Does Free Will Exist in the Bible?

[Littlelambseativy]

Even the angels in heaven have free will. Lucifer through envy lead an army of angels to follow him and not obey God the Father and creator are we any different in our free will to choose to follow Jesus and the freedom that He gives or to follow the enemy?

[LuftWaffle]

Why God created anyone to exist besides himself is a major curiosity to me since it meant so much grief for himself...

 

I think that perhaps it's because, "'Tis better to have loved and lost, than not to have loved at all."

[EnochBethany]

Here's my opinion on the matter: 

 

God doesn't limit our choices. At the end of the day, I could choose to read a book or play a video game. Nine times out of ten, I'd pick the video game. 

 

God may be omniscient and knows everything we'll do or don't do, but isn't it also true that God exists outside the universe, and doesn't follow the law of the universe he made? 

 

And since the universe's creation and Adam and Eve, we've been in the state of complete decay, sin, death, and temptation that is the way of death. But we can do anything we want regardless. 

 

There are lots of verses that imply all the above, but God doesn't limit our will to choose, because that would mean we wouldn't be able to choose him, and choose to seek and love him with all our Heart! 

"God doesn't limit our choices."

Vot der Dumboozle!

So you can choose to jump off the Empire State Building & fly?

You can choose to be the next Preservelt?

What leads you to suppose that we don't really have a rather limited set of choice on our menu?

[LuftWaffle]

 

Here's my opinion on the matter: 

 

God doesn't limit our choices. At the end of the day, I could choose to read a book or play a video game. Nine times out of ten, I'd pick the video game. 

 

God may be omniscient and knows everything we'll do or don't do, but isn't it also true that God exists outside the universe, and doesn't follow the law of the universe he made? 

 

And since the universe's creation and Adam and Eve, we've been in the state of complete decay, sin, death, and temptation that is the way of death. But we can do anything we want regardless. 

 

There are lots of verses that imply all the above, but God doesn't limit our will to choose, because that would mean we wouldn't be able to choose him, and choose to seek and love him with all our Heart! 

"God doesn't limit our choices."

Vot der Dumboozle!

So you can choose to jump off the Empire State Building & fly?

You can choose to be the next Preservelt?

What leads you to suppose that we don't really have a rather limited set of choice on our menu?

 

I think you're confusing choice with ability.

[EnochBethany]

 

 

Here's my opinion on the matter: 

 

God doesn't limit our choices. At the end of the day, I could choose to read a book or play a video game. Nine times out of ten, I'd pick the video game. 

 

God may be omniscient and knows everything we'll do or don't do, but isn't it also true that God exists outside the universe, and doesn't follow the law of the universe he made? 

 

And since the universe's creation and Adam and Eve, we've been in the state of complete decay, sin, death, and temptation that is the way of death. But we can do anything we want regardless. 

 

There are lots of verses that imply all the above, but God doesn't limit our will to choose, because that would mean we wouldn't be able to choose him, and choose to seek and love him with all our Heart! 

"God doesn't limit our choices."

Vot der Dumboozle!

So you can choose to jump off the Empire State Building & fly?

You can choose to be the next Preservelt?

What leads you to suppose that we don't really have a rather limited set of choice on our menu?

 

I think you're confusing choice with ability.

 

Is not choice limited by ability? by what is on the menu of options?  Perhaps you are saying that once you have a menu of options, then you have free choice to choose options?

[LuftWaffle]

 

 

 

Here's my opinion on the matter: 

 

God doesn't limit our choices. At the end of the day, I could choose to read a book or play a video game. Nine times out of ten, I'd pick the video game. 

 

God may be omniscient and knows everything we'll do or don't do, but isn't it also true that God exists outside the universe, and doesn't follow the law of the universe he made? 

 

And since the universe's creation and Adam and Eve, we've been in the state of complete decay, sin, death, and temptation that is the way of death. But we can do anything we want regardless. 

 

There are lots of verses that imply all the above, but God doesn't limit our will to choose, because that would mean we wouldn't be able to choose him, and choose to seek and love him with all our Heart! 

"God doesn't limit our choices."

Vot der Dumboozle!

So you can choose to jump off the Empire State Building & fly?

You can choose to be the next Preservelt?

What leads you to suppose that we don't really have a rather limited set of choice on our menu?

 

I think you're confusing choice with ability.

 

Is not choice limited by ability? by what is on the menu of options?  Perhaps you are saying that once you have a menu of options, then you have free choice to choose options?

 

That's not what's meant by the word choice when one speaks in terms of freedom of will.

For the will to be free requires only that one be able to choose something or choose not-something(could have done otherwise), and those choices needn't require one to actually have the ability to realise those desires and neither do the options need to be unlimited.

 

Even a person who is physically unable to do anything from say, a severe paralysis, could for instance choose to think about walking, or think of something else. They could even choose to get up, though they wouldn't succeed.

Physically they can't walk but they're exercising some choice nonetheless. Ability and choice(in terms of the will) are two different things.

[EnochBethany]

choose to get up, or choose to try to get up?

[Guest WEAPONOFWAR3030]

God had to create man with free will because, obviously, He did not and does not want robots. All throughout the bible are examples of "We are free to make choices, but, we are not free from the consequences!" There is a lot of confusion over predestination and foreknowledge. God has already predestined laws that will be activated based on how we choose to use his laws. We will always reap what we sow no matter what one's cliche is: "Comes around, goes around", "karma" "for every action, there is a reaction." God calls it sowing and reaping! "Whatever" a man(or woman) soweth(plants), they will also reap(harvest).....(Galatians 6:7)!

 

Electricity will cook your food and wash your clothes, but, if used in the wrong way, it will kill you! For every law, there is reciprocal! God not only gives us free will and the freedom of choice, but, he also warns us in advance what the consequences of making the right and wrong choice will be. Because God does not stop someone from driving and drinking(wrong choice) and dying(consequences) does not mean he caused it. Yes, he allowed it because the person decided to drink and drive. God's permissive will doesn't mean he condones it. We are free moral agents.

 

God has predestined consequences of our choices, whether good or bad, but, he also knows what choices we will make(foreknowledge), but, we are responsible for making those choices. He will warn us through dreams, circumstances, people, his word, the still small voice and a plethora of other ways if we are about to make a bad choice, but, we have to be sensitve to his voice, and that comes from spending time in prayer, meditation and his word. I have missed God a few times myself, but, thank God for his grace that is always greater than our mistakes. He can always bring good out of our bad choices "If" we acknowledge we missed it and humble ourselves. God resists the proud, but, gives grace to the humble! Hope someone was helped through this thread!

 

 

[LuftWaffle]

choose to get up, or choose to try to get up?

 

Choose to will to get up.

[EnochBethany]

 

choose to get up, or choose to try to get up?

 

Choose to will to get up.

 

will to choose to will to get up?