Replies

And that is predetermined, and you cannot choose otherwise before, your choices are predetermined afterward. This is not human choice, by any stretch of the word.

Was Jonah predetermined to preach at Ninevah? Did he choose to go to Ninevah or did God choose for him? He had a choice to sit in the belly of the fish or go. Whose choice was it?

Jonah chose to run, God pursed him. In the belly of the fish, Jonah chose to call out to God to save him and God did. Jonah could have then chosen to refuse to preach again. It would have been quite unlikely, dangerous to his health and stupid, after his experiences. But he made his choice like everyone else. We may not see it, but God pursues us all.

However, I"m not Jonah. Nor is Jonah you or me, or the world. I know no prophets, and no one with the miraculous experiences of a Jonah. But we do all have our times in the belly of the fish, and we can choose to call out to God - or we can choose not to. And our choices have consequences - in ours and other's lives.

Here, we are not talking about OT prophets, but about the world's salvation, the Gospel, Jesus Christ and "whoever believes in him". Jesus expressed a little concern for those who required miracles. I think He would also be concerned about those who fail to see the miracles all around them. To me, original sin can be seen as "born making selfish choices" not aware, or forgetful of each miracle God sends our way.

Still God pursues us. We continue making choices - toward selfishness and pride, or toward God. No matter which, God is still there for us - at every second.

Is your part in the whole process of choices, in what you believe, whether you believe, where you pay attention, what you really hear, how you choose to react to others, to suffering, to joy… Is this all, and the choices you're making right now, an illusion?

A question I've asked before: If free will choice were demonstrated to you to be true, would you accept it?