Is Determinism Biblical?

Anyone who has done any sort of in-depth study of modern physics has likely run into a concept known as determinism. It is believed that the concept of free will as it is widely accepted by most people is false. In reality, many scientists contend, our choices are all determined by external factors and the choices we think we freely make actually could not have been otherwise.

In Christianity, a form of this belief is also widely held in some circles. While scientists believe our choices are determined by factors beyond our control or biological processes, those who hold to what is known as exhaustive divine determinism (EDD) or theistic determinism believe the choices we think we freely make were decreed by God before the foundation of the world. Theistic determinists say we may think we make decisions freely, but we are actually bound to what God has determined our futures and decisions to be from the moment of creation. In some cases, this belief extends to everything that ever happens, while others believe it's only salvation that's predetermined.

There are many different proof texts used to support this view, such as Romans 9, Ephesians 1, Acts 2:23 and 4:28, John 6:44 and many more. Though those passages do seem relatively strongly in favor of the determinist perspective, there are many others that seem to show the opposite perspective. Those passages include John 3:16, Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Joshua 24:15, Matthew 3:2, 4:17, 11:20-21, Mark 6:12, Luke 5:32 and so on.

What most readers will notice about many of the passages in the New Testament that seem to support the idea of freedom to choose is that they're mostly geared toward repentance and belief in the One, true God. The irony in that is the fact that the choice to repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins is the concept most theistic determinists are most ardently trying to speak against.

As mentioned earlier, some theistic determinists only hold to the belief that salvation and damnation were unchangeably decreed for each person who would ever live at the moment of creation. If this or the more hard-line stance of exhaustive divine determinism were accurate, why would the New Testament be so full of calls to choose to repent and follow the teachings of Jesus? As most would, I always assume a command to do anything entails the ability to do it, so the assumption that we can't do the most important thing ever commanded of anyone just doesn't make sense.

On top of that, if determinism is true, the fact that it gives those who were created for damnation the perfect excuse to not even try to do any good, but flies in the face of God's perfect justice. If a judge forced a person to commit a crime and gave them no opportunity to do otherwise, would anyone ever consider that judge to be fair or right? Of course, not. Why, then, would it be any different for God?

In addition, if we have no free will in our decisions and the actions we take in life, the two commandments Jesus said the rest hinge upon are immediately taken off of the table. Those two commandments are simple: love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. Without freedom to choose of one's own accord, the word love is simply a meaningless term and the concept behind it becomes impossible to accomplish.

Finally, if God determines every action every person ever takes, that means God must be the author of evil. I usually do my best not to get too personal in posts like this one, but that's just not an assertion I'm prepared to accept. As any Christian would, I affirm the omnibenevolence of God and His perfect justice and character, so being the author of evil simply isn't something I see as within the realm of possibility.

As it has for some 1500 years already, the debate between determinists and free will theists will undoubtedly continue indefinitely, but based on this exploration of Scripture and the nature of God, the logical conclusion seems clear: As much as some might try, a Biblical defense for determinism just doesn't hold up.