How do Calvinists explain Satan? The illusion of free choice

Recently we've been reconsidering many of the things we thought we understood regarding doctrine and faith. We have begun to question certain beliefs, church structures, and practices of the western church. Too often we have discovered unbiblical doctrines and activities. This causes us concern. We have deemed this our “Rethink.”

Our questions include, how did we arrive at our doctrines? Does the Bible really teach what we think it teaches? Why do churches do what they do? What is the biblical basis of church leadership structure? Why do certain traditions get entrenched?

It's easy to be spoon fed the conventional wisdom, but it's an entirely separate thing to search these things out for one's self. In the past we have read the Bible with these unexamined understandings and interpreted what we read through those lenses. We were lazy about our Bible study, assuming that pastors and theologians were telling us the truth, but we rarely checked it out for ourselves.

Therefore, these Rethinks are our attempt to remedy the situation.

We should note that we are not Bible scholars, but we believe that one doesn't need to be in order to understand the Word of God.

Introduction

Calvinism posits that God chose those who would be saved long before they were born. These are the Elect. The Elect not only were chosen, they cannot lose or forfeit their salvation. So, if the Elect are pre-selected by God and cannot fall away, that also means those who are pre-selected for doom are irrevocably bound for hell. Nothing can change the will of God. 

This is a problematic doctrine for a variety of reasons. Today we have one specific point regarding this: What is the purpose of the devil? 

Irrelevant

Nothing that Satan does can change anything. He doesn't need to bother with the lost because their destiny is sealed and nothing he does impacts that. They already are destined for the lake of fire. Neither can he sway the saved because they were chosen and pre-destined to be saved. He is supposedly a great evil in opposition to God's purposes, yet none of it changes anything. 

His role as the accuser does not come to bear on anything, for making his accusations changes nothing. What is the reason for him afflicting, tempting, and blaspheming, none of which changes anything? What purpose does he serve when everything he does doesn't matter?  

Paul counsels the Ephesian church to not give the devil a foothold (Ep. 4:27). But the devil cannot gain a foothold in the Elect. Paul also tells the Ephesians to put on their spiritual armor in order to stand against the devil's schemes (Ep. 6:11). But there is no need to do so for the Elect, because it won't make any difference. James tells his readers to resist the devil (Ja. 4:7). But again, there is no reason to for the Elect.

None what the Bible says about the devil is relevant to anyone's eternal destiny.

Satan's fall is therefore meaningless. In fact, he didn't have a choice. We can only conclude that he's irrelevant. He's useless. He is an NPC. Satan simply doesn't matter.

Let's move on to some other issues with predestination.

Predestination Problems

If Satan's actions do not make a difference, then everything else also doesn't make a difference. The doctrine of predestination raises many problems:

• Righteousness - The elect cannot lose their salvation. Yet Calvinists would tell us that obeying the commands of God are crucial, yet doing so doesn't matter.

• Sin: The sinful will still meet their pre-destined outcomes. If the sinner is one of the Elect, he remains one of the Elect. If the sinner is not, well, it doesn't matter to him or anyone else.

• Evangelism - The elect will be saved no matter what. Calvinists try to answer by saying that we're commanded to evangelize so we must do it. But obedience to such a command also doesn't matter.

• Discernment - Deceivers and false teachers will sway no one from their destinies. So discernment doesn't matter.

• Good Doctrine - having good doctrine changes nothing about a person's destiny. Good doctrine doesn't matter.

• Seeking first the kingdom of God - Doesn't matter.

• Generosity - Doesn't matter.

• Blessed are... - The Elect. Nothing to aspire to or work toward. So, doesn't matter.

• None of Jesus' teachings matter. Paul's explanations are irrelevant. Because the elect are or will be saved. Beyond that, everything is meaningless. Doesn't matter.

Everything in our lives need to be re-understood if predestination is true. If predestination is true, nothing matters. Everything will happen as God has ordained. The saved will be saved, the lost will be lost. Everything will happen exactly as God has ordained it.

Calvinists do not live their lives as if predestination is true. Like everyone else, they go through life acting as if they are making choices and those choices matter, but they aren't and they don't. Everyone anguishes over making the right choices in critical situations even though the outcome is predetermined. Our choices are inevitable. Our lives are actually an illusion of choice. 

If Calvinism is true, we are living a lie. 

This makes existence into nothing more than a movie where everything seems real but the actors are simply doing what the script tells them to do. The story is already written, directed, and produced, and we are nothing more than actors pretending to be something we are not.

We Explain Our Take on Predestination

There is indeed a group of people who were chosen and predestined (Ro. 8:29-30). They were the children of promise (Ro. 9:8), the ones who were objects of His mercy (Ro. 9:23), the ones who were the firstfruits of the Spirit (Ro. 8:23, 29, Ro. 11:16, Ja. 1:18). They were the first to hope in Christ (Ep. 1:12). 

This means the Elect were the earliest believers, i.e., the first century Jews who accepted Christ. They were predestined and chosen for salvation. The elect were Jews (Ro. 11:2, 5, 2Ti. 2:10).

The gentiles who got saved after this were included in Christ when they believed (Ep. 1:13). That's when they were grafted in (Ro. 11:17). The gentiles were the objects of His wrath  (Ro. 9:22). They are the ones for whom God has patience (2Pe. 3:9). He would not need to be patient if they were predestined. 

We also got saved when we believed.

We have a secure position, but we are to exercise care to not fall from it (2Pe. 3:17). Which means it is possible to fall from security.

Conclusion

Predestination only applies to a limited number of Jews saved in the first century. 

Further, predestination does not glorify God. It is impossible to actually worship Him if we are simply playing our parts in His pre-ordained reality. Predestination is a problematic and pernicious doctrine which does not reflect God's design. It is illogical, unworkable, and unbiblical. It bears no fruit. 

Predestination is false.