Abstract

This paper addresses the exceedingly complex nature of God's freedom through the defense of Friedrich Lohmann’s article, “God’s Freedom: Free to be Bound.” The role of God’s creation in his own freedom is explored as well as the idea of omnipotence, negative freedom, positive freedom, and gracious autonomy. This paper affirms the idea that God is simultaneously free and bound to his own creation; God’s own self-restriction leads to his eternal glory. God’s freedom to be bound is seen both in the Old Testament Scriptures as well as the New Testament. For example, God permanently tied himself to the world when Jesus was sent to God’s creation to bring salvation due to his gracious autonomy. Jesus brings forth an even more complex exploration of freedom due to him operating in both a human will and a divine will; Jesus’ free wills affirm the concept of God being free and yet tied to his creation.