Shaun Tabatt of Cross Focused Media interviewed me a short time ago about my book, The Unseen Realm. It was a good interview, as Shaun was quite familiar with the content (here is his interview page). You can watch the interview here:
Readers should know that all interviews (and all readings of the book) are not equal. Some folks read more carefully and are more conversant with the content. There’s irony in getting this link from Shaun today but an Amazon reviewer yesterday felt compelled to warn Calvinist readers that I’m an Arminian (I’m not) and that I have God being surprised at the Fall in the book (which I don’t, and of course don’t believe). But that’s the only way he could parse my view that not everything is predestinated, nor does it have to be, and that without free will we cannot be God’s imagers (that’s an attribute he shares with us). All this is to be expected. A good number of folks who read The Unseen Realm will read it through the lens of their theological system, because that’s what they do with Scripture. I treat terms like Calvinist and Arminian with equal apathy. We need to set aside the filters and just go with what’s in Scripture, despite the tension and discomfort that produces.
Mike,
You’re the first author I’ve ever interviewed twice about the same book. 😉
The Unseen Realm is an amazing book and I’m recommending it to people often. Thanks for struggling through all of that material for the benefit of readers around the world.
funny! Thanks for the encouragement!
No, freedom didn’t originate with Lucifer (talk about a presupposition!). The ABUSE of freedom began there. Freedom is an attribute of God that he shares with his intelligent creations. Like all communicable attributes (theologian speak there), we possess it in a more limited / less exhaustive way than he does. And we of course lack his perfect nature.
The words “free” and “will” together is not consistent with what we see in the Bible. I agree with you in that we possess a limited/less exhaustive freedom, which I would say is certain degree(s) of freedom but that isn’t free-will. That was the point I was making by saying “freedom of choice” or Volition (proper term). Lucifer believed his will was free to do various things we see in Isaiah 14:12-17 but that put him in a state of rebellion (sin). I see the term free-will as absolute, unconstrained, and limitless and that is not how I view man and his relation to God. I understand this is deeply philosophical but I strongly believe it has huge implications in regards to the Gospel message (Galatians 5:1). Also, we “might” be talking about the same thing because you responded with the word freedom instead of free will but I’m not entirely sure and would like to hear more from you on this.