We were studying Exodus when the following question came up in my Bible class:
Why does God harden Pharoah's heart (or so the Bible words it) if he wanted the Israelites to go free? The way that's worded is confusing to the students and me.
Answer from Pastor Bob:
Strange as it sounds to us, nine times in Exodus it says that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:1; 10:20; 10:27: 11:10; 14:4; 14:8) and another nine times it says Pharaoh hardened his own heart (7:13-14; 7:22; 8:15; 8:19; 8:32; 9:7: 9:34-35). So Pharaoh was responsible for his own actions, but the Lord was ultimately in control of events. It's like the issue of predestination; man has a free choice, but God already knows what that choice will be, so God can speak of it as predestined because of His foreknowledge. The bottom line is that God knew how Pharaoh would resist, but God was going to have His will done, yet without violating Pharaoh's free will. God's purpose through it all was to bring glory to His name. Notice Exodus 6:7: "Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians."
Hi Pastor Bob- I've got another question for you! ... I came to believe in the doctrines of grace, or some-what Calvinism. I don't venture to take it as far as some people will when they claim that God will take care of saving people, so we can just take it easy- i believe that is contradictory and ridiculous for many reasons. I also believe that humans have free will. But I also believe God is totally sovereign. The only way I was able to reconcile these 2 beliefs was with the doctrines of Irresistible grace (and total depravity). I came to be pretty convinced of these, but I do want to ask you your thoughts about it in case I discover any irrationalities in my own beliefs (don't want that!). I don't dare to venture into "hyper-Calvinist" territory, where there is arrogance among the "chosen" but i do believe that God is in control of nature. Just wanted to know your thoughts on the subject.
Answer from Pastor Bob:
Calvinism is often explained with the acrostic TULIP: total depravity, unconditional predestination, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the believer. Evan, I read your website where you posted your beliefs, and you appear to be a four-point Calvinist. From what I gathered on the blog you sent me, you believe in four of these points, but you do not believe in limited atonement. I believe in total depravity and perseverance of the believer, but I do not believe in two-sided, unconditional predestination, I do not believe in limited atonement, and I do not believe in irresistible grace, so I guess I am a two-point Calvinist. This is a complex subject, and I only have space for a brief explanation here. For more detail, visit our church website at www.fbcrincon.com and listen online to the sermon on predestination preached on 05.03.09. Predestination in the Bible always refers to those chosen for salvation (Romans 8:29; Ephesians 1:11). The Bible never says anybody is predestined to go to hell. Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41), because God does not desire any to perish (1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9). God's knowledge is beyond time, and He already knows what is going to happen, so He can speak of our salvation as predestined; in fact, in 1 Peter 1:1-2 scripture links these two concepts together, saying the elect are "chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." Limited atonement: I agree with you that atonement is not limited to the elect; in other words, Jesus did not only die on the cross for those who will be saved, He died for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Irresistible grace means we cannot resist God's grace if He calls us. Evan, I agree with you that man still has free will-- thus I cannot accept the doctrine of irresistible grace. Also, it contradicts scripture. Luke 7:30 says the Pharisees rejected God's purpose for themselves and 2 Peter 1:10 urges brothers to make their election sure and Romans 1:24 says God gave over the wicked to their will. If predestination was unconditional and grace was irresistible, I would see no need to send missionaries or preachers, yet Jesus told His disciples to urge people to respond (Luke 14:23) the Apostle Paul said "we try to persuade men" (2 Corinthians 5:11) and he asks how can people believe if preachers aren't sent (Romans 10:13-15). Again, this subject is too complex for a detailed discussion here. I refer you to my sermon posted at www.fbcrincon.com on 05.03.09.
Our [former] preacher... told us to stay away from a church that believes in predestination (too new of a Christain to ask questions). Now that my husband and I have moved, I want to find a church and get involved. Help me with some information on predestination if that is an important reason to visit or not to visit a church.
Answer from Pastor Bob:
I agree with your former pastor that you do NOT want to go to a church that teaches predestination, unless they clarify that they also believe in free will. Predestination is the doctrine that God has chosen people to salvation. The Bible teaches predestination in passages like Romans 8:29, but that passage and others clarify that it means because God already knows everything in advance, He can speak of the saved as "chosen." The Bible does NOT teach that we have no free will to choose. John 3:16 says "whosoever believeth." We choose to receive or reject the gospel. However, many churches that stress predestination will teach an extreme version of this, saying that God has already chosen who will be saved, so you have no choice in the matter. If a church says they are "Calvinist" or "Reformed" or the use the term "doctrines of grace" then they are probably a church teaching predestination. Some Southern Baptist churches teach this, although it is only about 10%. I preached a sermon on this subject back in the summer of 2009, if you want to know more. Go to www.fbcrincon.com and click on "Listen Online" and then find the sermon on 05.03.09 about predestination.
A native of Mississippi and son of a U.S. Army chaplain, Pastor Bob has been a Southern Baptist pastor in Mississippi and Georgia since 1979. He has been pastor of First Baptist Church, Rincon, Georgia (in suburban Savannah), since 1999. During that time, the church has grown from 1,186 to 1,945 members. He served as a trustee of the North American Mission Board from 2000 to 2008, moderator of the Savannah Baptist Association 2009-2010, and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Georgia Baptist Convention. He graduated from Mississippi College, and earned the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Theology degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and has written Sunday School lessons for LifeWay Christian Resources on numerous occasions.
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