God's Knowledge

[SWTHRT]

Hi! I’ve had the following debate on several business trips with a coworker of mine who is Catholic. I was just wondering which one of us is correct in our belief.

I have always been taught that God is “all knowing”. I do not believe he has ANY limitations of his knowledge.

I commented once that God knows the moment we are conceived if we are going to heaven or to hell. My friend was shocked and didn’t agree with me. This was my argument:

God is “all knowing”. Sure, each person is born with FREE WILL, and I am NOT implying that our chance of heaven or hell is predestined. I am stating that although we have FREE WILL throughout our entire life, God already knows which decisions we will make. He knows before we even know if we will choose good or evil.

My friend argued, " If God already knows if we are going to heaven or hell, what is the point of our faith and us trying to better ourselves."

I told him we should always practice our faith and that we should always go to God for the strength to make the correct decisions in our life. However, I am only stating that since God is “all knowing”, it is only normal that he would know our entire future, including where we will spend eternity.

My mom and dad and other close friends agree with my viewpoint. My friend says his family agrees with him.

What do you think? Just because God knows everything about our future doesn’t imply that we don’t have free will during our life.

Karen

 

[wcknight]

Calvinist believe God knows from birth who is saved and who is not.

Personally, I think God ‘could’ know if he wanted to. But somehow, I think He chooses not to know, and let’s us make our free will choices.

Just as He could command that we always do the right things but he allows us the freedom to make our own choices.
Jesus tells us that not one bird falls from the sky unless the Father will it. So potentially God could have foreknowledge of all things but, my gut feeling that He chooses to let things happen on their own course for most events but not all.

The length of our lives for example may be predetermined, but the individual events may be somewhat random. I also think he may alter events if asked to do so (from prayers).

My guess is that it would be awfully boring to know every little thing that goes on in advance, maybe God would like a pleasant surprise now and then also

wc

 

[Mickey]

Psalm 139 13-17

You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew;

my bones were not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret,

fashioned as in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days

were shaped, before one came to be.

How precious to me are your designs, O God; how vast the sum of them!

This is also good for someone who believes abortion is okay!

 

[yochumjy]

Maybe your question to your friend should be: is God limited by time?
God lives outside of time, to him all life in time is like a book. He can open it to whatever point in time He wants. Since we are not puppets and we have free will, we are free to choose what we wish in the timeframe given to us by God; God is free to do His will for the best good irregardless of our choices, but better choices by us lead to greater good for all. God does know all, He knows all the choices we will make, when and how we will make them and that does not at all affect his glory or our free will.

John

 

[Tom]

To describe Gods knowledge and plan, unfortunately, we must use human words and reasoning.
I believe God has a plan, much like a man may have a plan to build a house. The man knows how the end product should turn out, but, he doesn’t micromanage and fret over the position of each nail in each piece of wood. He may supervise workers on his house, but he let’s the worker use the tools required to accomplish the desired task.
Similarly, God has a plan. He knows the end result (unlike the man, He can insure the end is according to His plan) and He uses humans by giving them the grace required to accomplish their little piece of His plan. He doesn’t fret over each stubbed toe or setback we encounter, He simply gives us the tools we need and guides us along our path. Scripture portrays God as being surprised, angry, sad, these are human emotions which imply Gods’ plan not going exactly how He “planned”. Does God know everything that happens, when it happens? Yes, of course He does. It is said God is outside of time, that there is no past, present nor future for God. Again these are human words expressing a concept we can not possibly understand or adequately describe. Does He know how His plan will end, yes, I’m sure He does. Does He know what word I will type next? I’m really certain He doesn’t really worry about that. He’s insuring His plan is accomplished, He gives each of us the grace and tools we will require, and He let’s us use our God given talent to complete His plan.
I often wonder what would have happened if Mary said “No”. If free will is true, and to me that’s proven in Scripture, she could have said “No”. Would He have brought another up for His plan? All He does is give us the grace and opportunity to say, “Yes”. He doesn’t force us to say, “Yes”. These are questions we will all understand one day; I pray we will all be together in His presence.