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To: HarleyD; Dr. Eckleburg; MarkBsnr; Forest Keeper; Alex Murphy; 1000 silverlings; suzyjaruki
Ah! The old get-out-of-theology "free will" card. So God planted a tree in the garden knowing that Adam would use his free will and eat off that tree

Knowing what he would do is not important, HD. The important thing for God was that man has free will, that we are not His robots, but His children. 

8,389 posted on 10/05/2007 7:22:29 PM PDT by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
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To: kosta50; HarleyD; Forest Keeper; Alex Murphy; 1000 silverlings; suzyjaruki; irishtenor; ...
HARLEY: Ah! The old get-out-of-theology "free will" card. So God planted a tree in the garden knowing that Adam would use his free will and eat off that tree

KOSTA: Knowing what he would do is not important, HD.

Not important?!? The rest of all history follows from Adam's eating off that tree; seems pretty important to me. And to God, no doubt.

You've evaded the obvious conclusion from Harley's question. God knew full well what Adam would do with that tree, and yet He planted it anyway. The Fall was certainly no surprise to God. In fact, it probably was part of His plan for creation, since God's decrees all precede any actions by His creatures.

The important thing for God was that man has free will, that we are not His robots, but His children.

Where does it say in Scripture the important thing for God is that we have free will? In fact, since it doesn't even exist in the manner most people toss the phrase around, it matters nearly not at all.

The "important thing for God" is that He is glorified by His children for the gift of grace He has given them through faith in Jesus Christ.

"And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." -- Ephesians 10:19-20

Here Paul tells us even the words of His faith which he utters are given to him by God, and thus, he preaches as an "ambassador in bonds."

Not a lot of "free will" going around there.

8,403 posted on 10/05/2007 11:25:32 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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