Does God's Foreknowledge Determine Human Free Will? | Question of the Week

🤔 Question of the Week: If God knows everything that will happen, does that mean humans aren’t free?

Join us as we explore this thought-provoking question! In this video, we delve into the relationship between divine foreknowledge and human free will. 🍽️

📌 Key Points Covered:
The common misconception about God's foreknowledge and human actions
Understanding how God’s knowledge of future events does not cause those events
Philosophical explanation of the logical vs. chronological priority of actions
Analogy of an infallible barometer and its relationship to weather forecasting 🌦️

💡 Why Watch?
Gain a deeper understanding of a complex theological and philosophical issue
Learn how to reconcile the belief in an all-knowing God with the concept of free will
Thought-provoking content that challenges and refines your perspective

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👇 Join the Discussion:
What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you think God’s foreknowledge impacts human freedom? Let us know in the comments below!

#FreeWill #Theology #Philosophy #GodsForeknowledge #QuestionOfTheWeek #Spirituality #Christianity #Apologetics

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[RedPenLogic]

By the way, no Fruit Loops were actually consumed in the making of this video.

[joelofjudah]

That makes a lot more sense than believing we are fleshy automatons.

[arthouston]

Because God can be both inside our timeline and outside of it, He already knows all of the freewill choices we have made. We don't know what we will choose, and because we are locked into this timeline, we cannot conceive that our choices can already be known, before we in this timeline have made them. But they ARE freewill choices...we made them...and God has seen them and our future, as well. Tough to wrap your head around, yes, but that is what being omniscient is all about.

[TedMattos]

Thanks, Mr. B. Here we see the FROOT LOOPS of the Spirit at work!

[KD-ehqo]

Spot on. Another analogy would be like watching an old football match where someone tells you everything that happens in said match right before you watch it. However, your knowledge of the match's events now doesn't mean that the players didn't have free will. Similarly, because God is not constrained by time the way we are, He knows the future without precluding our free will.

[Bad_Llama]

An excellent case for free will existing alongside God’s omnipotence. Add to it God’s sovereignty: that God, knowing how we would choose if He placed us anywhere or any when, puts each of us exactly where He wanted so our free wills combine to produce the exact history He wanted.

[Kramburger]

I didn't think it was possible to so effectively and clearly explain God's foreknowledge in such a short span of time. Well done!

[ChildofGod]

Lord Jesus give me strength. I’m a single mom and it is hard to have everything on my shoulders. Especially because both of my sons are special needs but despite the challenges I face. I keep faith in Jesus even as I struggle to pay rent and as I struggle to buy groceries for my children. As a christian that’s all I can do. Faith over fear.❤️

[rdh]

Where I struggle with this is the next step. God's knowledge doesn't cause us to act, but his creation of us does. He created our personalities and placed us in a particular time and place knowing perfectly well what the result would be. He could have chosen to, say, make me 10% more patient so that I wouldn't sin with my words as much, create me 100 years before the internet, etc. Yes, His knowing what I would do doesn't cause me to sin, but His creation of me decides my choices for me and he could have done it differently.

Not doubting God or free will, but this is the part that's hard for me to justify to myself. Never actually heard it verbalized. Curious what people think.

[Crazychickenlady]

What an eloquent explanation, thanks Mr. B!

[CharlieKraken]

As someone who subscribes to the tension viewpoint (not Calvinistic or Arminian, instead I believe our free will relation to sovereignty is beyond our full understanding). I think this risks limiting God's sovereignty to what WE would choose in OUR free will. If God wants something to happen, then it WILL happen regardless of what decisions we make. As God is so utterly sovereign that He cannot be held back by our free will in any way. Yes, God has granted us the free will to choose which cereal we will eat and thus that decision exists within his foreknowledge, but we do not dictate the full contents of God's foreknowledge.

To suggest that our own free will decisions make up God's foreknowledge places God within our power, it implies that we have the ability to limit His knowledge and sovereignty to within a life and situation that we choose. I am NOT saying this is what you are arguing, but it does risk coming off as that.

An extreme example of this relationship with our free will and God's sovereignty is found in the story of Jonah. Jonah made every free will decision he possibly could have made to try and avoid ministering to Nineveh. But God wanted him there, so regardless of his choices he ended up there. Jonah's free will decisions shaped the path that led him to Nineveh, but God put him exactly where He wanted him at the exact time He wanted him to be there. God has complete and utter sovereignty over us and our free will still exists under His sovereignty and permission to express that God-given free will. He permits us to choose which cereal we want for breakfast, to sin or to not sin, but He may not permit someone to have a certain job He doesn't want them to have, or may ensure that someone gains a friendship He wants them to have. So on and so forth. With our free will having no power to change God's plan nor impacting his foreknowledge there in any meaningful way. The Holy Spirit does rest within us, so it is not as though we exist as spiritually independent actors in our own decisions either as Christians.

To reiterate, I am not arguing with you or trying to imply that you believe in Molinism or unlimited free will or anything. In fact I think this is a great argument against a common fallacy in interpreting God's foreknowledge, but leaving it at that risks downplaying God's sovereignty so I wanted to clarify. To summarize, God is so great and utterly sovereign that even our free will decisions exist within His sovereignty. If any fellow Christians here have disagreements with me over this, that is fine, as this is a family issue ultimately. God bless you and your ministry.

EDIT: Fixed a typo.

[Keyfer]

Thanks for the thought provoking video. :)

[kylewilson]

This is a good defense of man’s free will while keeping God’s foreknowledge in tact, but binds His sovereignty to our will and choices.

If you say that it doesn’t, that God could’ve made the universe in a different way, so that another cereal would’ve been chosen, but exercised his sovereignty in making this world where fruit loops was chosen cereal, then you’re back to square one and the dilemma remains.

Either man is free, or God is free.

[shawnpilgrim]

I actually had this thought/question a few days ago. Now God has shown me this video.

[BerishaFatian]

The weather barometer analogy doesn't work cause the barometer doesn't know how the weather it's going to be until they measure it, but God does. If God is like the barometer, it makes it seem like God's knowledge changes depending on our choices.

[mbfrommb]

Well done. I think this needs to be expanded on. So that people can begin to understand why God seems silent when many don’t want God to interfere in their lives, and to see what the ultimate vision of God is (Rev 21-22) and knows all our free will choices lead to there one day.

[magicsquirrel]

Man I needed this. I was struggling on how to answer this question but your response makes total sense. Thank you for this

[joshuagarber]

I feel like the one issue with this analogy is that it limits God somewhat. A barometer has no ability to change the weather to match its foreknowledge but God does have the ability to control the weather (if we are keeping the barometer analogy). While God knows it's going to happen, he also has the ability to change it because of his omnipotence so doesn't his almighty power mean that he is controlling everything (which includes everything we do meaning we do not have free will in the way most people view free will). I don't know which way I believe in because I see logic behind each side of the argument but I hope this makes sense.

[CopperWalker]

It is a really interesting thought also how our choices don't mess up God's Plan in general, but we can still mess up. In other words, God's Plan still works even if we fail and yet God's Plan was to Redeem us through our Lord Jesus Christ and even though we were yet sinners He gave up His Son for us

[thechristsknight]

There is also a misunderstanding of the Power of Prophecy itself within general audiences...


Usually, when it comes to writing stories, people often assume that _all_ prophecies are self-fulfilling (as in the case of Dune, which isn't even necessarily true in Dune's case) when in reality, prophecy, foretelling, prescience, etc. has _nothing_ to do with Free Will given that, now that you have seen the Future, you still have the choice whether or not to be in it. Furthermore, given that you have Free Will, you may actually only be seeing a _possible_ future and not the actual future itself.

This is what makes God amazing, He sees *all* outcomes as a result of Free Will, which speaks to His omniscience.