Expert: Carl Fuglein - 1/9/2010

Question
If God is all knowing and all powerful then He already knows what I will do tomorrow.  That would include the choices I make and when I ask for His guidance and when I don't.  So if He wants me to follow and obey Him, why doesn't He just make it so?  Kind of along the same lines, why did God let Adam eat the fruit?  Did God want sin on the earth in the beginning.  Why?  In the beginning it was all good, why would he plan to have that change?  Thanks for your insight.

Answer
Jim-

Good question, and I'm not sure I have a good answer.

This is just one of those things that is hard to explain, but I'll try.  If God wanted automatons, he could have just made all of us alike, just like Adam and Eve, and He would have a world full of people hanging out in the garden and eating every fruit BUT the alleged apple.  God would be happy with all these people just hanging out and worshipping Him.  This would be Heave, right?

But I don't think that God would have been happy with that situation - and He obviously wasn't, because He gave Adam and Eve "free will".  (If you want to get into a deep philosophical conversation about this, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_will).  Free will gives us the choice to choose between good and evil.  Sometimes this choice must be exercised several times a day, sometimes not.  Even though God knew Adam would choose the fruit, He did not control that choice, as He doesn't control our choices.  He COULD make us worship Him, but isn't it more powerful and affirming for God if we CHOOSE to worship Him?

God wants you to worship Him.  But isn't a great gift that He gave us?  He lets us choose to worship Him and TRUSTS us in that decision.  I think it's a pretty powerful gift He gives us.

This is a question that you will be asking your whole life.  And I'm not sure you'll be able to get an answer.  But when you start choosing God in your choices, and you start choosing God even when bad things happen to you, you'll understand a little more, and a little more.

That's my best shot at an answer.  Let me know what you think by taking the time to rate my answer.

Thanks,

Carl



If you've done some research, what is your opinion?  I'd be interested in knowing.