Predestination and Free Will
Barbara Gonzalez
Is there a way to reconcile predestination with free will?
There has always been much talk about both predestination and free will and how they both fit together or they don’t. I believe there is a way to reconcile both. There is a reason both are spoken of and taught. Ephesians 1:11 “...in whom also we have been chosen to an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of his own will...”
The way I see it is, God has predestined us and yes many will argue so how can we have free will? Well he has given us two routes, the good and bad. We have the free will to choose the decisions that lead us to either path. You have complete freedom to act, but God knows all ends. God is sovereign he did not prevent man from sinning or the effects of sin. To prevent sin and its effects would be to prevent free will. Sin entered into the world when man sinned of his own volition. The fact that sin and consequences exists is proof that we have been given free will. Otherwise God would either have created a perfect world, or he would have prevented the effects of sin from marring his creation once we messed it up. Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call Heaven and earth to witness this day against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your seed may live…” I’ve heard this analogy and thought it was a good illustration of the nature of God's sovereignty and our freedom to act on our desires. Let's say that a man wants to go into his garden in the late afternoon. Let's also say that God does not want to go into his garden in the late afternoon. God also knows that the man will choose not to enter the garden if there is rain. To keep the man from the garden, God sends rain at the time the man would have gone into the garden. Thus,
Is there a way to reconcile predestination with free will?
There has always been much talk about both predestination and free will and how they both fit together or they don’t. I believe there is a way to reconcile both. There is a reason both are spoken of and taught. Ephesians 1:11 “...in whom also we have been chosen to an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of his own will...”
The way I see it is, God has predestined us and yes many will argue so how can we have free will? Well he has given us two routes, the good and bad. We have the free will to choose the decisions that lead us to either path. You have complete freedom to act, but God knows all ends. God is sovereign he did not prevent man from sinning or the effects of sin. To prevent sin and its effects would be to prevent free will. Sin entered into the world when man sinned of his own volition. The fact that sin and consequences exists is proof that we have been given free will. Otherwise God would either have created a perfect world, or he would have prevented the effects of sin from marring his creation once we messed it up. Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call Heaven and earth to witness this day against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your seed may live…” I’ve heard this analogy and thought it was a good illustration of the nature of God's sovereignty and our freedom to act on our desires. Let's say that a man wants to go into his garden in the late afternoon. Let's also say that God does not want to go into his garden in the late afternoon. God also knows that the man will choose not to enter the garden if there is rain. To keep the man from the garden, God sends rain at the time the man would have gone into the garden. Thus,