My disregard for Calvinism’s deterministic view of God’s sovereignty leaves a Calvinist to respond in the following manner, as if there is no option but God according to Calvinism.
His statement, “It may not be as pleasant to view God’s sovereignty in this way, but what is the opposing view…that God is unaware of who will be in hell? Or that no one will be in hell?”
My response: Neither of the two options that you offer is acceptable. God has always known who would spend eternity in hell. The vast majority of people will go to hell; further; the issue of how “pleasant” something is cannot enter into the conclusion.
Calvinists view God as sovereign over beings that can only salvifically choose as He predetermined that they could (compatibilism), whereas, non-Calvinism believes God is sovereign over beings who, before sin, could choose to sin or not sin, and after the fall can only choose to trust Christ by God’s gracious enabling work, but they can also choose to reject (libertarian). Trying to understand non-Calvinists through the prism of Calvinism’s compatibilism, causal sovereignty, etc., will always lead to misunderstanding. We reject the notion that God can only be sovereign over beings whose end is predetermined by their nature.
The option is a libertarian view of free will that means Adam could have chosen to sin or not to shin and whatever he did in fact choose, he could have chosen otherwise. Fallen man is in need of a loving God who will provide everything including “grace-enabled” faith before he can choose to accept the gospel, but even grace-enabled, man can still reject. This is what the vast majority choose; hence, the discussion has nothing to do with and does not even come close to espousing universalism.
Full article and discussion is on SBC Today at http://sbctoday.com/2013/04/04/one-mans-suggestions-for-calvinists-and-non-calvinists/
