Determined to Believe?: The sovereignty of God, faith and human responsibility

Excellent book. I read this on the recommendation of Dr. Leighton Flowers of Soteriology101 and found it an encouraging challenge to the resurgence of theistic determinism. The book contains plenty of scriptural references and quotes. Many Biblical quotes are from the ESV which I also prefer using whenever discussing this issue with a determinist, most of the lengthier quotes are from the 84NIV. The cover of this first edition is unfortunate since it can give a false impression that Lennox is going to caricature the determinists’ position. I thought his tone was irenic throughout and he was careful in quoting/representing the views he critiqued. Lennox not only argues against unconditional election, limited atonement, and irresistible grace, but also against the possibility of losing salvation. Whether or not one agrees with him, this is, overall, a good contribution to the discussion.

If you are open-minded John Lennox shares the pros & cons of all sides in showing that if you know scripture and will apply it in a common sense approach - without isolating it out of context - that his opinion speaks for itself: God does not play games and is not ambiguous if you’ll look at all He says. A great book if you care to be well-informed.

John Lennox has been someone who I’ve paid attention to for awhile. When I heard that this book was coming out, I pre-ordered it without hesitation. It didn’t disappoint as it detailed the rationale for a reformed free-will defense. Significant use of biblical exegesis without being too ‘technical’ for the average reader.

I always enjoy reading John Lennox. The book arrived on time.