Hi there. I apologize for being late to the party—this thread was started three weeks ago—but I discovered this “Ask a Calvinist” section only just today. I’m glad to have found it, though, because I regard curiosity as a virtue and I love fielding questions about things that interest me, and Calvinism definitely interests me.
For the record, I adhere to a Reformed
covenant theology that affirms
the doctrines of grace (i.e., the five points of Calvinism) and
the five solas, among other things. I was drawn to this view by the late R. C. Sproul by watching his many videos, reading his many articles and books, and listening to Renewing Your Mind on nearly a daily basis. I love R. C. Sproul.
I've watched many of R. C. Sproul's and other videos on predestination, and I don't get it completely.
Okay, let's walk through this carefully and thoughtfully.
I understand that semi-Pelagianism is the idea that God knows who's going to be receptive to the gospel and who isn't. So, that's out.
I would say that's more Arminian than semi-Pelagian. One of the biggest problems that Arminians have with Calvinist theology is this idea that election is unconditional. They believe that election is conditional, namely, that God elects to salvation those he knows beforehand will put their faith in Christ.
Pelagius denied the doctrine of original sin, holding that humans are born innocent and have the ability in and of themselves to put their faith in Christ. This was denounced as heretical in the fifth century. Semi-Pelagians have a modified view, namely, that anyone's ability to come to Christ
is a result of divine grace (because humans are born abject sinners), which God indiscriminately grants to all. So, denial of original sin identifies Pelagianism, and prevenient grace identifies semi-Pelagianism.
Interestingly, this all pertains to election, not predestination.
So, is it that God [creates babies that he knows will end up in] hell? If so, why have them be born at all? Is this a case of Romans 9:18 and we just have to understand that we can't understand God's ways? If someone could explain this to me, I would really appreciate it!
It should be pointed out that this problem is not restricted to Calvinism. Arminians must also deal with it. On that view, God can look down the corridors of time and know who will and won't come to Christ for salvation. In other words, he knows which people will never accept him and end up in hell—and yet he creates them anyway? But why?
God doesn't tell us, so we don't know—Arminians and Calvinists alike.
From what I understand—and please correct me if I'm wrong—Calvinists believe people cannot choose whether to believe or not because they count that as works, and being saved is 100% grace.
It's not about works. The reason people cannot choose to believe is because, in and of themselves, they are hostile to God. They hate God and refuse to submit to his law. They are controlled by the sinful nature and cannot please God (Romans 8:5-8). "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. ... there is no one who does good, not even one" (Romans 3:10-12). That is the desperate situation of man's sin and why we are so deserving of hell.
It's also why salvation is 100 percent grace. There is nothing in us that would choose him. Without the miracle of regeneration, saying "yes" is impossible.
Arminians think that all who believe are appointed for eternal life. But the Bible says the opposite: "All who were appointed for eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48).
Arminians think Jesus said, "But you are not my sheep because you do not believe." However, he said the opposite: "But you do not believe because you are not my sheep" (John 10:26).
And so on. Election is always primary.
How can we have people who are predestined to go to hell if no one can really choose?
That's kind of where I'm stuck. I can't see around the being-able-to-choose issue.
First, they actually can choose. The problem is that they choose only to sin, for that is all they want. That is why they are condemned and remain under God's wrath, on account of their sin which they love and freely choose.
Second, nobody is predestined to go to hell. God gives them over to their wretched depravity and they sink ever deeper into the sin they love, but it is by their own choosing. When the Bible talks about predestination, it pertains only to the elect and only to salvation.
So, election is made by God on a basis that only he knows.
Correct. The only thing I would add is that election is always primary. It is the basis for everything else that follows in salvation (calling, justification, glorification).
So, there will be millions of children born, loved by their parents, educated, married, having children of their own to love, and they will all go to hell because they were not elected?
No. They will go to hell because of their manifest wretched sin.
Does that mean it is useless for us to pray for people, or it is not useless because we don't know if they are elect and will eventually become Christians?
It is no more useless for a Calvinist than an Arminian who likewise has no idea who will eventually become Christian. Besides, prayer is about the children of God talking to their heavenly Father, being real with him and aligning our hearts with his. When we pray for someone to be saved, we're telling God what our desire is—and that's not a useless conversation. Will they ever be saved? We hope so because we love them, but we don't know. And no matter what, we trust God to do what is right and just.