2007-11-23 12:51:57 · 14 answers · asked by Michael 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
More specifically, does Free Will include freedom from God's desire for us to believe in him?
Another way of asking this is, if God wants me to believe a certain way, by what power do I resist that divine will?
2007-11-23 13:12:52 · update #1
A lot of people don't seem to understand what ALL-powerful means, and treat God as just some big guy in the sky.
I find the idea of "resisting God's will" as laughable as the idea of resisting gravity. All powerful means "anything he wants, happens. Period." But I guess a lot of you who talk about resisting fancy humanity on par with god's power...
2007-11-24 10:40:51 · update #2
That's a fairly phenomenal question! There might be a clue in what Jesus said about the subject.
He taught his followers to pray, "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven" so it looks as if God's will is already being done in heaven but there's a bit of a battle going on here on planet Earth.
On Earth we have to choose whether to be incorporated into God's will or to resist it. Even Jesus had to make that choice. In the garden of Gethsemane he prayed in agony about that choice, concluding with, 'Not my will but thine'.
Yet we have no free will with regard to being born or dying, or regarding God's foreordination of those whom he will save to all eternity to be in heaven with him! God's 'election' is sure. We only seem to be free to desire to be outwith his will. When God exercises his predestination will, those people no longer desire to be outwith that will but begin to desire God's will! It looks as if there's a profound difference between our level of free will and God's!
2007-11-24 00:30:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Free Will means we have the authority over other God's creation and the power of choice. It means responsibilty. Its means we are answerable to God, FOR EVERY ACTION HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
No, its not freedom from God's Will. How can we be free from Him when our entire existence dependent on Him?
Don't you know? With Great Powers comes Great Responsibility.
Spiderman should know this best, I think.
2007-11-23 13:02:33 · answer #2 · answered by Quiet Within 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Free will simply means choice. That's it. If you resist the divine will, that is a choice you make. Plain and simple. If you submit to it - choice.
2007-11-24 02:02:42 · answer #3 · answered by Danny H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, we may choose our own way or God's way. We are all free moral agents, that is our God given power.
2007-11-23 13:04:47 · answer #4 · answered by Juggernaut 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the time.
There are notable exceptions.
The apostle Paul is a very notable one.
God states that all are invited to believe in and follow him and his will, few are chosen. Paul is one of the few chosen, and its not pretty.
Paul suffered greatly for his disbelief prior to being "chosen" to spread the truth.
As for me and my house, we will be of the invited, cause being chosen comes with much grief, pain and suffering.
2007-11-23 13:02:17 · answer #5 · answered by cindy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes of course it does do your parents have you so brainwashed to think that you don't think you are choosing your own path in life religion is a choice hell is a scare tactic Jesus and the Bible is worth following because it is righteous sorta meaning they have lots of stuff in there that will benefit mankind
2007-11-23 12:57:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Free Will gives you a choice but no it does not free you from God's will. God's will is going to happen whether you believe or not.
2007-11-23 12:56:12 · answer #7 · answered by Tommiecat 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
If it didn't, we'd all be fundies of the same faith... now to figure out which faith it would be... who is right? Wonder if anyone has ever asked that kind of question on here before? Which religion is right? Hmmm... might ask later. :D
2007-11-23 13:00:36 · answer #8 · answered by Katie Short, Atheati Princess 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Marvelous Gift of Free Will
DO YOU appreciate having the freedom to choose how you will order your life, what you will do and say? Or would you want someone to dictate to you what your every word and action must be, every minute of every day, as long as you live?
No normal person wants his life taken out of his hands and controlled that completely by someone else. Having to live that way would be very oppressive and frustrating. We want freedom.
But why do we have such a desire for freedom? Understanding why we treasure our freedom of choice is a key to understanding how wickedness and suffering could originate. It will also help us to understand why God has waited until now before acting to bring wickedness and suffering to an end.
How We Are Made
When God created humans, among the many marvelous gifts he gave them was free will. The Bible tells us that God created man in his 'image and likeness,' and one of the qualities God has is freedom of choice. (Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 7:6) Thus, when he created humans, he gave them that same wonderful quality-the gift of free will.
That is why we prefer freedom rather than enslavement by oppressive rulers. It is why resentment builds up against harsh and stifling rule so that people often revolt to gain freedom.
The desire for freedom is no accident. The Bible gives the underlying reason. It states: "Where the spirit of Jehovah is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17) So wanting freedom is part of our nature because God created us that way. It is something that he wants us to have because he himself is the God of freedom.-2 Corinthians 3:17.
God also gave us the mental abilities, such as the powers of perception, reason, and judgment, that work in harmony with free will. These enable us to think, weigh matters, make decisions, and distinguish right from wrong. (Hebrews 5:14) We were not created to be like mindless robots that have no will of their own; nor were we created to act primarily out of instinct, as were the animals.
Along with free will, our first parents were given everything anyone could reasonably want: They had been put in a parklike paradise; they had material abundance; they had perfect minds and bodies that would not get old or sick and die; they would have children who would also have a happy future; and the expanding population would have the satisfying work of turning the entire earth into a paradise.-Genesis 1:26-30; 2:15.
Regarding what God had set in motion, the Bible says: "God saw everything he had made and, look! it was very good." (Genesis 1:31) The Bible also says of the Creator: "Perfect is his activity." (Deuteronomy 32:4) Yes, he gave the human family a perfect start. It could not have been better.
Freedom With Limits
However, was the marvelous gift of free will to be without limits? Well, would you care to drive an automobile in heavy traffic if there were no traffic regulations, where you were free to drive in any lane, in any direction, at any speed? Of course, the results of such unlimited freedom in traffic would be catastrophic.
It is the same in human relations. Unlimited freedom for some would mean no freedom for others. Unrestricted freedom can result in anarchy, which damages everybody's freedom. There must be limits. Therefore, God's gift of freedom does not mean that he purposed for humans to behave in any manner without considering the welfare of others.
God's Word says on this point: "Behave like free men, and never use your freedom as an excuse for wickedness." (1 Peter 2:16, The Jerusalem Bible) So God wants our free will to be regulated for the common good. He did not purpose for humans to have total freedom, but relative freedom, subject to the rule of law.
Whose Laws?
Whose laws were we designed to obey? Whose laws work best for us? Another part of the scripture at 1 Peter 2:16 noted above states: "You are slaves of no one except God." This does not mean an oppressive slavery but, rather, that we were created to be in subjection to God's laws. We are the happier if we stay subject to them.
God's laws, more than any code of laws that could be devised by humans, provide the very best guide for everybody. As Isaiah 48:17 states: "I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk." Yet, at the same time, God's laws allow for a wide scope of freedom within their boundaries. This allows for much personal choice and variety, making the human family more interesting, indeed, fascinating.
Humans are also subject to God's physical laws. For instance, if we ignore the law of gravity and jump off a high place, we will get injured or killed. If we stay underwater without a special breathing apparatus, we will die in minutes. And if we ignore our internal laws for the body and stop eating food or drinking water, we will also die.
Hence, our first parents, and all who issued from them, were created with the need to obey God's moral or social laws as well as his physical laws. And obedience to God's laws would not be burdensome. Instead, it would work for their welfare and that of the entire human family to come. Had our first parents stayed within the limits of God's laws, all would have been well.
What happened to spoil that fine start? Why, instead, have wickedness and suffering become rampant? Why has God permitted them for so long?
The marvelous gift of free will separates us from mindless robots and from animals that act mainly on instinct
2007-11-23 13:01:21 · answer #9 · answered by EBONY 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes and no
You have free will over the natural things and decisions of this life! that does not interfere God's will.
2007-11-23 12:56:53 · answer #10 · answered by Not of This World Returns 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋