How do Christians reconcile the problem of free will?

[com7fy8]

I've often wondered how Christians reconcile the problem of free will.

We have different ideas about this What matters is what you do about your idea. There are people who believe in free will and therefore are very humble with everyone, regarding each person to have one's own free choice. But others can come down hard on others, because they feel each person is responsible for one's choices, and therefore can be expected and controlled to do what the free will believer dictates.

The same can go for predestination people. Ones can be very humble, understanding that only God can make a real change in someone, and so they need to not try to just control people to act differently the way they want. Meanwhile . . . others are mean, and they can understand that since God is the One who causes the real change, they should be dictating what it is that they expect God to have people do!

So, either idea can feed people to be either humble and caring and tender with others, or to try to be dictatorial over others.

So, it's what you make it, how you take it, just don't you fake it

Our destiny as believers is that God will change us to become like Jesus > Romans 8:29. Also, Isaiah 55:11 says God's word "shall" do all that God pleases, and will "prosper" in all that God means by His word, for it to do. So, what God can desire is better than we humans can know to choose. So, whether we have free will or not, we are very limited in how we can choose, if we are not God to know all He really means by His word. In any case, we need to personally submit to our Heavenly Father, in order to discover how He has us living His word . . . the way He in His love's grace (Philippians 2:13) has us succeeding better than we can try in our own ego's free will capability.

So, there is the love meaning, to discover.

As far as logic is concerned, I consider that you can not know the future, unless you have control of what will happen.

 

[bling]

I see nothing to support that theory. And I simply find no merit to the idea that Christians don't see God as loving.

Where in scripture does it say: “God cannot provide sovereign free will choices to people”?

To not provide free will choices to people would be “unloving”, in that it would be God either programming the person (robotic type love) or God holding the shotgun at a shotgun wedding.

All you're doing with this is demanding that God be what you have decided you'll accept...and if here's any suggestion that God doesn't conform to the ideas that appeal to his creatures, then they/you are going to wash their/your hands of him and call him ugly names too boot. I can't go with that line of thinking.

Jesus in word and deed explained what Godly type love is (you can also use 1 Cor. 13 and 1 John 4), so that is the way God is.

I am not saying: “God is a monster”, but under your scenario that “god” you depict is a monster by what the Bible describes as being good and bad.

 

[Albion]

Where in scripture does it say: “God cannot provide sovereign free will choices to people”?

The question is: "Where in Scripture does it say that God does provide sovereign free will (whatever that means) to people?"

To not provide free will choices to people would be “unloving”

According to you. The next person says that it's "unloving" of him not to save everyone. And the person after that says it's "unloving" of God to allow any pain or illnesses. And so on, with everyone deciding that God must do that which concerns them the most.

But there is a difference. There are plenty of people who have adopted these other theories. I haven't heard anyone before you offer your theory, so that should give you pause right away. If the idea were as convincing as you think it is, it would have plenty of followers.

 

[R. J. Beverly]

Great discussion glory to God. The question was "how do you RECONCILE"? You have to answer with The Word of God and don't lean on your own understanding. Part 1. to for you, Jesus died for our "free will problem" sins, read 1st Corinthians 15:13 so we are already reconciled through Christ when He rose again. Part 2. "if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us (our) sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness", 1st John 1:9. And finally the 3rd part answer to your question is, "if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and will believe in your heart that God have raised Him from the dead you will be saved", Romans 10:9. For it is His Will, His Desire and it is in His Word for us to do so in Jesus Christ's Mighty Name, John 14:13-14. It seemed to me it was hard at 1st, 17 years ago praying to an Invisible God but I kept asking and begging Him to show me my way and by the Grace of God Father showed me the book of Proverbs. The Lord teaches how to be a man or woman of Godin that book, its all God's Wisdom, Praise God.

 

[Tull]

Its enough to know that free will means you are responsible for your choices and deeds,something people have been trying to escape from since Eden,some muddy the waters while some deny it outright....choices have consequences.

 

[bling]

The question is: "Where in Scripture does it say that God does provide sovereign free will (whatever that means) to people?"

Every place it says “who so ever”.

Every place we are told to do something good, yet we know; we and others can choose not to do it.

The parables of the banquets, where people did accept or reject the invitation.

The fact Christians can quench the Spirit.

Gal. 6 7-9 where we can choose to give up.

According to you. The next person says that it's "unloving" of him not to save everyone. And the person after that says it's "unloving" of God to allow any pain or illnesses. And so on, with everyone deciding that God must do that which concerns them the most.

But there is a difference. There are plenty of people who have adopted these other theories. I haven't heard anyone before you offer your theory, so that should give you pause right away. If the idea were as convincing as you think it is, it would have plenty of followers.

God wants and would want everyone to be saved, so why under your scenario does God not save everyone?

The free will choice I see people having and the only free will choice they need is to accept or reject God’s help (Love/mercy/grace/charity/forgiveness).

 

[Albion]

Every place it says “who so ever”.

You apparently think that means "anyone who." In reality it means, "all those who do."

Every place we are told to do something good, yet we know; we and others can choose not to do it.

Why would it be unlike God to instruct every creature to do good? This doesn't either prove or disprove free will.

God wants and would want everyone to be saved, so why under your scenario does God not save everyone?

God would have all to be saved. I would have every day be Christmas (if I had my druthers). That doesn't mean it's going to happen, but if you were to ask me if I'd prefer things to have worked out that way, sure. I'm confident that God preferred that Adam and Eve not have sinned in the garden, too.

 

[The-Doctor]

You are looking at this from the perspective of a human, which is fine because it is the only existence we know, look at it this way, how can your human mind comprehend something so vast and impossible as the mind of God? A being capable of knowing everything there is to know, everything that will be now and in the future and capable of being everywhere at once. It's like a single ant trying to comprehend a human beings mind.

 

[bling]

You apparently think that means "anyone who." In reality it means, "all those who do."

Whosoever does not mean “all those that do” so Jesus and others should have said “all those that do” instead of “whosoever”. They messed up?

Why would it be unlike God to instruct every creature to do good? This doesn't either prove or disprove free will.

If people do not have free will then they can either do good or bad, by God’s choice for them and would not need to be told.

The fact there are warnings against doing bad suggest people can choose.

God would have all to be saved. I would have every day be Christmas (if I had my druthers). That doesn't mean it's going to happen, but if you were to ask me if I'd prefer things to have worked out that way, sure. I'm confident that God preferred that Adam and Eve not have sinned in the garden, too.

You are saying: “God does not have the power to make everyday a Christmas or save everyone”.

If Adam and Eve were not going to fulfill their earthly objective without first having to sin, would God allow them to sin?

The fact that Adam and Eve did sins either suggests: “God could not stop them” or “God would allow them to sin”.

God would personally have “preferred” to not have Christ be tortured, humiliated and murdered, but out of Love for humans God allowed Christ to go through all of this.