Is God robbing us of free will whenever He intervenes in the world? Some would equate divine intervention with coercion, but are they the same? Watch as Frank tackles this common theological question by referencing ideas from Dr. Norman Geisler and C.S. Lewis.
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#FreeWill #GodsSovereignty #TheologicalQuestions
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@redg5609 Says:
Nope, god controls everything, from the beginning to the end he planned it all. Can't deny with the scripture says, you worship so hard. Read your own bible.
@allegory7638 Says:
God, within His sovereignty, created humans with free will. Don't know what is so hard to understand about this.
@josephb.konsdorf8264 Says:
Weak god, not the God of the Old Testament who controlled every single detail.
@michaelsiler7732 Says:
god's not coercive? Tell that to the billions of souls suffering in hell because they adopted the"wrong" religion.
@id744 Says:
What?!
"That doesn't mean he's taken away all our free will."
If he's taken away any of your will that it is not "free."
Correct me if I'm wrong but we are either a slave to sin or a slave to Christ.
Where is all this freedom people believe they have?
@edgarmorales4476 Says:
Even though God is behind creation, that does not mean that God is behind everything that happens within creation.
Since we have been given "free will," we are capable of being creators in our own right - including creating suffering for ourselves and others.
This particular delusionary belief, that God is causing our suffering and perhaps punishing us, is one of the most dangerous delusionary belief promoted by religious teachers - for how can we become free from suffering if we do not realize what's causing it?
As long as we believe that delusion, we will blame God or others, or our circumstances for our suffering and not see that we are responsible for our suffering.
Our mistaken thinking, and the negative emotions and negative actions that flow from our thoughts, causes our suffering.
Depending on what we choose to believe, and how we choose to respond to life - we create more Love in the world or the opposite.
When we choose to express the opposite of Love or cause harm, it is not God that is at fault.
God gifted us with the freedom to choose and to create, and we eventually learn from our choices to be better creators - to create happiness instead of suffering, and it is suffering that teaches us this - suffering points us away from what is anti-life, anti-Love.
Our own personal suffering is the so-called "punishment" we receive when we make choices that are not aligned with Love - that is the only "punishment" meted out by God.
We are designed to suffer whenever we miss the mark, which is the meaning of sin.
The mark, the target or goal, is Love - we suffer whenever we fall out of alignment with Love.
Suffering and joy are part of the guidance system we have been given - the homing device, which when followed, will bring us back home to Love.
Suffering tells us that we are believing a delusion or taking a wrong direction - while joy tells us the opposite.
If we do not want to suffer, then we must stop believing or doing what causes us and others suffering - and start believing and doing what brings peace, Love and joy.
@96tolife Says:
God doesn't control everything. He controls what He wants to control. He knows what He wants to know.
@rc.... Says:
Thank you Frank
@YourLocalRealist Says:
Dead men can bring themselves to life
@gingercake0907 Says:
God doesn’t coheres but persuades. I like that. God persuades but we make the choice, we decide.
@nickma71 Says:
This is close to a strawman, if we go by what God writes in the Bible about himself. You have the freedom to sin against him. He doesn't want you to, but lets you choose. Welcome to the Open View.
@NoLongerNeedThis Says:
The very first book in all of scripture, Genesis, makes it perfectly clear that God is in control of everything, yet even at the same time, people make their own choices. Those two are not mutually exclusive.
@objectivereality1392 Says:
For a Christian to come to the conclusion that we have any free will whatsoever means that they haven't read what scripture has to say about this topic, which is that God is sovereign over everything. There is not a single event, large or small, good or bad, that God isn't the author of.
Remember, in the case of Job, God allowed Satan to curse Job-- To kill his family, to debilitate him with disease, to destroy his livelihood. God was the author of this, and Job, as scripture says, "did not sin" by proclaiming this fact. But, at the same time, scripture tells us that while God is sovereign over evil (remember, Satan can't lift a finger unless God allows it, which means it fits into God's plan) he is not CULPABLE for evil.
This may not make sense to our minds-- For how can one be the author of an act, but not culpable for it? Yet this is what scripture says about God-- That he is all sovereign, yet all good at the same time. We have to wrestle with this as believers.
@joymahiko Says:
Free from CONDEMNATION - Free from ABSOLUTE POWER OF SIN - free from Satan's LIES - Free to LOVE CHRUST. YES I am FREE INDEED!
@JacksTestimony Says:
Everyone who sins is a slave of sin. Only someone who is righteous has the choice to either sin or not but doesn’t because their righteousness prevents them. If you’re imperfect the only option is death even if you something nice it still is sin because it leads to death, but someone righteous has the potential choice to sin but doesn’t maintaining their perfect righteousness.
@SojournerDidimus Says:
Did Paul on the road to Damascus experience persuasion or coercion? How about Ananias and Saphira? Did Judas have a true choice not to betray Jesus? Was Mary truly free to choose to be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit?
I disagree with you that the ultimate choice is ours, as that would make us mighty to save, not God.
@davidmccarroll8274 Says:
At the end of the day where would we be without god.we would never have been born
@marklangston7582 Says:
Simply put we have free will in the horizontal plane in our day to day but in the vertical we are not free. Our will is enslaved to sin unless God regenerates us first we would never choose Him. Beyond that probably not best to try to peel back the curtain to God’s unrevealed will.
@barrettcarl3009 Says:
What about Saul's (Paul's) "free will" on the road to Damascus? 🤔
@thisistheway7529 Says:
Sometimes God mix in somthing and most of the time not, HE is letting us exemine our liberty and freedom, and yes, we get sacrifised for that free will of others and others get sacrifised for our free will to.
@DavidRamirez-ww5kv Says:
There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Prov. 14:12 KJV God wants to keep us out of trouble, and when we do not follow him, we pay the consequences. This verse is included TWICE in the Bible. Think about this verse people. Follow God and live. Go on your own and you will pay the consequence. You WANT God to be leading you through life. God is sovereign for this purpose. I really don’t seek to do my will but seek to do the will of God. Blessings people.
@DigbyOdel-et3xx Says:
Tiny micro example.
You have free will. You wake up, have breakfast and decide to watch your favorite morning tv show. All of this is free will. But outside your ability or awareness a cable vision line man causes an interruption in your cable TV watching. His action is outside yours, but it will affect your choices after the interruption occurs causing you to make alternative free choices.
God has, can and will intercede in the world on any motive he has. It may cause you to make alternative free will choices but it did not prevent you from making free will choices.🤔
@drumrnva Says:
Note the incredibly predictable Turek tactic. He answers as if someone has said God should intervene in every destructive act. The real question is: why does life on earth really, really look like a state of affairs in which NO INTERVENTION HAS EVER HAPPENED?
@dragonsigner Says:
Key words he said. "God doesn't take away all our free will. " That implies that he can take some and sometimes all.
@rolysantos Says:
The only Free Will man has is to do what he WANTS to do, which is exactly what he does, all the time!
What man does not do and cannot do, is change his NATURE to "Want" to seek and to serve God!
"Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil." Jeremiah 13:23
A rattlesnake cant change its nature to become like a gentle kitten, and a person in Adam, cannot change his nature to become one who seeks God! It's impossible! (see 1 Corinthians 2:14)
BUT, GOD IS sovereign, even over the evil that men do. HE uses their evil to fulfill HIs purpose, then He punishes them for their evil!
God literally calls wicked men in order to fulfill His purpose (Isaiah 46:8-11)
Just as Joseph's brothers, THEY meant it for evil but GOD meant it for good "to same many alive" during the famine.
THEY did evil and were guilty!
But by the SAME evil actions, God accomplished good and is HOLY!
The best example of this is the King of Assyria in Isaiah 10.
Read it until you understand
1. Man DOES have free will to do what he WANTS to do, which is evil continually
2. God is sovereign over man's evil and uses it for HIs purpose.
3. Man is guilty of his evil and justly punished by God AFTER God uses the evil to fulfill His purpose.
@juanitamartinez279 Says:
🤔😳 WITH OUT A DOUBT. DOGMAS. RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. POLITICS OF MEN. COULD BE THE REASON FOR WORLD WAR 3. 😳🤔
@Mrs.CatherinePagan Says:
I liked this video because of my anger not towards God, The Lord Jesus. God Ordained me to be angry.
@randallsimmons391 Says:
The distinction, as I see it, is: God is in control of all things but does not control. Essentially meaning His will is sovereign and He allows things but does not act as a puppeteer.
@NewCreationInChrist896 Says:
Repent! Believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life.
Romans 10:9🙏
@c4binF3v3r Says:
I love me a robust moral system where the free will of the murderer is permitted, while the free will of the victim is violated. Perfect morality. Congratulations 👏
@LordsChild19 Says:
The answer is YES, but it's complicated.
@gregjones2217 Says:
Really do wish there was proof instead of hearsay and anecdotal nonsense.
@FuzzyMuzzl Says:
The concept of the phrase "God wants..." that Frank is SO fond of using is a contradiction when citing a "perfect" being.
A perfect being would not, by definition, WANT anything!
@dux657 Says:
The god of the Bible does not coerce?
The bible literally says that Yahweh demands death for those who don't follow his commandments.
@amac9044 Says:
Preventing bad things from happening does not equate to taking away free will. I, as a mere human, can prevent bad things under certain circumstances without affecting anyone's "will"... So why can't God? Turek's answer is monumentally unsatisfying on this topic.... 🤷🏽♂️
@ronniebozeman5059 Says:
Thank you for your wisdom Mr Frank
@giannimartinez5015 Says:
No one is truly free. We act according to our greatest inclination. Until one is born again, then is he truly free, not a slave to sin anymore.
@JamesRichardWiley Says:
Atheists have free will. Theists do not. You cannot have it both ways.
@justingary5322 Says:
AMEN 🙏👊❤️. SILLY ATHEISTS TRIX ARE FOR KIDS 🤣. YES we have Free Will as God's Foreknowledge doesn't eliminate personal responsibility and accountability for our actions because we don't know what we're going to do. No The Gospels and Scriptures aren't historical fiction fantasy works and stories like Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter as Matt Dillahunty, Aaron Ra and other Atheists claim without any evidence 😂. It's awesome seeing archeological, scientific and historical evidence of stories in The Bible having occured in reality. We should still as Christians love people enough to help them but also tell them The Truth. I'm glad brother Frank Turek addressed the beliefs of other religions and worldviews on Cross Examined ministry. I was an atheist and agnostic from 17-19 years old until I discovered evidence of God's Existence and Christianity myself. Creation requires a Creator we human beings would call God. Atheists seem to think that God cares if we know that He exists or not obviously don't understand why the last book of The Bible is called Revelation because He finally reveals Himself to the whole world. Jesus The Christ of Nazareth (Yeshua H'Mashiac The Messiah in Hebrew) is The Son of The Living God came to save us from the Eternal consequences of our sins. This has nothing and everything to do with the video but please listen if you want to otherwise leave it alone and ignore it. Hello my name is Justin and I'm a 23 year old Christian and Apologist but I'm also a college graduate. I'm not a closed minded Theist as I have nothing against Atheists or unbelievers as I speak to them often to understand their reasons for unbelief but we as Christians are convinced of God's Existence due to many real factors). I'm not trying to convert anyone or convince anyone to become Christians as that's The Holy Spirit's job to help people believe but only explain why I believe in Jesus Christ. There's actually evidence of God's Existence in Christianity. First of all there's proof that Jesus of Nazareth existed in history since the writings of Tacitus, Josephus Flavius, Pliny the younger and other historical documents prove that He was living two thousand years ago that even scholars both religious and Atheists agree with historically speaking but not that He's The Divine Son of God because obviously they don't.
I'm going to give you historical and archeological evidence for God's Existence as The Scriptures have prophecies that predate the events recorded in them by several millennia including Matthew, Hosea and Zechariah which prophesy accurately of the people of Israel becoming a nation again after over 1900 years of being scattered around the nations since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. spoken of by Christ in Matthew 23:29-24:3 and returning to their homeland after The Holocaust with Jerusalem as their capital in 1948 exactly as Jesus The Christ said. The prophets including Daniel spoke of the time where several world empires would arise and fall including the Babylonian kingdom, Medes and Persians, Roman Empire, and Saladin and the Muslims which went in consecutive order for the past few millennia. The people of Israel becoming a nation after The Holocaust in 1948 (ironically the melting point of gold as God compares Israel to gold that's tested in fire in Zechariah 13:8 and Jeremiah 16:15) exactly how Jesus The Christ said would happen since God us everything to come in The Scriptures and not just because people were working towards as Atheists claim which are impossible for any regular man to predict.
Just before anyone says Christianity is a white man's religion made to oppress blacks during slavery you obviously aren't aware that the first Christians were Jews in The Middle East and that Christianity just like any religion can be used by evil and corrupt people to oppress others but you forget that the first Abolitionists/Civil Rights activists were Christians who sought to abolish slavery, racism, segregation, injustice and prejudice throughout American history. Jesus The Christ loves you enough not to give you what we all deserve which is God's Wrath by His Own Blood. Charles Darwin didn't originally come up with The Theory of Evolution over 200 years ago as it is mentioned in the writings of Ancient Greeks who believed in Demons that gave knowledge to philosophers.
Evolution makes no sense when nothing has evolved after thousands of years of human history and supposedly the first creature came from primordial sludge several millions of years
ago funny how they won't believe that God an Eternal Almighty Spirit Being created us from the Earth) which came from a supermassive expansion of matter at high temperature that inexplicably created everything in the known universe that supposedly came from nothing billions of years ago. How did the organs evolve before there were bones, skin, substance and how did any creatures see before eyes evolved? I've studied evolution and abiogenesis in the past and read Darwin's " On The Origin of Species" and I'm not convinced of macro Evolutionary biology whereas I accept micro Evolution like speciation and adaptation but not macro Evolution because there's no evidence of it nor clear observable examples of it where living creatures evolve into other kinds of species plus the fact that fossils don't show evidence of evolution and genetic entropy rules out evolution. The question begs how did two genders evolve from a common ancestor with a perfectly hospitable and sustainable environment with breathable oxygen and resources to survive on inexplicably? Atheists have the burden of proof to explain how everything came to be and why our existence is possible without the Existence of God from an godless perspective just as Christians have to provide evidence of God's Existence and the validity of His Word.
Evolution requires life to already exist in order to take any effect in living organisms so it doesn't account for the existence of Life and reality. Also evolution is impossible because it goes against The Law of entropy and the second Law of thermodynamics because evolution makes things better whereas nothing continues to get better but decays and turns to absolute destruction in the end. Mark Ridley an Evolutionist said "No evolutionist whether gradualist or punctuationist uses the fossil record as evidence in favor of The Theory of Darwinian Evolution as opposed to special Creation". God's Existence is made perfectly known and observable in the universe as demonstrated in His Handiwork in the intelligently designed manner that Creation was made, human consciences and consciousness historical and archaeological evidence of God's Word being valid history, fulfillment of Bible Prophecies God in His Holiness and Righteousness could give us what we deserve in Hell for our since but He's merciful to give us free will to choose to accept or reject His gift of salvation by grace through faith in His Son Jesus. I don't mean this is any condescending manner but if you'd like to discuss The Scriptures with me or have me listen to your view on anything my instagram account is Savage Christian Kombatant.
@KirwanSmith Says:
I'm surprised that Geisler, who was an acquaintance of R. C. Sproul (both of whom signed the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy) would claim that the Calvinistic interpretation of divine sovereignty has God operating "coercively". With all due respect, this is quite simply a misrepresentation of Calvinism. Christian theologians who hold to theological compatibilism understand a difference between "providential" intervention (where God, in perfect righeousness and justice, ordains that something shall or shall not take place) and salvific intervention (where God brings sinners who are spiritually dead to life, by His grace, to His glory). The Scriptures clearly teach that "no one can come to [Jesus] unless the Father ... draws him" (John 6:44 ESV; Jesus uses the word "granted" instead of "draws" shortly afterwards in v. 65). Faithful biblical scholars on both sides have respectfully debated what exactly Jesus means by saying that the Father "draws" (Greek helkysē). The root definition of this Greek word (contextually translated as "dragged" in Acts 16:19) infers more "force", so to speak, than merely "wooing". A biblical scholar once suggested in a debate with Sproul that the same Greek word has been used in classical Greek literature to describe "drawing" water from a well—you don't drag water from a well. This totally threw Sproul in the moment, but he replied that in this case it would be a double standard to suggest that one could "woo" water from a well.
@SupremeSquiggly Says:
The main problem with this is that it’s a question for Frank Turek, so you won’t get a reasonable answer. Turek wouldn’t know a sound logical argument from a fortune cookie. 😂
@dagwould Says:
I worry about the word 'control'. It is too vague. What we do know is that God works all things together for good for those called according to his purpose: Paul's letter to the Romans, 8:28. God shows himself here as active in history, in relation to those called (ie who have repented and been re-born). He works in history to achieve what he wants...but he is not a puppet master. We have genuine free will, or we would not be in God's image and in a world that has rejected God's fellowship, it must run its course until the new Creation when all will be resolved.
@Godlimate Says:
“God does not work coercively. He works persuasively”
There are so many questions raised with this. I don’t even know where to begin…
Does God coerce you in the afterlife?
What if I change my mind and I don’t want hell? Is it in His divine power and goodness to affect my “free will” in the afterlife if it is against my will?
So basically, God is a real dictator by coercion in the afterlife if I can’t choose? I am no different than a Jew in the face of Hitler who belongs in concentration camps.
If it is good that God cannot coerce his existence, then is it bad that people and nature coerce their existence?
Would it not be immoral that Frank is coercing his existence into our beliefs simply because he can interact with us? Because that in of itself is an affect and in free will, affects are a big no no.
Then we have the issue of divine intervention. The process of that in of itself is an affect.
If God is trying to persuade you, then you are forced to believe he exists, no different than the argument I’m making right now, you are forced to believe I exist. Whether I am a human or A.I is irrelevant. The point is that my speech is an affect that does not merely persuade, but is also an implicit coercion of my existence into your belief.
The moment you read this is an affect because I’ve made you process something in your mind. I’ve forced you to do this simply because I exist.
Now tell me how divine intervention works without God affecting free will? Because I feel that people don’t deconstruct this issue enough!
@logicalatheist1065 Says:
Sorry frank, not enough evidence to be a Christian
@logicalatheist1065 Says:
No god has ever been demonstrated to exist, so it doesn't matter.
Just going off what man claims in primitive religious text
@sognani Says:
There is no free will. Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. It’s either you’re a slave of sin or a slave of Christ.
@fatalheart7382 Says:
It is both that God controls all things and we make our own choices. The Bible addresses both as true. God doesn't have to explain things completely for them to be real. However, because we do interact with God, because He does testify about His son, because He did create all things, it's pretty clear what our responsibilities to Him are. We can argue about what He wants us to do, but we will all be judged by His standards at the end of day. It's futile to make excuses.
He is the Lord. He can stop whatever He wants to stop. This life isn't ours. The world isn't ours. He gets to do what He wants with His things. He made them. There is nothing He is obligated to give to anyone. Everything belongs to Him.
@catherinequake2621 Says:
God is in control of everything but He allows things to happen, He doesnt make thing happen. We make the choices to make it happen and He allows it. He never ask us to make the choices He allows it to happen. Free will
Before God wants to pour out His wrath He will warn us to stop sinning and repent. If we do not He will make thing happen to punish us. (Eg.. Flood, Fire ) wipe it out the wicked people. But remember God always wants the best for us and He makes no mistake. He is a knowning God and He loves us.,
@Soli_Deo_Gloria_. Says:
Ah yes... the Jesuit trained MuH NoRmAn GiEsLeR... I understand why frank tells his mom it's OK to continue on with her Romanism rituals... 🤨
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