God sees everything we do. He's everywhere in His fullness at every single moment in time. He knows everything before it ever happens. He is timeless and unchanging. He has a master plan in which we all play a specific and special role.
Question #1: Do you believe we are determined or free? Or possibly a mix of the two? Please explain why you think that way.
Question #2: Romans 9 says that God has already chosen who will be condemned to Hell and who will be given eternal life with Him in Heaven. Do you think that this means in any way that we should not strive to help others because their fate is already sealed so to speak? What other implications does this passage have?
Thank you so much!
2007-10-03 14:59:14 · 11 answers · asked by Abbey 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Okay, I've been getting a lot of questions about Romans 9. The way I have read it is "I will have compassion upon those I will have compassion upon. I will judge those who I will judge." It basically says in the other surrounding verses that God has already chosen who will be saved and who will be condemned. It was taken from Isaiah I believe.
2007-10-03 16:06:57 · update #1
I've asked this question to myself so many times....and I don't really know yet (quetion#1)...for now I believe it's a mix of the two, for God has a purpose for us, but we're also free, which means we can also decide for ourselves. Only if God really wants you to accomplish that, for you and/or the benefit of others...sort of your destiny, I guess He'll put you on track many times until you understand, since He is patient and merciful.
#2 is a hard one, we can't ever quite understand God's will entirely.
2007-10-03 15:45:18 · answer #1 · answered by Lightning 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
#1: I think 'free'. God knows everything, but He lets us call the shots and make choices. But He set it up so we can't choose the consequences of our choices, and those help us figure out the best way to live.
#2: I think a better way to say it (sorry King James translators, or whoever it was in your Bible) is that God knows who will go to Heaven or Hell. Since we don't know, I think we should be as good as we can. There's just no substitute for being good! It is a reward in itself.
2007-10-03 15:37:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
An answer to Q1 with God accepted as existing. Mathematical the universe is predetermined. We are predetermined, a small link in the chain of atoms set in motion. Personality and perception is created by your past experiences largely in the 1st 5 yrs of life. Free will, and so choice exists because we are made in the image of God which means there is something involved in addition to mind and body. . The ultimate act of freewill is to discard it. Ask God to be in control and for he's will to now be yours. He's will is He's word, so. .
2007-10-03 19:29:26 · answer #3 · answered by Thomas A 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
May be you are an atheist coz u completely ignored christian belief but never gave a thought for the least possibility of its truth..
Huh!! Be an atheist but explain me the existence of all the kinds of books of religious literature you may find at varied places and that have striking similarities with certain amount of differences yet, I must accept.
And tell me where did these similar words come out of???
Did they come out of nowhere???? Did man in every part create it himself...how much is it possible that similar books that give you great sense of courage at the same time al of them talk of God and men erupted in different parts who were so brilliant to frame them up?????? in a community of illiteracy and ignorance??
2007-10-03 15:10:04 · answer #4 · answered by answers 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Romans 9 i cant find what you are talking about i have 4 different versions of the bible and cant find it..
we are not predestine ..we are all able to be saved if we choose to be...
what it actually means in God will have mercy and pity on who he wants to..now God knows whats in our hearts and if we ask Lord please forgive me for sinning yesterday and dont mean it just doing it out of habit then he might not forgive us...He wont have pity on us or mercy..we have to talk from the heart to truly get his mercy and forgiveness..
2007-10-03 15:14:15 · answer #5 · answered by revbill_ussery 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I won't answer your first question. But here is my answer to question #2: How do we know what fate others have? If God has determined someone else's fate to be forever with Him, maybe our fate is to bring them to God.
2007-10-03 15:12:49 · answer #6 · answered by artistagent116 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
God "IS" All in All. There is only "The WILL". What every one calls free-will is really the choice to know the WILL or not.
2007-10-03 15:06:52 · answer #7 · answered by Premaholic 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Romans 9, in my King James bible, doesn't read the same as mentioned in question #2 what bible are you using?
2007-10-03 15:08:49 · answer #8 · answered by S.O.S. 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Pt 2. Even though God knows....WE DON"T! SO KEEP TRYING TO SAVE 'EM!
God wishes that all will come to repentance but knows it won't happen.
Good question
2007-10-03 15:03:34 · answer #9 · answered by witness 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
You don't even know the correct use of the word random.
But to answer -
Free.
I don't believe in hell. Religion is a mythological system intended to help people interpret the world, and misused by dogmatists to exercise control.
2007-10-03 15:02:06 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 4⤋