Post by James Blankenship on Apr 5, 2012 15:18:54 GMT -5
Many atheists/nonblievers will use the argument that:
"If God knows everything, how can we have "free will"?
Have you ever done anything wrong, & thought that you got away with it, only to find out that your parents KNEW either that you were going to do it, or already did it?
Did the fact that your parents KNEW about it, in any way affect your CHOICE to do it?
No. that is what free will is all about-choice.
Nowhere in Scripture did God EVER force ANYONE to do anything-NOT ONCE!
And before anyone brings up Pharaoh, let's look at that story.
Many atheists/non-believers will use this verse to support their belief that God was directly influenced Pharaoh's thinking:
Exodus 7:3-5 (New International Version)
3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”
And here is something else to think about:
If you were the leader of a country, & your people were being decimated by an unknown god, are you going to tell me that YOUR heart wouldn't be hardened by what this unknown god was doing to your people?
God wasn't DIRECTLY influencing Pharaoh-it was because of what God was doing to his land & people, because Pharaoh CHOSE not to let Israel go, that hardened Pharaoh's heart.
Pharaoh still made the CHOICE-God was NOT directly influencing Him
But, from Exodus 7-11, look at how many times Pharaoh asked Moses to pray to have the plagues stopped. It's only 4 chapters-you are quite capable of reading it yourself!
Time & time again Pharaoh asks Moses to ask God to stop the plagues, but then look at how many times we see this:
Exodus 8:15 (New International Version)
15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
Exodus 8:32 (New International Version)
32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.
Exodus 9:33-34 (New International Version)
33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the LORD; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts.
Now-we see MORE times, that Pharaoh & his staff CHOSE to harden their OWN hearts!
Pharaoh saw time & time again, that God listened to Moses, & after the plagues ended, & despite ALL THIS-He STILL wouldn't let the Israelites go.
THis is clearly Pharaoh's choice. No outside influences-Pharaoh's CHOICE alone! In the end-Pharaoh alone was accountable for HIS choice & the destruction that Egypt went through!
There would have been no more plagues, if Pharaoh had let Israel go. The responsibility for all that the Egyptians went through, was strictly Pharaoh's responsibility.
He was the only one accountable for everything that Egypt went through-no one else.
And consider this:
Scripture is VERY CLEAR that God gave Pharaoh chance, after chance, after chance to let the Israelites go.
Pharaoh CHOSE not to.
Man is accountable to God for his OWN action.
Man chooses his OWN actions.
God never forced ANY man to do anything-Man CHOSE to do it, & is accountable FOR those actions.
Adam & Eve CHOSE to disobey God, & were held accountable for their actions- the price-death & exile from the Garden of Eden
Cain CHOSE to kill Abel, & was held accountable for his actions. Exile.
David CHOSE to have that affair with Bathsheeba, & was held accountable for his actions-death of their child.
The Jewish leaders CHOSE to accuse Jesus of doing works by the power of the devil, & were held accountable-their OWN condemnation by their words, as well as the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Man CHOOSES to start wars in today's world, & man will be held accountable.
Leaders of countries CHOOSE to refuse to feed their own people, & will be held accountable.
People CHOOSE to drive drunk, & end up killing somebody, & they will be held accountable.
People CHOOSE to rape & kill little children, & will be held accountable.
Just as many of the Nazi war criminals were held accountable for their actions, so will ALL men be accountable to God for their actions.
God did not force the people in any of the examples I have listed to do what they do/did. It was their OWN personal choice.
None of this is God's fault, or responsibility, because God never forced anyone to do anything!
That is the 2-edged sword that Free-Will is. Free will by itself is neither good nor evil. It is what is done WITH that freewill, that makes it good or bad.
Now atheists/nonbelievers will say:
"Why doesn't God intervene? Why doesn't He stop this? Doesn't He care?
Why?
Because God can NOT go against His own nature.
Right from the very beginning, He GAVE man free will.
God NEVER goes back on His word! Never has. Never will.
If He did, He wouldn't BE God.
And how do we KNOW man will be held accountable for their actions? Scripture says so, right here:
Ecclesiastes 3:15 (New International Version)
15 Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.
And here:
Matthew 12:36 (New International Version)
36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
And here:
Romans 3:19 (New International Version)
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
And here:
Romans 14:12 (New International Version)
12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
And here:
Hebrews 4:13 (New International Version)
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
And here:
1 Peter 4:5 (New International Version)
5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
And here:
Revelation 20:11-15 (New International Version)
The Judgment of the Dead
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
God does not intervene in what happens in the world today, because God is not RESPONSIBLE for what happens in the world today. This doesn't mean that He doesn't care, as seen here:
2 Peter 3:9 (New International Version)
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Man screwed up this world because of HIS choices, & it is up to man to correct HIs mistakes by CHOOSING to do so. God will NOT force man to do anything.
NEVER HAS-NEVER WILL.
That is what freewill is: a CHOICE! It is MAN's responsiblity to correct his OWN mistakes-NOT God's, because if God DID intervene in todays world, He would be be changing that which is the ONLY thing that He DID allow-Man's ability to choose.
God cannot go against His own nature, because if He did, He would cease to BE God. We see this truth here:
2 Timothy 2:13 (New International Version)
13 if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
It is NOT God's job to correct this screwed-up world, because He was not the one who DID screw it up.
Man did.
James
"If God knows everything, how can we have "free will"?
Have you ever done anything wrong, & thought that you got away with it, only to find out that your parents KNEW either that you were going to do it, or already did it?
Did the fact that your parents KNEW about it, in any way affect your CHOICE to do it?
No. that is what free will is all about-choice.
Nowhere in Scripture did God EVER force ANYONE to do anything-NOT ONCE!
And before anyone brings up Pharaoh, let's look at that story.
Many atheists/non-believers will use this verse to support their belief that God was directly influenced Pharaoh's thinking:
Exodus 7:3-5 (New International Version)
3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”
And here is something else to think about:
If you were the leader of a country, & your people were being decimated by an unknown god, are you going to tell me that YOUR heart wouldn't be hardened by what this unknown god was doing to your people?
God wasn't DIRECTLY influencing Pharaoh-it was because of what God was doing to his land & people, because Pharaoh CHOSE not to let Israel go, that hardened Pharaoh's heart.
Pharaoh still made the CHOICE-God was NOT directly influencing Him
But, from Exodus 7-11, look at how many times Pharaoh asked Moses to pray to have the plagues stopped. It's only 4 chapters-you are quite capable of reading it yourself!
Time & time again Pharaoh asks Moses to ask God to stop the plagues, but then look at how many times we see this:
Exodus 8:15 (New International Version)
15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
Exodus 8:32 (New International Version)
32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.
Exodus 9:33-34 (New International Version)
33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the LORD; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts.
Now-we see MORE times, that Pharaoh & his staff CHOSE to harden their OWN hearts!
Pharaoh saw time & time again, that God listened to Moses, & after the plagues ended, & despite ALL THIS-He STILL wouldn't let the Israelites go.
THis is clearly Pharaoh's choice. No outside influences-Pharaoh's CHOICE alone! In the end-Pharaoh alone was accountable for HIS choice & the destruction that Egypt went through!
There would have been no more plagues, if Pharaoh had let Israel go. The responsibility for all that the Egyptians went through, was strictly Pharaoh's responsibility.
He was the only one accountable for everything that Egypt went through-no one else.
And consider this:
Scripture is VERY CLEAR that God gave Pharaoh chance, after chance, after chance to let the Israelites go.
Pharaoh CHOSE not to.
Man is accountable to God for his OWN action.
Man chooses his OWN actions.
God never forced ANY man to do anything-Man CHOSE to do it, & is accountable FOR those actions.
Adam & Eve CHOSE to disobey God, & were held accountable for their actions- the price-death & exile from the Garden of Eden
Cain CHOSE to kill Abel, & was held accountable for his actions. Exile.
David CHOSE to have that affair with Bathsheeba, & was held accountable for his actions-death of their child.
The Jewish leaders CHOSE to accuse Jesus of doing works by the power of the devil, & were held accountable-their OWN condemnation by their words, as well as the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Man CHOOSES to start wars in today's world, & man will be held accountable.
Leaders of countries CHOOSE to refuse to feed their own people, & will be held accountable.
People CHOOSE to drive drunk, & end up killing somebody, & they will be held accountable.
People CHOOSE to rape & kill little children, & will be held accountable.
Just as many of the Nazi war criminals were held accountable for their actions, so will ALL men be accountable to God for their actions.
God did not force the people in any of the examples I have listed to do what they do/did. It was their OWN personal choice.
None of this is God's fault, or responsibility, because God never forced anyone to do anything!
That is the 2-edged sword that Free-Will is. Free will by itself is neither good nor evil. It is what is done WITH that freewill, that makes it good or bad.
Now atheists/nonbelievers will say:
"Why doesn't God intervene? Why doesn't He stop this? Doesn't He care?
Why?
Because God can NOT go against His own nature.
Right from the very beginning, He GAVE man free will.
God NEVER goes back on His word! Never has. Never will.
If He did, He wouldn't BE God.
And how do we KNOW man will be held accountable for their actions? Scripture says so, right here:
Ecclesiastes 3:15 (New International Version)
15 Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.
And here:
Matthew 12:36 (New International Version)
36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
And here:
Romans 3:19 (New International Version)
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
And here:
Romans 14:12 (New International Version)
12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
And here:
Hebrews 4:13 (New International Version)
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
And here:
1 Peter 4:5 (New International Version)
5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
And here:
Revelation 20:11-15 (New International Version)
The Judgment of the Dead
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
God does not intervene in what happens in the world today, because God is not RESPONSIBLE for what happens in the world today. This doesn't mean that He doesn't care, as seen here:
2 Peter 3:9 (New International Version)
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Man screwed up this world because of HIS choices, & it is up to man to correct HIs mistakes by CHOOSING to do so. God will NOT force man to do anything.
NEVER HAS-NEVER WILL.
That is what freewill is: a CHOICE! It is MAN's responsiblity to correct his OWN mistakes-NOT God's, because if God DID intervene in todays world, He would be be changing that which is the ONLY thing that He DID allow-Man's ability to choose.
God cannot go against His own nature, because if He did, He would cease to BE God. We see this truth here:
2 Timothy 2:13 (New International Version)
13 if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
It is NOT God's job to correct this screwed-up world, because He was not the one who DID screw it up.
Man did.
James
