God is in control.

[B-A-C]

Does God control everything? Does He control nothing at all, and life is just a random
series of events? Does He control our circumstances, but not our decisions? Or does
He control everything. We have no free will?

 

[Curtis]

1John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (ESV)

1John 5:19 We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. (NLT)

1John 5:19 We know that we are children of God. We know that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (Nirv)

I surly would not call God the "wicked one"

 

[Dave M]

Seriously I think it is beyond human comprehension to understand if we have free will or not. But I am very curios what others say on the subject. Because if God know all things that are going to happen and I believe he does how then do we have free will?? Yet I believe we do have free will.

 

[Curtis]

Seriously I think it is beyond human comprehension to understand if we have free will or not. But I am very curios what others say on the subject. Because if God know all things that are going to happen and I believe he does how then do we have free will?? Yet I believe we do have free will.

Just because the Lord God knows every thing you will say, choose, or do does not mean you do not have a free will choice. You can do anything you want as a free will choice, but the Lord knew before the creation of the world what you would choose, before you choose it. You can not do anything he dose not already know.

 

[B-A-C]

I don't think it's a question of comprehending it. It's just believing it. We can take God at His word (the Bible)
and believe He is a good God, and doesn't tempt anyone, and that "our" sins separate us from Him.

Otherwise all of the sin, all of the evil, all of the wickedness in the world is caused by God.
(Some people do believe this, and use this as an excuse when they sin... "God made me do it".)

 

[Dave M]

This Question is sounding like do we have free will or not ?? is that another way of putting this question BAC ?

 

[RJ]

Yet I believe we do have free will.

Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
I don't consider myself Armenian or studied Armenian-ism much but I must agree that this verse means what God foreknew was those who chose him or accepted his call by free will.
I look back and believe that God tried to introduce himself to me on many occasions; fortunately, he knocked and I opened the door and received his call. He didn't force me, he just "foreknew" that and when I would. The horror, If I never did choose to receive his call!

 

[Curtis]

The Lord God in his sovereignty has decided to let man do whatever he wants, and let him suffer the consequences of his own actions whether it be good or bad.
The earth was "leased" out to man for a specific time until the true owner takes back "control" over the earth. I believe Jesus opening the "seven" seals in the book of Revelations to be the beginning of that repossession of reclaiming what is rightfully his.

The Lord is in control of what we place into his hands, including our very lives.

 

[B-A-C]

This Question is sounding like do we have free will or not ?? is that another way of putting this question BAC ?

I think this is mostly the question... but in this case it comes back to... if God control everything... why is there sin?