Isaiah 45:7 is one of my favorite passages. It is a teaching, I think, not about "free Will", but rather about where evil comes from, and what that means. The first part of the verse expresses a standard dichotomy" Light and darkness. The opposite of light is dark. In "forming" the light, God took the uniform light, which is no easier to see in than uniform darkness, and separated it from darkness, creating contrast, which enables us to perceive the light even better than if it were uniform. The implication is that to make light useful, and to make it a "choice", there needs to be a contrasting alternative. Pretty basic stuff. This stanza, by presenting information we already easily grasp, sets up how we are to interpret the next. Aside form God taking "ownership" for the act described, it is nothing even the least intellectual of us can grasp.
It is the next stanza which is astonishing to me.
Apparently, the opposite of "evil" is not "good", as I supposed, but is in fact "peace". Those of you who own a Strong's will see that these terms are plain, and unambiguously refer to the concepts, not some personification or alternate. It clearly states that God Created Evil. It explains he did so to provide contrast to Peace, like darkness contrasts to light. The implication, I believe, is that we now have a choice. The part that really lights me up is this: I find it much easier to distinguish "peace" (which has outward manifestations) than to distinguish "good" which often is quite dependent on paradigms, perceptions, and knowledge of circumstances and conditions of heart that are not available to me, the chooser).
As I see it, this passage is intended to educate me into making better choices. Why would a God who has already predetermined my every action and outcome give me the illusion of choice?
Indeed, what is the point of the Prodigal Son story if the father in it was completely in charge of the wayward son's every action and choice?
If God had wanted the universe to unfold exactly as he laid it out, it would be made that way, and we would all be compelled to worship Him and obey His commandments. I believe that GOD IS PRO CHOICE, that indeed this is what creation is all about.
God will make the general course of the world follow His plan whether we go along or not, as is His right and within His power as Creator, but the most incredible thing about the God of the Bible is that He imposed on Himself the rule NOT to interfere with the will of His creatures, because to do so would be to void the benefit of their having voluntarily chosen to follow Him.
To paraphrase Screwtape, God wants each of us "little vermin" to become like Him, but at the same time remain "disgustingly" distinct from Him. Evil is empty, and seeks to be filled by consuming us. God is full to overflowing, and seeks to overflow into us without consuming or absorbing us.
I believe in a God who created me in His own image, meaning that I, too, am a creator. I get to create my own path through the world He made and rules. I get to make choices that determine whether my path will be easy or hard, rewarding or taxing, fulfilling or empty. My choices will have an impact on His creation, to be sure, and the truly spectacularly erroneous ones will take no small effort on His part to counteract; nonetheless His will ultimately prevails through the fulfillment of His great plan, whether I help or not.
Do I choose peace? Or do I choose the alternative?
God will allow me to experience the consequences of my choices, but this would be meaningless if my choices were already made for me. Would you like to play a game of football in which you controlled the plays and players for both sides? Where the other team's fumble in the end zone that resulted in the go-ahead safety was scripted by you before the opening kickoff?
Even more meaningless would be the other team for showing up. And the announcers for sounding excited.
In fact, why are those who believe in predetermination, or predestination, even writing about it? They cannot change my mind on the subject, even as I cannot change it, if what they say is true.
That said, I hope they are wrong. In fact, if they are not wrong, there is no need for hope, or dreams, or plans, or even education or discussion. I do not choose to believe them....or at least, I am under the illusion that I choose so.............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and that is why we are all here, as near as i can tell.
