POSTED 06 NOVEMBER, 2008

The Freewill of Humans

by J.K. McKee
editor@tnnonline.net

reproduced from the McHuey Blog 

This week the eyes of the world are upon the United States of America. The 2008 presidential election was fought long and hard, with some significant ups and downs, most notably the recent financial crisis. On the one side we had a candidate who had served his country faithfully since the age of 17, commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy, taken as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, representing Arizona as a senator, and now having been defeated in two presidential bids. On the other side we had a young African-American man rise up to power from his community organizing in Chicago, to the Illinois State Senate, to the United States Senate, and now to the White House. One candidate campaigned on the mantra of experience, and another candidate campaigned on the mantra of change. I congratulate President-elect Barack Obama, and being a patriotic American I sincerely hope that he can unite the country as he has promised. But, we will see…

I am a student of political science, a discipline that has served me well in ministry and theological studies. Many do not consciously think about the fact that the trends in society at large, and its politics, are often reflected in its diverse faith communities—and vice versa. What we see happening in America today is a distinct reflection of some kind of change, whether we all like it or not. The current presidential administration made some blunders that polarized America, and so the incumbent political party did its best to distance itself from President Bush. This was not enough for it to win, and rather than seeing President McCain, we will instead see President Obama. And we will indeed see what kind of a leader he will be. Will he truly make good on his speeches of there being no blue states, red states, but instead only the United States of America? Or will he pander to the agenda of one particular sector of America? Will President-elect Obama seek unity among all Americans, or will we see even more polarization?

My advice to you, my friends, is to watch and listen closely. Make intelligent observations and try to understand the societal trends we are witnessing. I know many of you did not vote for President-elect Obama, and neither did I. It will be interesting to watch what happens to the Democratic party, but perhaps even more interesting what happens to the Republican party. Yet there is something even more important to be considered: How does this affect our own Messianic community of faith?

Much of what I have heard from fellow Believers over the past election cycle is that God is the One who has chosen who our leader will be. I understand the sentiments of those who say this, because indeed there are things in His Word that are destined to come to pass. We know that Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) had to come into the world to atone for humanity’s sin. We know that He will return in glory and righteousness, preceded by a time of intense horrors and judgment. But has God decreed the events of every single second to take place? Some say so, yet some say things are not so clear. Perhaps while the ultimate end has already been determined, have you ever asked yourself about how the Lord might actually let us have a hand in some of the finer points of how we arrive?

Arriving at the airport of human destiny, and knowing our destination, is it possible that the Lord gives us a choice of airlines? Any of you who have traveled know that some airlines fly to destinations nonstop, and on others you have to change planes. Some carriers have really good service, and others have really bad service. Some airlines have alliances with other airlines, so when you change planes you change carriers. The flight with the American people on board just changed carriers after a rather interesting layover.

For quite some time I have been intrigued by the Calvinist-Arminian debate in contemporary theology. You know, the debate over whether or not God has chosen specific elect to be saved, or whether He foreknows the choice of who will be saved. My McKee paternal ancestry is good Calvinist Presbyterian stock, an ideology dominated by predestinarianism. Yet, my Jeffries and Worthington maternal ancestry is good Arminian Methodist stock, an ideology dominated by the free will of the human person. A significant part of this theology is the fact that the Lord does give us a choice even though the ultimate result may already be known. This concurs much more with the ancient Rabbinical view of God’s foreknowledge and man’s choice:

“In the volume of the Mishnah known as the Pirke Avoth (‘Sayings of the Fathers’) Rabbi Akiba proclaimed: ‘Everything is seen, yet freedom is given’ (3.19). It is clear from this brief statement that already in the 2nd century Jewish theology had at least recognized, if not solved, the apparent incompatibility between divine omniscience and human freedom” (Seymour Feldman, “The Binding of Isaac: A Test-Case for Divine Foreknowledge,” in The Jewish Philosophy Reader, p 122).

The Lord has already decreed where we are headed, but today as I look at what has just taken place in the American election—I do believe that we are given a choice as to how slow or how fast we get there. The United States’ electorate has probably just accelerated, even if for a short moment in time, the processes toward fuller globalization.

With the mind that God has blessed me with, throughout this entire campaign cycle it has been too tempting for me to not make comparisons between what has happened in this recent election and what we are witnessing today in our Messianic community of faith. You see, I am one of those few people among us who believe that God is more concerned with His people than He is with the world. The history of Ancient Israel usually demonstrates that when they made bad choices, only then did the Lord judge them with outside nations. Likewise, when Ancient Israel usually made good choices, were the outside nations able to be subjugated in some way. I am able to have peace when it comes to the whole “end-time scenario” because I believe that only when God’s people are ready will the forces of darkness truly arise. Satan always reacts to what God does, being the ultimate copycat and counterfeiter; God does not react to Satan. And, God’s people are not yet ready.

America has just elected a new president who has used his oratorical skills and suave to gain the trust of the electorate, effectively rejecting someone who had the right experience and pedigree to be commander in chief. Today’s Messianic movement often follows after leaders with the right sound bytes and the abilities to entertain and stir their (base) emotions, usually spurning those with the right skills, temperament, and ability to appeal to the work of the Holy Spirit bringing forth the love and compassion of Yeshua. About half of America this week believes that we have elected an empty suit to the White House. It is my prayer that the Messianic movement, a reflection of its main host culture (the U.S.A.), observes what has happened and more carefully considers the people it regards as its leaders. Just like America this week, over the course of thirteen years I have witnessed that it often rejects those with the right qualifications to lead it.

Change is coming to America, and time will determine whether the electorate has made the right choice, or a choice it will come to regret. The free will of humans is a real factor to be considered in history. I have always believed that the Messianic movement has a great deal of potential to be a force of God’s holiness and righteousness in the world. But unfortunately, it has suffered in this first decade of the 2000’s by some poor choices it has made. Fortunately, unlike America, we as the people of God will make the right decision in the long run—the Scriptures testify to this and to the definite restoration of all Israel that will occur! How soon we make those right decisions, with the right leaders coming forth—and the stability and credibility and grand spirituality and answers that the world needs—is entirely up to us. Just as Ancient Israel was given the choice (Deuteronomy 30:19), so have we. Let us make the right one and hasten our Lord’s return (2 Peter 3:12). Let us learn from the mistakes of others so that we do not have to repeat them (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:11, RSV).

J.K. McKee (B.A., University of Oklahoma; M.A., Asbury Theological Seminary) is the editor of TNN Online (www.tnnonline.net) and is a Messianic apologist. He is a 2009 recipient of the Zondervan Biblical Languages Award for Greek. He is author of numerous books, dealing with a wide range of topics that are important for today’s Messianic Believers. He has also written many articles on theological issues, and is presently focusing his attention on Messianic commentaries of various books of the Bible.