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God, Human Free Will, And A Strawberry Ice Cream Cone.

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JAG ..

Member
JAG Writes:
How does God simultaneously , , ,
{A} maintain and respect our Human Free Will , , ,
while at the same time , , ,
{B} often working in our lives where we do His Sovereign Will?

One way is that He presents the "outside inducements"
and controls the external circumstances in such a way
where both {A} and {B} occurs and is the sustained reality.

Let me give you one example where you could do that
same thing with your son {assume you have an 8 year
old son}

A Father & Son & A Strawberry Ice Cream Cone , , ,

Let us say that you decide that your 8 year old son will
eat a strawberry ice cream cone this coming Wednesday
around 12 noon.

His favorite flavor is chocolate and strawberry is only his
2nd favorite flavor.

Remember that you are ONLY going to control the external
circumstances and the "outside inducements" -- you are NOT
going to Force your son to eat the strawberry ice cream cone.

~ the external circumstances , , ,
~ the "outside inducements" , , ,

You CAN Control
The "External Circumstances"
And The "Outside Inducements"

{1} On Wednesday morning you make certain that there is no
breakfast available so that your son will be hungry come
lunch time.

{2| You can control the place where you and your son go that
day.

{3} You select a Park Area that has an ice cream stand.

{4} On Tuesday you arrange with the Ice Cream Stand's
owner for him NOT to have any chocolate ice cream available,
and for him to certainly have Strawberry Ice Cream available
when you and your son arrive at the park area at around 12 noon.

{5} When you and your son arrive at the park, your son tells
you he is hungry and wants an ice cream cone.

{6} You take your son to the ice cream stand.

{7} Your son is told there is no chocolate ice cream available.

{8} Your son asks if there is strawberry ice cream available.

{9} Your son is told yes there is strawberry ice cream available.

{10} Your son, now really hungry, and preferring chocolate ice cream,
nonetheless, gladly "settles for" his 2nd favorite strawberry flavor,
and asks for and eats the strawberry ice cream cone.

So?

So your son did EXACTLY what you had planned for him to do
and at the same time you DID NOT violate your son's Free Will.

Your son at all times had the Free Will choice to say "No, I do not
want to eat a strawberry ice cream cone."

You did not urge him to eat the strawberry ice cream cone.
You did not say a single word to him about it.
You merely controlled the external circumstances and you
put the "outside inducement" of the strawberry ice cream
cone in front of him -- by making sure that he would be told
that the strawberry ice cram was available for him if he wanted
it.

Your son made a 100% Free Will decision to eat the strawberry
ice cream cone.

_________

That up there is one example of how the Sovereign God can control
the external circumstances and the "outside inducements" in such a
way where men end up doing what he has predetermined them to
do --- while at the same time -- their Free Will is not violated.

_________

I realize that my example and illustration of the "Father & Son & Strawberry
Ice Cream Cone" is not a perfect example or illustration --- but it does succeed
in demonstrating how a Father can control the external circumstances and the
"outside inducements" to bring about a good predetermined plan and at the same
time, NOT violate his son's Free Will.

___________

What is the takeaway point of the OP?
Answer: It demonstrates one way in which God can simultaneously , , ,
{A} maintain and respect our Human Free Will , , ,
while at the same time , , ,
{B} often working good things in our lives where we do His Sovereign Will?

One way is that He presents the "outside inducements"
and controls the external circumstances in such a way
where both {A} and {B} occurs and is the sustained reality.

Let us all strive to make good Free Will choices and trust in
God to help us as we do that and to bring good things into
our lives.

JAG
 
FREEWILL
By Joe R. Price
joe@bibleanswer.com

With his permission I present this teaching.


God did not predestine the man (which individuals would be saved & lost), He predestined the plan (how men would be saved) - read again Acts 10:34-35; Eph. 1:3-12; Rom. 8:28-30; 10:9-17.

The Bible reveals that regarding free-will and predestination it is not one or the other, but rather both. That is, the Bible teaches both the free-will of man and God's election or predestination. Unfortunately the teachings and creeds of men have misdefined these Biblical concepts so that the impression is left that one cannot have both, but only one or the other. We must accept the whole counsel of God on this subject instead of the wisdom of men (Gal. 1:6-10; 1 Cor. 1:18-21).

Many people teach that man either has no free-will (fatalism) or limited amounts of it. The Bible teaches that every person with a moral capacity has the freedom of will to decide whether or not to obey God. Simply put, the Bible teaches that God elected (predestined or set in place) to save every soul who fears (respects) God and works righteousness, (Acts 10:34-35). That is, before time eternal, God predestined that men would be saved "in Christ" (Eph. 1:3-4, 7-12). God predestined the "plan" of human redemption (cf. Eph. 3:10-11).

God also determined that man would have free-will, the ability and responsibility to choose to obey Him (cf. Gen. 3:1-6; Josh. 24:15; Matt. 11:28). God did not predestine the man (which individuals would be saved & lost), He predestined the plan (how men would be saved) - read again Acts 10:34-35; Eph. 1:3-12; Rom. 8:28-30; 10:9-17.

Some do not understand the above passages on predestination. They think that if a person is not of those predestinated, he is just out of luck, is eternally damned, and there is nothing he can do about it. However, it is a particular group or class of people that God chose before the foundation of the world and not individuals. It is up to us to be part of that class of those "in Him" if we want to be of the chosen.


Let me illustrate it this way:

A school teacher on the first day of class told his students that some would pass and some would fail the course they were about to take. He then described the things necessary for one to be of those who would pass. At the end of the school year, just as the teacher had said, some passed and some failed. Since the teacher had predestinated the outcome before he began, does it mean that he caused each individual to either pass or fail and there was nothing they could do about it? Certainly not! It was up to each student to be of whichever group he desired. Likewise, God predetermined before He made the world that He would choose those "in Christ" and now it is up to us to be of those in Christ.

By using our free-will we choose whether to be "in Christ" and thus saved (Gal. 3:26-27). So, we see God's part (His gracious plan of human redemption which is accomplished through the death of Christ), and man's part (faith in Christ, cf. Jas. 2:14-26; Matt. 7:21-23) combining to complete the equation of salvation (Eph. 2:8-9).
 
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