The Paradox of Free Will

The Paradox of Free Will By Keith Giles

As human beings we strive to understand the world we live in. I believe our Creator built into us a healthy level of curiosity which compels us to seek answers and strive for knowledge. Our inquisitive nature is a large part of what makes us human.

However, there are some things we cannot fully know or understand, particularly when it comes to God Himself. In these instances the best we can do is to accept what He has revealed to us about His nature and leave it alone. We cannot fully comprehend a being who has no beginning, or imagine an entity with no boundary or limit. In those areas where our ability to comprehend is challenged we simply have to take some things on faith, whether we understand them or not. In fact, we have to accept these truths as being true even though we know we are currently incapable of understanding at all.

Whenever we encounter an aspect of God's character which defies the bounds of our reason we call this a paradox because it involves one or more seemingly contradictory conditions at work.

This phenomenon isn't limited to the spiritual realm, by the way. In the world of observable science we encounter several examples of seemingly contradictory facts and conditions which we must simply accept as being true whether or not we can understand or explain them in common terms.

One such example is the nature of light. Scientists who were attempting to determine the nature of light tried several experiments with the smallest unit of light (a single photon) in order to answer the riddle of whether or not light was a wave (a frequency within a spectrum) or a particle (made up of many photon-bits).

Their experiment proved that light was a wave. It also proved that light was a particle. Depending on the experiment they performed and the conditions of the test, they got both answers. This lead to the new idea that somehow light was actually a wavicle (part particle, part wave). Of course, no one has a real definition of the properties of a wavicle, and other than light (apparently) nothing else exhibits these qualities or conditions. Yet, we all still believe that light exists and scientists still continue to talk about light and to manipulate it even though they still have absolutely no idea what it really is.

I share all of that with you so that my next section won't sound like convenient wordplay. There really are elements within our known sphere of understanding which are beyond our comprehension and classification. Paradoxes are common. They are not evidence of some faulty bit of logic or a failure of the mind to connect the dots.

In Christian theology we must become comfortable alongside some paradoxes such as the Trinity (Christ, the Spirit and the Father are all referred to as the One God, and yet they are not each other, nor are they three Gods, but the One). We cannot understand how this can be so, but we must accept the nature of God as He has revealed Himself to us through His Word and declare that, somehow, someway, even though we are powerless to understand or define or comprehend it, God is a being beyond our complete understanding. His very nature defies our limited capacity for apprehending Him. We can only accept what we know by faith.

Alister E. McGrath has a wonderful way of communicating this ineffable quality of God's nature by demonstrating that none of us, using mere language, could ever describe to someone who had never tasted coffee exactly what it tasted like. Unless they were to taste coffee for themselves, the conversation would be endless and our descriptions useless. However, once we have both tasted coffee we can talk all day about it and both us will have a common ground to understand what the other is saying, but our inability to explain the exact quality of the flavor of coffee using human language will remain outside our feeble grasp.

One of the oldest, and most bitter and brutal debates that has divided Christendom since around 400 AD is the one surrounding the doctrines of free will and predestination.

On one side we have the Calvinists who represent the predestination side, and the Arminians who represent the side of free will.

Without going into a lot of detail about the history and the various nuances of each side and their arguments regarding the best way to believe on this issue, let me make things very simple. Those on the side of predestination feel that for God to know the end before the beginning, His sovereignty must be greater than our frail human will and therefore God has already determined, before the beginning of time, who will be saved and who will not.

Those on the side of free will, the Arminians, feel that God cannot decide beforehand to create beings whom He knows are destined for an eternal hell, and therefore are convinced that man ultimately must decide for him or herself whether or not to accept the free gift of salvation. Both sides offer copious amounts of Biblical text to support their view. To be sure, the Scriptures contain very plain and direct language to support the theory that God knows the end from the beginning and even that God "predestined those He foreknew" (Romans 8: 28). However, there are just as many scriptures to support the idea that God allows mankind the freedom to choose for themselves whether or not to follow Him and to love Him. We know that God does not create robots who are hardwired to love Him any more than He creates beings for the purpose of destroying them.

Both doctrines are Biblical. Both doctrines seem to contradict one another. We cannot possibly see how one could be true if the other were also true. This leaves us with a conundrum of sorts, or a paradox. Somehow God is able to see into the future and to know, in advance, the outcome of our choices which are based on free will.

However, because God knows in advance what you and I will freely choose to do, it does not necessarily follow that His foreknowledge of our choice is what caused us to make this choice. For example, if I am watching someone from a distance and I know what they are about to do, I am not held accountable for their actions when they carry out the action I predicted.

So, does God know in advance who will choose to follow Him? Yes, he most certainly does. The scriptures support this and we should embrace this truth. But, does the Bible also teach us that we are accountable to God for our own decisions and actions? Yes, it most certainly does. We alone are the ones who must choose to accept or reject the love of God that has been offered to us. The scriptures teach us this and we should embrace this truth as well.

This is a paradox, like many other paradoxes of faith, where we are called upon to exercise our faith in God and take Him at His Word. For those Calvinists who argue that the doctrine of Free Will encroaches upon the sovereignty of God I would point out that there are many doctrines where God limits Himself for our benefit. For example, God is omniscient (knowing all things), but we also know that, for our sake, He willfully forgets our sins once they are forgiven. He surrenders His infinite knowledge of all things for our sake and tosses our sins into the sea of forgetfulness. Why would we be surprised that, in order to preserve our freedom of choice, God might surrender His power of sovereignty?

For those Arminians who argue that God's foreknowledge of an event determines the outcome, let me point out that knowing something will happen is not the same as making that event turn out a certain way. As this is a subject where the scripture is less than crystal clear, where those on both sides of the issue have ample scriptural evidence for their position, let us agree that this is not something we should divide over.

"God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination and the divine sovereignty. The best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, Oh Lord Thou knowest. Those things belong to the deep and mysterious Profound of God's omniscience. Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints." – A.W. Tozer

Our love for one another, as brothers and sisters in Christ, should never suffer due to our petty disagreements. Nor should we ever allow differences of opinion over the doctrines of baptism, or the end times, or the way we worship, or speaking in tongues, or what have you, to separate us from one another. We are the Family of God and we are called to love one another, in fact, we've been commanded to love one another. It is not optional for us.

In His Grip, Keith Giles http://www.keithgiles.com

Taken from "Subversive Underground"

Seeking God?

I seek God in beautiful wealthy countries; God seeks me in unattractive poor countries.
I seek God in noisy downtown cities; God seeks me in quiet old forests.
I seek God in big famous cathedrals; God seeks me in small unknown churches.
I seek God in rich families; God seeks me in penniless families.
I seek God in genius persons; God seeks me in humble persons.
I seek God in attractive young persons; God seeks me in neglected old adults.
I seek God in potentate adult; God seeks me in powerless babies.
Days after days; months after months; years after years;Seeking God all my life, I am getting extremely tired without meeting Him.
God and I have kept seeking each other for ever if I kept seeking Him as I did.Wait a minute … If I seek Him where He seeks me, I will meet Him soon.Where???
In poor countries, penniless families, humble persons, neglected old adults, powerless babies, etc.O God! I must live sacrifice to be with them.Jesus said,
“Whatsoever U do to the least of my people, you do it to me.

The worst part of all is that no one noticed.
That's what happened when the DJ on a small independent radio station in Britain spent an hour talking on his breakfast show without pressing the button to make his show live.
As a result, listeners could not hear him.Andy Greener is a volunteer DJ at Radio Teesdale. Instead of his show, listeners heard 60 minutes of music and jingles as an automated back-up system kicked in to prevent radio silence, according to a BBC news story.
The station manager, listening at home, tried to call in, but Andy was too busy talking – to no one in particular – to answer the phone for quite some time. Eventually he got through and Greener began broadcasting again.

Talking while no one is listening? Preachers can sympathize.

Good or Bad?

For the first time in U.S. history, more than one of every 100 adults is in jail or prison, according to a new report documenting America's rank as the world's No. 1 incarcerator.

Missionary Speaker

Crystal Williams a young lady who is planning on going to Bosnia as a missionary will be with us on Sunday morning March 16. 10:30am

Ricebowls.org

We will be passing out our plastic rice bowls this Sunday, to collect our loose change in. The money is used to feed orphans. You can check out this organization at ricebowls.org
If you would like a bowl to help in this endeavor let one of us at the church know. We will be collecting funds up through the end of March

It would be great if we could collect $600.00 dollars!!

quote

I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. –Mohandas K Gandhi


"If Jesus saw what is going on in his name he'd puke."
Woody Allen

homeless

channel 6 recently did a seris on homelessness in central florida. The news video can be seen at

http://www.local6.com/news/15102052/detail.html

Childrens Hope Chest

Tom Davis operates this group that works with orphans...I am reading his book "Red Letters".
He is presently on a trip to Swaziland. This is a letter from his trip. Read it and have your heart broken


Happy New Year from Swaziland! We've been here for about a week now and this is some of the hottest weather I've ever experienced. It's snowing in Colorado, but over 100 degrees here in the southern hemisphere where it is summertime. I'm trekking through Swaziland with 25 people from all over the U.S. and Canada. God is moving in their hearts, and it looks like at least two more carepoints will get sponsored.

On this trip, I saw Jesus suffering in the eyes of an orphan named Nothando living in extreme poverty. She's also malnourished, uneducated, and has little hope of a future. Then, I saw the face of Christ in a man who is dying of AIDS. He cannot get up and lives in a 4 foot by 4 foot shack with nothing to eat - just waiting to die. It broke my heart.

Part of our tean visited eight orphans living all alone: no food, no water, and little hope. Two of these orphans are crippled and sit in the dirt all day. The widow who was taking care of them just passed away two weeks ago, now it's just the children.
The needs of Swaziland are so many. The pastor who preached on Sunday morning entitled his sermon, "We are dying like flies." They are. It would be hard for me to believe if I wasn't here and seeing it with my own eyes.
The hope here comes in the form of the faith you see in the people. The pastors, like Pastor Walter and Pastor Sam, who are being Christ to these orphans and widows. They are planting churches in places everyone else refuses to go. They take food to the hungry, everyday and as church they do home visitations to the dying as a congregation on Sunday mornings before service begins. Amazing people who are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Please pray for us. The ministry here is heart breaking, but our presence here is important and needed. God is doing great things in the midst of the poor in this country. Thanks for your love and prayers. Internet is bad here, but I'm updating my blog when I can (www.cthomasdavis.com).

Thanks,

Tom Davis
President of Children's HopeChest

Next Week is Sanctity of Human Life week. It is recognized as the infamous 'Roe v. Wade' Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. One of many good websites is
www.beavoice.net

2007 Book Recommendation

Here are a couple of the books I read this past year that I would highly recommend

"The Forgotten Ways" Alan Hirsch- calling the church back to what it should be

"Surfing the Edge of Chaos" Richard Pascal - a book on leadership. Being balanced (equalibrium)is not a option but a sign of death

"Lexus and the Olive Tree" Thomas Friedman this book is a few years old His new one "The World is Flat" I believe covers some of the same material which I have yet to read. This book deals with globalization

"Jesus Secret Message" Brian Mclaren. That message is not the church but the Kingdom of God. Good read I have just started his new book "Everything Must Change"

Christmas Love

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.

www.reclaimingthemind.org

A website that offers a class in theology where you will be presented with a certificate. It looks like the class is only $100.00
It looks like a Calvinistic theology but with at least a openness to Arminanism.

They also have a lot of papers from the "Evangelical Theological Society" that can be read on line

“You can get everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” Zig Ziglar

Helping each other

I appreciate the fact that our church does what it can to help each other out when one is faced with material needs weather that need is finances, food etc.

Is that not what being the church is about? It is more than just meeting together in a building on the street corner. We are to help, encourage and build each other up everyway we can.

With that said we are often put between a rock and a hard place when people who attend other churches come to us for help. My first thoughts are, "did you ask your church for help?" if so what was their response? and if they did not help you, you ought to seriously think about going to church elsewhere.

Feel free to share your thoughts along these lines. As we are faced with these type of decisions quite often.

Christmas Dinner

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving....

Our Christmas dinner will be Sunday Dec. 9, 5:00pm at the Civic center. Bring your favorite dish to share and a $5.00 gift if you would like to be involved with our silly type gift exchange :)

Favorite Thanksgiving Story

The day before Thanksgiving an elderly man in Phoenix called his son in New York and said to him, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; 45 years of misery is enough. We’re sick of each other, and so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her."
Frantic, the son called his sister, who exploded on the phone. "Like heck they’re getting divorced," she shouted, "I’ll take care of this." She calledPhoenix immediately, and said to her father. "You are NOT getting divorced. Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?"
The man hung up his phone and turned to his wife. "Okay, honey. The kids are coming for Thanksgiving and paying for their flights."

quote

"The Pessimist complains about the wind,

the Optimist expects it to change,

the Leader adjusts the sails. "

I like hanging around people like this

I went to a concert this past Saturday night where 'SOS' was playing. I asked one of the band members how his week went. His response, "Great week, I got rid of my TV, DVD, and games"

When I questioned him about it he said, "They are distractions from serving God and Helping the needy"

Concert Review

Our concert this past Saturday went well. I was a little disappointed in the number that showed up. There were about 60 in attendance compared to last year when we had about twice that. Not sure why when the fact is we did more advertising/promoting this year than last.

The bands did a good job
-"Surprise Attack" they were hard core and need to come up with a few more songs.
-"A Fight to Remember" a newer group with a 'Calibretta 13' sound
-'SOS' the popular local ska band, they get better every time I hear them
- "David' Victory" a hardcore band from Haines City. Their lead vocalist Guy is leaving them at the end of the year.

I was impressed by the appreciation each of the groups showed for the love offering we gave them (only $50.00 each). SOS even gave the offering back to the church.
Please pray for each of these groups that God will use them in building His kingdom