Predestination & Monergism: How Many Wills Does God Have?

How to Use Vitamin B12: Do's & Don'ts

This article is part of the Dance of Life Devotional. Download or get your copy of this great resource by going here.

Throughout history there is a clear pattern of people misusing the will of God to justify their heinous deeds. From the false prophets of Israel to the false prophets of the modern charismatic or NAR movements, there is nothing new under the sun. The bible tells us to test the spirits (1 John 4:1) and to renew our minds in Christ so that we may discern what is actually the will of God (Romans 12:1-2).

So then studying God’s word and being able to understand what God’s will is, is a very important part of the Christian walk. Yet things get more complicated as we undo the humanistic programming of the modern world and really lean into God’s sovereignty. Isaiah 46:8-11 says that God declares the end from the beginning and accomplishes all of His purposes. Acts 4:26-28 tells us that the evil of the cross was predestined by God before the world began, and there are countless prophecies in the bible (most of them fulfilled) that testify to a very controversial truth: the reality we are experiencing has been predetermined by God.

Many stumble here immediately because they conflate biblical predestination with the pagan notion of fate. These two are diametrically opposed, though both are essentially deterministic in nature. The difference is that fate is determinism without a purpose, by a mechanism of some kind or some malevolent or heartless supernatural authority. Biblical predestination, however, is the best news possible because it is grounded in God’s perfect character and wisdom.