Does God Have "Free Will"?

You don't even understand the implications of your theological position.

 

The free will that our theological opponents adhere to is "Libertarian Free Will". If they are correct, then God can do anything, which includes sin.

 

How can lost people who always chose wrong ever

'Sin is disobeying God.... so by definition ....

 

Sure must be fun arguing with yourself--you'll always win, so that's an advantage.

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God does whatever he pleases (Cf. Psalm 115:3; Psalm 135:6). Trying to attach to that a terminology that we use to describe (and debate about) a human characteristic only serves to could the truth.

 

Of course God does as He pleases, and sinful men do the same. Can God, or men, do as they don't please? In other words, can God sin, or can an unregenerate man recieve the things of the Spirit?

 

Both man and God can act according to their natures. A holy God cannot lie, and an unregenerate man cannot please God.

In KJV (to make some happy):1 Corinthians 2:14: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

 

Most Evangelicals (although they would never use this term) believe that men have "Libertarian Free Will", which means, in the context of soteriology, that unregenerate men have the ability to act against their depraved nature.

My assertion, in the OP, is that God does not have Libertarian Free Will, as He acts in accordance with His nature, and cannot do otherwise.

 

Whee! Building strawmen is fun!



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God always does as he pleases. Man cannot always do as he pleases. There are restrictions placed by God, restrictions placed by others, and such like. Of course, I guess we can say that when a bigger guy has me down with my arm twisted behind my back forcing me to say "uncle," I might be pleased to say "uncle" rather than have my arm broken. But surely most of us can understand that God does as he pleases in a way that is unavailable to and incomprehensible by man.

 

God is free to do what He pleases.

Psalm 115:3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

Did someone already quote this? :)

Ah yes, #6.

It's worth repeating.

 

Sorry to repost, but thatbrian's and TCassidy's quote of this turned up a couple of odd mistakes. [Odd looking, not odd that I made them! :) ] Maybe this will be better:

God does whatever he pleases (Cf. Psalm 115:3; Psalm 135:6). Trying to attach to that truth some terminology (i.e., free will) that we use to describe (and debate about) a human characteristic only serves to cloud the truth.

 

Before they change the definition of stupid, I want to say the Calvinist definition of free will is stupid.

 

They've got a whole lexicon of definitions they must use for their theology to work. Apparently the definition of free will is "only being able to do what is in your nature to do."

I looked up free will in the Calvinist dictionary and here is the entry:

Free Will: Something that can’t exist because it would make God helpless if true.

 

Let me give it a shot...

Most Calvinists believe (though they will never admit it) that missions are a waste of time because God decided from eternity past who would be elect. Well, I think the Calvinists are wrong on this point. We are commanded to preach the gospel to all nations. I can't understand how they can be so wrong on something so basic!

 

Every Systematic Theology has impossibilities.

 

Funny but pointless question. He has free will. He can do anything He wants to do. He wants to follow the promises and covenants He made with man. God says He can't lie. Does that mean He does not have free will? You can play word games all day long. Word games are popular among Calvinists.

 

If we have free will to sin, We have free will not to sin. That is free will. We cannot look past out choices to see the results, but God can.