Grafted Theology

The question of how God relates to human sin and evil has long challenged theologians and believers alike. Many assume that God, in His sovereignty, must meticulously determine (ordain or decree) every event, including sinful acts. Some even argue that if God foreknows all things, then He must causally or effectually determine evil. But Scripture paints a very different picture: God is holy, good, and wholly opposed to sin, and human moral responsibility is real and meaningful. God’s Nature and the Origin of Sin The Bible consistently affirms that God is not the author of evil. James 1:13–15 states, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin.” Sin originates in human desire, not in God’s actions or decrees. 1 John 1:5 reinforces this truth: “God is Light, and in Him ...

  Why Do Some Believe and Others Don’t? A common Calvinist question goes something like this: “Why do some people believe the gospel while others reject it?” Calvinism answers: “Because God irresistibly grants saving faith to some and withholds it from others.” I plan to address this question, but before answering, I want to flip the question back for a moment: Why does a Calvinist believe in Calvinism while others, like myself, do not? Were you divinely and irresistibly graced with the belief in Calvinism, or did you come to that belief through studying Scripture, evaluating arguments, and reaching your own conclusions? What Calvinism Implies About Theological Error If you say you were irresistibly decreed to believe Calvinism, then you must also admit that God decreed for me to reject it. And if we can all acknowledge that none of us holds perfect theology, then under Calvinism, God has decreed that everyone believes some form of falsehood, making Him the determiner of t...