Tag Archives: Free Will

THE PARADOX OF PRAYER

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

THE PARADOX OF PRAYER JACK COTTRELL – 2020      QUESTION:   If God can do whatever He chooses, and if He really loves us, why doesn’t He answer all of our prayers?       ANSWER:  The answer to this question might seem like a paradox to some, but here is at least part of the deal:  God does not answer all of our prayers just because He loves us!.       Here I will approach this issue based on James 5:13-18.  I will use this text to help resolve the paradox of prayer.  First, I will make some general comments on these verses … Continue reading →

CALVINISM IN A NUTSHELL

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION: Can you give me a concise summary of what is meant by “Calvinism”? Also, can you tell us briefly why these teachings are erroneous? What Bible verses would show this? ANSWER: Okay, this is a challenge; but here I will identify the main doctrines of Calvinism, and identify the key Bible passages that refute them. ONE. The OMNICAUSAL SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD. In Calvinism, divine sovereignty means that God CAUSES everything, to the smallest detail. Whatever happens is simply the outworking of the DIVINE DECREE (essentially a nearly-infinite computer program or blueprint), defined as eternal, comprehensive, unconditional, and efficacious. The … Continue reading →

DID GOD RIG THE ELECTION? By Jack Cottrell

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Someone on Facebook recently asked me the question, “What do you say to those who read Daniel 2:21 and say we did not have a choice in the [presidential] election?” Daniel 2:21 says that God “changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings.” So, asked the inquirer, does this means that “God will raise up whomever he wants,” and that “now God has spoken and has decided to choose Donald Trump”? This sounds “almost as if God has rigged the election.” In answering this, let’s begin by asking a more general question: Why does anything happen the … Continue reading →

Saved by Grace #14 — Once in Grace, Always in Grace?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

“Once in grace, always in grace.” “Once saved, always saved.” “Eternal security.” These three phrases all refer to the same idea, namely, that once a person has truly become saved, he or she can never become unsaved. Once you are saved, you can never lose your salvation. The first person to teach this doctrine was Augustine (d. A.D. 430). He said, for example, “But now to the saints predestined to the kingdom of God by God’s grace, … perseverance itself is bestowed; … so that by means of this gift they cannot help persevering” (“Treatise on Rebuke and Grace,” Works, … Continue reading →

An Escape from Calvinism

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

AN ESCAPE FROM CALVINISM: YOUNG, RESTLESS, NO LONGER REFORMED A Book by AUSTIN FISCHER Reviewed by Jack Cottrell, August 2014 Austin Fischer is not yet 30 years old, but he has experienced a very interesting theological pilgrimage which he describes in his book, Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed: Black Holes, Love, and a Journey in and Out of Calvinism (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books [Wipf & Stock], 2014; pb, 116pp.). He feels that his reflections on his journey might be helpful to others who are wrestling with the “mysteries” of Reformed theology. I agree that they may be of some help. … Continue reading →

Does God’s Foreknowledge Negate Man’s Free Will?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION. It seems to me that divine foreknowledge does not eliminate human free will, but several people that I know believe that it does. They say that if God knows what will happen tomorrow, that means it is an established fact, removing any free will choices one might make tomorrow. What do you say about this? ANSWER. This objection to divine foreknowledge today comes especially from the recent theological movement known as “open (or openness) theology,” or “open theism.” It has been picking up steam since the 1980s; some of its major representatives are Richard Rice, Clark Pinnock, John Sanders, … Continue reading →

Is Everything “the Will of God”?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Is Everything “the Will of God”? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 7:05pm QUESTION: Our pastor says that everything is God’s will. Is this true? How can we understand “God’s will”? ANSWER: To know what your “pastor” means when he says that “everything is God’s will,” I would have to know if he is a Calvinist or not. Let me explain. The NT words for “will,” as used in the context of “God’s will,” can mean one of three things: desire, purpose, or permission. In view of this variety of connotations, it is indeed correct to … Continue reading →

What Is the Nature of Free Will?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

What Is the Nature of Free Will? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 9:08am QUESTION: Many (usually Arminians) argue that without free will in a significant (libertarian) sense, i.e., the ability to choose between good and evil, human actions would not be worthy of praise or blame. Thus in order to preserve moral responsibility, human beings must have free will in the libertarian sense—the freedom of opposite moral choice. But is this consistent with the freedom of God Himself, whom we assume to be the ultimate model for freedom? The following are said to be true … Continue reading →

Two Questions about Free Will

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Two Questions about Free Will by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Sunday, December 27, 2009 at 2:22pm TWO RELATED QUESTIONS: One reader has asked whether those who are saved still have free will in heaven. Another has asked a related question: how could Jesus be fully human and not be able to choose to sin? (This latter question assumes that Jesus could not sin, a view that I espouse.) MY REPLY: The common assumption of these two questions is that a certain kind of free will is part of the essence of humanness. The free will assumed here is the ability … Continue reading →

Depravity: Total, Partial, or None at All?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Depravity: Total, Partial, or None at All? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 1:26pm A QUESTIONER ASKS, what Scriptures disqualify (I take this to mean disprove) Total Depravity in human beings? And if Total Depravity is ruled out, does that mean we are PARTIALLY depraved? MY REPLY: Depravity as such has to do with the sinfulness of our human nature, i.e., having a nature that has been infected with sin like the body can be infected with disease. It means having a sinful, evil, spiritually diseased or dead nature. The first issue is WHETHER a sinner’s … Continue reading →