Predestination and Free Will - Reconcilable?
INTRODUCTION:
Let's consider how God (YHWH) made us before going deeper into this subject. The Bible states at Genesis 1:27, "And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." (American Standard Version; ASV). Does this mean that we can control our own destiny or does it mean that our destiny is predetermined, i.e., predestined?
To be better able to understand these questions, we must reflect on what it means to be made in God's (YHWH's) likeness. Clearly it does NOT mean we have been made an invisible spirit being such as is God (YHWH) who the Bible states at John 1:18, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him]." (ASV).
So clearly made in his likeness does not mean appearance and/or substance, but must refer to his attributes. In other words we have the ability to reflect his qualities, such as justice, love, wisdom, and power.
However God (YHWH) has given us the gift of free will, which is the freedom of choice to choice between right and wrong as clearly shown in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, " I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed; 20 to love Jehovah thy God, to obey his voice, and to cleave unto him; for he is thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." (ASV).
GIFT OF FREEDOM OF CHOICE:
The gift of freedom of choice; however, does not mean one has absolute freedom. It in no way frees us from the physical and moral laws that God (YHWH) made for stability and peace on the earth and in the universe. For example, we all know that we are limited by the law of gravity. We all know that if we jump off a cliff we will either get hurt or killed due to the law of gravity.
In addition, freedom of choice also binds us with restraints that creatures of the wild who do not have this freedom of choice do not have. Creatures of the wild and domestic animals are governed by instinct and for the most part lack freedom of choice as we all know. Animals, of course, being instinct-driven are not held to any moral responsibilities; just as computers are not as they can only do that for which they are programmed.
GOD IS LOVE AND DID NOT PREDETERMINE OUR COURSE:
It would have been unloving and unjust for God (YHWH) to predetermine the course we would take and still hold us responsible for what we did, the actions we took. Not only would this be unloving, it would be 'prima facia' absurd like trying to hold a computer responsible for executing a program.
Of course, God (YHWH) does not do this, for as 1 John 4:8 says, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (ASV); and Deuteronomy says at Deuteronomy 32:4, "The Rock, his work is perfect; For all his ways are justice: A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is he." (ASV). However, having given us freedom of choice, he did not at the same time also determine from the beginning whom he would save and whom he would damn as some who believe in predestination claim. Freedom of choice precludes and/or rules out predestination.
Likewise, the Bible shows that the choices we make will change and/or alter our destiny. This fact is clearly shown at Jeremiah 25:4-7, "And Jehovah hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, (but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear,) 5 saying, Return ye now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that Jehovah hath given unto you and to your fathers, from of old and even for evermore; 6 and go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. 7 Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith Jehovah; that ye may provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own hurt." (ASV).
This appeal of course would be pointless if God (YHWH) had already pre-fixed each individual's destiny. Also, if each individual's destiny had been pre-fixed Acts 3:19, "Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord;" (ASV) would be both meaningless and pointless. To wit, it would be pointless to ask individuals to repent and change their life course if God (YHWH) pre-knew beforehand that they could do absolutely nothing to change their course of life, their destiny.
So we can see predestination and free will are incompatible, you can NOT have both being so as they are mutually exclusive; hence, are NOT reconcilable, one with the other as clearly shown by the Bible.
Your Friend in Christ Iris89
INTRODUCTION:
Let's consider how God (YHWH) made us before going deeper into this subject. The Bible states at Genesis 1:27, "And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." (American Standard Version; ASV). Does this mean that we can control our own destiny or does it mean that our destiny is predetermined, i.e., predestined?
To be better able to understand these questions, we must reflect on what it means to be made in God's (YHWH's) likeness. Clearly it does NOT mean we have been made an invisible spirit being such as is God (YHWH) who the Bible states at John 1:18, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him]." (ASV).
So clearly made in his likeness does not mean appearance and/or substance, but must refer to his attributes. In other words we have the ability to reflect his qualities, such as justice, love, wisdom, and power.
However God (YHWH) has given us the gift of free will, which is the freedom of choice to choice between right and wrong as clearly shown in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, " I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed; 20 to love Jehovah thy God, to obey his voice, and to cleave unto him; for he is thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." (ASV).
GIFT OF FREEDOM OF CHOICE:
The gift of freedom of choice; however, does not mean one has absolute freedom. It in no way frees us from the physical and moral laws that God (YHWH) made for stability and peace on the earth and in the universe. For example, we all know that we are limited by the law of gravity. We all know that if we jump off a cliff we will either get hurt or killed due to the law of gravity.
In addition, freedom of choice also binds us with restraints that creatures of the wild who do not have this freedom of choice do not have. Creatures of the wild and domestic animals are governed by instinct and for the most part lack freedom of choice as we all know. Animals, of course, being instinct-driven are not held to any moral responsibilities; just as computers are not as they can only do that for which they are programmed.
GOD IS LOVE AND DID NOT PREDETERMINE OUR COURSE:
It would have been unloving and unjust for God (YHWH) to predetermine the course we would take and still hold us responsible for what we did, the actions we took. Not only would this be unloving, it would be 'prima facia' absurd like trying to hold a computer responsible for executing a program.
Of course, God (YHWH) does not do this, for as 1 John 4:8 says, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (ASV); and Deuteronomy says at Deuteronomy 32:4, "The Rock, his work is perfect; For all his ways are justice: A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is he." (ASV). However, having given us freedom of choice, he did not at the same time also determine from the beginning whom he would save and whom he would damn as some who believe in predestination claim. Freedom of choice precludes and/or rules out predestination.
Likewise, the Bible shows that the choices we make will change and/or alter our destiny. This fact is clearly shown at Jeremiah 25:4-7, "And Jehovah hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, (but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear,) 5 saying, Return ye now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that Jehovah hath given unto you and to your fathers, from of old and even for evermore; 6 and go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. 7 Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith Jehovah; that ye may provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own hurt." (ASV).
This appeal of course would be pointless if God (YHWH) had already pre-fixed each individual's destiny. Also, if each individual's destiny had been pre-fixed Acts 3:19, "Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord;" (ASV) would be both meaningless and pointless. To wit, it would be pointless to ask individuals to repent and change their life course if God (YHWH) pre-knew beforehand that they could do absolutely nothing to change their course of life, their destiny.
So we can see predestination and free will are incompatible, you can NOT have both being so as they are mutually exclusive; hence, are NOT reconcilable, one with the other as clearly shown by the Bible.
Your Friend in Christ Iris89
