So I've been trying out a new church, and by trying out I mean I've gone the past two weeks. So in all reality I've just barely scratched the surface. Its a great church with a lot of young people, my age, all in search of a deeper relationship with God. So why am I not connecting? I feel isolated there, and walk out of there not feeling spiritually satiated. I'm always wanting more of . . . something.
Today one comment in particular stuck out to me. It pertains to the question of whether God knows or does not know the future. To some people this question is obvious, to others there is a gray area. This particular pastor taught that God not only knows the different outcomes of our decisions, but that he also knows in advance what we will choose. He argued that other churches teach that God knows the outcomes of our choices but not what choice we will make.
I had never thought of free will from that point of view. It had always come so naturally that God knows all. Until one day a friend of mine asked me - "Heather, if God is in control of all things, why does he let people kill people?" - to which of course I replied that we have free will and he doesn't prevent us or force us to do things. And she brought up the point, what if two people are praying for God to save them, and one of them gets killed and the other doesn't. The one person thanks God, and can you really thank God if he didn't really have anything to do with it?
All of these, are of course, valid questions. Some of the answers I have received go along the lines of that the holy spirit is what lays something on our heart, and we decide whether or not to listen. Also, that you cannot receive the Holy Spirit unless you have accepted Jesus into your heart - which is also debatable. To that I've heard the response that if the Holy Spirit wasn't in us all then people who hadn't come to the Lord would never be compelled to come to the Lord.
My response to her was this; that the Lord does not step in and stop the man from killing the two people, because if one of them is praying to God, chances are they have asked forgiveness and if they are to die, God knows they will join him in heaven, and no longer feel nor remember that pain. I was taught, also, that God is a testing God - so if the person isn't killed, God will allow us pain to overcome it and to come out on the other side stronger and closer to God than before.
Back to the main point, does God know how we will choose before hand? Or does He just know what the various outcomes of our choices COULD be? It seems to me that if he knew in advance, then why would he allow certain things to happen? If it's all planned out then why ask for forgiveness? God already knows the day you are born whether or not you're going to Heaven. Which, in my opinion, means that all sin is pointless. How can God become disappointed in you and then happy with you when he knew before you were conceived the ways in which you would disappoint him?
Not only that but there is a song, titled Well Done, which talks about meeting Jesus at the end of your life and hearing "Well Done" - the whole song talks about becoming a better person because you want Jesus to say well done at the end. If Jesus already knows where our lives are going, would he not just know from before day one whether or not a well done will be handed out? What would be his reasons to compel us to become better people if he knew before hand how it would all happen?
It states in the Bible that God is present everywhere, that he knows all and see's all. However I wonder if he doesn't just know what could happen and waits to see what we will do - thus free will.
Next week they're doing a sermon on why our choices still matter. Since I said I'd give it three weeks, I'll go - and see if any of my questions are answered. If you have any good insight on the topic, please, comment or message me on Facebook!
No comments:
Post a Comment