C. S. Lewis & Francis Schaeffer:
Lessons for a New Century from the Most Influential Apologists of Our Time
Scott R. Burson, Jerry L. Walls
In a section the authors call "the perfectly balanced mobile," they say the following about Schaeffer, free will and predestination: Schaeffer is affirming the doctrine of total, unconditional predestination as well as a libertarian notion of freedom. But how can humans possess the power to choose between different options if God has predestined everything that is going to happen, including the eternal destiny of each soul? Schaeffer does not answer this question. Indeed, he sees it as futile and possibly even irreverent to try. According to Schaeffer, Scripture clearly teaches both doctrines: humans live "above the level of consciousness" as free beings who make significant choices, while "below the level of consciousness" the Holy Spirit is carrying out the sovereign will of the Father. The biblical authors do not try to harmonize the mysterious doctrines of free will and predestination but simply present them in parallel fashion. In other words, we do not find a biblical explanation for how God could predestine everything and humans could make first-cause choices, but both must be true because both are clearly taught in Scripture. Since the Bible does not try to work it out, we
should leave the issue unresolved. In an attempt to validate this principle of balance or parallelism, Schaeffer suggests a pair of models. He sees the predestination freedom issue as a "perfectly balanced mobile", with God's total control on one side and humanity's true freedom and significance on the other. He also likens Scripture's treatment of the subject to a ping-pong ball bouncing back and fourth in perfect rhythm. Schaeffer offers a strong rhetorical flourish near the end of his lecture ("No Little People"): "The conclusion shouldn't be doctrinal death on either side. The conclusion should be adoration, that was Paul's conclusion... 'O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.' That should be the reaction. . . . Why? For one basic reason . . . Because of who God is. He is infinite, we are finite. And because He is infinite and we are finite we are not going to be able to search out all His ways. Because He is infinite and we are finite we can never exhaust Him. So in order to state the truth of His person, the truth of what He is, the only way to state it to finite men is the way the Bible states it: this side, then that side. There is no other way to say it. To begin to tone it down on either thing is to destroy the marvel of the Bible . . . it is to destroy the understanding of the total infinity of God. Our God is so infinite that He can make history with significance, man with significance, and yet retain His total infinity. This is our God." We can now summarize Schaeffer's position accordingly: Along with the Westminster divines he believes God has unconditionally predestined everything that comes to pass. But at the same time, Schaeffer believes humans are a true and sufficient first cause for their actions. Since God is non-determined and creates freely, humans likewise and non-determined
and free. We must hold these two truths - God's total, unconditional predestination and first-cause human freedom - in constant tension. Scripture does not resolve the matter, but rather affirms both with balanced parallelism. We must, therefore, do the same. Instead of trying to harmonize the two, which will surely lead to either diminishing divine sovereignty or undermining human significance, we should bow before God in awe, reverence and unbridled worship. https://books.google.com/books?id=in4SzrxviCYC&pg=PA73
