Norman Geisler's View on the Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of Man

Norman Geisler's View on the Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of Man

Introduction

Bible students and theological scholars alike have long been debating about the sovereignty of God, and the related free will of man. Generally, there are two sides to this centuries-long debate: on the one hand, if God is sovereign, then it must mean that He is the ultimate cause of all things, and in such a case, man cannot be free and held responsible for his actions; on the other hand, if man is free to choose, then he becomes the end cause of his actions. Among other questions, two important inquiries emerge: is God less sovereign as a result of man's free will, or is there a theoretical or logical incompatibility between His sovereignty and man's free will? Accordingly, based on Dr. Norman Geisler's view, this paper will seek to investigate the degree to which God is sovereign, explore the extent of man's free will, and finally attempt to reconcile the two in a reasonable conclusion. A comprehensive review of Geisler's view on the subject will be thoroughly critiqued in light of his own works and works of other authors.

The Idea of Human Free Will

Human responsibility and the ability to make free choices were part of God's plan for us from the beginning. Adam was told not to make the bad choice of eating the forbidden fruit (Gun. 2:17); he chose to disobey God (Rom. 5:19). Even now, in our fallen state, we have the free choice to accept or reject God's gracious provision or salvation.

However, like any other good thing. the doctrine of free will can he taken too far. One Process Theologian' who stressed human free will to the extreme actually said that even God does not know what we are going to do with our freedom, and that God “is waiting with bared breath to see how things are going to turn out”! If God does not know what's going to happen in the future, then we cannot know there will be a good end to the human story. Surely this can lead to desperation.

The Idea of God's Sovereignty

Sovereignty means “what a sovereign has,” namely, control over his kingdom. God's sovereignty—the idea that God is in control of the whole universe—is a doctrine clearly taught in the Bible. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, 0 Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all, wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. (1 chron. 29:11-12)

What about the Sovereignty of God?

Calvinists understand God's sovereign power to mean that God accomplishes all that He desires and intends to accomplish. They cite God's words as provided by the prophet Isaiah: "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient ...