This issue has been doing my head in.
I thought for a while that God knows everything, fullstop. However, a number of things changed my mind-it occured to me that this makes no logical sense if free will is true.
For a decision, or choice, to actually exist-that choice has to be made. A deicion isn't a decision until someone has chosen that particular option, is it? You can't look to a future decision that a free being makes-simply because that decision hasn't been made by that being.
Also, the relationship aspect between God, his Son, and us, doesn't make any sense if God knows everything we'll ever do. Why would he want us to talk to Him if He knows what we are going to say, whenever we'll say it, ever? Why have our company in Heaven if he knows everything we'll say for eternity; that'd be pretty boring from God's point of view! And why did Jesus bother having conversations with people if He knew everything they'd say; granted, it is nice to have a conversation with someone out of politeness and a desire to fulfill the mission, but Jesus' conversations seem full of compassion and love; they seem like a normal conversation from a loving person to a sinner, where neither knows exactly what the other will say next.
Next, there is the whole issue of God changing his mind and being persuaded to change his mind in the Old Testament, which occurs numerous times (I will post scripture later, although I'm sure many of you have read these sections.) Now, if God knew what these peolple would say to Him before they said those things, then why did He change his mind? Did he pretend to have those conversations and pretend to change His mind for the sake of the people talking to Him? That doesn't make much sense to me.
However, to make matters even more confusing-Jesus did indeed predict what people would do. He predicted Judas would betray Him, and He predicted that Peter would deny him three times. That is where I have the problem; how can this relationship work with a God who knows everything? And why does God sometimes change His mind and react in a surprised way in both the New and Old Testaments to decisions people make, yet at other times predicts exactly what decisions they will make?
Anyone with any thoughts is welcome to help out!
I thought for a while that God knows everything, fullstop. However, a number of things changed my mind-it occured to me that this makes no logical sense if free will is true.
For a decision, or choice, to actually exist-that choice has to be made. A deicion isn't a decision until someone has chosen that particular option, is it? You can't look to a future decision that a free being makes-simply because that decision hasn't been made by that being.
Also, the relationship aspect between God, his Son, and us, doesn't make any sense if God knows everything we'll ever do. Why would he want us to talk to Him if He knows what we are going to say, whenever we'll say it, ever? Why have our company in Heaven if he knows everything we'll say for eternity; that'd be pretty boring from God's point of view! And why did Jesus bother having conversations with people if He knew everything they'd say; granted, it is nice to have a conversation with someone out of politeness and a desire to fulfill the mission, but Jesus' conversations seem full of compassion and love; they seem like a normal conversation from a loving person to a sinner, where neither knows exactly what the other will say next.
Next, there is the whole issue of God changing his mind and being persuaded to change his mind in the Old Testament, which occurs numerous times (I will post scripture later, although I'm sure many of you have read these sections.) Now, if God knew what these peolple would say to Him before they said those things, then why did He change his mind? Did he pretend to have those conversations and pretend to change His mind for the sake of the people talking to Him? That doesn't make much sense to me.
However, to make matters even more confusing-Jesus did indeed predict what people would do. He predicted Judas would betray Him, and He predicted that Peter would deny him three times. That is where I have the problem; how can this relationship work with a God who knows everything? And why does God sometimes change His mind and react in a surprised way in both the New and Old Testaments to decisions people make, yet at other times predicts exactly what decisions they will make?
Anyone with any thoughts is welcome to help out!
