How could Jesus be predestined to die for your sins if everyone has free will?

Question

Before you answer, please do some research and understand that free will is incompatible with predestination. The two can not coexist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Determinism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_will

People who say that Jesus did it by free will, then why is christianity always going on about how in the Old Testament there is a prophecy that Jesus would appear?

Joyful - Yeah, it's simpler than you might think if you completely ignore the definition of both free will and predestination and then talk your way around a paradox.

Answer 1

You have made the choice (freewill) to be a non-theist therefore you abuse and live outside of God's will daily which means the two do coexist.

+t+

Answer 2

I understand your argument and it has validity. But the term free will has more than one definition in the de facto standard for all definitions - Webster's dictionary. The entry shows 2 definitions:

free will
One entry found for free will.
Main Entry: free will
Function: noun
1 : voluntary choice or decision
2 : freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or by divine intervention

As you can see, the 2nd one fits the description perfectly. So you are correct. However, the second lsiting is usually a secodary meaning. Look at the first definition, which shows the primary usage of the term. In it, the definition points to a voluntary choice.

God has predetermined all that will happen. I believe that. But when I make a decision it is my choice of whether or not I do it (definition 1 in Webster's) and I am unaware of what that decision is until I make it. Therefore, according to the Webster's primary definition of free will, it applies to Christianity.

Answer 3

Predestination is one of life's mysteries. It helps us see that God has a way more intelligent than we are. And it requires faith. But...

Here is your answer: (It's simpler than you might think)

1. We have a free will to choose whether or not to follow God.

2. God is all-knowing; He knew all about us before we existed; He even knew whether or not we would choose Him. (This is called foreknowlege.)

3. If God knows what we're going to do before we do it, that it's certainly going to happen. It's destined to.

There you have it, predestination.

Answer 4

Well he wasn't predestined. It was prophesied. To make things right for man's salvation, someone had to pay that price. Jesus chose to be the one. He could have backed out, but wouldn't. It was never predestination, it was always choice. He even asked God if there were any other way, and since there wasn't, he chose to obey, thus exercising his freewill.

Answer 5

God is truly Great and doesn't need anyone to die for the sins of someone else. He is Forgiving and Merciful and by His word alone we are all forgiven.

Human beings DO have free will - but time is a concept of humans - not of God! He already knows what will happen, whose prayers will be answered, etc.

Once time is skewed free will and predestination really CAN co-exist...

Answer 6

i think you are reffering to the idea in the bible that christians are predestinated to be "chosen" by God for salvation...you still have a free will to accept it or not though. another way of looking at it is that Jesus performed the necessary spiritual actions that have enabled us to travel the path that leads to salvation...still, everyone has the free will to choose to do so or not...and so did He...the conclusions you are trying to draw are flawed because you have not researched Gods plan enough to understand the context of what has been said lol....

Answer 7

Well from what I get from Christians what determines sin is the law. The law being what was given in Torah (what the Christian call the Old Testament) Since the law was only for the Jews (because of the covenant) it did not apply to non-Jews so how did his death benefit any non-Jew? As far as Jews go if you read the Torah there are many ways to be forgiven (sacrifices the least of them) so not sure how his death benefits the Jews either.

Answer 8

And you must understand that predestination and free will have nothing to do with Christ's sacrifice. HE LEFT HEAVEN TO REDEEM SINNERS. THAT WAS HIS STATED PURPOSE. THAT WAS THE ONLY REASON HE CAME TO EARTH IN THE FORM OF A MAN. TO SUBSTITUTE HIS LIFE FOR MINE! So before you start talking about incompatibility with free will and predestination----think about PURPOSE OF BEING! ;-) He is the only person in the world to know EXACTLY what HIS PURPOSE WAS BEFORE HE WAS BORN! :-)

Answer 9

He was pre-destined as PART of God, from the beginning of time.

MAN was given free will, and Jesus had it to. He could have gone another way, he CHOOSE to die. They do not work together, I see the point. Man was not predestined, Jesus was. The part of him that was God was predestined, the part that was man choose.

We are only man, we have free will, not pre-destination.

Answer 10

Well, it's funny you're telling us to do research when - if you do a little of your own research you will find that Jesus was not predestined, He also had free will and He chose to die for us.

Answer 11

I am not concerned with definitions...sorry. I DO know how Jesus can be predestined to die for your sins, though. Jesus was and is God. Jesus was God in the flesh. Since God knows everything and does everything and made everything....He knew what He was going to do.