Free will and the Bible

[Norm d'Plume]

I've been reading about free will and stumbled across the following in Wikipedia:

This problem is related to the Aristotelian problem of the sea battle: tomorrow either there will or will not be a sea battle. If there will be sea battle, then it seems that it was true even yesterday that there would be one. Thus it is necessary that the sea battle will occur. If there will not be one, then, by similar reasoning, it is necessary that it will not occur. That means that the future, whatever it is, is completely fixed by past truths: true propositions about the future (a deterministic conclusion is reached: things could not have been any other way).

How does fit with the Biblical view of free will?

Thanks.
Norm

 

[JM]

Better asked in the Semper forum.

 

[Job8]

How does fit with the Biblical view of free will?

Since the Bible is about theology and not philosophy, it does not fit. The Bible reveals that men and angels have free will. That does not override God's sovereignty as some imagine.

 

[Norm d'Plume]

Per JM's request I moved this to the Philosophy forum.

 

[prophetic774]

I've been reading about free will and stumbled across the following in Wikipedia:

This problem is related to the Aristotelian problem of the sea battle: tomorrow either there will or will not be a sea battle. If there will be sea battle, then it seems that it was true even yesterday that there would be one. Thus it is necessary that the sea battle will occur. If there will not be one, then, by similar reasoning, it is necessary that it will not occur. That means that the future, whatever it is, is completely fixed by past truths: true propositions about the future (a deterministic conclusion is reached: things could not have been any other way).

How does fit with the Biblical view of free will?

Thanks.
Norm

 

[prophetic774]

Ephesians 1:3-8; 11; 19-23: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with **EVERY** spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and **BLAMELESS** in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will--to the praise of His **GLORIOUS GRACE**, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have **REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD**, the forgiveness of sins. in accordance the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.....In Him we were also **CHOSEN** having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will!!.....That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in zchrist when zhe raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the **PRESENT AGE** but also in the one to come And God paced **all things** under His feet and appointed Him to be the ***HEAD*** {not a pope} over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way!!



Ephesians 2:4-10: Because of His great love for us, God,, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is **BY GRACE** you have been saved! And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incompoarble riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is **BY GRACE** you have been saved, through faith-- and this **NOT FROM YOURSELVES, it is the **GIFT** of God--**NOT BY WORKS**, so that no one can boast For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do!



Ephesians 6:7,8: Serve wholeheartedly ,as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will **REWARD** everyone for whatever good he does! SALVATION IS 100 PERCENT FREE AND REWARDS ARE 100 PERCENT EARNED!!

 

[Emmy]

Dear Norm d`Plume. We have free will, we either follow Jesus or we go our own way. Jesus told us in:
Matthew 22: 35-40: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: " love thy neighbour as thyself." In Verse 40 we read: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." God is Love and God wants loving sons and daughters. In Matthew 7: 7-8: we read: " Ask and you shall receive," we ask for Love and Joy, then thank God and share the love and joy with our neighbour. (neighbour is all we know and all we meet, friend and not friend) We keep asking and receiving, then thank God and share all love and joy with our neighbour. God will see our loving efforts, and God will Bless us.
We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God to forgive us, and carry on loving and caring.
The Bible tells us: " Repent and be Born Again," change all selfish and unloving ways to loving and caring, and always friendly words.
A Christian`s weapon is Love and Compassion, with love we can overcome all enmity and wrong behaviour.
We will always be victorious. I say this with love, Norm d`Plume. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[1watchman]

We all have a free-will to choose God or philosophies about life and eternity, Norm, and one better get it clear which is the wiser choice. The Bible teaches us the way of the Creator-God, and we can choose to ignore Him and follow our own ideas, and we will SURELY perish in the end; or choose to learn the truth that God has so graciously delivered to us in His immutable Word and gain two important things: 1) the promise of God for eternal life in Heaven when we leave this world; and 2) the indwelling and sealing by His Spirit of the soul forever by the presence of God in one; and for peace, promise, communion with the Lord daily, care and assurance in this world 'til our end. All this is found only in the Lord Jesus, the Christ of God (see John 14).

It is also true that God in His foreknowledge knows everything before it happens, and He very well knows us ---even before we were born, as He says; so, He knows who will one day see the need and receive Him or not. The responsibility is yet on man to bow fully to God or perish.

 

[Eatay]

Well, if God is omnipotent and omniscient, there is no good explanation as to how we could have free will. If God knows the outcome of everything from the very beginning, then everything that will happen is already set in stone (which fits the sea battle story, and would also explain why God has 100% accurate prophecies). If everything that's going to happen is definitely going to happen, how could God have any say in the outcome of anything? He couldn't do anything to prevent the outcome, because everything that's going to happen definitely will. So if I am definitely, from the foundation of the Universe, bound to reject Jesus, and never get saved, what definitive choice am I making in that scenario? And how would that be fair compared to someone who is bound to be saved?

 

[Sketcher]

I reject the sea battle illustration completely.

 

[1watchman]

Well, if God is omnipotent and omniscient, there is no good explanation as to how we could have free will. If God knows the outcome of everything from the very beginning, then everything that will happen is already set in stone (which fits the sea battle story, and would also explain why God has 100% accurate prophecies). If everything that's going to happen is definitely going to happen, how could God have any say in the outcome of anything? He couldn't do anything to prevent the outcome, because everything that's going to happen definitely will. So if I am definitely, from the foundation of the Universe, bound to reject Jesus, and never get saved, what definitive choice am I making in that scenario? And how would that be fair compared to someone who is bound to be saved?

It seem to me you are as God has said among those who "...are willingly ignorant" of Him and His Word. You are looking for a "...good explanation", as you said, but rejecting the Word of God. That is not a good choice, my friend! The fact that God knows all things does not excuse you, or give sound reason to choose to reject God and His eternal Word. Reading the New Testament, which is God's salvation and blessing for mankind, will open up truth and blessing to those who first bow to the Creator-God and desire to know Him. Salvation is to anyone who will receive it, so you might begin bowing to God for good. I pray you will look that way, friend.

 

[TaylorSexton]

Well, if God is omnipotent and omniscient, there is no good explanation as to how we could have free will. If God knows the outcome of everything from the very beginning, then everything that will happen is already set in stone (which fits the sea battle story, and would also explain why God has 100% accurate prophecies). If everything that's going to happen is definitely going to happen, how could God have any say in the outcome of anything? He couldn't do anything to prevent the outcome, because everything that's going to happen definitely will. So if I am definitely, from the foundation of the Universe, bound to reject Jesus, and never get saved, what definitive choice am I making in that scenario? And how would that be fair compared to someone who is bound to be saved?

While your understanding of divine providence is actually blind and impersonal fatalism, I am glad that even an agnostic understands the incompatibility of God's perfections with libertarian free will.