I came across a thread today that said something about that supposedly God planned our lives before we were born...How is that? We have free will, which means God shouldn't plan your life (unless you ask Him to have a plan in store for you), only you're allowed to do whatever you like to it and hold responsibility for it, not God. I know that God knows what choices we're going to make, but that shouldn't mean he planned our lives and we have a destiny we're stuck with. I don't know where this person got this idea but it kinda worried me. What do you guys think?
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Question on free will
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jannikitty
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I haven't really given this much thought for some time although this is a question which pops up on a regular basis especially here on the forum.
Some years ago I concluded that although it is true that God does have a plan for us, that is, a goal in mind, we are still free to choose or not whether we will endeavor to choose His Will and follow His plan for us. And we do this on a daily basis as we endeavor to live or not to live Christian lives based upon biblical principles. I don't believe our destiny is predetermined in the sense that we have no choices or part in it.
If any comfort in all this it is that God does see the entire picture and continues to manifest His Love to us in various ways drawing us to Him because He wants ALL to be saved and to spend eternity with Him. As we confess Jesus as Savior we are choosing that; but we remain free to choose evil instead of good, sadly to sin and reject God. However, the more we choose to walk on the right path the more grace abounds and the more we are drawn to the good end for which we were created. This does not mean we do not have free will. See my signature scripture below: That is, Micah 6:8.
Some years ago I concluded that although it is true that God does have a plan for us, that is, a goal in mind, we are still free to choose or not whether we will endeavor to choose His Will and follow His plan for us. And we do this on a daily basis as we endeavor to live or not to live Christian lives based upon biblical principles. I don't believe our destiny is predetermined in the sense that we have no choices or part in it.
If any comfort in all this it is that God does see the entire picture and continues to manifest His Love to us in various ways drawing us to Him because He wants ALL to be saved and to spend eternity with Him. As we confess Jesus as Savior we are choosing that; but we remain free to choose evil instead of good, sadly to sin and reject God. However, the more we choose to walk on the right path the more grace abounds and the more we are drawn to the good end for which we were created. This does not mean we do not have free will. See my signature scripture below: That is, Micah 6:8.
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Christopher M Nance
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God does indeed have a plan for you. It is up to you to have faith in him, and to let him steer your life according to his plan.
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Philpy1976
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I think of it like a big motorway (freeway) with many lanes.
We are put on this motorway (predestination) but our choices decide which lane we take(free will).
One of these lanes is very narrow and not very appealing it carries you through suffering, mockery and possibly violence, but it is the narrow path.
We are put on this motorway (predestination) but our choices decide which lane we take(free will).
One of these lanes is very narrow and not very appealing it carries you through suffering, mockery and possibly violence, but it is the narrow path.
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i think God has a plan for your life that's based in the reality of what He knows you will choose; otherwise when we fail to follow His plan it would only be because He had unrealistic expectations of us
but - God does not plan bad things for us; only good things come from God:
Jas 1:16-17 KJV
(16) Do not err, my beloved brethren.
(17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
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KNOWLEDGE BOMB
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i think God has a plan for your life that's based in the reality of what He knows you will choose; otherwise when we fail to follow His plan it would only be because He had unrealistic expectations of us
KNOWLEDGE BOMB replies:
you mean that God lowers His expectations for some people so they won't become disapointed....
KNOWLEDGE BOMB replies:
you mean that God lowers His expectations for some people so they won't become disapointed....
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Albion
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It's possible that none of that is true. It may be that God has not planned out everything that is to happen in our lives, and it may also be the case that we do not have the free will we like to think we do.
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KNOWLEDGE BOMB
Junior Member
Well said:
Some years ago I concluded that although it is true that God does have a plan for us, that is, a goal in mind, we are still free to choose or not whether we will endeavor to choose His Will and follow His plan for us. And we do this on a daily basis as we endeavor to live or not to live Christian lives based upon biblical principles. I don't believe our destiny is predetermined in the sense that we have no choices or part in it.
Some years ago I concluded that although it is true that God does have a plan for us, that is, a goal in mind, we are still free to choose or not whether we will endeavor to choose His Will and follow His plan for us. And we do this on a daily basis as we endeavor to live or not to live Christian lives based upon biblical principles. I don't believe our destiny is predetermined in the sense that we have no choices or part in it.
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TheyCallMeDavid
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God KNOWS our life from start to finish..but he doesnt demand it go a particular way because he allows us that freewill choice . He knows who will make it to heaven due to Christ alone and who wont ; he knows the bad choices we will all make at times during our lives and the good choices also. He is a complete Gentleman in that he doesnt pre program us like Robots demanding we do life in a narrow way, but he hopes we will return his love back to him and live a life that is productive in Christlikeness qualities and grow in him culiminating in extreme closeness to him in heaven forever.
Did that help ?
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Krillin
Yup
God simply knows what choices we will make. The names are already in the book simply because God exists in past, present, and future. But we as mortals exist on a timeline, starting from one point and ending at another. God knows how it will end but we still have to experience everything chronologically.
(Joshua 24:15) And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
(Isaiah 56:4 - 5) For thus says the Lord: "To the Eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall never be cut off"
(Joshua 24:15) And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
(Isaiah 56:4 - 5) For thus says the Lord: "To the Eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall never be cut off"
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Ark100
The Lord is my Refuge
He did, He knows our end from the beginning. He has His plans in us just like He did for Adam before he disobeyed.
But God has given you free will. So In your free will, you could disobey God. Freewill is what caused Eve to take the apple from the snake. If she didnt have free will, she wouldnt have done so
So even though God has a destiny for you, you still get to call the shot. Remember man is fallen. Sins is part of man.
That is why when people pray for the will of God to prevail, they are ASKING God to intervene in their free will. God will because you have asked. He will steer you towards His will because you depend on Him and have asked.
The way I see it is; God knows our end from the beginning. He has a destiny for each person. But man has free will. and in the free will of man, if they choose not to include God, they can do things that are not the will of God and the end may not be good. God still knows they will, not that He doesnt. But if man lets God in, God will intervene and do something. If you go against the word of God and encounter consequences, then that is your responsibility because disobedience does have consequences.
But God can always turn your mess up to a message. Your test to a testimony when you trust Him and fully turn to Him
Thats how I see it.
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theophilus40
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Free will doesn't mean this at all. God created us and has an absolute right to plan our lives and do anything else he wants to with us. Free will means that when we know God's will we have the ability to choose whether or not we will obey it.
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jannikitty
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Yes, agree to this whole heartedly! We are created with free will which means we have the freedom to chose to follow His plan and obey His directives for us as seen in His Word - the scriptures or not to follow and obey. Jesus has come to show us the Way to do that in that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And He says: "Follow Me."
I like what Augustine said centuries ago: "Thou hast made us for Thyself, oh, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee." Tis so true!
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Albion
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It's interesting that you should choose to quote Augustine here, considering that he's one of the most famous opponents of the idea of Free Will. Notice that his words (below) don't really have anything to do with human Free Will.
I like what Augustine said centuries ago: "Thou hast made us for Thyself, oh, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee." Tis so true!
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jannikitty
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RLM0501
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I feel it is more like God gave us a free will. He then gave each of us a path that will get us to Heaven the best way. It is then up to us to choose which way you want to go. I believe that God knows what our future will then hold according to which choice we make. He knows our ultimate ending though I believe because he is Past Present and Future. He can however, put it within the people who aren't going to make its heart to fulfill his will.
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Tainted Scrolls
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Calvanist are arrogant and impossible to speak with on this subject. I am assuming that is who you heard talking about this because that seems to be the only thing they talk about.
There are many theories that could be tossed around here.
God pre destined us for heaven or hell
God laid out a plan and gave us free will to choose it
God created us and wanted us to find him but there is another force (Satan) fighting for our souls
On and on but those are the 3 main choices people seem to lean towards.
Just remember that putting your self on a pedestal saying God chose us (calvanist) can lead to an actual God Syndrom. *Cough* *Cough* But I love the fact that you are questioning this...Just dig into the word and find out for your self
There are many theories that could be tossed around here.
God pre destined us for heaven or hell
God laid out a plan and gave us free will to choose it
God created us and wanted us to find him but there is another force (Satan) fighting for our souls
On and on but those are the 3 main choices people seem to lean towards.
Just remember that putting your self on a pedestal saying God chose us (calvanist) can lead to an actual God Syndrom. *Cough* *Cough* But I love the fact that you are questioning this...Just dig into the word and find out for your self
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Albion
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Wait a minute there. Believing that God has chosen some to eternal life and not others doesn't automatically lead to the conclusion that YOU (i.e. the one doing the thinking) are among the elect.
While some people may think that way--just as there are some who believe in Free Will and always assume that their choices are the right ones--it can't be blamed on the concept of Predestination or Calvinism.
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