To answer the problems of how God works in history given the claims of scripture I have created the following theory to test.
My theory is that God uses single predestination to choose certain elect individuals from before birth. This is equivalent to the special grace shown to those like Isaac and Jacob. God may also be using double predestination concerning certain individuals who seem destined to perdition from before birth such as Pharaoh, Judas, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. However, God has made it so that most of His creatures are saved through a resistible Call to faith, a Call to faith that always requires mercy and compassion on God’s part. A Call that originates from God through Nature, Law, or Gospel and must find its resolution in Jesus Christ and the Cross. A Call the vast majority of humanity has rejected. God also hardens people, potentially to damnation, for His own purposes, as in the case of Pharaoh. A hardening that may be removed at a later time in a person or group’s lifetimes, as I argued happened to the Jews of the apostolic era in a previous thread on Romans 9-11.
Thus, I agree with Arminianism that God uses Synergism at all.
The key problem facing this theory is whether the Bible disallows synergism. Is monergism the only way in which God works according to the bible?
Although, I affirm some of Arminiansism, I must believe the following, despite this.
1. Reasoned choice is not the highest good. No where does the bible say that.
2. God does give false options, look at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Eden. Everything was permissible in Adam and Eve's innocent state except one bad thing that carried a death penalty.
3. God is omniscient according to scripture, open theism is thus in error. I provide scriptures to prove God is omniscient,
14 Bible verses about God, Omniscience Of
4. God never looked forward to see who would love him to then create the cosmos. That is an evil idea that allows great boasting before God. The idea of looking forward in time to choose people based on merit is not found in scripture at all.
5. The will is clearly degraded before salvation according to scripture. Any refutation of universal double predestination must include God’s previent mercy, compassion, and Call.
Romans 1 through
Romans 8 shows the Law cannot be kept, that is why we need the Cross. Even then,
Romans 7-8 are clear that without Life by the Spirit it is impossible to be holy and obedient. We are changed forever when the Holy Spirit comes in us at salvation. Thus, free will is given a holy life by the Holy Spirit.
6. Calvinism is correct,
Romans 9 makes it clear that God must show mercy and compassion in choosing one for salvation to be saved. However, there are verses indicating God wants all saved.
7. Calvinism is correct that double predestination is not beyond God's character according to
Romans 9. If He wanted children of wrath He could do so, and what right has clay to complain?
8. The mind cannot save us from besetting sin as explained in Romans 7:21-23,
9. God does not desire all saved equally. There is no other explanation if Jesus can make this remark in Matthew 11:22-24,
22 Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the [a]miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24 Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”
Arminians too often say, "Let God be good!" To this I must retort with the Reformers: "Let God be God.
10. Another important point to make is that Romans 8:4-17 makes it abundantly clear that free will is given a holy life by the Holy Spirit.
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