Struggling with this principle

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Apr 21, 2020
621
176
43
#81
While the kids battle other topics...tell me, do you believe we have choice? Do you think God is omniscient?
I do believe that God is omniscient, yes.
I'm unsure whether we truly have free will.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,111
3,687
113
#82
I do believe that God is omniscient, yes.
I'm unsure whether we truly have free will.
When does God know you?

Don't allow man to define God's omniscience and then place God in that definition. Allow the Bible to define all attributes of God.
 
Apr 21, 2020
621
176
43
#83
When does God know you?

Don't allow man to define God's omniscience and then place God in that definition. Allow the Bible to define all attributes of God.
I agree with you that we should learn about God through the Bible, but how is your question "When does God know you" relevant to what I asked in my original post?
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
37,801
13,551
113
#84
I do believe that God is omniscient, yes.
I'm unsure whether we truly have free will.
it is not completely free. that is abundantly clear -- we can demonstrate that immediately: try to will yourself to fly into space and visit the moon.






didn't work?
well then. your so-called "
free" will is limited by the principles of your nature. things that are outside of your control, exist & affect you. your nature is something God can change, but you cannot. that's salvation -- He seeks you out, reaches down, and changes you -- not the other way around
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
37,801
13,551
113
#85
When does God know you?

Don't allow man to define God's omniscience and then place God in that definition. Allow the Bible to define all attributes of God.
He knew what He was creating when He created us.
 
Nov 26, 2012
3,095
1,050
113
#86
Nope. We are to take His example and make it part of our life, not the other way around. You cannot find one person in the Bible predestined for heaven nor one for hell. That's not bible.

Are we to take man's view of marriage to represent God's view of marriage in His word? Please don't say yes.
I can’t believe how you utterly missed the point. Either you are completely oblivious or you just like to argue.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,111
3,687
113
#87
I agree with you that we should learn about God through the Bible, but how is your question "When does God know you" relevant to what I asked in my original post?
Speaking of God’s foreknowledge. When did God come to know you?
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,111
3,687
113
#89
I can’t believe how you utterly missed the point. Either you are completely oblivious or you just like to argue.
Lol, God’s view of adoption is not man’s view of adoption. Period.
 
Nov 26, 2012
3,095
1,050
113
#90
I do believe that God is omniscient, yes.
I'm unsure whether we truly have free will.
Why do you think this? Just the fact that you can question it, is free will. Do you think that some people are blinded intentionally by God, or some people are just more receptive to the truth? Why do you believe?
 
Apr 21, 2020
621
176
43
#91
Why do you think this? Just the fact that you can question it, is free will. Do you think that some people are blinded intentionally by God, or some people are just more receptive to the truth? Why do you believe?
The fact that I've done something doesn't prove I have free will.

My original post can be reworded thus:

God knows for certain who will, and who will not, accept Jesus.
Therefore God knows who will, and who will not, go to heaven.
If God doesn't change things somehow to make those who were not going to accept Jesus, accept Jesus, then are we all individually just predestined either to accept Jesus or not?
Therefore are we not all predestined to be saved, or not?
Thus, do we actually have free will?
 
Nov 26, 2012
3,095
1,050
113
#92
Lol, God’s view of adoption is not man’s view of adoption. Period.
You seem so convinced. How would you describe a Heavenly Father accepting people to be joint heirs with His Son. Please explain this: So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” (Rom 8:15).
 
Apr 5, 2020
2,273
464
83
#93
I'm struggling to make sense of the following idea:

God is omniscient (all knowing).
If God is all knowing, then no human can ever think, feel or say anything that God wouldn't have prior knowledge of.
In other words, you can't do anything that God didn't already know you were going to do.

I can't reconcile this idea with humans having free will.

Any help appreciated.


It's like this line of thinking here:

God knows everything based upon predestination. And God has His will in motion to fulfill His big picture. But yet, if a Believer has Faith, and stands in Faith, the course of action that God has predestined will change.
^
Yes, that leaves the idealism that God knew beforehand a Believer would have Faith and His plan would change for that single circumstance.
But it is the Believer, who stood in true Faith, is the one who did not know they would face something where their measure of Faith would be tested and granted by God.
^
Faith is the acting out in "Free Will!"
^
Which proves, we do have "Free Will," we just don't always exercise it. And sometimes, it takes a tragedy to force our "Free Will" to be put into action.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,111
3,687
113
#94
You seem so convinced. How would you describe a Heavenly Father accepting people to be joint heirs with His Son. Please explain this: So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” (Rom 8:15).
How does one become a son? Glad you asked.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Once you believe on Jesus, God knows you as a son, no time before. See Galatians 4.
 
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
2,973
113
#95
what difference does it make whether you think God knows what we are going to do every moment of our lives???
He is our CREATOR, and He has given us the 'option' to choose between 'good and evil' =
satan chose to do evil - Adam fell for it, he chose the wrong-way'...
DEU 30:19.
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:
therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live:
20.
That you may love The LORD your God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cleave unto Him:
for He is your life, and the length of your days: that you may dwell in the land which The LORD sware unto your fathers,
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,111
3,687
113
#96
You seem so convinced. How would you describe a Heavenly Father accepting people to be joint heirs with His Son. Please explain this: So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” (Rom 8:15).
No, the Holy Spirit is the earnest of the adoption. The adoption is future. The adoption is the destination of the believer. It’s the redemption of the body.

Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,111
3,687
113
#97
what difference does it make whether you think God knows what we are going to do every moment of our lives???
He is our CREATOR, and He has given us the 'option' to choose between 'good and evil' =
satan chose to do evil - Adam fell for it, he chose the wrong-way'...
DEU 30:19.
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:
therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live:
20.
That you may love The LORD your God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cleave unto Him:
for He is your life, and the length of your days: that you may dwell in the land which The LORD sware unto your fathers,
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Yes, we still must set out to please Him. Funny, when we all get to heaven, all of us will probably understand how wrong we were about 95% of the Bible.😀
 
Nov 26, 2012
3,095
1,050
113
#99
The fact that I've done something doesn't prove I have free will.

My original post can be reworded thus:

God knows for certain who will, and who will not, accept Jesus.
Therefore God knows who will, and who will not, go to heaven.
If God doesn't change things somehow to make those who were not going to accept Jesus, accept Jesus, then are we all individually just predestined either to accept Jesus or not?
Therefore are we not all predestined to be saved, or not?
Thus, do we actually have free will?
God knowing if we choose Christ isn’t the same as Him choosing for us. One means our answer is seen from a future perspective while the other is like we are all puppets in a puppet show with God having written the script. I don’t think the latter makes a bit of sense. Could that be the deal and we are all part of some cosmic theatre? I don’t think we are giving praise to some Divine Shakespeare creating drama for self amusement.