Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: MHGinTN; HarleyD; Gamecock

It is difficult to reconcile free choice with predestination. You are trying to say that God would not do something that he has already done. Christ told Peter that he would deny him. Peter could not choose not to deny him though he probably tried. God does not have a backup plan; he got it right the first time. Everything that happens is part of God’s one plan.


847 posted on 06/02/2015 6:32:05 PM PDT by Seven_0 (You cannot fool all of the people, ever!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 845 | View Replies ]


To: Seven_0
The poster is asserting that we have no free will, that God forces us to love Him. And from that error arise so many other wrong characteristics of such an god. Can God lie? This automaton Universe assertion is no different than to say God is sovereign so He can lie if He wants to! But the Bible shows us THE God Whose Character will not ever lie, no not even once. Could any Promise from God be trusted if satan could defeat God? Could any Promise be trusted as certain to come to pass if God isn't 100% honest? THINK!

The great mystery, and probably what ticks satan off so fully is that God is Sovereign of the Created Universe, and that He has given man sovereignty over himself, so that he may choose to Love God, or not. Lies such as this one --that God forces us to love Him-- are the hallmark of satan seeking to break the relationship and trust Believers have in God.

God can raise up stones to cry Hosanna because He is All mighty God Creator, or He can choose one child over another before they even leave the womb because He knows the end from he beginning. BUT knowing the entire scene does not make God responsible for the choices we make.

There is a particular passage I'm thinking about where God arranges events to reward behavior not yet exhibited. What kind of deity has joy when someone loves Him if that deity will not allow the one to not love if that is their choice? If satan had his way, everything would be compelled and every knee would bow and worship him without a choice in the matter.

If salvation is preordained for everyone who is saved, then it is not by Grace that we are saved but by the whim of the puppet master, the creator of mere automatons. THAT is not the character of The God of The Bible.

850 posted on 06/02/2015 6:53:21 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 847 | View Replies ]

To: Seven_0
"Peter could not choose not to deny him though he probably tried." Careful what you imply. That Jesus could know what would actually happen for the next hours is not the same as Jesus being the one responsible for Peter denying His Lord three times before the Cock crowed.

Let's use a simple thought experiment to explain:

There is a land called Flatland, and everyone living there has only two expressions of dimension space; they have length and width, but no height. There is nothing not in their plane which they can sense. You however are a three spatial expressions being, having length, width and height, so you can see the plane broadly where flatlanders can only see what is on their plane within their sight limits linearly and nothing below or above their plane, and only things that have a line of sight which intersects their location. You see a large sphere approaching one in flatland from above the plane, about to slam into the flatlander. You can see the large sphere and the flatlander even though the flatlander has yet to see the spot the shadow of the looming sphere makes on the plane. Are you responsible for the spot slamming into the flatlander when it does?

852 posted on 06/02/2015 7:04:25 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 847 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson