47: Compatibilism's Free Will: Fact or Fiction?

Does Calvinism’s concept of sovereignty erase human free will? This episode unpacks the philosophy of compatibilism, which attempts to reconcile divine control with human responsibility. While it claims we freely choose what we most desire, it also asserts that our desires are predetermined by God—raising the question: is that real freedom or just an illusion? Using a thought-provoking parable, we illustrate why compatibilism collapses under its own contradiction. Join us as we examine whether this system truly aligns with biblical teaching or if it’s simply philosophy masquerading as theology.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
(Music)
Welcome to the Ready for Eternity
podcast, a podcast and blog dedicated to
inquisitive Bible students exploring
biblical truths that might not be fully
explored in typical sermons or Bible
studies. My name is Eddie Lawrence. Human

(00:23):
free will is a foundational biblical
truth, but what happens when someone
redefines God's sovereignty in a way that
clashes with Scripture?
Today we're talking about the free will
of compatibilism. Is it fact or fiction?

(00:46):
Calvinism claims sovereignty means God
causes everything. That includes
everything from atomic vibrations to your
lunch choice. If God controls every
detail, then human choice is just an
illusion. This creates a problem. If God
determines all events, how can people be

(01:08):
truly responsible for their choices? A
philosophy known as compatibilism has
been introduced to address this tension.
It tries to solve the contradiction by
redefining free will in a way that fits
Calvinistic sovereignty. Dr. Daniel Aiken
gives us a textbook
description of compatibilism.

(01:32):
Soft determinism, or compatibilism,
insists that some things are determined
by the decrees of the personal God. But
with respect to our choices, we are free
insofar as we are not constrained to act
in a manner that is not consistent with
our own character and nature.
Compatibilism claims people have free
will, but only in a limited sense. It

(01:55):
says you always choose what you most
desire, but those desires are ultimately
determined by God. According to
Calvinism, human desires are entirely
corrupt, meaning we can never choose good
on our own. So while you feel like you're
making a real choice, you could never

(02:15):
make a choice that is inconsistent with
your corrupt nature. God has set
parameters that constrain every decision
from major life choices to minor actions.
However, the problem still exists. If you
could never have chosen otherwise, then
it wasn't really a choice. If God

(02:37):
controls your nature and desires, then
your will isn't free. It's programmed.
Calling it free will doesn't make it so.
Consider the following story which
illustrates compatibilism. The
Clockmaker's
Compatibilism. Choice without freedom.

(02:58):
There was once a renowned clockmaker who
built the grandest timepieces in all the
land. His work was flawless, his gears
precise, and his design so intricate that
many swore his clocks must have a will of
their own. One day, the clockmaker
summoned the townsfolk and presented them
with his latest creation. A magnificent

(03:20):
clock, tall and gilded, with hands that
moved smoothly, and chimes that rang like
the songs of angels. This, he declared,
is no ordinary clock. Unlike all others,
this one may choose the hour it shall
strike. The people marveled. A clock that
chooses, they murmured. Surely this is a

(03:43):
wonder. A curious boy stepped forward.
"But, sir," he asked, "did you not place
the gears? Did you not set the springs,
forge the weights, and
arrange every cog in its place?"
Indeed, the clockmaker admitted, "I
fashioned each piece with care. And did

(04:04):
you not know, even before you built it,
which hour it would strike?" The
clockmaker chuckled. "Of course. I am no
careless craftsman. I designed it
perfectly, so it will strike precisely as
I intended." The boy furrowed his brow.
"Then, in what way does it choose?" The

(04:24):
clockmaker smiled. "Ah, but does it not
move? Do its hands not turn? The gears
within spin of their own accord. It is
not held fast by my
hand. It follows its nature."
"But its nature," a boy insisted, "is
only what you gave it. It may turn. But
only as you have determined. It seems to

(04:46):
choose. But only as you decreed from the
start." At this, the clockmaker frowned.
"You are too young to understand such
mysteries." Yet the townsfolk, hearing
the exchange, eyes began to murmur. The
clock was no more free than the stones in
the road. It could do nothing but what it
had been built to do. And so the people

(05:09):
left, wiser than before. But the clock,
unaware of the debate, continued ticking
as it always had, just
as it was made to do.
Compatibilism collapses under its own
contradiction. It claims human choices
are real, while denying access to a full

(05:29):
range of options. But true choice
requires real alternatives. If every
thought, desire, and action follows a
path set by external conditions, then
calling it free will is just wordplay.
It's like offering a menu where every
dish leads to the same meal. A will that
can only choose within preset boundaries

(05:51):
isn't free. It's just an illusion of
freedom. Compatibilism claims you're
free, but only to do what God has
predetermined your corrupt nature will
desire. Yet since those desires come from
God, it all comes full circle.
God remains the true cause of every
choice. Many Calvinists ultimately appeal

(06:15):
to "mystery" when confronted with the
logical contradiction in compatibilism.
They argue that God's sovereignty and
human responsibility are both fully true,
even if they seem irreconcilable to human
reason. Some claim this is a divine
paradox beyond our comprehension, while

(06:35):
others insist the tension is only
apparent due to our limited perspective.
However, critics argue that this isn't a
true mystery, but a logical
contradiction—one that results from
forcing an unbiblical system onto
Scripture. Dr. Daniel Aiken points out

(06:56):
that the so-called mysteries and
paradoxes are, in fact,
scandalous logical problems that even
Calvinists acknowledge.
Decretal theology—that is divine
orchestration—is a logical system that
ultimately fails logically. Thomas
Schreiner, like many other thoughtful

(07:16):
Calvinists, acknowledges this when he
states, "The scandal of the Calvinist
system is that ultimately the logical
problems posed cannot be fully resolved."
Aiken comments further, "Decretal
theology is highly speculative about
issues on which the Bible gives little or

(07:36):
no information. Detractors point out that
trumpeting the humility of the doctrines
of grace, while divining the mind of God
by discerning the logical order of the
decrees, can be seen as an act of
inconsistent hubris. Thus, Decretal
theology is actually a philosophy
masquerading as theology." In conclusion,

(07:58):
the concept of compatibilism, when
applied to free will and divine
sovereignty, ultimately undermines the
very idea of freedom it seeks to
preserve. By insisting that our choices
are merely the outcome of God's
predetermined design, it turns free will
into an illusion, much like the ticking

(08:19):
of a clock that can only move as its
maker intended. While some may appeal to
mystery or paradox to defend this system,
the logical contradictions remain.
Scripture presents true free will as
requiring genuine options and personal
responsibility. Compatibilism's rigid

(08:41):
framework compromises both. At its core,
compatibilism fails to reconcile the
biblical truths of God's sovereignty and
human responsibility in
a way that honors both.
Thanks for listening to the podcast. We

(09:02):
hope this episode has deepened your
understanding of Scripture. If you found
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(09:23):
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