This question was raised on my blog and I think it’s a good one to explore.
Do we have Free Will when God knows what we are going to do before we do it? How can this be reconciled?
It’s quite the dichotomy, isn’t it? We can choose but God knows what we’re going to choose before we choose it. I always wonder if we can change our minds without God knowing it or not. If we can change our path. But then God wouldn’t know, would He?
It plays into control. We think we are in control of our lives but God has it all figured out and He is truly in control because He knows and we don’t. You think, “Is God toying with me here? Just tell me, God, since you know!”
I think it’s a design by God to make man depend on Him more. We slowly (sometimes VERY slowly) realize we’re not in control so we must depend and trust in God and in the process grow closer to Him.
That’s how I see it anyways. Any more thoughts?
On the subject of Do we have free will?
I think God knows us so well he knows how we think. Not only can he see what is going through our minds he knows how we react to situations. For instance we know when our toddler heads for the bathroom he is going to unroll the toilet paper because he loves to do that. So we follow him into the bathroom and sure enough he goes straight for the toilet paper. Our child wonders how we knew. That is how it is with God. I am surely grateful he loves us.
I always do love the ones that make you think. I have to disagree with you that God knows what we are going to do before we do it.
God presents us with things, that require a choice. Satan does as well. God gave us free will, knowing that those who chose Him, were going to be the true believers, the desired ones in His eyes.
What God knows is that His words and His Gestures toward us are the TRUTH and the Righteous path to follow. Remember I told you last week, you can lead a horse to water?
God leads us to the well of truth and goodness. Whether we choose to drink from it is, in fact our free will. While God is all-knowing and all-present, He in fact has placed this…..barrier before us called “Free-Will”. What makes us unique is God’s eyes, I believe, is that we suprise Him in ways, both Good and bad as a result of the “Gift” he gave us. Just my 2 cents.
On one hand SteveInVa states he disagrees that God knows what we are going to do before we know it but then states that God is all-knowing. This is a contradiction.
Do we have free will even thou God knows what we will do before we do it? My answer is yes. God’s foreknowledge does add or take away from our free will choice. We were created with a free will choice given to us by God. Because God loves us, He gave us the option to choose who we will serve – God or Satan.
Correction: God’s foreknowledge does NOT add or take away from our free will choice.
This is a topic I have pondered on myself, but more in the light of, ‘Does God go against someone’s will?’… e.g. I am praying for xxxx and they are struggling with xxxx… I have heard some pray for xxxx but then after they pray, they ultimately say, ‘Now xxxx has a will of their own.’ … I know we do have our own wills, BUT, is God limited by our wills, especially when someone is interceding in their behalf? It almost feels like a wet blanket get’s thrown on the whole prayer.