what about free will and predestination?

Question

do we have a free will to chose right or wrong? if so, how come people say, “god has a plan for everybody?”

Answer 1

So few people know what Calvinism teaches, I'm not surprised at this question. It starts with the condition of man and his sin nature. Do you really trust someone who has inherited original sin to be able to look to God for salvation, especially when the Bible says that we are spiritually dead in our sins? That means there is no spark of life whatsoever before we are saved. Sure we have free will, we can reject God anyway we like, but choice like that is nothing to be desiered. Dead means completely incapable, that means God must, must, out of a grace we cannot understand, save his own that he has chosen before the foundations of the world.

The word "plan" has a connotation of hope and ineffectiveness, and I don't see any indecision on God's part. Foreknowledge and predestination can be taken at face value in the Bible, and it doesn't have to be "explained away" in order to keep a perceived ability to choose God, intact. This is not a 50-50 thing, it's 100-0, God elects, predestines, calls, regenerates, converts, justifies us, sanctifies us, and glorifies us. Salvation from eternity to eternity belongs to God, we ought not dare claim any part of it for ourselves.

Answer 2

He does have a plan for everybody. God knows our choices before we make them, that doesn't mean he was in control, we still had free will (we either chose to follow God or not. There is no gray area! That just means he knows us & what we have done & will do! If we allow God to work through us, He will use us to do his works. We cannot judge how great or small the works are of God for we do not see His plan the way he does.

Look at a mountain, do the rocks on the base of the mountain think they are better that the rocks on the very top. They all serve a purpose, we may not see where we are in the grand picture, but that is why we trust God, for He knows for what purpose we are being used!

Psalm 111:2
Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

2 Peter 2:17-19 (New International Version)
17These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

Answer 3

How many times do I have to explain this?

Take the equation x + y = 7.

x and y can be all sorts of values just as long as adding them together produces 7, which is a fixed outcome. So, x and y are the freewill actions of people, and 7 is the predestined outcome.

And people wonder what good rudimentary algebra is outside of the classroom.

Answer 4

God has a plan for your soul. I believe that Gods plan is about creating love. Love, without free will, is meaningless. You can not force someone to love you and have it mean anything. Therefore free will in necessary.

Answer 5

He already knows what you're going to do, I guess. Personally, I never saw much point to all the metaphysical arguements in religion. I tend to think it's more about just being spiritual i.e. a good person.

Answer 6

Could it be so many don't believe in God because they either don't understand or don't believe He is able as God to do much more than we are able to comprehend?

Answer 7

He does...You believe in and repent and he will guide you the right way.

Answer 8

Because they are wrong.