My understanding of scripture is that they are both true. God does predestine things, but at the same time we do have free will and are therefore culpable for our actions. And if anyone says that is impossible, I can only answer that for Man that is so, but for God all things are possible. Maybe God does know what we will do, but chooses to set aside that knowledge. After all, there is a precedent for Him doing things like that...
I believe that “predestination-free will” thing comes into being because time has no meaning for God. He sees everything, from beginning to end. That is hard for man to understand since we are constrained by time. Because God sees it all we mistake that for “predestination”. Simply having knowledge doesn’t mean responsibility for man’s choices.
It does not imply that we have no free will. It means that our free will, does NOT trump God’s plan for each of us. We are always responsible for our actions here on earth while we live.
Perhaps He doesn’t judge us? Maybe He thanks us and rewards us for carrying out His plan, even if it meant our suffering here on earth. After all, He has suffered for us, hasn’t He? The least we can do, is pay Him back in our meager ways.
It appears that we both agree that with God all things are possible.
Nite for now, going to bed.
My understanding of scripture is that they are both true. God does predestine things, but at the same time we do have free will and are therefore culpable for our actions. And if anyone says that is impossible, I can only answer that for Man that is so, but for God all things are possible.