Author: Geisler, Norman
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Rick Shrader‘s Review:
I have reread Norman Geisler’s 1999 book (by Bethany House Publishers) which I first reviewed in 2001. I have always liked Geisler’s view on salvation and election. Geisler calls himself a modified Calvinist. He describes five-point Calvinists as extreme, places himself as a modified Calvinist, calls conservative Arminians modified Arminian, and open theism as extreme Arminian. Obviously from the title he believes man has a free will, specifically in choosing to be saved. Here are a couple quotes.
“It is correct to say man’s unbelief is the ’cause’ of all his evil actions. Likewise, salvation is totally a gift from God. But there is no biblical support, including Ephesians 2:8-9 for the idea that faith is a gift from God to only the elect. ‘It [neuter] (sic) is a gift of God’ does not refer to ‘faith’ (which is feminine) but to salvation by grace. It is doubtful whether any Bible text teaches that faith is a gift given only to the elect. Faith is a gift from God, it is offered to everyone, and it is not forced on anyone against his or her will. It must be received by an act of free choice prompted by God’s persuasive and efficacious grace” (p. 212). To this Geisler also adds A.T. Robertson’s explanation: “‘Grace’ is Gods’ part, ‘faith’ ours. And that [it] (kai touto). Neuter, not feminine taute, and so refers not to pistis [faith] or to charis [grace] (feminine also), but to the act of being saved by grace conditioned on faith on our part” (p. 182). The brackets are added by Geisler for clarity.
In another explanation of election and foreknowledge, Geisler defines the extreme Calvinist view as “predetermination is in spite of foreknowledge.” The modified Arminian view as “predetermination is based on His foreknowledge.” And then gives his Moderate Calvinism view as “God’s predetermination is in accord with His foreknowledge” based on 1 Peter 1:2, “elect according to the foreknowledge of God.” Geisler then explains further in a following paragraph. “Acccording to the moderate Calvinist’s view, whatever God forechooses cannot be based on what He foreknows. Nor can what He foreknows be based on what He forechose. Both must be simultaneous, eternal, and coordinate acts of God. Thus, our actions are truly free, and God determined that they would be such. God is totally sovereign in the sense of actually determining what occurs, and yet man is completey free and responsible for what he chooses” (p. 52-53).
For a moderate Calvinistic (believing in eternal security) point of view, you will enjoy reading this book.