience, is because everything (including obedient or disobedient actions) ultimately comes from God in the first place.
So then, He shows mercy to whom He wills, yet whom He wills, He hardens. You will say to me, then, “Why does He still blame? For who has withstood His purpose?” Rather, who are you, O man, contradicting God? Will the formed thing say to the [One] having formed [it], “Why did you make me thus?” (Rom. 9:18-20)
For God is the [One] working in you, both to will and to work, by [His] good pleasure. (Php. 2:13)
None of these passages should be difficult to understand; they all state explicitly that the will of man is something that is entirely under God’s control, which God can turn wherever He so wishes. Most notably, the Psalmist writes that God fashions “the hearts” and “all the deeds” of “all the inhabitants of the earth” (Ps. 33:14-15 cf. Dan. 4:35), which can only be true if all of our choices and actions are predetermined by the providential will of God.
All of the passages quoted above serve to demonstrate the general rule that the human will is under the providential control of God, and to refute the Arminian view that “God does not violate man’s ‘free will.’” But are there any specific examples of God using this power over the human will to directly alter their choices? As a matter of fact, there certainly are. For example:
And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go in to the pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him.“ (Exod. 10:1 cf. Rom. 9:17)
“Yet Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for Yahweh your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might give him into your hand, as he is this day.“ (Deut. 2:30)
There was not a city that made peace with the sons of Israel, except the Hivite inhabitants of Gibeon. They took them all in battle. For it was of Yahweh to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them as Yahweh had commanded Moses. (Josh. 11:19-20)
And Israel came into Egypt, and Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham. And [God] increased His people greatly and made them stronger than their foes. He turned their heart to hate His people, to deal craftily with His servants. (Ps. 105:23-25)
What then? What Israel seeks, it has not attained this, yet the chosen attained [it]. Now the rest were hardened, as it has been written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to not see, and ears to not hear, until this very day.” (Rom. 11:7-8)
For God shut up the all in disobedience, that He may have mercy on the all. (Rom. 11:32)
In each of these instances, God caused a certain person or group of people to be “hardened,” so that they failed to follow His instruction for some purpose. Indeed, this may be generalized to all people who are in unbelief, as Peter described the unbelievers of his day as “disobeying the word, to which they were also appointed” (1 Pet. 2:8). However, just as God is able to harden the hearts of certain individuals in order to carry out His purposes, He is also able to produce true love and obedience within the hearts of others.
“And Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your descendants, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart and all your soul, that you may live.” (Deut. 30:6)
“And I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am Yahweh, and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.” (Jer. 24:7)
“And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and My judgments, and you will keep and do [them]... Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations.” (Ezek. 36:26-27, 31)
According to these passages, God has the ability to cause one to walk in His statutes and return to Him with their entire heart. This is precisely the sort of change that Arminians argue cannot be effected unilaterally by God. Yet these passages clearly show that a person’s choice to return to God only comes after God changes their heart (cf. Jn. 6:44), rather than the other way around.
Apart from these examples which show God’s ability to organically produce belief, unbelief, love, hate, obedience, disobedience, and other emotions and mental states within an individual, there are also several instances where we are explicitly told that God caused a person to make a specific choice at a given time, in accordance with the truth that God is able to “turn [the heart of a king] wherever He wills” (Prov. 21:1). See the following passages:
“Shall the ax boast against Him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against Him who saws with it? That would be as if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, or a rod lifting the one who is not wood.” (Isa. 10:15)
Note: In this passage, God is comparing the Assyrian king and army to merely an ax or saw in His hand that He is using to punish Israel with (see vv. 6 - 14). This emphasizes God’s complete and total sovereignty over the actions of the Assyrian king and army; they have no independent action apart from that which God has imparted to them, just as an ax cannot move without a human operating it.
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a decree throughout all his kingdom and put it in writing... (Ezra 1:1)
And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy seven days, for Yahweh had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. (Ezra 6:22)
“Blessed be Yahweh, God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the heart of the king, to beautify the house of God which is in Jerusalem!” (Ezra 7:27)
"And my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles and the rulers and the people, that they might be registered by genealogy." (Neh. 7:5)
And the ten horns that you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute, and will make her having been desolated and naked; and they will eat her flesh, and burn her in fire. For God has put it in their hearts to do His purpose, even to do one purpose, even to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. (Rev. 17:16-17)
In each of these instances, God puts a specific purpose in the heart of a person or group of people, causing them to make a certain choice and/or do a certain action. Yet this is precisely the sort of control over human actions that Arminians and (philosophical) libertarians believe that God cannot and does not exert.
So, do humans have free will? The answer depends on what type of free will is meant. In the compatibilist sense, humans do have ‘free will,’ because they are able to choose and act in accordance with their inner desires. However, in the libertarian sense, humans do not have free will, because there is not the legitimate possibility of choosing otherwise. Every choice or action that a person makes is already determined, because, as the Psalmist wrote, God fashions “the heart” (leb, which refers to the will or center of volitional control) and “all the deeds” of “all the inhabitants of the earth” (Ps. 33:15).
But if God predetermines every choice and action that a person makes, wouldn’t that make God the author of sin? How could God’s sovereign control over the universe contradict His commandments, such that all sin and evil is also part of His plan? In the next posts of this series on the Bible and free will, we will take a look at all of these questions and more.
Part 2: https://universalistheretic.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-bible-and-free-will-two-wills-of.html
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[1] Although it is sometimes argued that God’s perfect foreknowledge is compatible with libertarian free will, since His knowledge is based on what human beings will choose, this goes contrary to the doctrine of divine aseity (that God’s attributes are based in Himself alone, and He does not require any outside influence for them; see Acts 17:25). Since God’s attributes cannot be based on any outside influence, it is impossible for His foreknowledge to be contingent on the libertarian choices of human beings.
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