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[Charles]

If God is all-powerful and all-knowing, isn't He responsible for everything that happens including all sin?

The typical answer to this is that God gave us free will and that makes us responsible for our sin. But doesn't God decide what the rules are for free will? Why couldn't he make it so that we have free will but don't sin? I feel like most people would say that He doesn't do that because it's a logical contradiction, but isn't that what we have in Heaven? Free will without sin? I know God can't be responsible for all sin, but I have a hard time reasoning how that can be the case. Help!

[jimwalton]

> If God is all-powerful and all-knowing, isn't He responsible for everything that happens including all sin?

No. God is described and defined as all-powerful, but the Bible is quite clear on at least two relevant points: (1) God can choose when to use His power and when not. He can use it in degrees, completely, or not at all. The fact that He is all power does NOT show that He is responsible for everything that happens. (2) Many things happen that are not God's doing. There are other spiritual forces at work, humans make decisions and do things, and often God lets nature take its course as He designed it to do. He is not responsible for everything that happens.

> But doesn't God decide what the rules are for free will?

Of course not. Free will has two necessary components: will and freedom. The freedom to make choices belongs to the choosing agent and not anyone else.

> Why couldn't he make it so that we have free will but don't sin?

This idea is self-contradictory and self-defeating. If you're not free to sin, you're not free but rather constrained and contained. It's like saying, "You can have any flavor ice cream you want as long as it's vanilla."

> isn't that what we have in Heaven? Free will without sin?

We will still have free will in Heaven, but we will have completely (by our own free choice) submitted our wills wholly unto God, and therefore we will have free will without sin. That's not something that can happen here on Earth because we have a sin nature.

> I know God can't be responsible for all sin

Correct, He can't be. The fact that He is all-powerful doesn't mean everything that happens is His doing, and the fact that He is omniscient (all-knowing) has no bearing on the issue either. Knowledge is never causative; only power is causative. What I know doesn't make anything happen unless I use power to make it happen. Because I know you are reading this sentence doesn't mean I made you do it. Knowledge doesn't make anybody do anything, except me when I choose to do something. But then it's the doing, not the knowing, that is causative.