FREE WILL?
REAL OR IMAGINED
Were you asked by God if you wanted to be born saint or sinner? Did
you tell God as you were formed in the womb that you did not want
the effects of sin and death applied to you? If you did not get that
chance then you do not have free will? You have ability to make some
choices, (What ice cream flavor do you prefer? Do you want fries with
that?) but not your salvation which remains under the will of the
Creator God who prepared it for you.
What if certain men decided not to follow God? What if Noah decided
he would not build the ark? According to free will it was Noah’s choice
and not God’s that men would have a future after the flood. If the Free
Will Principle is correct then God’s plan is dependent on the decisions
of men—making all of God’s plan for man subordinate to the decisions
of men. Consider Paul, Galatians 1:13 says that Paul was separated
and called by God from the womb—but he spent his life persecuting
the church. Whose will prevailed—God’s or Paul’s? Acts 9:15
declares that Paul was a chosen vessel of God’s with a purpose to
the Gentiles. Could Paul have chosen not to carry the message to the
Gentiles? If he could have rejected his call then his will prevailed over
God’s plan. The notion that God cannot or will not influence the will of
man to bring him to Himself is an insult to His love and His
omnipotence (Isa. 43:13, John 15:16, Rom. 11:32, 2 Thess. 2:11, 2
Tim. 1:9).
Man was born a slave—a slave to sin (Gal 4:3, John 8:34, Rom 6:6,
16). There is no choice in being birthed in Adam. None of us had a
choice in this condition when we entered this world. We were not
sinners by choice for we were ‘born into sin” being dead in trespasses
and sin (Eph 2:1,5). Man was dead to God, dead to truth, and dead to
reality—the Adamic race was not capable of making a choice or
decision for salvation (Eph 2:2-3) but God was not dead to man. We
were by our nature children of wrath—not sinners by choice but
sinners by nature. We were not born free moral agents we were born
slaves.
God gave man the dignity of choice—not free will. Neither man nor
satan has free will but rather freedom of choice with God more than
able to direct and influence the choices. Man’s ability to make choices
limited by God is not free will. A man does not have sovereignty in his
destiny. Choices are made based on hormonal makeup, sex, time in
history of our birth, our country of birth, and other genetic dispositions.
A choice is made after multiple options are presented—free will is
moving and acting without being prompted from a cause. God holds
us accountable for the choices He has delegated within our authority.
He directs us to conform to choices He has made in His authority.
Authority is always limited by the one who gives it.
Man is totally unable to save himself and to deliver himself from the
bondage of sin because the human spirit is dead from man’s birth.
Man of his own ‘free will’ will never make a decision for Christ (John 5:
40, 3:19, Mt 23:37). Man cannot receive God’s grace unless God
moves him to. We were reconciled when we were enemies not when
we asked Him to save us (Rom. 5:10). Does the sinner open his heart
to God or does God open man’s heart to receive Him (Acts 16:14, Rm.
9:16-18, Gal. 1:15-16)? Is one’s salvation dependent on man—or on
God?
What is the will of man? It is the faculty of choice. Where there is no
preference but complete indifference there is no volition—no will. To
will is to choose between to alternatives. There is something that
influences the will causing a choice to be made. The will cannot be
sovereign because it acts only after a push for a choice is made — a
decision between two or more alternatives. The will is not causative
— but something causes it to choose. Well then, what causes the will
to choose? It is the strongest motivational power which is brought to
bear (pressure applied to choose) upon the will whether it is logic or
reason, voice of conscience, emotions, the whisper of the tempter, or
Holy Spirit.
It is the heart and not the will which governs man. Why does a sinner
choose sin? It is because he prefers it — because his heart is sinful.
It is not the will which makes a sinner chose his way but the heart —
which directs the will.
The notion that God cannot or will not influence the will of man to
bring them unto Himself is an insult to both His redeeming love and
His omnipotence. Now, is the will of God dependent upon the will of
man? It is the will of God moving powerfully and irresistibility upon the
sinner to trust God and realize what has been done in behalf of the
man and not the will of the dead man (John 6:44, 12:32). Because
Jesus died and God through Jesus reconciled the world then He will
draw all men unto Himself. If even a wise man can influence another
man’s will how much more can our All Wise God influence every wise
man?
Do you not think it is ironic that men believe God will not violate man’s
supposed free will to save them all the while God’s will for all men to
be saved goes unaccomplished? In Philippians 2:9-11 regarding every
knee shall bow—have you noticed where those knees are located? It
says of those “in heaven”, “on earth”, and “under the earth”. I have
had many pastors tell me that this is God forcing the knees to bow.
One pastor in particular told me it references the account of the
Roman soldiers placing a spear in front of one knee and behind the
other and twisting the spear forcing the knees to bow. So, is it in this
account only that God’s will is enforced—but He cannot lovingly bend
the will of every man to submission? Why does “churchology” diminish
the will and power of God to flow under the will of men—who were
made in the image of God?
Oftentimes in our study of the character of God, we come up against a
doctrinal wall. It is at this point that we must determine where truth is
found. It is also at this point we come to the conclusion that it is easier
to not “rock the church boat” and be silent than coming to know God
in an entirely new way. But sometimes our heart will win out and we
desire and crave to know God—not just about Him. More often that
not—Church doctrine is for the head while truth is for the heart.
Christians have been taught that it is with THEIR faith they accept the
Lord and are then saved? This concept places the responsibility of
salvation on men and not God. What about the origin of faith? Does
not the Word define who is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb.
12:2, Phil 1:6, John 4:34)? God initiates the process of salvation and
He does what is needed to complete the process also. Even faith is a
gift which we cannot obtain without the mercy and love of God first
giving it to man. It is not OUR faith which saves us but it is the faith
OF Jesus which we receive as an unmerited gift (Gal. 2:16). The
beginning and ending of salvation is all God. Man cannot offer
anything to the process except praise and thanksgiving. God does
more than merely wish for our salvation—He provides it, ordains it,
and ensures it.
| A DIVINE INTENTION The Gospel Without Limits By Michael Clegg THE FREE WILL PRINCIPLE |
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