How much can we be blamed for what happens. I am a Christian and I wrestle with this theory constantly. I beleive the God really has power over all, but I also beleive he has given us free will, but that free will can not super seed his own. So my question is where does the balance of power lay? With us or God? Obviously he is more powerful than us, but do we or don't we have control....?
2006-10-11 13:22:12 · 16 answers · asked by O Jam 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
don't use god as an excuse for your **** ups...use him as an excuse for your successes, like republicans do
2006-10-11 13:24:42 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
You are wrong on one point. Our free will certainly CAN supercede His divine will. Otherwise it would not be free, and it would not even be our will. It would be His will. If our will could not supercede His will, there would be no such thing as sin. Sin, by definition, means placing our will over God's will. He gave us the right and the power to do this when He created us with free will. Which is why we are fully responsible for the decisions of free will we make.
When someone walks into a schoolhouse and kills several children, some people ask "how could a just God allow this to happen?". The answer is, a just and loving God has already created us with free will, and therefore with complete responsibility for our decisions of free will. When we choose to place our will above God's will, there is nothing God can do about it. If God said "I give you the right to choose between good and evil, but every time you choose evil I'll jump in and make sure nobody gets hurt", then free will would be meaningless, and there would be no reason to avoid evil since no harm would ever be done.
2006-10-11 13:38:51 · answer #2 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are a Christian and you pray and you read the Bible, you know right from wrong. Know that tugging feeling in your heart or that little voice in the back of your mind telling you "don't go there" when you are about to do something wrong? That is God trying to advise you but you have the choice to listen and do what's right or to proceed along and do what's wrong. You then take the consequences of the action you chose. I believe without a doubt He can step in & change or alter circumstances and I'm sure He does more times than we know but we have control of our own lives. If we would pray and seek His will for our lives and then do His will not only would we be happier but we would have no need for this question.
2006-10-11 13:34:06 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's difficult to explain without just throwing a bunch of scripture at you, so I'll try to form a parable:
Think of the world (including YOUR life) as a movie already on DVD. Before you pop the DVD in the player, before you know anything about the movie...it is already finished, right? Well, just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it's not finished.
Yes, you have free will, but God knew what route you would choose before He even created you. Yet, just because He KNEW doesn't mean that it was a choice He favored.
However...your life is a small piece of the big picture, which is God's will. God's will is DONE on earth...the righteous and the unrighteous are already named.
We have NO power outside of the power He gave us, and He only gave power to those who would properly use it.
It took me a while to understand all this, and it may take you some time too, but really think about it...the light will come on sooner or later!
*smile*
2006-10-11 13:32:14 · answer #4 · answered by ConcernedMom 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
We have control over the choices we make but God knows what we are going to choose and we have to pray to make the right choice. we are expected to pray to stay spirutally connected. God works everything out to his glory. You know, you think you're running the show but let me tell you you're NOT! LOL! I saw proof of this tuesday night. I plans to do something and meet someone and I thought it was gonna work and then I Thouhgt it was gonna bust but it ended up working a COMPELTLEY different way. that is PROOGF that god is in control becuase the odds of finding this person in a large crowded room was astronomical and yet there this person was. I can't pick most people I've known for two weeks out of a lineup and people I've known for years can get a new haircut it's the same way and yet i recognized this person. I'm chalking it up to God must have wanted it to happen. that's the only explanation I can give because normally I would have walked right by them. they would not have pulled me aside because they didn't know it was me they were looking for. Tell me that ain't a God thing. So God DOES have control, He just has to let us think we are running the show sometimes. God chose us. we just don't ever want to admit it. it's an ego thing.
2006-10-11 13:33:43 · answer #5 · answered by leeanndemon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very, very good question, and you definitely should be wrestling with this theory. Free will cannot be reconciled with God's sovereignty without contradiction. I have asked this several times on YA, and none of the Arminians who responded will relinquish their "control" over God Himself (!) by giving up the idea of free will. But my answer your question is that an Almighty God is in control, I was a robot to SIN save for His grace, now I enjoy a relationship with Him. Call me a robot, I'm a happy one.
2006-10-11 15:14:47 · answer #6 · answered by ccrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should know that God doesn't want little robots running around saying "I love God" in a mindless stupor without will. Yes God has a perfect will for our lives, if we submit willing to that will we will be filled with happiness peace and joy. But because God wants us to give Him our love and not take it He allows us to follow our own will into love for Him or the evil depravity of the world... You must be young in Christ not to know these things, We can always talk more through email if you wish.... Jim
2006-10-11 13:44:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes God gives us free will-he don't come down and stop us from doing bad things,that's why we have a conscience to let us know when we have done wrong. God's power is over the whole world,everyone-but he allows us to live our life according to our own lives,what's wrong for me,might not be wrong for you!
2006-10-11 13:32:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very good question. I have often thought the same thing. If you look at the beginning, Adam and Eve were created and God said it was good. There was no sin, then God cast Lucifer to earth, he tempted Eve and we got sin. Not only us but death came into the world for all creation, plant & amimals alike. Stife was created by Eve for them too. No presumming that God knows all, He created us good, why did He ultimately throw sin into our life? Wasn't that his doing? Couldn't He have just as well, delt with Satan there? This causes conflict within the word.
2006-10-11 13:30:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
that is a tough question, one worthy of wrestling with. finding our role is tough sometimes. there is only so much we can do. inevitably, despite our best attempts, we will always screw up one way or another. i just have to believe that God can use what we fail in for his purpose and glory. in the end, we just have to ask him for guidance and go out on faith. we still have free will, but we have limited control. hope this helps!
2006-10-11 13:32:18 · answer #10 · answered by truth seeker 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God places you in certain situation and gives you the option to deal with it. You have the power to make your own choices. How you deal with the situation is entirely up to you. Hence free will.
2006-10-11 13:39:43 · answer #11 · answered by Angel Girl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋