How can Free Will possibly exist?

Question

I have come to the conclusion that Free Will cannot exist.

According to Psalm 139:13-16: "13For you created me in my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15My frame was not hidden from you when I was in that secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

If all my days are written in his book, how can one possibly have free will?? This is realy only an illusion!!

If God KNOWS I will be asleep tomorrow at noon, there is no way possible for me to FREELY CHOOSE to be awake at that very moment. Period, end of discussion. God knows I will be asleep and he is omnisicnet and knows all. I cannot change that. I do not have the free will to wake at that time.

So where is my free will??

If I decide to paint my room - I havent really decided at all - it was preordained. Why is this so hard for people to understand?
You DO NOT have free will to wake up when you want to. Sure, I can set an alarm clock - but if God already knows this, then the alarm clock will is PREORDAINED in my existence as well.

FREE WILL DOESNT EXIST. IT IS AN ILLUSION!!!

Answer 1

I will agree with you only halfway. We do not have free will, but theological free will is not the same as the philosophical free will that you are proposing.

Free will has to do with the ability to look to God for salvation, and if we don't have this ability, then any decision that we make yields the same destination of eternal destruction, so honestly, what does it matter whether God knows what we are going to do or not?

In Arminian thought, we are depraved, but not so depraved that we cannot seek out God. This power given to man must be taken away from God in order to do so, and naturally this leaves questions as to his omnipotence and ability to rule the universe.

I also want to make it clear that Calvinism is not the double predestination Arminians would have you believe. The robot strawman argument is one that could only apply to the unregenerate -- i.e. robots for Satan perhaps, but God sets us free from that, effectually calling his own unto himself.

Answer 2

The Lord gave Adam a free will. He did not have to eat of the forbidden fruit but he chose to. What about all the whosoevers in the Bible? Romans 10: 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Romans 10: 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Sound like free will to me and not the doctrine of John Calvin.

Answer 3

OK the days were ordained, but the actions in those days (and nights) weren't. you are given a brain to decide what to do and when to do it. you learn right from wrong and decide which path to take. you choose when to go to sleep and can choose when to wake by using an alarm clock. your free will is reflected in the way you live your life and the many, many choices you make while you live it.

Answer 4

You still make the choose to accept or reject, to believe or not. No one makes that choice for you.


Are you a good person? What a question, most of us believe that we are good people because we can look around and find someone that is far worse than we are. We can always point to the things that we think make us a good person.

But how good are we really? Dare we take this test and look at ourselves and see if we really are good? Hmmm.

If you are willing try this and see just how good a person you are.

The Good Person Test.

How will you do? Pass or fail?


Have you ever told a lie?
Doesn't matter how big or small, just a lie.
What does that make you? Before answering think about this, if I told you a lie what would you call me? A liar?

Have you ever stolen anything? Cost doesn't matter, a piece of gum, failed to give back an ink pen that you borrowed, anything.
What does that make you?

Jesus said, "You know the saying of old, you shall not commit adultery but I say that if look at someone to lust after them you have committed adultery in your heart.
Have you ever lusted?

Jesus said that hate is equal to murder.
Have you ever hated anyone?

See one day we all are going to stand before a Holy God on Judgment Day and he is going to judge us based on His Holy Law, the Ten Commandments. These are just 4 of them and how did you do? Guilty? I have broken all of these and more, what about you? How well will you do on Judgment Day?

If we break just one point of God's Law we are guilty of breaking all the law and Gods Wrath abides upon us all. Based on God's Law we are all guilty and all are deserving of punishment. But there is an out for us.

Jesus paid the price for each one of us, took on himself God's Wrath so we wouldn't have to face it on our own. Jesus was beaten, battered, bleed and died so we wouldn't have to face God's Wrath. He rose again so that we would life in his presence. Our crimes, His payment.

The real question is where will you stand on Judgment Day. Pay yourself or have it paid for you. Think about it.

Answer 5

The fact that he knows what you will do does not mean that he chose for you to do what you do.

A basic misconception.

For example: You decide to paint your room. God knows you will paint your room, but he did not direct you to paint your room.

I hope that helps.

EDIT: Again, your not grasping the concept. Just because someone knows what you are going to do does not mean they decided on your behalf. Your mom may know that when she asks you to do your homework that you will say "yes, mom" then go play video games. This does not mean it was her "decision" that you go play video games. If you can't understand this, you will never have a satisfactory answer.

Answer 6

You are confusing God's knowledge of the future with your own free will to live out the future. These 2 things are not mutually exclusive.

Answer 7

verse 16 can also be translated as "Your eyes saw even the embryo of me, And in your book all its parts were written down in writing" There are a lot of different translations that mean the same thing but in different words that is why its good to own several different bibles to cross reference scriptures to get a better idea of what it is saying.

Answer 8

You are comparing two different levels entirely - your point of view and God's.

In reality, it is not voluntary (freewill), or involuntary (not freewill), or both, or either.

~ Eric Putkonen

Answer 9

God knows what you will choose but He doesn't stop you from making that choice. Therein is your free will.

Answer 10

Yes, we have the free will. But since God knows us through and through, He knows how we are going to use it. : )