Free Will

A doctrine taught by some ministers is that believers don’t have free will. Recently a friend wrote on her Facebook wall, “When love invades your heart, where is the choice, the so-called free will? You turn into LOVE!” I wrote in response, “If Christians no longer have free will, then how come God doesn’t make every one of them take part in free-will offerings?”  

That reminds me of one preacher who had someone tell him, “God makes people do whatever He wants them to do.” This preacher replied, “If that’s true, then how come He won’t make you pay your tithes?” Hebrews 10:25 commands us not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together.” Yet when I’m out evangelizing, I regularly meet Christians who don’t go to church for a variety of reasons.

A believer who truly loves the Lord will want to obey Him in all things including giving, attending church and witnessing. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” But until we die or are raptured, we will continue living in a fleshly body still capable of disobeying God’s laws. Even the Apostle Paul had struggles in this area. He wrote in Romans 7…

15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 

16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 

17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 

19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 

20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

One dictionary defines free will as “the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion.” When a couple exchanges wedding vows, they respond to questions by answering, “I do” or “I will.” If you’re married, I’m sure you didn’t want your spouse to feel coerced into tying the knot with you. True love is a decision. 

The Lord feels the same way about us. Jesus said to the church of the Laodiceans in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Notice He didn’t say, “When everyone hears My voice and opens the door…”  

God made man a free moral agent. Every day He gives us choices regarding His direction for our lives. What will you choose to do?

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” - Deuteronomy 30:19

Freedom of Choice

Occasionally when I ask people if they think they are going to heaven, they respond with something like, “That’s for Him to decide.” What they don’t realize is that man has been given the freedom to choose his destiny. 

Adam and Eve could have chosen to follow God’s instructions not to eat the forbidden fruit but did so anyway. Cain could have chosen not to become bitter about his rejected offering but later murdered his brother Abel. We can choose not to sin instead of using that old Flip Wilson alibi, “The devil made me do it.” Hebrews 11:24-25 says that Moses “…refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.”

Some choices may seem insignificant such as what clothes to wear or where to eat dinner. Then again, our choices can greatly affect the lives of others. Just last night, a pastor I was riding with drove us to Papa John’s where he planned to buy us pizza. Five young people were hanging around outside and I immediately knew I was supposed to witness to them. One of them already knew the Lord. The other four thought they were good enough for heaven. Eventually, they prayed to get born again. My pastor friend then decided to eat at Pizza Hut instead. Our waitress and another customer there got saved. Glory to God!

Apart from salvation, probably the most important decision anyone can make is who to marry. Once I proposed to my then-girlfriend and she accepted. But soon afterward I didn’t have peace inside. Although we mutually agreed to call off our engagement, my premature proposal caused my girlfriend a lot of heartache and pain. It would have been better if I had waited until I was absolutely sure this woman was someone God wanted me to spend the rest of my life with.

One thing that irritates me is when I make plans with someone and that person keeps flip-flopping. God wants us to be decisive. Look at James 1…

6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

As a young believer, I had a hard time making certain decisions because I was afraid of missing God. One thing that helped set me free in this area was a comment I heard by Joyce Meyer, “Sometimes you have to step out to find out.” Since then I have stepped out when I perceived God wanted me to do something but then backed up if I perceived I was going the wrong direction. Colossians 3:15 tells us to “…let the peace of God rule in your hearts.”

A man’s choices will affect his life now and for eternity. Will you choose God’s best for your life?

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live”-   Deuteronomy 30:19