Arminianism Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ====God's providence and human free will==== Arminianism accepts [[classical theism]], which states that God is [[Omnipresence|omnipresent]], [[Omnipotence|omnipotent]], and [[Omniscience|omniscient]].{{sfn|Olson|2009|pp=90–91}} In that view, God's power, knowledge, and presence have no external limitations, that is, outside of his divine nature and character. Besides, Arminianism view on God's [[Sovereignty of God in Christianity|sovereignty]] is based on postulates stemming from God's character, especially as fully revealed in Jesus Christ.{{sfn|Olson|2014|p=11}} On the first hand, divine election must be defined in such a way that God is not in any case, and even in a secondary way, the author of [[evil]]. It would not correspond to the character of God.{{sfn|Olson|2013a|ps=. "Basic to Arminianism is God's love. The fundamental conflict between Calvinism and Arminianism is not ''sovereignty'' but ''God's character''. ''If Calvinism is true, God is the author of sin, evil, innocent suffering and hell''. [...] Let me repeat. The most basic issue is ''not'' providence or predestination or the sovereignty of God. The most basic issue is ''God's character''."}} On the other hand, man's responsibility for evil must be preserved.{{sfn|Olson|2010|ps=. "Classical Arminianism does NOT say God never interferes with free will. It says God NEVER foreordains or renders certain evil. [...] An Arminian COULD believe in divine dictation of Scripture and not do violence to his or her Arminian beliefs. [...] Arminianism is not in love with libertarian free will –as if that were central in and of itself. Classical Arminians have gone out of our way (beginning with Arminius himself) to make clear that our sole reasons for believe in free will AS ARMINIANS [...] are 1) to avoid making God the author of sin and evil, and 2) to make clear human responsibility for sin and evil."}} Those two postulates require a specific way by which God chooses to manifest his sovereignty when interacting with his creatures. On one hand, it requires for God to operate according to a limited mode of [[Divine providence|providence]]. This means that God deliberately exercises sovereignty without determining every event. On the other hand, it requires for God's [[Election in Christianity|election]] to be a "[[predestination]] by foreknowledge".{{sfn|Olson| 2018|ps=. "What is Arminianism? A) Belief that God limits himself to give human beings free will to go against his perfect will so that God did not design or ordain sin and evil (or their consequences such as innocent suffering); B) Belief that, although sinners cannot achieve salvation on their own, without "prevenient grace" (enabling grace), God makes salvation possible for all through Jesus Christ and offers free salvation to all through the gospel. "A" is called "limited providence," "B" is called "predestination by foreknowledge.""}} In that respect, God's foreknowledge reconciles with human free will in the following way: Human [[Free will in theology|free will]] is limited by original sin, though God's [[prevenient grace]] restores to humanity the ability to accept God's call of salvation.{{sfn|Picirilli|2002|pp=42–43, 59-}}{{sfn|Pinson|2002|pp=146–147}} God's foreknowledge of the future is exhaustive and complete, and therefore the future is certain and not [[Contingency (philosophy)|contingent]] on human action. God does not determine the future, but He does know it. God's certainty and human contingency are compatible.{{sfn|Picirilli|2002|p=40}} Roger Olson expressed those defining ideas in a more practical way: ""Arminianism," [...] is simply a term we use in theology for the view, held by some people before Arminius and many after him, that sinners who hear the [[gospel]] have the free will to accept or reject God's offer of saving grace and that nobody is excluded by God from the possibility of salvation except those who freely exclude themselves. But true, historical, classical Arminianism includes the belief that this free will [to repent and believe unto salvation] is itself a gift of God through prevenient grace."{{sfn|Olson|2017}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page