Does God have Free Will?
By Webmdave ~
Christian Believer Answer: Free will is the ability to make choices without external constraints.
Q: Does God possess free will?
CBA: God has the capacity to make choices, does not answer to any authority, is not limited by any external constraints, and cannot be coerced. God is unconstrained by all natural laws; He in fact established those laws and is sovereign over them. God most certainly possesses free will.
Q: Then, In the same way, is God also unconstrained by moral laws? Since he established those laws, then he must hold sovereignty over them as well, right?
CBA: There are certain things that God is incapable of doing because His perfect and holy nature disallows it. For instance, Titus 1:2 says that God “cannot lie.” God’s perfection prevents Him from lying and identifies an intrinsic property of God’s own character. God cannot be unfaithful to Himself; He cannot break His Word; He cannot be less than perfect.
Q: Wait, what? You mean God is incapable of breaking his own laws even though he is free and unconstrained by anything, because he simply cannot violate his own nature?
CBA: That is correct.
Q: Can a human being choose to sin?
CBA: A human being can choose to sin, but God cannot—or He would not be God.
Q: I’m confused. When it comes to moral choices, human beings have more free will than God?
CBA: It’s more complicated than that. Nothing has the capacity to act outside of or contrary to its nature. Things have the free will to do what they can do, but won’t act contrary to their natures. Free will includes ability and volition. It’s not only that they can’t do something, they won’t if it’s contrary to their nature. For instance, animals are free to wear clothes, but they won’t choose to wear clothes. God does not "choose" to do morally wrong things.
Q: It sounds like you might be saying that God has total, complete free will, but none-the-less cannot or does not violate His perfect, sinless nature.
CBA: Like I said, it’s complicated, but in essence, yes.
A short discussion with a Christian believer
Question: What do you mean when you say “free will.”
Christian Believer Answer: Free will is the ability to make choices without external constraints.
Q: Does God possess free will?
CBA: God has the capacity to make choices, does not answer to any authority, is not limited by any external constraints, and cannot be coerced. God is unconstrained by all natural laws; He in fact established those laws and is sovereign over them. God most certainly possesses free will.
Q: Then, In the same way, is God also unconstrained by moral laws? Since he established those laws, then he must hold sovereignty over them as well, right?
CBA: There are certain things that God is incapable of doing because His perfect and holy nature disallows it. For instance, Titus 1:2 says that God “cannot lie.” God’s perfection prevents Him from lying and identifies an intrinsic property of God’s own character. God cannot be unfaithful to Himself; He cannot break His Word; He cannot be less than perfect.
Q: Wait, what? You mean God is incapable of breaking his own laws even though he is free and unconstrained by anything, because he simply cannot violate his own nature?
CBA: That is correct.
Q: Can a human being choose to sin?
CBA: A human being can choose to sin, but God cannot—or He would not be God.
Q: I’m confused. When it comes to moral choices, human beings have more free will than God?
CBA: It’s more complicated than that. Nothing has the capacity to act outside of or contrary to its nature. Things have the free will to do what they can do, but won’t act contrary to their natures. Free will includes ability and volition. It’s not only that they can’t do something, they won’t if it’s contrary to their nature. For instance, animals are free to wear clothes, but they won’t choose to wear clothes. God does not "choose" to do morally wrong things.
Q: It sounds like you might be saying that God has total, complete free will, but none-the-less cannot or does not violate His perfect, sinless nature.
CBA: Like I said, it’s complicated, but in essence, yes.
Q: Arthur Schopenhauer once said "You are free to do what you want, but you are not free to want what you want." Does that somewhat reflect what you're saying?
CBA: Sounds about right.
Q: Then how was it possible for Adam and Eve, who were supposedly created with perfect, sinless natures, able to violate those natures while in the Garden of Eden?
CBA: Job 36:23 might be helpful here: “Who has appointed Him His way, And who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?”
Q: So this is just another one of those “You can’t understand the ways of God and you'll just have to have faith” issues?
CBA: Yes.
Q: Then how was it possible for Adam and Eve, who were supposedly created with perfect, sinless natures, able to violate those natures while in the Garden of Eden?
CBA: Job 36:23 might be helpful here: “Who has appointed Him His way, And who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?”
Q: So this is just another one of those “You can’t understand the ways of God and you'll just have to have faith” issues?
CBA: Yes.
