SpiritualFamily.Net

Q 5. Differentiate between predestination and free will as described in the 5th Epochal Revelation Urantia Papers?

Differentiate between predestination and free will as described in the 5th Epochal Revelation Urantia Papers

According to the Fifth Epochal Revelation (The Urantia Book, or Urantia Papers), free will (also called volition or the power of choice) is a fundamental, God-given attribute of personality, while predestination (or foreordination) is presented in a carefully qualified, non-contradictory way that preserves the genuine sovereignty of creature choice. The papers reject rigid Calvinistic-style predestination (where God arbitrarily decrees eternal fates in advance, rendering human choice illusory) as incompatible with divine love and justice. Instead, they harmonize divine omniscience/foreknowledge with real creature freedom within defined cosmic limits.

Free Will (Creature Volition)Free will is the sovereign right and power of personality to make genuine moral, spiritual, and existential choices, particularly regarding alignment with the will of the Universal Father.

Key points include:

• It is bestowed exclusively by the Universal Father as part of personality endowment. No other being, force, or agency can interfere with the absolute sovereignty of mortal free will in matters of eternal destiny. "No personal creature can be coerced into the eternal adventure; the portal of eternity opens only in response to the freewill choice of the freewill sons of the God of free will."
• Human free will is relative, not absolute. It operates within the limits of what is choosable (e.g., a human cannot choose to be non-human, but can choose to embark on universe ascension because that aligns with the divine will). Volition is finite and time-linked in mortal life, but when aligned with God's will, it gains superfinite qualities and contributes to eternity.
• Choices are real and consequential. Paths of conduct continually open and close; the personality constantly decides. The indwelling Thought Adjuster (Fragment of the Father) respects this sovereignty completely and never arbitrarily influences decisions—adjustments occur only with willing, intelligent authorization.
• Eternal survival and soul growth depend on repeated choices to do the Father's will, leading to self-identification with the Adjuster. This "consecration of will" fixes creature purpose in eternity: "A million or a billion moments makes no difference. Number has ceased to have meaning." Creature choice + God's choice eventuates in eternal realities (fusion and unending service).
• Free will enables genuine experience, growth, and co-creation. It is essential for the evolutionary adventure and even allows for the possibility of self-destruction (cosmic suicide) if a personality persistently rejects reality—though this is rare and tragic.

In Jesus' life (as Michael of Nebadon), free will is demonstrated perfectly: he lived by faith as a mortal, subordinating divine prerogatives to experience authentic human choice.

Predestination (Foreordination and Divine Foreknowledge)The papers use terms like "predestination," "foreordination," and "predestined" sparingly and always in a way that does not negate free will:

• Limits and framework: Creator will and creature will operate within maximum possibilities and boundaries established by the Master Architects (and higher cosmic planning). This "foreordination of these maximum limits" sets the stage for evolution but "does not... in the least abridge the sovereignty of creature will within these boundaries."
• Omniscience and foreknowledge: Ultimate foreknowledge (God's full allowance for all finite choices) does not abrogate volition. Just as a wise adult can accurately predict a child's decision without removing the child's freedom, divine foresight does not determine or coerce creature acts. The Gods wisely limit immature will but leave it "true will" inside those limits.
• Adjuster-level predestination: When Thought Adjusters indwell humans, they bring a "definite and predetermined plan" or "model careers/ideal lives" for intellectual and spiritual development. Humans are "subjects of predestination" in this sense, but it is not foreordained that you must accept this plan. Rejection of any or all of it is fully possible; the Adjuster never forces compliance.
• Destiny through alignment: Every creature and evolving universe that aspires to do the Father's will is "destined" to become a partner in the Supreme. Choosing God's will makes one "predestined" in an experiential, cooperative sense—eternal destiny becomes fixed through free alignment, not prior decree overriding choice.

Key Differentiation and Harmony

• Free will is active, personal, sovereign (within limits), and decisive for eternal outcome. It is the mechanism of growth, faith, and partnership with Deity.
• Predestination (as used) refers to structural foreordination (cosmic limits and possibilities) and divine foreknowledge/planning (e.g., Adjuster ideals), never to the coercive pre-determination of individual choices or fates. It sets the "playing field" without scripting the game or its results.
• No contradiction: Divine omniscience includes perfect allowance for all possible free choices. What a son truly desires (in alignment with the Father) and what the Father wills "will certainly come to pass," but this harmony arises from coincidence of wills, not override. Rigid predestination would make free will meaningless and undermine the purpose of evolutionary experience, personality sovereignty, and the reality of moral choice.

In summary, the Urantia Papers present a balanced view: humans possess real, God-respected free will to shape their destiny through choices (especially alignment with the Father's will), operating within wise cosmic boundaries and divine foreknowledge that in no way nullifies freedom. This framework upholds both the sovereignty of the creature and the wisdom/love of the Creator. The primary discussion appears in Paper 118: Supreme and Ultimate—Time and Space (especially sections on time/eternity, volition, and omniscience/predestination), with supporting material in Papers 5 (God's relation to the individual), 110 (Adjusters), and throughout the revelation on personality and survival.