Quick Question of Free will and Calvinism

[cairaiii]

Hello,

First off I'm sure this question has been asked many, many times so forgive me for giving it to you again.

I asked this in the Catholic Forum and was not satisfied with the answer:

Can free will be reconciled with a God that knows the past, present, and future? Do we have any real choice or is it just an illusion?

If someone could also tell me briefly what the Calvanist teaching is about Predestination, I would greatly appreciate this.

Thank you

 

[heymikey80]

Hello,

First off I'm sure this question has been asked many, many times so forgive me for giving it to you again.

I asked this in the Catholic Forum and was not satisfied with the answer:

Can free will be reconciled with a God that knows the past, present, and future? Do we have any real choice or is it just an illusion?

If someone could also tell me briefly what the Calvanist teaching is about Predestination, I would greatly appreciate this.

Thank you

Hello.

The basic problem most people bring to the table is a view that the will can exist independent of God, making its choices evacuated from God's will. The will isn't an independent spirit as it seems implicitly assumed in my culture.

In Calvinism -- God creates wills.

These wills have the freedom to choose what they desire. Yet God created them. And He created them to be who they are. God also created everything that exerts any enticement or influence or limit or control on these wills.

And God purposefully organized these influences a certain way incomprehensible to us. But it's to accomplish His goals (among other things).

So it's not that God is constantly adjusting the vertical and horizontal of His creation to slap you into place. You're operating freely within the bounds of your will, and everything around you is answering due to God's will and purpose.

That's that obscure statement from a Reformed theologian: "God ordains means as well as ends."

Your will doesn't have illusive choice. It has choice. Yet to think God doesn't know and hasn't organized your choice to operate for His own purposes minimizes the Infinite God. He knows. He intended it. But for you to be you, you will make choices as you will.

 

[UMP]

Hello.

The basic problem most people bring to the table is a view that the will can exist independent of God, making its choices evacuated from God's will. The will isn't an independent spirit as it seems implicitly assumed in my culture.

In Calvinism -- God creates wills.

These wills have the freedom to choose what they desire. Yet God created them. And He created them to be who they are. God also created everything that exerts any enticement or influence or limit or control on these wills.

And God purposefully organized these influences a certain way incomprehensible to us. But it's to accomplish His goals (among other things).

So it's not that God is constantly adjusting the vertical and horizontal of His creation to slap you into place. You're operating freely within the bounds of your will, and everything around you is answering due to God's will and purpose.

That's that obscure statement from a Reformed theologian: "God ordains means as well as ends."

Your will doesn't have illusive choice. It has choice. Yet to think God doesn't know and hasn't organized your choice to operate for His own purposes minimizes the Infinite God. He knows. He intended it. But for you to be you, you will make choices as you will.

Translation for those of us with less brain power :

1. A bear is free to be a bear, not free to fly like a bird.

2. In all this, whether we can understand it or not, God, while in control of EVERYTHING, is not guilty of sin.

 

[TigerBunny]

Translation for those of us with less brain power :

1. A bear is free to be a bear, not free to fly like a bird.

2. In all this, whether we can understand it or not, God, while in control of EVERYTHING, is not guilty of sin.

And for the really obscure bang your head on the desk sort of answer:

We do what we desire to do.