Does God have a free will?

[th1bill]

I don't mean to put words in anyone's mouth but are we to hold that God is a slave...

To Himself?

Indeed! People have the ability to think outside of te box but refuse to.

 

[Dave L]

I think God has free will and has defined His attributes by His own free will, as He wants.

God's will is perfect. Any change is to imperfection.

 

[BarnyFyfe]

Indeed! People have the ability to think outside of te box but refuse to.

Yeah I try to be as open-minded as I can but I don't want my brain falling onto the floor.

10-4; over and out on this weirdness.

 

[fwGod]

Does God have a free will? Does he will his attributes? Or do his attributes determine his will?

God doesn't have Love as an attribute, God is Love (1Jn.4:16).. that is His divine nature. His character. Him.

I believe God does not have a free will. Because He is love. And He is perfect. And any change in his will determined by love and righteousness would be to imperfection.

When is "is" not is? You said that God "is" Love, that's true, that is God's truth about God, but then you say that God is not Love.
You are contradicting the scriptures and contradicting yourself.

You are laboring under your own confused idea that God is in flux.. If God changes because His love motivates Him to, then what is He before Love motivated Him?

And, if he is in flux.. sometimes something else until Love or righteousness changes Him, then why did the apostle John say in 1Jn.4:8,16, that "God is Love"? We know also from other scriptures (Ps.100:5; 1Cor.13:8) that, "God's mercy endures forever.".. that, "God's Love never fails."

So, forever enduring, and never failing means that Love always is., just as eternal as God. Also, it says in Mal.3:6 that, "I am the Lord, I change not." God never changes.

And, why does John explain to us in 1Jn.2:5, that "in keeping God's Word (His) Love is perfected in us."

Why is it given to us in Ephes.4:13 to be "growing in the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ and having completeness (perfection) in Him"?

How does God's Love equate with bondage? That's what not having free will means.
As it says in Heb.2:14-15 "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

And in Gal.5:1 it says "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Why is this freedom ours? Because it is said in Jn.8:31-32 "Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

1Jn.2:5, again says that, "in keeping God's Word (His) Love is perfected in us."

1Jn.4:18 says "God's Love perfected casts out all fear."

So, God's Word kept is God's Love perfected in us is our freedom from fear and bondage.

But you are saying that God has no free will because God uses Love (my example) Rm.5:8, in demonstration to redeem sinners.

So, how can God give us free will, but He, by that same Love, doesn't have any free will?

 

[Dave L]

God doesn't have Love as an attribute, God is Love (1Jn.4:16).. that is His divine nature. His character. Him.

When is "is" not is? You said that God "is" Love, that's true, that is God's truth about God, but then you say that God is not Love.
You are contradicting the scriptures and contradicting yourself.

You are laboring under your own confused idea that God is in flux.. If God changes because His love motivates Him to, then what is He before Love motivated Him?

And, if he is in flux.. sometimes something else until Love or righteousness changes Him, then why did the apostle John say in 1Jn.4:8,16, that "God is Love"? We know also from other scriptures (Ps.100:5; 1Cor.13:8) that, "God's mercy endures forever.".. that, "God's Love never fails."

So, forever enduring, and never failing means that Love always is., just as eternal as God. Also, it says in Mal.3:6 that, "I am the Lord, I change not." God never changes.

And, why does John explain to us in 1Jn.2:5, that "in keeping God's Word (His) Love is perfected in us."

Why is it given to us in Ephes.4:13 to be "growing in the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ and having completeness (perfection) in Him"?

How does God's Love equate with bondage? That's what not having free will means.
As it says in Heb.2:14-15 "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

And in Gal.5:1 it says "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Why is this freedom ours? Because Jesus said in Jn.8:31-32 "Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

1Jn.2:5, again says that, "in keeping God's Word (His) Love is perfected in us."

1Jn.4:18 says "God's Love perfected casts out all fear."

So, God's Word kept is God's Love perfected in us is our freedom from fear and bondage.

But you are saying that God has no free will because God uses Love (my example) in demonstration to redeem sinners.

So, how can God give us free will, but He, by that same Love, doesn't have any free will?

Free will is not part of salvation. Salvation is of God's mercy and not a matter of our depraved will.

 

[Billy UK]

Romans 11:33-36 King James Version (KJV)

33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

I feel that only God himself fully knows himself in relation to certain topics and that we only see through a glass darkly like scripture says.