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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Such thing as a choice? | Eccl 6:10 | DocTrinsograce | 153044 | ||
Dear Samantha, You have asked some very significant questions. There are answers, but they are not simple. Probably the best answers and most biblically sound were by Jonathan Edwards. However, he can be pretty deep. If you'd like to tackle it, however, you'll find "On the Freedom of the Human Will" at http://www.ccel.org/e/edwards/will/home.html You are right that God does not "change His mind." I have posted previously on the forum the following: Before God began creating He formed a "plan" (Jeremiah 49:20, 50:45). The Bible calls this His "eternal purpose" (Isaiah 46:10-11, Acts 4:28, Romans 8:28, 9:11, 2 Timothy 1:9, Ephesians 3:11). This divine plan for the universe is not a wish or even a command. It is His decree. God does nothing outside of His plan (Ephesians 1:11, Psalms 33:11). Can God change His mind concerning His eternal plan? The answer to that is a simple, but emphatic "No." His purpose will stand forever, because God never changes (1 Samuel 15:29, Jeremiah 4:28, 23:20). It follows that His purpose will come to pass exactly as He planned. Can Man or Angel or Demon keep Him from accomplishing His eternal purpose? Again, the answer is "No" (Psalms 33:11, 148:3, Proverbs 19:21, Job 41:11, Isaiah 14:27, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:17). No, because the actions of Man, Angel, and Demon are included in that purpose. God did not consult with men on any of this, not even by foreseeing what he would do or say. He consulted only with Himself within the Trinity (Isaiah 40:13-14, Romans 11:34, Ephesians 1:11). Thus, it is obvious that there is no such thing as fate, chance, accident, luck or coincidence. God has even determined in advance the flipping of a coin (Proverbs 16:33, Jonah 1:7, Acts 1:24-26). In Him, Doc |
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2 | Such thing as a choice? | Eccl 6:10 | Aixen7z4 | 153168 | ||
What more can be said, that has not been said, I wonder, about this and the related topics? I would be alone ranger at this point, if necessary, and say that this debate will serve no useful purpose. But then again, perhaps that is what Samantha has said. Searcher has suggested that we may not want to go too deep into the question, and we seem to have agreed to that, as we have not gone too deep. I have often wondered what the purpose is, in taking sides in this great debate. I have some ideas, but I judge that it would not be any more profitable to suggest them. With apologies to our brother Tim, I would suggest instead that we do go deeper, and I will hasten to add that we could do so by looking for the truth in the other side. The two sides, I say, are compatible, and they come together at the deeper level. Scriptures do not cancel out each other. They are all true. We should not add to them, and we should not in any wise take one jot or one tittle away (Proverbs 30:5,6). Blessed is the man who has learned to say that Scripture teaches both an unchanging God and a God who calls for, and responds to repentance. I could take some time to show how the two come together, but I suggest instead that each of us look into it. It would save us time, no doubt, and give us time to respond to God with obedience. For one thing, it would allow us to obey 1 Corinthians 1:10. It says, to remind us, that God wants all of us to speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among us; but that we be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. It would please God if we did that. It would also allow us to stand together in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel, as mandated in Philippians 1:27. I do hope it is self-evident that the time spent debating this issue is time that might be spent striving together for the faith of the gospel. I would not be surprised if someone can prove otherwise, but I would suggest we not get into it. As before, I would suggest that each one look for himself into what those verses say, and what they require. |
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