An atheist may stand back and congratulate himself for being above such trifle, but his naturalistic worldview cannot escape a similar problem. As the naturalist philosopher Derk Pereboom states, “Given our best scientific theories, factors beyond our control ultimately produce all of our actions…we are therefore not morally responsible for them.” Pereboom believes that since our brains are completely controlled by the laws of biochemistry, free will is an illusion. The social ramification for this theory is that no one can be held morally responsible for their actions. Who would have guessed that Darwinism could lead to fatalism and a total breakdown of law and justice?

The Christian dilemma of God’s sovereignty and man’s free will does not have an easy solution. The history of the church and of Christian denominations can be traced by how this question is answered. There is much at stake here; not only God’s sovereignty, but his omnipotence and omniscience, as well as other attributes. For example: What if God knows that tomorrow at noon you’re going to run a red light and miss a collision by inches. Because God is omniscient (he knows everything), He knew before the foundation of the world that this was going to happen. If this event is already in God’s knowledge, then the event must happen. How, then, do you have a choice in the matter? Where is your free will?

Many Christians believe any kind of determinism rules out human free will and responsibility. Theologian Keith Ward believes the universe must be indeterministic in order for humans to be truly free. Arthur Peacocke argues that the free will of man rules out the possibility that God knows the future. Clark Pinnock agrees and suggests that God only knows what can be known; since the free choice of man cannot be known in order for the choice to be truly free, God does not know what anyone will choose in the future.

The problem is that these opinions do not square with Scripture. Isaiah 46:9-10 says, “…remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” This and many other verses show that God is sovereign and in full control of human history. Fulfilled biblical prophecy is also clear evidence that God knows the future, including every choice that everyone will make.

Next week we’ll begin to discuss the two major views of free will and compare both views to the biblical understanding of God’s sovereignty.