You know in this verse, Peter is getting ready to sin by Denying Christ 3 times, that right there shows him to just be a common man like the rest of us.

Or does it confirm that we don't always have free will?

Or does it confirm that we don't always have free will?

 

Thats a very good question, its got me thinking, thanks

Or does it confirm that we don't always have free will?

 

I wonder...

 

Acts 13:48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

I wonder...

 

Acts 13:48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

and from I Peter...

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

and from I Peter...

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

 

Yeah, that's a tough subject to tackle, predestination.

 

I tried to study some about it before, but ultimately I concluded that it doesn't matter that much. It doesn't change what we're commanded to do as Christians, even though the logical thought is if we are indeed predestined, why would it matter if we spread God's Word...those who are chosen will come to salvation anyway.

Yeah, that's a tough subject to tackle, predestination.

 

I tried to study some about it before, but ultimately I concluded that it doesn't matter that much. It doesn't change what we're commanded to do as Christians, even though the logical thought is if we are indeed predestined, why would it matter if we spread God's Word...those who are chosen will come to salvation anyway.

 

I agree that predestination is not the topic of this thread but it is a topic that my wife and I have very different opinions on. I have studied it some. Iwould like to see someone that has studied it a great deal start a thread on the subject. I would like to here different ideas and what scriptures lead them to have tose ideas. (in a new thread of course).

"So let it be written. So let it be done."

I will get things started I guess. I believe man has free will and that we are not predestined. I believe the Bible teaches us this but I will have to study(a lot) in order to provide scriptures to support this. However, I will tell you why I believe this. I know in my heart that my God would never predestine anyone to hell and if God didn't give man free will then that would be the case.

 

Now the confusing part to me. Is God all knowing? My answer is yes! If that be the case does God know who is going to accept Christ as their savior and who is not and does he know when you will die from the moment that they are born? Again, my answer would be yes!

 

I guess the question is, if God is all knowing and at our birth he knows if you will go to heaven or hell and he know when we will die does that mean we are predestined? My answer to that is NO! I think we have many paths in our life that we can take and it is our decision(free will) to take whatever path we choose. I believe that God knows what path we will choose but does not make us choose a path. Therefore, we have free-will and are not predestined.

 

I am open to any and all comments on my post because I really want to study this subject and by no means do I think I am an authority on the subject(in fact I believe just the opposite).

Did Judas have free will? Could he have not turned Jesus over to the Pharisees?

There are parts of the Bible that make me think that the saints have already been chosen.

 

And couldn't there be 144,001 Messianic Jews?

If God is All Knowing and All Seeing, then I have an issue with the concept of Free Will? God knows well in advance what our choices will be, whether it is good or evil. If He is a merciful/good God, then your choice or decision, is actually God's pre-determined choice, not ours. It's almost like we are puppets on a string in a game, imo.

God, if He is All Knowing, knew well in advance what the intentions of Adolf Hitler was. God is All Powerful, as well as All Knowing and All Merciful. Since God knew thousands of years before Hitler committed his crimes that he would commit them, and if He is All Good and All Merciful, why did He allow events such as the Holocaust to happen? He should have prevented this tragedy, if He is merciful. Maybe God is not All Powerful/Merciful afterall. History surely seems to prove that's the case.

An All knowing, All Powerful, All Merciful God is in direct contradiction with the issue of Free Will. Free Will is usually the religious answer when disasters like 9/11 occur. I don't know....I am really confused, and have been for years.

Professor, I posted my questions about Judas just to try to start a conversation. I know Judas, as do all men, have free will.

God created us, man, in his own image. He put Adam and Eve in a perfect place free from problems. Adam and Eve chose sin, eating the fruit. God's intention was for them to avoid it, but the temptation was too strong.

 

Now here is the part where most people have the biggest problem. God doesn't rate sin. One sin is the same as another to Him. Our minds can't help but seeing an adulteress in a different way than we see a murderer. But to God it is all just eating a piece of fruit. Sin is the willful transgression of the will of God.

 

God wants you to choose to obey Him, and following His commandments. God new each of us before we were created. He knew me, He Knew you and He knew Hitler and Judas. If God had stopped Judas from turning over Jesus, there would have been no resurection. I don't know what the plan was to allow Hitler to continue, but I do know God has a plan, and somehow this fit into it. And that plan is perfect.

 

As far as God being all merciful. I am glad He in fact is. I believe I am the chief of sinners. My sins, although not horrific to the world, fall way short of God's will. But because He is merciful, I have recieved grace through Jesus Christ.

 

Forgive me for being so long winded. It is Sunday morning and I want to be in church, but I am stuck at work. I have been reading the bible all morning. This post is as much intended to help me as it is anyone else.

God Bless

I will get things started I guess. I believe man has free will and that we are not predestined. I believe the Bible teaches us this but I will have to study(a lot) in order to provide scriptures to support this. However, I will tell you why I believe this. I know in my heart that my God would never predestine anyone to hell and if God didn't give man free will then that would be the case.

 

Now the confusing part to me. Is God all knowing? My answer is yes! If that be the case does God know who is going to accept Christ as their savior and who is not and does he know when you will die from the moment that they are born? Again, my answer would be yes!

 

I guess the question is, if God is all knowing and at our birth he knows if you will go to heaven or hell and he know when we will die does that mean we are predestined? My answer to that is NO! I think we have many paths in our life that we can take and it is our decision(free will) to take whatever path we choose. I believe that God knows what path we will choose but does not make us choose a path. Therefore, we have free-will and are not predestined.

 

I am open to any and all comments on my post because I really want to study this subject and by no means do I think I am an authority on the subject(in fact I believe just the opposite).

:thumb: I have always lived with the naive idea that we may choose what we wish, but God knows our decision.

If God is All Knowing and All Seeing, then I have an issue with the concept of Free Will? God knows well in advance what our choices will be, whether it is good or evil. If He is a merciful/good God, then your choice or decision, is actually God's pre-determined choice, not ours. It's almost like we are puppets on a string in a game, imo.

God, if He is All Knowing, knew well in advance what the intentions of Adolf Hitler was. God is All Powerful, as well as All Knowing and All Merciful. Since God knew thousands of years before Hitler committed his crimes that he would commit them, and if He is All Good and All Merciful, why did He allow events such as the Holocaust to happen? He should have prevented this tragedy, if He is merciful. Maybe God is not All Powerful/Merciful afterall. History surely seems to prove that's the case.

An All knowing, All Powerful, All Merciful God is in direct contradiction with the issue of Free Will. Free Will is usually the religious answer when disasters like 9/11 occur. I don't know....I am really confused, and have been for years.

 

I think it comes to the fact that if God guarantees us human freedom, then he can not guarantee human perfection.

 

You may say what makes free will so much more important then preventing such horrible things to happen? Without free will, we would be essentially robots, incapable of any moral choices, and I assume incapable of feeling pain or happiness.

 

Much of what I have said is paraphrased from St. Augustine's Free Will Theodicy, if any of you are interested.

I don't believe that God knows every outcome. But I do believe he knows every possible outcome. If you chart out every possible choice, I believe that they ultimately conclude at the same place.