a thought to consider: free will

[Blue Moon]

The best analogy I've ever heard, regarding free will, is that it's like being on a ship. The captain is piloting the ship, so he determines where the ship is going. However, the passengers can go to their cabin if they'd like, get something to eat, play shuffleboard if they'd like, talk to other passengers, or choose not to do any of these things. However, there are things they cannot do - go to certain parts of the ship that are off limits, make another passenger do what he/she does not want to do, etc. Every analogy has its limitations, but you see my point.

[Guest shiloh357]

There is a tension between free will and the sovereignty of God.   Man has freewill, but man's freewill doesn't frustrate the sovereign plans of God. 

[disciplehelovestoo]

Surely you don't think God gave Satan a great big hammer and let him loose on the world....God has him on a leash

no; we gave satan more than a hammer, we yielded our unconditional dominion over the earth to him when we first decided not to believe God about something we understood.

 

but Jesus bought that dominion back for us; and we recieve that dominion through spiritual rebirth.

 

so now we have thoughts that are either inspired by God or inspired by the devil - there's never been a time in anyone's physical life when both God and the devil weren't trying to influence them; no one makes decisions in a vacuum of no influence from both God and satan.

 

satan is holding man hostage; God gave man dominion over the earth and when we yield that dominion to satan through unbelief in God, we left God with two choices - destroy man for his unbelief (kill the hostage) to get to satan, or take on a flesh body as Jesus and take that dominion over the earth back from satan by living a sinless life (a life where He never yielded to satan through unbelief in God) - thank God that He loves us so much He chose option # 2!

 

God isn't using satan - that is calling evil good - God wants to use us to defeat satan through preaching the gospel that we are to rule and reign over the devil in this life by yielding to God's leading as the man Jesus did as an example to us

[mevosper]

does anyone "see" the spirit of 'me, self, I' in freewill? If it's not God 100%, it's "me". Does that make sense? 

 

I was drawn to understand more, and that by the hearing of the word, that we are the New Testament temple/house/mansion. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost. "In my father's house are many mansions...". Once viewed that way, I begin to follow what god sits in the holy of holies in that temple. This being within myself. 

 

I don't expect everyone to see it from this angle, but there must be some educator or teacher from the Fine Arts Department.

[Guest Thallasa]

 God has made laws which guide His creation ,or rather built into his creation these laws.

 

We can do as we choose to do ,but will always 'bump' into the limitations imposed by God's Laws .

 

The desire to fly like a bird is a good one,as the desire and the reality of what I can do, not correspond .

 

And this is where satans followers think that they have trumped God ,by developing technology that will allow them how

 .

to bypass God's original limitations on our power .This what Lucy did ,he thought like modern day atheists that ,he could

 

overtake God . There is one diffference. Lucy knew God existed ,the deniers do not even know that ,and when God reveals

 

Himself  they will be very shocked  to find themselves outside of creation .

 

So yes, we have free will within the laws of creation ,but not beyond .  This was satans mistake ,he in thinking he could be like

 

God who was only a creature .

Edited February 8, 2015 by Thallasa

[Fez]

It's a subject that has been debated in the church since there was a church, and I have never read one complete answer (Kind of like the P word, you know, Predestination - a subject many a pastor shies away from preaching)

 

My best explanation (to myself), is that God knows the history of my future, (think about that for a second), and it is I, with my free will, who chose to direct the direction of that future.

[hmbld]

 

My best explanation (to myself), is that God knows the history of my future, (think about that for a second), and it is I, with my free will, who chose to direct the direction of that future.

That is a great, short explanation! I love it when someone uses a few words to get to the point!

[Guest shiloh357]

I don't see why it is a problem to believe that God sovereignly gave man the power to make a genuine choice.

[Guest]

I don't see why it is a problem to believe that God

 

sovereignly gave man the power

 

to make a genuine

 

choice.

 

 

Either Our God Is Lying

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

 

Or He Means It

 

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17

 

IMO

 

For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

 

God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written,

 

That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings,

 

and mightest overcome

 

when thou art

 

judged. Romans 3:3-4

[angels4u]

It's a subject that has been debated in the church since there was a church, and I have never read one complete answer (Kind of like the P word, you know, Predestination - a subject many a pastor shies away from preaching)

 

My best explanation (to myself), is that God knows the history of my future, (think about that for a second), and it is I, with my free will, who chose to direct the direction of that future.

I'm glad I made my choice and will never look back,my life is safe in the hands of God