Does Christianity allow for free will?

:ae:You argue, in response to the idea that free will creates evil: Perhaps then we should restate the premise as, "Free will, as a part of a system for testing hearts, might include the opportunity to choose to create evil." Then, evil is the fault of those who chose to have that power, and was birthed out of their God-given free will with His permission. He, of course, knew what might happen when He gave such power, hoped (we suppose) that it wouldn't, but the choice to have or use such power does reveal a lot about what is in someone's heart, and so was consistent with His good will.Meanwhile, free will probably does exist without evil, in heaven. To get to heaven, you have to hate evil, and pray "lead me not into temptation." That is, "don't give me the choice between evil and good." The only choices one chooses to have, are choices of good, better, or best, to sow abundantly or sparingly.

Mr. Koszegi,When I go on a trip, the fact that my goal was "predestined" doesn't always mean that I get there. Free will, to my understanding, has to mean that, while God knows all possible outcomes of some choices He gives me, He doesn't know what I will choose and so does not know which of the possible variants of the future my choices determine will in fact occur. My free will, of course, is limited to choices that do not determine or significantly affect certain things that Jehovah has already determined will happen. We get to whereever He had determined. But, the route is influenced by my choices, in ways He cannot and doesn't want to predict with certainty. And, He does allow me to change His mind about many things He has "predestined." If I were to ask Him about a "strong-willed" child of mine, and were to hear Him say, "I hate this child, I have predestined this child to Hell." I would immediately ask whether the promise of Yeshua, about abiding in Him, His word abiding in me, gave me the right to ask Him to change His mind about my child. Probably, I would hear that it did, if I was willing to so beat the child according to instructions in Proverbs, to "save their soul from Hell." Or, perhaps, to bring to bear the promise that "the chastening we need for our well being was borne by Him", fasting and praying so that the child would be saved through the beating Yeshua took. Since Jehovah clearly states that He wants all saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth, it's never impossible to change His mind about those He hates. Just hard. "The salvation of a soul is costly." If I will sow abundantly enough, aren't all things possible?So, free will trumps predestination.

:ae:Damn, you're good at this.Stephen