2007-01-29 11:38:06 · 20 answers · asked by david 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Does the Bible speak of predestination?......."And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethern." Romans 8:28,29. (Note: Some inquire, If God knows whether I will be saved or lost, why bother trying to be a Christian? The answer is simply this: While God knows, because He is omniscient, we do not know the future. Hence we each must exercise our right of choice and choose either to reject God's grace or to accept it. God's foreknowledge never interferes with man's free choice. Those whom God froeknew He predestined. Inasmuch as God foreknows all and since He predestined (planned) that all would become like His Son, this evidence that God predestined none to be lost. God could look ahead and know who the elect would be. Read 1Peter 1:2, first part. The elect were predestined only upon the condition of obedience. When Israel failed to obey, even though predestined, God did not cast them entirely away because Paul himself was an Israelite. Read Romans 11:1,7.)
2007-01-29 11:43:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The two cannot be reconciled in spite of all the tap-dancing people try to do. God knows but we have free will??? If it's totally free, then God CANNOT know, by definition. This makes for a weak God who is subject to our whims. I say no way.
I'm a Calvinist. God is all-knowing, man is all-guilty. So guilty that he has no ability to look to God for salvation. Therefore it takes a loving God to save some, not all. And it's news to a lot of people that He does not love everyone! But it is quite Biblical, if you'll just have a look at the scriptures. He loved Jacob but hated Esau, the potter makes the clay, he chastised Job for claiming his "goodness", and too many people just ignore this and claim that God is a lovable cuddlebear fuzzball that wants, hopes, pleads with us to love him. I think not. He's in charge, man does not have free will.
2007-02-01 20:58:31 · answer #2 · answered by ccrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is like comparing apples to oranges. God is all knowing and He knew that He would give man free will to choose between obedience and Disobedience. He also knew man would choose disobedience - so "before the foundation of the world" was laid, the plan of salvation was already established. He loved us enough to set us free in choice and He loved us enough to rescue us from the consequences of that choice. What an example for us! Can we love each other enough to let each one choose, and then love enough to do what we can to rescue one another from the consequences? Free will is possible because an all knowing God chose to love.
2007-02-06 03:00:14 · answer #3 · answered by wd 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible does not say God knows everything, but he certainly could know anything he wished to know. You and I have free will only as long as God chooses not to know exactly what we will do, which my friend, is most of the time.
2007-01-29 20:39:02 · answer #4 · answered by Sparkle1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not possible. It's a contradiction made by those that think it's better for God to be illogical than to say that there's something that he doesn't know yet or can't do. All they have to do then is to claim that our logic is inferior to God's. It's easy to make excuses for God. All you have to do is say "It's too deep for us to understand. It's a mystery." To me, that's intellectual cowardice.
It's the same as asking if God can create a rock so big that he can't lift it. They are both absolutely meaningless questions with no meaningful answers.
2007-01-29 19:53:58 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, God knows everything but the Bible also states that we are not to be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap.”—Gal. 6:7...which explains the Freewill. God did not create us to be His robots. He gave us the freewill to choose to either make his heart rejoice or rebel against Him. With the freewill, however, God also gave us Wisdom to use "the gift of freewill" properly. The Bible verse should also put an end to the theory of "predestination" or "destiny."
2007-02-06 18:15:08 · answer #6 · answered by Agape 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
So called "free will" is actually contengent and restrained by many things.
That aside, free will and the sovereignty of God are flip sides of the same coin.
God's certain and perfect foreknowledge of all things does not make those events necessary. You and I still have choices, but God already knows what those choices will be.
2007-01-29 19:45:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Ultimately free will means to love God or to reject Him. His all knowing can be compared to a loving father that lets his toddler wander throughout the house with the front and back doors locked, he knows what to expect but he lets his child experience and develop his curiosity.
2007-01-29 19:56:00 · answer #8 · answered by edcaimo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
These terms are not contradictory. Humans have free will meaning they can make their own choices. God is all knowing meaning he knew a long time ago what we would do and when.
2007-02-06 16:23:08 · answer #9 · answered by Marilyn S 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Let me, ask you a question. Which would you prefer someone created to love you such as a robot? Are would it be best to have someone love you because they want too, of their own free will? Of course anything that is created to do a certain thing can hardly be considered love. When someone loves because they want too, of their own free will, it is stronger than someone who is made to love.
2007-01-29 19:55:26 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋