Book review on Geisler's "Chosen But Free"

    Geisler’s book provided information about various views on God’s sovereignty and human choices. According to the extreme sovereignty view, “God has predetermined from all eternity every event in the universe including the salvation of the elect and the damnation of the non-elect” (Geisler, p. 16). This view also states, more specifically, that not only are the elect predestined to Heaven but the non-elect are predestined to Hell. It seems as if this view does not take into consideration the fact that Christ died for all men. According to this view, the elect are the only ones for whom Christ died (Giesler, p. 16). According to this view, “Fallen humans have no free will in the sense of having a self-determined choice to accept God’s gift of salvation” (Geisler, p. 17). It seems as if this view of God’s sovereignty contradicts many Scripture passages.

      Geisler examines another view of God’s sovereignty and free will. The view of extreme free will is on the opposite spectrum as the extreme sovereignty view. This view “Maintains that God does not have rigid control of the Universe; He gave away some of His sovereignty to His creatures when He gave them free Choice” (Geisler, p. 17). Those who hold this view also hold a view on salvation that can be lost. The belief states that people do not have to work for their salvation but one can lose their salvation if they do not maintain enough good works (Geisler, p. 17). “Those who do not perform the proper good works can lose their salvation, for if salvation can be gained by a free choice, it likewise can be lost” (Geisler, p.17). I believe that God’s Word clearly tells us that we can have assurance of our salvation and that it cannot be lost. John 5:24 tells us that once we hear the Word and believe that Christ died for the sins of the World, we will have passed from death to life. More specifically, it says that we will have eternal life and will not be condemned. To me, this is in clear opposition to what those who hold the view of extreme free will believe.

      Geisler holds to a balanced, which is a combination. I agree with Geisler’s viewpoint. This view does not deny God’s control of the Universe. God does not force one choice or the other on anyone. The Spirit may prod someone to accept Christ, but ultimately God has given people the freedom to choose. According to Scripture (and this view), the only “condition” for salvation is that one accepts it by faith. To me, this balanced view does not take on either of the extreme views regarding God’s sovereignty and the issue of free will. Rather, it seeks out Scripture as a reference point. I believe that Christ died for ALL, and ALL have the same opportunity to receive God’s gift. I believe that Christ desires for ALL to go to Heaven. However, each individual has the free will to choose whether or not he will accept this gift. In other words, we are chosen in eternity, but free in choice. God chose all of us to live with Him in Heaven, but ultimately He leaves the choice up to us. Although everyone has the free will to choose, I believe that God foreknew who would accept and who would reject His gift. This is the basis of the balanced view (Moderate Calvinism); Christ knows for certain what free choices we will make. I agree with Geisler’s claim that Calvin was misunderstood, for Calvin was not an extreme Calvinist.

Worship in the Church

Worship in the church is an important aspect of today’s churches. However, with today’s entertainment-oriented society, it is important that worship in the church not turn into a concert. Worship should be directed towards God instead of drawing attention to oneself. The goal of those who are responsible for leading worship should be to facilitate the praise upwards to God. In addition, it is also important that worship consist of both hymns (songs about Him) and praise (to Him). It is important to realize that worship is not just music-related. Many times, people think that the only worship that is conducted in a church is through songs. However, we can worship in many different ways other than music. We can worship by contributing to various activities in the church. Whether it is helping clean the church after an event or teaching a Sunday school class, all actions such as these can be forms of worship (if done with the proper attitude). Prayer and giving are forms of worship as well. We can also worship in our daily lives outside of church. Music does not even have to be involved. Additionally, to expound on what Dr. Caner said, even resolving conflict within the church can be worshipful if done in accordance with Scripture. Conflict can be difficult to handle in a Christian way; however, if we follow the Biblical directions for resolving conflict, this can be an act of worship. Most importantly, we must remember that Christ is worthy of our praise. It is one of our Christian duties to worship to the Lord. It is not a choice; rather, it is a command. For all that Christ has done for us, the least we can do is give Him the praise and honor that He deserves. Whether it is singing in church or worshiping through our daily lives, Christ is worthy of all our praise.

My Testimony

All my life, I have grown up in a Christian home. My parents took me to church every Sunday, and I attended a Christian school all throughout childhood. I thought myself to be on my way to Heaven because of a prayer I had prayed at my church when I was seven years old. However, it was not until a few years later that I understood the true implications of following Christ. When I repeated “the prayer” that Sunday morning at the age of seven, I did not completely understand what I was doing. I knew that I did not want to go to Hell, but I did not fully understand the meaning of asking Jesus to come into my life. As a result, my life was not changed. As the years went on, I began to doubt my relationship with Christ; I was not sure if I should continue to rely on that prayer I had said when I was seven. I did not feel like I had a strong passionate relationship with Christ.  Consequently, at the age of thirteen, as I was lying in my bed one night, I realized my true need of the Savior. That night, I recommitted my life to Christ and made assurance of my relationship with Him.  Since that day, my life has changed. I know that I can never repay Him for what He has done for me on the cross; however, I do know that He deserves for my life to glorify Him.