Children are dependent on their parents in a number of ways, they are especially dependent on their parents to make them food when they are hungry. However, while children are dependent, they are also independent from their parents: This independent expression of a child can pose a number of challenges for parents every day. Ultimately, this relationship between a parent and their child is how we can view the simple theology of God’s sovereignty and omniscience vs. human free will.
Parents are in control of what they allow or don’t allow their child to eat. They are in control of when their child will eat. The are even in control of how their child will eat. We could make a relatively simple proposition that parents are sovereign over their child’s snack or meal times. However, the challenge that parents are all too well aware of, is that they are not in control of whether or not their child will eat.
As a being independent from their parent, a child possesses free will or the ability to make choices free from their parents governance. A child could tell you that they are hungry or show signs that they are hungry, they may even give you an idea of what they want to eat, and how they want to eat it. Essentially, the child is telling their parent what, when, and how they want the meal prepared. Once the parent cooks and serves the food, the parent may be faced with a child who has changed their mind. The child has freedom to do this: It could be that they have decided they would rather continue playing or perhaps they no longer want what they originally requested to eat.
Even when the parent is able to sit the child down at the table and place the plate of food in front of the child, there is no guarantee the child will eat what’s on the plate. You see, while the parent is demonstrating sovereignty – they also know all too well that in reality; their child can choose to express free will that is an alternative outcome to their will. This “knowing all too well” can be likened to a parents omniscience of possible logical outcomes they face when trying to get their child to eat.
I mentioned earlier that I am using this analogy to demonstrate a Biblical truth: That God is sovereign and possesses the foreknowledge of all of our potential logical choices. Yet, it is still logically coherent that we are able to maintain our independent volition to create an alternative outcome to God’s will. There is an old saying that fits along the same lines of my analogy.
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
We must begin to understand that God’s sovereignty and omniscience does not impede upon our free will and that together they are logically coherent. Just as a parent may face known challenges in serving their child a meal, God knows all too well the challenges of having created a being that has the potential to act independently of His will. While in the aforementioned scenario, it is the parents desire for their child to eat. It is God’s desire for humanity to freely choose Him and follow His instructions for their lives. All we are left with is the question: How will you express your free will?
September 6, 2014 at 7:12 am
Simply asserting that the relationship between a parent and child is like that between God and humans does not make it a truth. Further, the absence of overt exercise of authority on the child by parents or on people generally by God does not necessarily equate autonomous free will. There is zero evidence that free will actually exists beyond our perception of it, and a growing body of research that indicates our perception of choice is preceded by neural processes that already set the action in process (i.e. we are already moving towards an action before we are consciously aware of having “made the choice” to do so… meaning we have an illusion of choice, not actual choice). Assuming that there even is a God, presumably the genetic composition that compels our actions was created by that God (if not, then God is not all-powerful and why call it God?)… which would place our actions solidly within the realm of authority of God.
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September 6, 2014 at 2:44 pm
I used an analogy to illustrate what is considered by many a Biblical truth. With that said, I can only understand your comment to mean that “using an analogy does not make the analogy true (i.e., accurate)?” Would I be correct in this understanding?
I’m having trouble following your train of thought about “overt exercise of authority…” could you please clarify?
Pertaining to autonomous free will, I agree, but I have not referred to autonomous free will. I would consider the arguments that the only being that is autonomously free would be a being such as God. But as I desire to avoid as many tangents as possible, I ask that we postpone that discussion for now.
Moving forward I hope we keep the verbiage along the lines of: free will, volition, choice, etc. As my post is referring to our ability to exercise our will freely of others influence and/or make choices of our own discretion. Referring to it as “autonomous free will” would be misrepresenting what I am referring to as it has a vastly different meaning than “free will.”
I would be interested in reading more on this if you have any good references you could provide. I have an idea of what you are getting, but I will defer on commenting further.
While this flows from your comment that I have asked to defer, I find it very interesting when you look at both comments as it really raises a more scientific level of the concept between predestination and free will. Not to mention a potential role that God’s sovereignty and omniscience plays on our free will. It’s quite remarkable to think about if you ask me, presuming that God exists.
While I’m assuming that you’ve used these final two comments to really question the existence of God (or perhaps better phrased the necessity). Utilizing your understanding of your comments, I’d ask you to consider how these might relate to what the Bible says about God and His relationship with humanity?
I think your comment relates really well with the content of my post. However, I question the logic structure being used at the end of your paragraph. It doesn’t make sense to me.
I wish I could have covered more but I’ve worked to keep my response as short as possible. I truly appreciate your comments!
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