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Free Will and God's Sovereignty (Molinism)

Like other Christians, I've wondered how it could be true that God both directs the course of history and gives humans the freedom to make their own choices. More specifically, I asked the common question, "Do we choose salvation, or does God choose it for us?" Calvinists in the Reformation argued that God determined, or predestined, who would be saved and who would not be saved, but like many others, this led to what I thought of as an unjust God because it meant he condemned some and saved others. Putting aside for the moment this false assumption of God's possible injustice-- indeed, none of us deserves salvation, and God's choosing salvation for anyone is a grace those saved didn't deserve-- what I ultimately wondered about was God's sovereignty versus our free will.

In my late teenage years, I thought I had solved the problem easily with a single verse: Romans 8:29, which reads, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." I thought this made it clear that God knew who would choose him and who would reject him, so that he simply determined that those who would choose him had the opportunity to do so, so that they would in fact become Christians. This allowed me to believe our free will operated within God's sovereignty. God knows Person A would not choose him, and so he makes it impossible for that person to choose him; while he also knows Person B would choose him, and makes it impossible for that person not to choose him.

What I did not realize was that this Scripture is referring not to who would be saved and who would be condemned, but to Christians who are already saved being made in the likeness of Christ. Paul speaks not of salvation, but of sanctification. He foreknew who would be conformed, or made like, Christ. Paul is showing these believers that God sends his Spirit to help us in our weakness (Romans 8:26)-- a Spirit who intercedes for his followers (Romans 8:27)-- works for their good (Romans 8:28), and conforms them to Christ (Romans 8:29) (1)

A few years ago, I was introduced to molinism, a doctrine by a Catholic in the counter-Reformation named Luis Molina, who argued that God knew exactly what each person would do in each set of circumstances. William Lane Craig cites Acts 4:27-28 in an article titled "Arminian and Molinist Accounts of Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom:"(2)

"for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place."

Here, God, Craig points out, put two specific people in place--Herod and Pilate--to do his will. He acted in a very specific way on human history. Molinism, Craig shows, means that God knew that Herod and Pilate would have made this choice,whereas another two people would have freed Jesus. Therefore, God placed Herod and Pilate in those circumstances so that his will would be done. God retained his sovereignty, while Herod and Pilate (who would have freely made that choice in those conditions) retained their free will. In the same way, God knows that you or I would do in a situation, and may have placed us in that situation so that we freely choose what God intended. (3)

This is the extent of my understanding of how free will and God's sovereignty can coexist, and therefore is just the beginning. In short, it's a start.

1. I am influenced here by the following sources:
*"Romans 8:29-30." Free Will and Predestination. Wordpress. Web. 25 May 2020. https://freewillpredestination.wordpress.com/romans-829-30/

*Boyd, Greg. "How Do You Respond to Romans 8:29-30?" ReKnew. 17 January 2008. Web. 25 May 2020. https://reknew.org/2008/01/what-about-romans-829-30/

*"What Does Romans 8:29 Mean?" BibleRef. GotQuestions.org. Web. 25 May 2020. https://www.bibleref.com/Romans/8/Romans-8-29.html

*Tonydisciple. "Romans 8:29-30 Refuting Calvinism." ChristianChat. Christian Chat. 18 July 2012. Web. 25 May 2020. https://christianchat.com/bible-discussion-forum/romans-8-29-30-refuting-calvanism-free-will.44992/

2. Craig, William Lane. "What is Molinism?" drcraigvideos. YouTube. 6 December 2019. Web. 25 May 2020.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IurPYaB0JGs

3. Craig, William Lane. "Doctrine of Creation (Part 12): Arminian and Molinist Accounts of Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom." Reasonable Faith. Reasonable Faith. 22 August 2018. Web. 25 May 2020. https://www.reasonablefaith.org/podcasts/defenders-podcast-series-3/s3-doctrine-of-creation/doctrine-of-creation-part-12

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