Bible Discussion Thread

Why didnt God deny free will with Adam and Eve? We are only made from sand.

Hi Joyce, just to add to the other great comments, I sense that because man & woman were created in God's Image ( Genesis 1:27), He imparted to us also the ability of making choices in the life He has given us. He wanted a creation who would naturally enjoy all His Provisions & Gifts to them (the beauty of the Earth, of life & human experiences, of relationships, of expectations & hopes, etc.). Even of animals, we find that the ability to choose is present.

So we wouldn't be able to live as God intended for us on Earth if He denied us this important trait; in other words, we would be less than human & would only live & worship Him mechanically & probably without feeling or expression. And yet the downside of this is that, in our free will, we can choose to disobey Him & go against His Will for us. Therefore knowing this, He even made provision for wayward, sinful man to come back to Him & that man would do so because he understands how far he has strayed from God & from His perfect creation. Yet, most will make the most of this free Will they have & choose to satisfy their sinful appetites & show no concern for their spiritual barrenness, even denying their Creator Who ever waits for their repentance & love.

God could have quite easily denied us Free Will, but we would not be a creation that properly fitted His Design & be representative of His Image; as those giving Him all worship, to the Holy One Who is worthy to receive all praise from His creation. Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:9.

... Joyce, just a few more thoughts.

Not being pawns in the hands of a cruel emotionless God, rather, it is better to exist and have the opportunity to be redeemed and know God than not to exist at all. But God is all good. He would not treat us as if we didn't matter at all, but rather He created the universe, the spirit beings, the creatures of earth, and human beings for a perfectly good reason-to be able to act on all that He is because in doing so His infinite, perfect goodness flows out of Himself into creation to culminate in human redemption and a new heaven and new earth. All the angels and heavenly hosts, and the saints will cry "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of Hosts".

and Blessing, honor, wisdom, and strength, be to our God forever and ever." I love reading in Revelations these responses from these created beings in response to all that God brings about. None of them ask, "Why did you make me this way?" (as if a creature could do better that Almighty God). No, all of us in heaven will all agree that God's ways are altogether righteous and just, good and perfect, praiseworthy and amazing. Can't wait!

Hi Joyce, the best guess is: are you a parent? If so, is it more meaningful for your child to say "I love you" to you voluntarily or if you forced them to?

The answer may be one possible reason why God loved us enough to give us freewill. He doesn't want people to choose evil, but many do and suffering usually occurs as a result.

Joyce, Scripture does not give us the reason God gave us the ability to obey Him or not. He did not see that it was necessary for Him to explain this to man, but keeps it in His eternal counsel, perhaps to be revealed when we get to heaven. We do know that God created all creatures for a purpose that will bring Him glory ( Isaiah 43:7). We do know that from before He even created the decision was made within the Godhead to create creatures that would need His care, mercy, and redemption. God made some angels who could sin, knowing they would, and that they would rebel and not be offered redemption or mercy. He planned that He would work in some angels in order that they would never sin and need redemption. He planned to make humans able to sin, knowing they would, and then need redemption because God desired to do so.

For me, in all of this, I believe that God in His essential nature is infinitely perfect and an aspect of this perfection is to self-exist and to act on His perfections. Therefore, being infinitely merciful, loving, gracious, how would He act on these perfections? Within the Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, there is perfect love, but there is no need to act mercifully or graciously towards each other because there was and is no sin in any of them to need mercy and grace.

If God made us perfect and angels perfect and neither could ever sin, how could God act mercifully and graciously? How could He act on His forbearance and forgiveness towards sin if there was no sin? How could He act on His hatred for sin by acting wrathful or His justice by judging rightly if there was no sin to hate or judge?

I don't think God will allow any of His perfections to lie latent and unacted upon. I think that in the resurrection we will know so much more and see how infinite, how perfect, how, glorious, how holy God is and be astounded and worshipful.

We are not robots, we have personality, will, emotions. Nor are we pawns in an egotistical plan made time

Dear Joyce, sometimes i think it would be nice that we humans didn't have free wiil so that we didn't find ourselves at risk to go to the eternal darkness.

The most obvious answer, as i see it , is that God didn't want robots. Sorry if that statement sounds offensive or an irony, it isn't. The word robot says all. Would you like to be a robot? A human robot? I guess you wouldn't. Robots have no feelings, no thoughts, just do what they are programmed to do.

Even angels have free will. That is why our enemy revolted against God and a number of angels followed him and became demons.

It is easy fot God to show Himself to all people and make them believe His existence. But in this case people would have been compleled to accept Him, it wouldn't be a decision made by their free will. And God does not want that.. He wants us to love Him and choose Him not pretending anything.

That is my thought.

God bless you.