Calvinism Vs. Arminianism: Does God Have Free Will?
Does man have free will or does God have the absolute right to do with His creation as He desires? If God is the absolute ruler, then how free is man to make his own decisions? There is a widespread debate of whether or not we truly have free will. It is crucial to understand that sovereignty means supreme power or authority. This debate of Calvinism vs. Arminianism is one of the most troublesome debates in history. This paper illustrates that believing in God’s absolute sovereignty will lead us down the path that He has planned for us and we must trust in God beyond our ability to understand. It is not uncommon to see a verse in the bible talking about God’s sovereignty. Calvinism is the belief that God’s sovereignty is absolute and God
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An incommunicable attribute belongs to God alone. God’s sovereignty is an incommunicable attribute. Man cannot possess the attribute of sovereignty because only God has the right to maintain control over what he has created. In the story of King David, he drifted from God but still maintained trust in Him. God ended up using him for the glory of his kingdom. David realized God was guiding him and using him for His purpose. David learned to trust in His sovereignty. 1 Samuel 30:6 “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.” The Hebrew word for sovereignty is malku, which translates to “king, kingdom, reign, or royalty” (christinyou.net). Malku is most accurately translated to mean “kingdom”. John Calvin, the originator of Calvinism, popularized the word in the early 1500s (christinyou.net). Even though it was popularized in the 1500s, it dates back to the mid fourteenth century and comes from the Anglo-French sovereynete, meaning “authority, rule, supremacy in power or rank” (dictionary.com). This word cannot be used when describing man; it only relates to the …show more content…
When my parents got divorced, I had to understand that everything would ultimately work out for God’s glory. At the time of the divorce, I did not understand why this was happening, but as time went on, I realized God had a plan so I could meet my amazing step-parents and step-siblings. Currently, I am relating a lot to King David because I am not sure how God is going to direct my life, but I am trusting that he will lead me in the path that will ultimately glorify him best. The experiences I have had with His Sovereignty have greatly strengthened my faith because I have seen how God has turned my negative into a positive. It will further solidify my faith as I continue to trust in God to lead me on the right path. “God possessed the power to execute His plan and to realize this purpose” (Louis Berkhof. Systematic Theology. 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003), 374. This topic can easily convince or deter a person from believing in God. It could convince someone to become a Christian because it gives assurance that God will ultimately be in control instead of the person. This may bring comfort to someone who is constantly worried that they will fail. On the other hand, it may deter people who do not want to believe they are not in control, even though God has provided free will. That could easily scare someone away from believing in
An incommunicable attribute belongs to God alone. God’s sovereignty is an incommunicable attribute. Man cannot possess the attribute of sovereignty because only God has the right to maintain control over what he has created. In the story of King David, he drifted from God but still maintained trust in Him. God ended up using him for the glory of his kingdom. David realized God was guiding him and using him for His purpose. David learned to trust in His sovereignty. 1 Samuel 30:6 “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.” The Hebrew word for sovereignty is malku, which translates to “king, kingdom, reign, or royalty” (christinyou.net). Malku is most accurately translated to mean “kingdom”. John Calvin, the originator of Calvinism, popularized the word in the early 1500s (christinyou.net). Even though it was popularized in the 1500s, it dates back to the mid fourteenth century and comes from the Anglo-French sovereynete, meaning “authority, rule, supremacy in power or rank” (dictionary.com). This word cannot be used when describing man; it only relates to the …show more content…
When my parents got divorced, I had to understand that everything would ultimately work out for God’s glory. At the time of the divorce, I did not understand why this was happening, but as time went on, I realized God had a plan so I could meet my amazing step-parents and step-siblings. Currently, I am relating a lot to King David because I am not sure how God is going to direct my life, but I am trusting that he will lead me in the path that will ultimately glorify him best. The experiences I have had with His Sovereignty have greatly strengthened my faith because I have seen how God has turned my negative into a positive. It will further solidify my faith as I continue to trust in God to lead me on the right path. “God possessed the power to execute His plan and to realize this purpose” (Louis Berkhof. Systematic Theology. 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003), 374. This topic can easily convince or deter a person from believing in God. It could convince someone to become a Christian because it gives assurance that God will ultimately be in control instead of the person. This may bring comfort to someone who is constantly worried that they will fail. On the other hand, it may deter people who do not want to believe they are not in control, even though God has provided free will. That could easily scare someone away from believing in