
Dear reader, if you’ve read my first essay, Why Christians Should Be Dangerous, you’ll understand why I’m writing this series. If you haven’t, I encourage you to at least read the introduction to gain some insight into my purpose here. I believe that understanding someone’s intent is crucial to grasping their viewpoint. Even if you don’t agree with their position, engaging with new ideas and challenging your own beliefs is a valuable process—one I hope to explore further in a future essay. But that’s not the focus of this one.
In my previous essay, I aimed to present a biblically supported argument for why I believe the Bible calls us to have the ability to be dangerous. This essay takes a different approach. Here, I will attempt to reconcile the duality of human free will with the fact that God knows everything, even before it happens.
As Christians, we believe that we possess free will. We are autonomous beings with the ability to think and choose for ourselves. At the same time, we also believe that God knows all, sees all, and foresees the future. Many Christians and non Christians struggle to rationalize these two concepts. Some may choose not to dwell on the seeming contradiction, attributing it to the mystery of God’s ways being higher than our own understanding—something undeniably true. Others lean toward the concept of predestination, the belief that our lives are already determined by God, that whatever happens is meant to be, and that we have little control over the circumstances we face while in this world.
Of course, there are a variety of perspectives on this topic, and my view is just one among many. I’m writing this essay to share my thoughts and reasoning. Throughout, I will reference scripture, but I will also use my own logic and understanding to build an argument for how I reconcile both free will and God's foreknowledge.
Ultimately, I believe the truest answer to this question may lie in accepting that “God’s ways are higher” and that we will never fully comprehend His thoughts. God is often theorized as existing on a higher level dimension of reality so far beyond ours that we cannot grasp what His perspective might be. However, in attempting to understand the message of the Bible as a whole, I feel compelled to reach some kind of conclusion on every issue, including this one. This essay outlines my reasoning for why I reject the concept of predestination in favor of the idea that God is more like a general than a choreographer.
What does the bible say about predestination?
One of the core attributes Christians ascribe to God is His omniscience—His ability to know all things, past, present, and future. The Bible provides numerous references to God’s knowledge of future events, painting a picture of a Creator who stands outside of time, seeing and understanding what has yet to unfold. This foundational belief is critical for understanding the nature of God, but it also raises questions about how His foreknowledge interacts with human free will.
In Ecclesiastes 6:10-12 (NLT), Solomon makes some pretty bold statements on the subject of the future being determined so I wanted to address them in the very beginning. “Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny. The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they? In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?” Ecclesiastes is an incredibly odd book to me, reading through the entire book you see that the entire message is just Solomon despairing at life. He talks much about the futility of life and about wisdom. I wanted to display the NLT version as it is the version that I read most often but the NIV version paints a different picture in my opinion. I'm not sure how the New Living Translation came about or why they chose to frame this passage the way they did. Let's take a look at the NIV version real fast. Ecclesiastes 6:10-12 (NIV), “Whatever exists has already been named, and what humanity is has been known; no one can contend with someone who is stronger. The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?” First I want to point out how different verse 10 is in each version. If you go back even further to the King James version this idea that Solomon is stating that everything that will be is already decided gets diminished even further Ecclesiastes 6:10 (KJV) “That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.” That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man, This does not mean that everything that ever will be has already been decided but rather I see this as a statement that everything that has been and will be is known, known to its deepest core and that we cannot hide nor change that as we are not mightier than that which made us.
Overall I find the message of Ecclesiastes to be strange. I want to do a deep dive on Solomon's views that he writes within Ecclesiastes at some point, but the overall message is that everything is futile and pointless. Jesus has a different message for us in the new testament so I feel at some point I need to do a comparison of what Solomon says against what Jesus says but I’ll save that for later.
In the book of Isaiah 46:9-10 (NIV), God declares His sovereignty over time itself “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” Here, God’s declaration that He makes “known the end from the beginning” reveals His ability to see the entirety of human history. This passage suggests that God knows the ultimate outcome of all things, an idea that is central to the doctrine of omniscience. Yet, it stops short of claiming that He dictates every individual’s actions in a way that would negate free will.
Another example is found in Psalm 139:4 (NIV) “Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.” This intimate knowledge of human thoughts and intentions before they are even expressed implies that God knows not only the big events of history but also the smallest details of our lives. However, the Psalmist doesn't suggest that this foreknowledge overrides human choice; instead, it illustrates God's profound understanding of us as individuals.
In Matthew 6:8 (NIV), Jesus reinforces the concept of God’s all-knowing nature “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Jesus’ teaching here emphasizes that God is fully aware of our needs and desires, even before we bring them to Him in prayer. While this demonstrates God’s foresight, it also implies that our prayers and actions still play a meaningful role in the unfolding of events. God's foreknowledge does not render our choices meaningless, but rather, works in conjunction with them.
A more explicit example of God knowing the future comes from the prophecy of Christ’s crucifixion. In Isaiah 53:5 (NIV), the suffering of the Messiah is predicted “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” This prophecy, written centuries before Christ’s birth, indicates that God had foreseen the sacrifice that would take place. The fulfillment of this prophecy in the New Testament confirms that God is capable of knowing and planning for events far in advance. Yet, despite God’s knowledge of this pivotal event, the free will of those involved—Jesus, Judas, Pilate, and the crowds—remains intact. They made their choices, even though God knew what the outcome would be.
In Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV), God speaks of His knowledge of Jeremiah’s life before he was even born “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” This verse reinforces the idea that God has a purpose for each individual, known before birth. However, Jeremiah still had to choose to live out his calling. God’s knowledge of his life didn’t force Jeremiah’s hand, but instead, provided guidance for the path he was to follow.
Finally, consider Romans 8:29-30 (NIV) “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.” This passage is often cited in support of predestination, suggesting that God’s knowledge of the future means He has already determined who will be saved. However, I argue that this verse speaks not of strict predestination but of foreknowledge—God knows who will respond to His call but doesn't force that response. His knowledge of the future doesn’t erase human freedom.
In each of these examples, we see that while God possesses perfect foreknowledge, the Bible doesn’t suggest that this knowledge negates our ability to choose. Rather, God’s foreknowledge and our free will exist in tandem. Before we dive into the argument I want to finish looking at what the bible states on this subject so let's take a look at what the bible says about free will.
What Does the Bible Say About Free Will?
The concept of free will—the ability to make choices that are not predetermined—plays a significant role throughout the Bible. From the earliest stories of humanity’s creation to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, scripture continually emphasizes human responsibility, choice, and the consequences of our decisions. While God’s omniscience is a foundational belief, the Bible also makes it clear that we are not puppets subject to an unalterable script. Instead, we are moral agents capable of making meaningful decisions, for which we are held accountable.
One of the most explicit references to human free will is found in Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NIV), where Moses speaks to the Israelites “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.” This passage highlights the human capacity for choice, urging the Israelites to choose between life and death, blessing and curse. God offers guidance and presents the consequences, but He leaves the decision up to them. This implies that the future is not rigidly predetermined; rather, human choices play a direct role in shaping outcomes.
In Genesis 2:16-17 (NIV), at the very beginning of human history, God gives Adam and Eve the freedom to choose “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.’” This passage illustrates one of the most important early examples of free will. God provides Adam and Eve with clear instructions and the freedom to obey or disobey. While God knew the consequences of their potential disobedience, He did not prevent them from making their own choice, which resulted in their fall. Their decision led to consequences for themselves and all of humanity, further reinforcing the importance of human choice.
The story of Joshua 24:15 (NIV) serves as another powerful example of free will “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua’s challenge to the Israelites emphasizes the significance of choosing to follow God. He doesn’t suggest that their decision was predestined but instead presents it as a conscious choice they must make. This is a direct call to exercise free will in determining their spiritual allegiance.
Another profound example of free will can be found in Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV), where Jesus speaks about the narrow and wide gates “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Jesus presents a choice between two paths: one leading to destruction and the other to life. This teaching underscores that people must choose which path they will follow. The broad road is easily accessible and frequently chosen, while the narrow path requires intentional effort and decision-making. This imagery reinforces the idea that humans are responsible for their own spiritual destiny.
In the New Testament, Paul’s teachings also affirm the role of free will. Galatians 5:13 (NIV) states “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Paul acknowledges the freedom that Christians have, but he also stresses that this freedom comes with responsibility. The choice between using freedom to indulge in sin or to serve others is left to the individual. This reinforces that human beings are free to make moral decisions, for which they are accountable.
In Revelation 3:20 (NIV), Jesus says “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” This verse demonstrates that while Jesus reaches out to humanity, He does not force Himself upon anyone. The individual must choose to open the door. This act of opening the door is a metaphor for the decision to accept Jesus and indicates that humans have a say in their relationship with God.
Finally, 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) offers a vision of God’s will that aligns with the concept of free will “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” This verse suggests that while God desires all people to come to repentance, He does not force it. The choice to repent remains with each individual, meaning that God’s will does not negate human free will.
Free Will and Responsibility
Throughout the Bible, free will is paired with responsibility. Humans are frequently given the freedom to choose, but with those choices come real consequences. Whether it’s Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the Israelites choosing to follow or abandon God, or individuals deciding to take the narrow path, the Bible consistently teaches that our choices matter.
While God knows the future, His knowledge does not imply coercion. Instead, the Bible presents a God who offers guidance, warnings, and invitations, but leaves it to each individual to choose their path.
Predictive Determinism and Eternalism
After reading through the bible and understanding these verses and other parts of the Bible, I could clearly see that God does both know the future but also allows us free choice which means that we are not predestined for a singular outcome in life. So how are we to rationalize how God can see the future without having made it that way? This is where the theory of predictive determinism comes into play. In a deterministic framework, if you have complete knowledge of the current state of a system, including all variables and initial conditions, you can predict future states or outcomes with great accuracy. Essentially the better your knowledge about a subject and all of the parts that are in play the better you could predict the outcome. This idea is most famously illustrated by Laplace's Demon, a thought experiment proposed by the mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace in 1814. In this concept, if a super-intelligent being (Laplace's Demon) had perfect knowledge of all the forces in the universe and the positions of all particles, it could predict the future with certainty, because everything would follow a deterministic set of physical laws.
While Laplace’s Demon is a made up concept we understand that God is infinite and has complete and unfailing knowledge of all things including every particle that the universe is made of. He also understands all of the laws of the universe as well as everything about us individually, including our most inner private thoughts. With this complete knowledge he would absolutely be able to predict the future with absolute certainty.
You dear reader should be able to see for yourself that this theory is probably true. THink about something in your life that you understand very well. I mean to a very deep level. Do you understand Chess, very well? THe rules, how the pieces move, the openers, the strategies, well what if you also knew the player. You understood them on a very deep level. You probably are able to predict the outcome of that game fairly well then. MAybe for you it's something else, perhaps its horses, you can usually guess how a newborn horse may perform when it is an adult or perhaps its football, you understand all the players and the conditions of both teams so you are able to fairly accurately predict the outcome of a game. Now imagine in the scenario that comes to your mind you were to understand everything throughout all of history and if there are other people involved you could understand even their innermost thoughts, how accurately do you think you would be able to predict the outcome of whatever came to mind?
In addition to this framework of predictive determinism, I also see that God exists outside of time. This would allow for him to be a being that could view time as a fourth dimension. We cannot perceive time as we can the dimension of depth. We experience time but from only our viewpoint within time. The Block Universe Theory or Eternalism, is a theory that posits the idea that just as length, width and height are the three dimensions of reality that we observe, so is time. Just as all of these points of reality exist regardless of whether or not we observe them, so does time in all of its variations (past, present and future) This means that even though we do not observe all points of time they do exist within the Universal Block and are equally real. From this perspective, the distinction between "past," "present," and "future" is more about our subjective perception of time. While I don't fully agree with the Block Universe Theory or Eternalism, I think the truth is probably somewhere between that theory and the parallel universe theory which is a little more well known due to its popularity in science fiction media.
The parallel universe theory states that every possible version of time exists all at once in different branches of reality where every quantum action that is observed splits the universe into another branch for every possible outcome of that quantum event. Think of it like this, you come to a fork in the road and you could go right or you could go left. The universe would split into multiple branches of reality at that moment for every possible decision you could make. This gets compounded because every possible outcome of every possible particle on earth is making a new branch of reality.
I am a believer that science supports the existence of God and that God must be a being that we would classify as a higher dimensional being and I could see that he is possibly a 5th or 6th dimensional being, not only able to view time just like he perceives space but also he would be able to perceive all possible branches of reality as well. Imagine as easily as it is for us to walk to the end of a room, God would be able to move through the different branches of reality and/or time and experience them however he wanted. These are concepts that are hard for our mortal minds to comprehend. In the next section I want to bring all these concepts together and explore how God is more like a general than a choreographer.
Choreographer or General
Before we dive into my viewpoints and arguments, let’s take a moment to look at how a choreographer and a general achieve their jobs. Both are tasked with bringing about a specific outcome, but their methods and the contexts in which they operate are very different—and this difference is key to understanding how God interacts with us.
Choreographer
A choreographer works within the carefully controlled environment of a theater, where every detail can be meticulously arranged. Imagine a choreographer hired to design a dance for a musical. Their job isn’t just to create the steps but to map out every aspect of the scene—where each dancer stands, how they move, what their expressions are, and even how they interact with the props and scenery. Every gesture, every step is part of a plan that unfolds exactly as the choreographer envisions. The performers simply follow instructions; they are the instruments through which the choreographer’s vision comes to life.
In this way, the choreographer has near-complete control over what happens on stage. Everything is designed down to the second. There’s no room for improvisation—every move has been determined long before the dancers even set foot on the stage. This is how some people view God’s role in their lives: a divine choreographer, plotting every step of their existence, with no room for deviation. Everything that happens—good or bad—is seen as part of this grand “dance” that God has been orchestrating since the beginning of time.
To those who have had something terrible happened to them in the past and want to find comfort in that god predestined those events to happen to them i understand your reasoning, It can be comforting to think that god needed that to happen so that something else could happen for this great dance that he has been plotting since Eve took that first bite. And while I am sorry for any pain in your past and the fact that this might be forcing you to confront that pain again in a new light, I hope to give you a little hope. If this is you, I want you to think about this, does it make more sense that god forced those event to happen because he had a purpose in it or does it make more sense that things happen because this is a messed up world and every person in this world has the capacity of free will and sometimes as a result bad things happen, but that we get define the meaning of those events. We have the freedom to choose how we respond to both the good and the bad things that happen to us in life and we have the freedom to define the meaning in those situations.
If you are the type that is trying to shift blame for your choices onto God because he “made you that way”, I feel sorry for you. We all know that at the end of our days we will have to stand before God and give an account for every decision and action we make. If we believe God is choreographing our every action, then where is the accountability? Why would we be judged for our choices if those choices were never really ours to make? In this view, there’s little room for personal responsibility or growth. Instead, we become mere actors in a script we never wrote.
General
A general, on the other hand, operates in the "theater of war," and while both a choreographer and a general share the responsibility of achieving an end goal, a general’s approach is very different. A general doesn’t dictate every individual movement on the battlefield. They set the overall strategy—deciding how to engage the enemy, what forces to deploy, and where to make a stand. But once the plan is set, it’s up to the commanders, squads, and individual soldiers to make real-time decisions based on the circumstances they face. The general provides direction, but the soldiers have the freedom to adapt as necessary.
Let’s take a battle scenario: the general may instruct one company to approach a town from the west, while another attacks from the north. But how each unit navigates obstacles, when they engage the enemy, and how they handle unexpected challenges—those decisions are left to the men and women on the ground. They must use their judgment, instincts, and training to carry out the mission, each with their unique roles and individual choices, even though they all contribute to the same overarching plan.
In this sense, the general isn’t micromanaging the battle but is instead guiding the larger outcome. This is how I believe God operates. He knows the ultimate goal and provides us with guidance—through scripture, through our spiritual leaders, and through the wisdom He imparts to us. But within that framework, He allows us the freedom to make our own choices, to navigate life’s complexities in a way that reflects our free will. He doesn’t dictate every action or force every outcome, but He does equip us with the tools we need to succeed if we choose to use them.
Theater of Life
Now, think about the world we live in as its own “theater”—not a stage where every step is predetermined like in a musical, but a theater of war, where we’re engaged in a constant battle against the forces that seek to draw us away from God’s purpose. God, as our Commander-in-Chief, sets the strategy. Jesus, as our General, leads us and gives us direction. But it’s up to each of us, as individuals, to make choices every day about how we follow those orders and live out the mission we’ve been given.
Our pastors, priests, and spiritual leaders may serve as our commanders in this analogy, helping to relay God’s message and provide practical advice on how to live out our faith. And in a way, we all have a role to play in this spiritual battle, sometimes stepping into leadership roles ourselves. But at no point does God take away our ability to make our own choices. Like a general, He trusts us to act within the framework He has established but doesn’t force our hand at every moment.
Conclusion
In the end, we must grapple with two fundamental truths: God knows all things, and yet we are granted the freedom to choose our own paths. God’s omniscience doesn’t mean we are puppets in a play, acting out a script He wrote without our input. Rather, God, like a general, sets the strategy and provides the framework for how we should live, offering us guidance through scripture, spiritual leaders, and the wisdom we gain through experience. As an added benefit we know that in the end God wins the war, we already know the outcome. Within this framework, we are free to make choices, for better or worse, and it is those choices that shape our lives.
The idea that God is a choreographer, controlling every step, appeals to some because it provides a sense of comfort in the face of life’s difficulties. But as I’ve argued, such a view doesn’t allow for personal growth, accountability, or the dynamic relationship with God that the Bible speaks of. Instead, we must recognize that while God sees the bigger picture—like a general in the theater of war—He allows us to exercise free will within the plan. Our role, then, is to take responsibility for our decisions, knowing that we have the freedom to act and the responsibility to choose wisely.
As we live out our faith, we should embrace the duality that God’s perfect knowledge and our free will coexist. It is not a contradiction but a beautiful tension that allows us to be active participants in God’s plan. We are not mere actors following a predetermined script but soldiers in a great battle, with the freedom to fight, to struggle, and to grow into the people God has called us to be.
In this view, God is not micromanaging our lives. He’s not pulling strings from behind the curtain. Instead, He trusts us with the responsibility to make meaningful choices, knowing that the decisions we make carry weight. We may not fully understand how our free will fits into God’s grand design, but we can rest assured that in His wisdom, He allows both to exist, and it’s in that space between His omniscience and our freedom that we find our purpose.
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