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There's probably as
many definitions of free will as it relates to the Christian's life as there
are Christian denominations. The main reason for the differences appears to
be caused by the way the individual or denomination views the sovereignty of
God. So what is free will? Free will is man's ability to choose between two
options. Examples of these choices include creation vs. destruction, love
vs. hate, feasting vs. fasting, and salvation vs. condemnation.
Genesis 4:6-7 If you do
what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do what is wrong, sin is
crouching at your door ... God is
explaining to Cain that he has two options and the reward or punishment
associated with each. Understood is the fact that Cain may make the choice.
Isaiah 1:19,20
If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel you will be
devoured by the sword. Again, this shows
the reward or penalty for whatever choice is made.
Isaiah 45:22
Turn to me and be saved all you
ends of the earth ... Some will state
that, taken together with verse 21 (...
who declared it from the distant
past? Was it not I, the LORD?), verse 22
means that God ordained who would turn to him and who wouldn't. However,
given as this statement is, God is giving us a choice which, if we choose
this option, presents a reward.
Ezekiel 18:31,32
Rid yourselves of all the
offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will
you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone,
declares the Sovereign LORD. Verse 31
begins "Rid yourselves" which states an action on our part. We may choose to
get rid of something or keep it. Verse 32 shows that God wants us to make
the correct choice. If we aren't free to choose what we do and God takes no
pleasure in our death, he would force us to make the choices that lead to
life.
Ezekiel 33:11
Say to them, "As surely as I
live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the
wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from
your evil ways! God, here, is ordering
people to make the right choice. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel
refused to obey the order, was punished, returned to God's ways, and then
again disobeyed. This history itself can only create confusion without man
being a free will agent. If there's no choice, then God was tossing Israel
around for no apparent purpose.
Matthew 8:2,3
A man with leprosy came and
knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me
clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing."
Jesus had a choice to make, either he could heal the man or walk away. We
could say Jesus had no choice because he always did what was the right thing
to do. However, this doesn't omit the fact there was still a
choice to be made. Since we're created in the image of God, we share in the
ability to choose among the options for a given situation.
Matthew 23:37 ...
how often I have longed to
gather your children together ... but you were not willing.
Jesus makes it clear his will is to "gather your children together". He just
as clearly states it was their choices that kept the children
apart. The Israelites were the ones who weren't willing.
John 14:15
If you love me, you will obey
what I command. Our choices are based on
how we love Jesus.
I've heard it argued that people can choose when
it comes to almost everything, but when it comes to salvation there's no
choice, that God willed it. Even in the case of salvation, the Bible clearly
states we have options.
Another argument against free will uses God's
foreknowledge of all things and predestination interchangeably. God knows
every choice we'll make in our lives, whether right or wrong. This knowledge
doesn't mean he's forcing us into anything, it simply means he knows the
outcome of our choices before we make them.
Without giving man the free will to choose, then God
couldn't be a loving or just God. If God is the agent of our choices and
punishes us for the wrong choice, he's punishing us for his wrong. An
example would be the nation of Israel in the Old Testament. They turn away
from God many times and are punished. If the Israelites weren't free to
choose to make the choices, if God predestined their turning away, then God
would be applying unjust |
