ANSWERS: 26
  • This is my belief..and, of course, I could be completely wrong. I think everything was planned out from beginning to end and God knows exactly how it will go with regard to the world and events. I don't think He "knows" the future of each individual because of free will. Our future will go one of two ways, depending on whether we are with Him or without Him. If every person had his/her life already mapped out and we had no choice but to follow that map from beginning to end...what would be the point?
  • God never forced us to make the choices we make in our lives, or interfere with where these choices got us. He just knows the ultimate outcome.
  • Maybe he doesn't know. maybe he is just really good at improvising.
  • We don't really have free-will, as I pointed out in the answer about Peter's denials. The Bible makes this point quite clear -- we are all free to act as we think, according to our own nature. But whatever that nature desires, is what the person will choose to do. God "knowing the future" is really a separate concept than so-called "free will" -- but suffice it that God does know the future, as He is sovereign over everything past, present and future. As a being of first-cause, without someone that created Him, God is outside of our time and space, and indeed created time and space; to God every moment is now, there is no future. One way to think of it -- in our finite minds which cannot really grasp the infinite, all-knowing, outside of time God -- is that God is looking down at a map / timeline. All points are present to him *now* -- King David and the Jews 3,000 years ago, the Christians of a few hundred years ago, and everyone else in history, are as much in God's presence and his "timeframe" of now, as we are today.
  • It’s something to do with us being constrained in time, and God inhabiting eternity... Our “free will” is introduced to us through our thoughts, which bridges this gap. God knows what we did, do and will ever do. Consider this… 1. Genesis 6:5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:4-6 (in Context) Genesis 6 (Whole Chapter) 2. 1 Chronicles 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. 1 Chronicles 28:8-10 (in Context) 1 Chronicles 28 (Whole Chapter) 3. 1 Chronicles 29:18 O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee: 1 Chronicles 29:17-19 (in Context) 1 Chronicles 29 (Whole Chapter) 4. Job 21:27 Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me. Job 21:26-28 (in Context) Job 21 (Whole Chapter) 5. Psalm 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. Psalm 10:3-5 (in Context) Psalm 10 (Whole Chapter) 6. Psalm 94:11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. Psalm 94:10-12 (in Context) Psalm 94 (Whole Chapter) 7. Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: Psalm 139:22-24 (in Context) Psalm 139 (Whole Chapter) 8. Proverbs 15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words. Proverbs 15:25-27 (in Context) Proverbs 15 (Whole Chapter) 9. Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. Proverbs 16:2-4 (in Context) Proverbs 16 (Whole Chapter) 10 Isaiah 66:18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. Isaiah 66:17-19 (in Context) Isaiah 66 (Whole Chapter) 11 Jeremiah 6:19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. Jeremiah 6:18-20 (in Context) Jeremiah 6 (Whole Chapter) 12 Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:10-12 (in Context) Jeremiah 29 (Whole Chapter) 13 Matthew 9:4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? Matthew 9:3-5 (in Context) Matthew 9 (Whole Chapter) 14 Matthew 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: Matthew 12:24-26 (in Context) Matthew 12 (Whole Chapter) 15 Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Mark 7:20-22 (in Context) Mark 7 (Whole Chapter) 16 Luke 5:22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Luke 5:21-23 (in Context) Luke 5 (Whole Chapter) 17 Luke 6:8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Luke 6:7-9 (in Context) Luke 6 (Whole Chapter) 18 Luke 11:17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. Luke 11:16-18 (in Context) Luke 11 (Whole Chapter) 19 1 Corinthians 3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 1 Corinthians 3:19-21 (in Context) 1 Corinthians 3 (Whole Chapter) 20 Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:11-13 (in Context) Hebrews 4 (Whole Chapter)
  • This question will just be asked if you agree with theological determinism: "Theological determinism is the thesis that there is a God who determines all that humans will do, either by knowing their actions in advance, via some form of omniscience or by decreeing their actions in advance. The problem of free will, in this context, is the problem of how our actions can be free, if there is a being who has determined them for us ahead of time." "Compatibilists maintain that determinism is compatible with free will. A common strategy employed by "classical compatibilists", such as Thomas Hobbes, is to claim that a person acts freely only when the person willed the act and the person could have done otherwise, if the person had decided to." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freewill
  • I find this really hard to answer, but i know i have freewill because I don't do what God wants me to do in my life. I also find it comforting that God knows what is going to happen and I am held in the palm of his hand. So guess what I am saying is that its like watching a DVD (not really but i can only think of this analogy) where God can fast forward to the next scene nd know what happens, but can't change what is happening, because we have free will.
  • Yes, the almighty knows the future. He is omniscient - all knowing. That does not control what we do. or how we act. His knowledge of what we will do does not control the choices that we make or the actions that we take. He can look ahead, we can not see that far.
  • If God knows all of what man will do, it would not have made sense to create man. Perhaps the capacity to know is there but the act of knowing it is unrealized, therefore giving us freewill. Though if you think about it, just because God may or may not know what we will do in the future does not make it any less of a choice on our part to do it. So I guess in answer, freewill and weather or not God can know our future do not necessarily conflict with each other. (thanks Highlander for correcting the context ;))
  • This is a hard question, and I ust to ask myself the same thing. God is not enclosed in TIME. He is outside of it. So I guess he can see everything that has happend, and everything that will happen.
  • How can you know that your four year old daughter will get into the cookie jar the minute you turn your back???
  • knows the beginning and the end instantly... as far as earth and all other things are concerned!
  • Read Sylvia Browne books, that'll answer your question.
  • We see in (II Peter.3:9) that god is not willing, that ia to say, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But this is where we come in, that is, it is our own choice and decision to repent of our sins, and reform our lives; and God will not force anyone in this, but He looks for volunteers, those sincerely willing to deny their own will, and submit to His will. That is when He knows that we are truly faithful, when we make the sincere effort to do His will, and not merely in word or talk. The end result of our lives is up to us too choose, that is why God gives His grace, which is our chance to reform, or not to. Then in the end we shall receive that which is exactly agreeable with the law of equity (ie. Fairness) from God, because He deals with us only according to fairness; but it is we who are unfair.
  • "Our future is planned by God even before conception of our lives, even before we're in our mother's wombs!"
  • THIS Q FALL INTO GROUP OF QS THEIR ANSWERS NOT YES NOR NO, LIKE: CAN GOD BE EVIL ? IF YES, NOWAY, IF NO, MEANS NO ABSOLUTE POWER. GOD WILL TO BE GOOD, THIS WILL CONTROLL HIS POWER MY ANSWER IS : WILL OF THE GOD HAS PRIORITY TO HIS ALLKNOWING, HE WILL TO GIVE US FREE WILL, SO HIS ALLKNOWING IS CONTROLLED BY HIS WILL. AFTER ALL HE WILL WHAT HE WISH
  • He knows the possibilities pertaining to our actions. These possibilities change ALL the time. Our paths change depending on what we do. Humans are just unpredictable. It is as almostmidnight mentioned, Unrealized.
  • We have been given very little power otherwise we would have been already in extinct species. Our free will revolves around our intentions. We have been given choice of intentions and not what is happening, which is pre planned.
  • If you have infinite awareness of the present you can in theory predict the future with perfect accuracy. You have freewill but God just knows what you're going to choose.
  • ...How is knowing the future get in the way of people making decisions...just cuz you KNOW it doesnt mean it makes you decision for you. Its just KNOWING IT. And then knowing your decisions he makes outcomes happen either positive or negative and always a differnt perspective you can have. Free will has nothing to do with "knowing or not knowing"
  • I had the same question when I took a theology course in college. The answer is that you cannot think of God who is all knowing and powerful in human terms. Just because he knows how we will exercise our free will does not pre-determine us.
  • If God exists then He would have to be omnipotent and it would seem logical that He would have already mapped out all options that people will take and knows exactly what will happen always even though to us it seems like nothing is predetermined. It's like a computer programmer overseeing some new software he just created. If he did everything right, he already knows all possible outcomes unless the computer is smarter than him but obviously we wouldnt be smarter than God.
  • Because he already knows all of the possible timelines each person has (aka the fifth dimension), and our mind tends to stay in the fourth dimension, even though we dont realize it. I would go on, but it would get confusing and mind-boggling.
  • I think the answer is fairly simple. It's already pre-ordained; already happened. That nothing happens by mere chance, we're just living it out. An experiential existence. He knows who'll come to Him and who won't, but it's up to the believer to go through it in His will, or not.
  • God, existing outside time, doesn't have a problem with that. To God, the events of our lives are like points on a line. God sees the whole line at once, though.
  • People keep trying to figure God out but the Bible says that God's ways are not our ways, so people might as well quit trying to figure Him out because He is Spirit and we are Carnal. become Spiritual and you will have an easier time understanding God's ways.

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