Is there such thing as destiny

You know what, I don't think I even understand it.It just so happens today I had a deep conversation with someone who has been trying to figure out this free will thing for over 19 years.I am not sure I believe him 100%But through discussing with him, it would seem that our free will may not exist at all. Or it may be just in how you word it.The way I see it is, our free will is limited to, or the only decision we can really make is wether we accept God or not.Since nothing can happen except by the will of the father, all that we percieve to be good and bad, then we do not have a choice what will happen to us. We can only choose if we accept that it is from God or not.Job is a good stroy that outlines some of this.Plus the decision is not anything we do on the outside, but only what we do on the inside with our heart.My freind even thnks that no-one is going to hell, since it's all his will not ours. He makes a point, but I stand here and say I do not know who goes to heaven or hell, or do I even want to try. No, my faith does not revolve around God's omnipotence. She might be the lesser of the God's outside this universe for all we know.Omnipotence to me is a relative thing, and for me She is omnipotent. The begining and the end, creator of the universe, and me.We have nothing to suggest anything otherwise. The bible does not specifically say "all-powerful"' or "omnipotent", but the sum of all the synonyms would suggest omnipotence.I guess you could even say that the trinity is evidence against omnipotence. Whatever, it doesn't matter. Nothing happens except by the will of the Father. I agree with that. That is why I believe we would be judged based on what we know, not who we know. Knowing Jesus is more than just saying, I believe in Jesus. Problematic for you, not him.
His ways are not our ways, so we cannot judge what is a problem or not.I feel God has shown me some pretty cool stuff over the last 2 years, and I am starting to understand some of his ways a little better. Things I used to think were problems, I don' see as problems anymore.

You had no choice but to believe that.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply, rR.We do not agree, but we have at least successfully communicated.

Destiny? Two possible meanings, here.
1)Predestination
2)Predetermination. I agree, nwr. We become the decisions that we make.So where does God fit into all this? 1)His daily choice is to "thank God." In other words, prayer and communion are one of the decisions he makes.2) He chooses to be confident that God started a transformation of his heart, mind, and soul and will complete this transformation until he dies.3) His decision is based on Faith. Not in Faith in and of itself as in a wish but Faith in a living Christ whom he will someday personally meet.(And we as believers think that we have already met the Holy Spirit...and will someday meet Christ Himself as the bodily form of God.)This message has been edited by Phat, 02-11-2006 06:25 AM

---

Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart, and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. Even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained; and even in the best of all hearts, there remains a small corner of evil. --Alexander Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago