H28.08.90.htm

ON FREE WILL AND THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

'Now what was it that Cicero so dreaded in prescience of the future, that he struggled to demolish the idea by so execrable a line of argument? He reasoned that if all events are foreknown, they will happen in the precise order of that foreknowledge; if so, the order is determined in the prescience of God. If the order of events is determined, so is the causal order; for nothing can happen unless preceded by an efficient cause. If the causal order is fixed, determining all events, then all events, he concludes, are ordered by destiny. If this is true, nothing depends on us and there is no such thing as free will. 'Once we allow this,' he says, 'all human life is overthrown. There is no point in making laws, no purpose in expressing reprimand or approbation, censure or encouragement; there is no justice in establishing rewards for the good and penalties for the evil.'' (From: 'City of God' by Augustine. Bk. V. Ch.9).

Augustine spent much time reasoning on this subject, but argued from the wrong premise of what free will is, and indeed whether any of the sons from Adam ever possessed it. Firstly, those who truly seek God and everlasting life progressively give up their own will in order to live according to the Will of God, and choose thenceforth not to deliberately sin, just as it is written: "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 6:22,23 RSV). This means that although still sinners, we must give up a will bound in slavery to sin, and which is not free. Before coming to know God, we did not have a will that was free, only an opportunity to sin. And as for those who think it is for them to decide whether they wish to sin or not, this premise is in itself a sin and is not free will, for they are still slaves to a sinful choice.

He that has obeyed the Christ's Law of the Spirit that brings freedom, when one's spirit is finally perfected, will be totally free from sin and will have gained possession of free will in the true and absolute sense. It is a will set free from sin by the Supreme Will of God. That is why it is written: "Always speak and act as men who are to be judged under a Law of freedom." (James 2:12 NEB). This means to speak and act without deliberate sin, living according to Christ's Law of the Spirit. Nevertheless, while all reasoning persons are allowed freeness of choice, whether to continue in inherited sin or to serve the Will of God, they must also accept the consequences of their choice. (2 Esdras 8:55 61 NEB).

If Almighty God did not have foreknowledge of all things, He would not be Almighty and All Powerful, but would have limitations. But the multitude of Divine prophecies fulfilled by His foreknowledge proves otherwise; especially as to His previously hidden purpose through The Christ in the process of being fulfilled. (Eph 1:4 10 NEB). As to the question, 'If the causal order is fixed, determining all events': If the intended meaning is that the final order for mankind is fixed by God, then that statement is correct. However, it is not correct to say, 'If we choose foreknowledge [of God], free will is annihilated; if we choose free will, prescience is abolished.' (Bk. V. Ch.9). It is because of the foreknowledge of God that He is able to intervene in matters of His purpose to facilitate the prophesied unity in Christ "all in heaven and on earth" in its appointed time.

If, as has been claimed, Almighty God does not intervene in earthly matters and so has no purpose in mankind, why would He continue to create the spirits of men by His Spirit if He had no purpose in them? For it is written: "And just as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we shall bear also the image of the heavenly one" (The Christ Michael). (1 Cor 15:49). But our will cannot be absolutely free while we remain under the yoke of such hindrances as fear, necessity, opposing wills, and physical infirmity. While we can make deliberate choices and act upon them, we do not as yet have absolute free will. If we had, we would by choice already be a perfect spirit creation.

28/8/90.