Let me start by saying that there is a doctrine that fits the Determinist label. It is called Hyper-Calvinism. Hyper-Calvinism is as much the enemy to the Doctrines of Grace (for the purpose of this post, a.k.a. "Calvinism") as is any of the free will positions; with Arminianism being the most popular term used.
Hyper-Calvinism starts with the same premise as the Doctrines of Grace: to exalt God's sovereignty. It errs because it "stresses the sovereignty of God by over-emphasizing the secret over the revealed will of God and eternity over time, that it minimizes the responsibility of sinners" (New Dictionary of Theology). There are secret and hidden things that only God knows (Deut. 29:29). God predestines and elects individuals to faith in Christ according to the secret counsel of His own will (Rom. 9:16). He does so by a not-so-secret process; namely the preaching of the Word (1 Co. 1:21). Another hidden component is how man's choices work within God's prescriptive will. Common sense reveals that mankind is not a species of robots or automatons. We choose freely, although with constraint. The saint is able to choose sin or righteousness. Having been freed from sin (Rom. 6:2) we are not to walk in it, although we still have the capacity to sin. The believer has the ability not to sin (non posse peccare) and the ability to sin (posse peccare). The sinner does not posses the ability no to sin. The sinner only posses the ability to sin (posse peccare; 1 Co. 2:14). The believer has the ability to choose between sin and righteousness, whereas the sinner has only one available choice at all times - sin; this is because the sinner is in bondage to sin (Rom. 6:20). A sinner sins because it is in his nature to do so. The believer is categorically different than the sinner. The believer is no longer considered a sinner. Therefore, when the believer sins he does so while being in the light (1 John 1:5-10). Both groups choose freely, although both groups do so for different reasons and according to different abilities.
The Doctrines of Grace is as far from Determinism as an opposite of something can be, although the line of demarcation is nearly invisibly thin for those who are not careful. Error always accompanies truth. That has been true ever since the Garden when the serpent said, "Has God said?" Instead of a rigid God who is running roughshod over His creation, God works in and through His creation to accomplish His will. However, He does not do this by imbuing the sinner with the ability to exercise faith without that faith being gifted by God; not because God saw that they the sinner would exercise faith, but simply because it pleases God to do so for His own reasons.
Phil Johnson wrote a good article on this a number of years ago. I think it is still available somewhere online. I'll source him here as the inspiration behind this post.
Hyper-Calvinism starts with the same premise as the Doctrines of Grace: to exalt God's sovereignty. It errs because it "stresses the sovereignty of God by over-emphasizing the secret over the revealed will of God and eternity over time, that it minimizes the responsibility of sinners" (New Dictionary of Theology). There are secret and hidden things that only God knows (Deut. 29:29). God predestines and elects individuals to faith in Christ according to the secret counsel of His own will (Rom. 9:16). He does so by a not-so-secret process; namely the preaching of the Word (1 Co. 1:21). Another hidden component is how man's choices work within God's prescriptive will. Common sense reveals that mankind is not a species of robots or automatons. We choose freely, although with constraint. The saint is able to choose sin or righteousness. Having been freed from sin (Rom. 6:2) we are not to walk in it, although we still have the capacity to sin. The believer has the ability not to sin (non posse peccare) and the ability to sin (posse peccare). The sinner does not posses the ability no to sin. The sinner only posses the ability to sin (posse peccare; 1 Co. 2:14). The believer has the ability to choose between sin and righteousness, whereas the sinner has only one available choice at all times - sin; this is because the sinner is in bondage to sin (Rom. 6:20). A sinner sins because it is in his nature to do so. The believer is categorically different than the sinner. The believer is no longer considered a sinner. Therefore, when the believer sins he does so while being in the light (1 John 1:5-10). Both groups choose freely, although both groups do so for different reasons and according to different abilities.
The Doctrines of Grace is as far from Determinism as an opposite of something can be, although the line of demarcation is nearly invisibly thin for those who are not careful. Error always accompanies truth. That has been true ever since the Garden when the serpent said, "Has God said?" Instead of a rigid God who is running roughshod over His creation, God works in and through His creation to accomplish His will. However, He does not do this by imbuing the sinner with the ability to exercise faith without that faith being gifted by God; not because God saw that they the sinner would exercise faith, but simply because it pleases God to do so for His own reasons.
Phil Johnson wrote a good article on this a number of years ago. I think it is still available somewhere online. I'll source him here as the inspiration behind this post.
