OpenTheo

Q&A#121 Free Will

Alastair Roberts

Q&A#121 Free Will

March 30, 2019
Alastair Roberts
Alastair Roberts

Today's question: "In your view of human freedom do people ever truly have real multiple options that they chose from or are they always enslaved by their nature to one option and moved toward a good option by the grace of God being in a sense acted upon them? Is it valid, in your opinion, to see the unregenerate as stuck in sinful nature away from God waiting for God's move of grace but that the regenerate are growing into a greater sense of freedom where they truly have options within their nature and God is not directing every move of their life through the giving and withholding of grace? I hope my question is clear enough that you get what I'm asking."

My blog for my podcasts and videos is found here: https://adversariapodcast.com/. You can see transcripts of my videos here: https://adversariapodcast.com/list-of-videos-and-podcasts/.

If you have any questions, you can leave them on my Curious Cat account: https://curiouscat.me/zugzwanged.

If you have enjoyed these talks, please tell your friends and consider supporting me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zugzwanged. You can also support me using my PayPal account: https://bit.ly/2RLaUcB.

The audio of all of my videos is available on my Soundcloud account: https://soundcloud.com/alastairadversaria. You can also listen to the audio of these episodes on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/alastairs-adversaria/id1416351035?mt=2.

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditCopy Link

Transcript

More on OpenTheo

How Would You Convince Someone That Evil Exists?
How Would You Convince Someone That Evil Exists?
#STRask
November 17, 2025
Questions about how to convince someone that evil exists, whether Charlie Kirk’s murder was part of God’s plan, whether that would mean the murderer d
The Resurrection Standoff: Licona vs. Ehrman on the Unbelievable Podcast
The Resurrection Standoff: Licona vs. Ehrman on the Unbelievable Podcast
Risen Jesus
October 22, 2025
This episode is taken from the Unbelievable podcast with Justin Brierly in 2011 when Dr. Bart Ehrman and Dr. Michael Licona address the question: Is t
Could the Writers of Scripture Have Been Influenced by Their Fallen Nature?
Could the Writers of Scripture Have Been Influenced by Their Fallen Nature?
#STRask
October 23, 2025
Questions about whether or not it’s reasonable to worry that some of our current doctrines were influenced by the fallen nature of the apostles, and h
Can You Provide Verifiable, Non-Religious Evidence That a Supernatural Jesus Existed?
Can You Provide Verifiable, Non-Religious Evidence That a Supernatural Jesus Existed?
#STRask
November 10, 2025
Question about providing verifiable, non-religious evidence that a supernatural Jesus existed.   * I am an atheist and militantly anti-god-belief. Ho
How Can I Explain Modesty to My Daughter?
How Can I Explain Modesty to My Daughter?
#STRask
November 27, 2025
Questions about how to explain modesty to a nine-year-old in a way that won’t cause shame about her body, and when and how to tell a child about a pre
Prove to Me That Jesus Is Not a Created Being
Prove to Me That Jesus Is Not a Created Being
#STRask
January 26, 2026
Questions about why we should think Jesus is not a created being, and what it means to say God became fully human if part of being human means not bei
How Do We Advocate for Christian Policy Without Making the Government Interfere in Every Area of Life?
How Do We Advocate for Christian Policy Without Making the Government Interfere in Every Area of Life?
#STRask
November 20, 2025
Questions about how to advocate for Christian policy without making the government interfere in every area of life, and the differences between the mo
How Do I Determine Which Topics at Work Are Worth Commenting On?
How Do I Determine Which Topics at Work Are Worth Commenting On?
#STRask
January 5, 2026
Questions about how to determine which topics at work are worth commenting on, and a good way to respond when you’re in a group Bible study and hear e
Shouldn’t I Be Praying for My Soul Rather Than for Material Things?
Shouldn’t I Be Praying for My Soul Rather Than for Material Things?
#STRask
February 2, 2026
Questions about whether we should be praying for our souls rather than for material things, why we need to pray about decisions, whether the devil can
Is Greg Placing His Faith in the Wrong Thing?
Is Greg Placing His Faith in the Wrong Thing?
#STRask
February 12, 2026
Questions about Greg placing his faith in his personal assessment of which truth claims best match reality rather than in the revelation of God in Jes
Isn’t the Covenant in Scripture Explicitly with Israel and Not the Gentile Nations?
Isn’t the Covenant in Scripture Explicitly with Israel and Not the Gentile Nations?
#STRask
March 12, 2026
Questions about what gives modern Christians confidence that they’ve inherited the Jews’ covenant with God if Scripture explicitly says it was with Is
How Can We Know Who Is Teaching the Same Gospel Paul Taught?
How Can We Know Who Is Teaching the Same Gospel Paul Taught?
#STRask
February 16, 2026
Questions about how we can know who is teaching the same gospel Paul taught, and whether or not Jeremiah 1:5 supports the idea that we pre-existed in
How Do You Justify Calling Jesus the Messiah?
How Do You Justify Calling Jesus the Messiah?
#STRask
December 18, 2025
Questions about how one can justify calling Jesus the Messiah when he didn’t fulfill the Hebrew messianic prophecies, and whether the reason for the v
Why Does the Bible Teach You How to Be a Proper Slave Owner?
Why Does the Bible Teach You How to Be a Proper Slave Owner?
#STRask
November 13, 2025
Question about why it seems like the Bible teaches you how to be a proper slave owner rather than than saying, “Stop it. Give them freedom.”   * It s
Is 1 Corinthians 12:3 a Black-and-White Tool for Discernment?
Is 1 Corinthians 12:3 a Black-and-White Tool for Discernment?
#STRask
October 27, 2025
Questions about whether the claim in 1 Corinthians that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” is a black-and-white tool for disce