The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum The Doctrine of God - Calvinism vs Arminianism

Lynda,

For the benefit of others who may not have memorized Gen 22:12:

I am going to assume that it is the phrase, "For now I know..." that is used to prove that man has a free-will in this manner: God waited to see what Abraham would do before intervening and supplying the ram in the thicket. Put another way, God didn't force Abraham to act in faith; it was an act of 'free-will'.

For the sake of brevity and argument, let's take this idea and run with it to see where it could lead.

1) The implication is that God did not know, for how could He, what Abraham would do until he actually did it. For since Abraham was 'free' to chose he could have just as well chosen to not offer up Isaac.

2) God blesses those who are obedient or who [implied] act in faith.

Okay... as to #1: To even suggest that God did not know what Abraham would do is to deny one of deity's core incommunicable attributes, Omniscience: God knows all things. And the reason why God knows all things is because He has determined all things. If you would like to follow up as the Devil's Advocate, hehe, and respond with, "But God knows all things because He has looked into the future to see what will happen, etc." We can just as easily give a biblical answer to that too.

Now, as to #2: While it is certainly true that obedience is required of all men, i.e., that all men conform themselves perfectly to the law of God in thought, word and deed, it is also true that no man can or has done so except the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is equally true, that even the good works of the regenerate are less than perfect although blessed by God and will even be rewarded by God as they done by faith and in Christ. But what is not true is that these 'good works' and especially 'faith' find their origin in man apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, Who is God. (cf. Phil 2:12, 13; Eph 1:4; 2:10; 2Thess 2:13, 14; 1Cor 1:30)

Thanks for responding!

In His grace,