Welcome to an exciting episode of Grace Bond Ministries! I (Jonathan) have wrestled with the ideas of God having soverign power and humans having true, libertarian free will. On this podcast, I have invited a new colleague, Trent Blake, who is a firm molinist to explain what Molinism is, how it compares to other major views like Calvinism, Arminianism and Open Theism, explaining some scriptures that seem to easily support Molinism and others that are a challenge to Molinism. Molinism is mainly focused on the theological theory of the middle knowledge of God, which is basically that God has full knowledge of what could happen, what would happen and what will happen. If God simply has foreknowledge of these three ideas, then it is possible that human beings could have true libertarian free will. We also discussed Molinism in a practical sense, discussing did God use free will and somehow Jesus's prophecies all come true? Does Molinism help us answer the problem of evil (if God is all knowing, loving and powerful, then why does he allow evil to exist?)? Are we predestined to be believers or nonbelievers, or do we have the free will choice to believe in Jesus for our salvation? Do people die when God determines them to die, or do our free will choices affect how long we live? There are many other topics covered in this podcast, and if you are struggling with understanding how God in His Soverign power works, you definitely will want to listen into this podcast! It is a very deep discussion, but it is a very important discussion. It just may make you rethink how you think about God and His world! It may also get you to rethink the faith if you have rejected Christianity because of the viewpoints of others! If you have any other questions, comments or would like to be on the podcast, email me at gracebondministries@gmail.com ! God bless!
Trent Blake is the editor-in-chief of Baseline Christianity (baselinechristianity.com). He seeks to help Christians deepen their love for God and in doing so, equip them to replicate that love to others. Trent is a graduate of Word of Life Bible Institute and is currently taking online courses with Moody Bible Institute for pastoral ministry. He has also written for TheRebelution.com and has been featured in the bestselling Christian young adult book Do Hard Things.
