The Last Last Word - Predestination Reprise The Last Last Word - Predestination Reprise Once heard the following analogy: Man is only capable (best case) of having perfect knowledge of the present and the past - but just because we have knowledge of events in the present and past does not mean that we individually are responsible for those events (i.e. we know about the attack on Pearl Harbor in WWII - but may not be responsible). God has perfect knowledge of the future, present, and the past - as he is unconstrained by time. Just because he has knowledge of events in the future, present, and the past does not mean that he is responsible for the decisions man made based on man's free will - he just knew what decisions were going to be made. The reason I started studying/asking questions about predestination was that as I was studying God's grace - it was a topic that was prevalent in most discussions on grace. The questions that have driven my interest in relation to predestination, free will and grace are: - Is God's saving grace available to everyone - and some chose not to receive it?
- Is God's saving grace available only to certain chosen individuals (predestined) - and his saving grace is so powerful they cannot resist it (free will)?
- Is the choice to accept God's saving grace something that person do on his own (free will) - or do they require being called by God first (predestined)?
As a believer, I think that regardless of your answers to those questions - you cannot but be in awe of God's grace. Personally (not sure my opinion truly matters - but I do think it important the we all understand enough to form opinions) - from all of my reading - I do not really see an issue reconciling free will and predestination - and tend to be persuaded by the Reformed View - as it does really make sense to me.
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