How Does Our Free Will Work in God’s Plan? (Part I)
The Bible plainly teaches us that God in His unfathomable wisdom and power has a clear plan for the destiny of ALL humanity. We also know according to 1 Peter 1:20 that His plan for the sacrifice of Jesus was clearly in place even before the earth was created. Now, if God’s plan was clear to Him even before humanity existed, how does that fit into our understanding that each and every one of us has free will? Wouldn’t His foreknowledge by its very existence make us all puppets in His hands? If He knows how it will all turn out, then aren’t we just playing a predetermined role? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth! As we dig into these questions, we will see that God’s plans and purposes are firmly built around the free will of all of His intelligent creation. Understanding this is life changing!
Joshua
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As we explored this question in Part I, we began with Joshua (https://youtu.be/0Q14MZ9m60w?si=VT09QPS-_47TkJNH) —one of Scripture’s clearest examples of how human free will operates within God’s will. Joshua was given a divine assignment and the assurance that God would be with him, yet he still had to actively choose obedience, courage and faith. God laid out the road, but Joshua had to walk it. His free will didn’t create God’s plan, but it determined how faithfully he would travel upon it. This powerful picture shows us that God’s foreknowledge does not eliminate our choices; instead, it provides the framework in which our choices gain meaning.
Adam & Eve
We also examined the first human exercise of free will in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were created perfect, placed in an environment designed for success and given clear boundaries. Their free will was real, and so were the consequences of their decisions (https://youtu.be/zpZeg2mP0vc?si=PGVM7LA993srbeO0) . When Eve listened to another voice and Adam followed her lead, they stepped outside of God’s protective boundaries. God didn’t force the outcome, but free will must be tested, proven and
