Is there Such thing as Free Will with an All knowing God?

A question was asked of me by someone who is close to me. They said, "If God already know who is going to choose him and what we are going to do, then why is there free will"?

 

Well I thought it was a good question, so I went to the scripture. 

 

The first scripture I searched was for God being all knowing.

 

Psalm 139 1-6 

 “ O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”

 

 

 God is an omniscience (all knowing) God. He knew all of us even before we knew ourselves. He knows our thoughts, and he knows our heart.  He know things in our lives, before we even know. 

 

Then next scriptures I looked up was one on free will. And where there is no scripture that specifically says “free will”, there are scriptures that shows us that we have a choice.

 

Deuteronomy 30:19 &20

“ I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

 

Joshua 24:15

“ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

 

Matthew 7: 13 &14

“ Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

We are all born in sin. No one is born perfect.God knows that. This is why he gives us a choice. We can chose to live for God, or we can continue in our sinful state.  That is our choice. He does not make us do anything. 

But why is God being all knowing and him giving us free will a disused topic? It is simple, it is a misunderstood topic. We think we know the answer, but we don't. 

  Isaiah 55:8 & 9 says:

“ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

We do not, and will not understand God's ways and thoughts. We may not understand how things work in Gods eyes, but what I can say is God is perfect God. 

He does not want to see us fall into destruction. That is why he gave us "free will" or a choice when he sent Jesus on the cross to die for our sins. 

God could easily make us do his will. He could easily make all his children obey him and come to him. He has the power to do just that.

But God allow us to make that choice ourselves, because he wants us to love him enough to understand that he is our lord and savior and without him, we cannot do anything.  

He wants us to truly have him in our hearts and have faith in him to become his children and follow him. 

Ephesians 2:8 & 9 says

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

 

God gave us the gift of salvation. We did not deserve the gift of him sending Jesus to the cross for us. 

But it is because of his grace, that when we did not deserve the chance to live with him eternal, he still gave us a choice to choose, and made away for us to be saved.  

He is all knowing, so that means he knows the outcome of our life. But he gives us the free will to make the choice to either follow him, or to stay in our sinful ways. 

I look at it as being as a parent. You have told your child not to touch the stove because it was hot, and you knew the outcome of them touching the stove would be them potentially burning them selves. But the child has a choice. If they obey you and don't touch the stove they will be ok. But if they don't obey your and touch that hot stove, then the consequence is burning their hands and having pain. 

And as parents what do we say.... " I told you so".

Same thing with God, he tells us what to do, and knows the outcome of the choice we make in life. It is up to us to be obedient and follow his ways, get saved and live a life that is pleasing to him. 

If we don't we have to suffer the consequence. 

So know this, God knows all things. But its up to us to make those right choices in our lives. 

Be Blessed 

If you need to contact me for prayer or for anything please do not hesitate to email me at:                                                                 ashappiness7@gmail.com