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NASB | James 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | James 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror--they have seen His wrath]! [Deut 6:4; 11:13-21; Mark 12:29] |
Subject: Have we chosen freely? |
Bible Note: No, I'm not sure whether God "sets" what is to happen; I'm trying to suss it out here within the Forum. A couple of thoughts: Because God is above time and knows what will happen and why, does it necessarily mean that He's written each physical circumstance and decision of the human heart? The book of Esther indicates that the answer might be yes; even the necessary, inexorable death of Jesus appears to make the answer yes (a sudden insight into the infinite reach of that plan blew Paul's mind in Romans Ch. 11). Yet the story of Abraham and Isaac indicates otherwise, that God loved Abraham precisely because he chose to believe God's promise. If God wired Abraham to make no other choice than he did, then God has loved a puppet. On the one hand, no, I don't think God has made us puppets; on the other, perhaps He has chosen each of us already. How could He not have? Interesting topic, hard to comprehend -- for me at least. Colin |