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From my readings in all of the various different Christian groups, and those more specialised towards apologetics, there seems to be a great deal of people who have difficulty with devine election, or devine predestination. I can sympathise with this.
If Calvinism is true, then all peoples, both good and evil, are predestined towards a certain path which they will walk. If this is to be believed, then God is the auther of evil, and thus not good (meaning that he is not the source of love and good, meaning that He ultimately cannot be God)
But, if open theology is true, then God is impotent, being unaware of future events. If God is impotent, then he cannot be the source of all knowledge and power, meaning that He is ultimately not God.
But there is a third way, a middle way so to speak. God not only knows past, present, and future events, but also the past, present and future events of that which never happened, but could of happened if things were different (for example, would I buy a lamb if I were rich?). God knows not only what you WILL eat for breakfast tomorrow, but also what you COULD eat for breakfast tomorrow, and how such an action would ultimately change the future of everything.
This is a doctrine known as molinism, and it pretty much solves the issues with divine predestination in the bible. God has total control of the outcome of all events, but you ultimately make the choice.
A biblical example of this can be found in first Samuel chapter 23;
“But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the Lord what he should do. 10 Then David prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here. 11 Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him?[d] And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O Lord, God of Israel, please tell me.”
And the Lord said, “He will come.”
12 Again David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?”
And the Lord replied, “Yes, they will betray you.”
David Hides in the Wilderness
13 So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside.”
I’m aware that some of you may already be aware of this doctrine, but this was written for those whom it would profit.
God bless
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