Acts 2:23–24 (ESV)
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
Okay, I see you’re finally getting to my last original question, “What happens to free will if God sees the future?” The others you’ve at least touched on, though I wish I could call them “answered.”
Yes, I’d say that my best bits were knocking down things, like time being self-existent or my case against the creation theories of Hawking and Mlodinow.
But, for example, I can’t really show how all this glorifies God. I can only give a framework for how it makes sense, and that’s as far as I can take it. The whole truth is beyond human comprehension. It all just leads to simple humility.
Okay, let’s move on. You’ve touched on responsibility with the bit about two people being responsible for the same thing. I get that part. So, what about free will?
The answer is that it depends on your definition of free will. If you define free will as a will that is free—that is, free from interference—then we have free will.
Sure. Isn’t that the definition?
Well, that does seem literal. That’s free will you can feel. You want to raise your hand, your hand goes up. Nothing is stopping you or forcing you, and your mind is free to make the decision and your body is free to do it. You can tell that your will is free just by paying attention.
We have this kind of free will because God does not need to interfere to get His way. He’s not that inept.
But there’s another view. Many people feel that free will isn’t complete unless you can surprise God. If you have free will, your actions have to be unpredictable, even to God.
But if God is outside of time, that’s impossible.
Right. So, by that definition, we do not have free will.
Writers take both sides of this issue, but my favorite ones avoid the term “free will” and just give a straight explanation.
For example?
The Westminster Confession of Faith puts it, “Neither is violence offered to the will of the creatures.” Those writers see this as biblical because throughout the Bible, we see God’s sovereignty and man’s free will both at play. For example, Acts 2: 23–24 says:
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. (ESV)
Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Right, but there’s an important exception—miracles. That’s when the laws of nature or probability are violated. Then all bets are off—including free will.
I don’t believe in miracles.
Sure. I wouldn’t expect you to—unless you’d seen one, and you obviously haven’t.
Have you?
Well, sort of, but I don’t want to get into that just yet. I want to take this into a more useful direction.
What?
Two thousand years ago, there was the key miracle of history; someone rose from the dead. That someone claimed to be God, and the Roman government crucified Him for it. Yet a few days later, a bunch of people saw Him walking around healthy.
Oh great, you’re going to dump the gospel on me. I’ve heard that one before.
Really. This is how people presented the gospel to you?
Maybe not. It was more like they made me an offer I can’t refuse.
Did they talk history?
Not really.
Okay, I’m going to take a different tack. I want you to know the logical roots. That has been my approach all along, and I’m sticking with that.
You think this will convert me?
No, it doesn’t work that way. I just don’t want your theology to be a bunch of scrambled ideas.
Fair enough. See you tomorrow.
