Predeterminism and free will

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Nov 26, 2012
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#21
I'd like to take this brief opportunity to say thank you to the CC users who contribute to my threads in a kind and gentle way.
I've started a number of threads that often address deep and complex questions, so thank you to those CC members who take the time to respond thoughtfully.

My question in this thread concerns predeterminism and free will.

My reading of the Bible is that everybody who will receive salvation has their name written in the book of life - right or wrong?

If this is true, and if God already knows who will reconcile with him through Jesus, how does this idea tally with free will?

Is free will Biblical?
Wrong- All you have to do is take about five mins. Look up references to “book of life” in the Bible. Many references are to blotted out of the book of life. Not only is this an arguement against once saved always saved, it clearly retorts your belief. It states the book has been started before time, not finished before time. It is added to and subtracted from. If you know whose names are going to be in the book, why add just to blot them? It doesn’t make sense, and it’s all too easy to show proof of. People who want to think this either want to make themselves feel special and chosen by God or lazy not to share the Gospel with others so all may be saved.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
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#22
I think he's saying that because God is omnipresent, that the names of the saved were in the book of life from the beginning, since God always knew who would turn to him.

Whether that's true or not, I don't know.
Yes, that’s exactly what he thinks but that’s not biblical.
 
Jan 17, 2020
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#23
Yes, Paul was once a child of wrath. But according to you, there was never a time when that was possible. You were known as a child of God before the foundation of the world. That's just not a biblical view.
You are misrepresenting me using your own reasoning, not mine. Was Jesus a child of wrath? Yes, but undeserved wrath. Many of my sins were part of my preparation for the future. I would not be me apart from them. I would be more of the self-righteous pharisee type if God did not humble me by them And I would have a twisted view of you and others without them.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
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#24
You are misrepresenting me using your own reasoning, not mine. Was Jesus a child of wrath? Yes, but undeserved wrath. Many of my sins were part of my preparation for the future. I would not be me apart from them. I would be more of the self-righteous pharisee type if God did not humble me by them And I would have a twisted view of you and others without them.
Bottom line, God had no foreknowledge of you as a son until you believed the gospel of Christ. That’s Bible.
 
Jan 17, 2020
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#25
Bottom line, God had no foreknowledge of you as a son until you believed the gospel of Christ. That’s Bible.
God is ignorant? Not omniscient? How is this not blasphemy?
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
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#26
God is ignorant? Not omniscient? How is this not blasphemy?
God has given man the freedom of choice and has chosen to operate with man in that time frame.
 
Oct 25, 2018
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#27
And this is precisely my point.

How can we have true free will if everything is predetermined?
Is free will Biblical?

I do not know the answers to these questions.
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”[Matt. 6:24]

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.[Romans 6:5-7]

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.[Romans 6:16-19]

In all these places, they show that lost or saved, we are all slaves. When we were lost, we were slaves to Satan. When we are saved, we are now slaves to Christ. But read all those places in its totality and study them out.
 
Jan 17, 2020
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#32
God has given man the freedom of choice and has chosen to operate with man in that time frame.
Free to choose what God motivates him to choose. Have you ever made a choice apart from having a reason to choose what you did? God controlled you through the reason you based it on.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
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#33
Galatians 4
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

God now knows these believers because they have become sons. How does one become a son? When one believes on the name of Jesus.

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:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
 
Oct 25, 2018
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#34
Galatians 4
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

God now knows these believers because they have become sons. How does one become a son? When one believes on the name of Jesus.

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:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
More heresy. You’re saying God only knows after this happens. You’re open theism is showing. Please pull up your pants.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
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#36
More heresy. You’re saying God only knows after this happens. You’re open theism is showing. Please pull up your pants.
More insults with no scripture. According to Galatians 4 there is a point in time when God Knows you as a son. Notice it says, now after that ye are known of God...God now knows them as sons. That’s exactly what it says. You should align your beliefs to Scripture and not man.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
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#38
So the book of life was blank before the creation of the world? More heresy. Please pull up your pants.
The book of life has been from the foundation of the world and continues to be added to daily. In the OT a man could have his name blotted out.
 
Oct 25, 2018
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#39
More insults with no scripture. According to Galatians 4 there is a point in time when God Knows you as a son. Notice it says, now after that ye are known of God...God now knows them as sons. That’s exactly what it says. You should align your beliefs to Scripture and not man.
More heresy. Heretics going to heretic.