Free Will

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The world's current sinful state is directly linked to choices made by Adam and Eve. God created mankind in His own image, and that included the ability to choose.</div> <bR> <div> However, free will does not mean that mankind can do anything he pleases. Our choices are limited to what is in keeping with our nature. For example, a man may choose to walk across a bridge or not to walk across it; what he may <I>not</I> choose is to fly over the bridge-his nature prevents him from flying. In a similar way, a man cannot choose to make himself righteous-his (sin) nature prevents him from canceling his guilt (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%203.23" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>Romans 3:23</U></U></A>). So, free will is limited by nature.</div> <bR> <div> This limitation does not mitigate our accountability. The Bible is clear that we not only have the <I>ability</I> to choose, we also have the <I>responsibility</I> to choose wisely. In the Old Testament, God chose a nation (Israel), but individuals within that nation still bore an obligation to choose obedience to God. And individuals outside of Israel were able to choose to believe and follow God as well (e.g., Ruth and Rahab). </div> <bR> <div> In the New Testament, sinners are commanded over and over to “repent” and “believe” (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Matthew%203.2" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Matth"><U><U>Matthew 3:2</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Matthew%204.17" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Matth"><U><U>4:17</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Acts%203.19" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Acts%"><U><U>Acts 3:19</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20John%203.23" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20J"><U><U>1 John 3:23</U></U></A>). Every call to repent is a call to choose. The command to believe assumes that the hearer can choose to obey the command.</div> <bR> <div> Jesus identified the problem of some unbelievers when He told them, “You refuse to come to me to have life” (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/John%205.40" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/John%"><U><U>John 5:40</U></U></A>). Clearly, they could have come if they wanted to; their problem was they chose not to. “A man reaps what he sows” (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Galatians%206.7" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Galat"><U><U>Galatians 6:7</U></U></A>), and those who are outside of salvation are “without excuse” (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%201.20-21" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>Romans 1:20-21</U></U></A>).</div> <bR> <div> But how can man, limited by a sin nature, ever choose what is good? It is only through the grace and power of God that free will truly becomes “free” in the sense of being able to choose salvation (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/John%2015.16" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/John%"><U><U>John 15:16</U></U></A>). It is the Holy Spirit who works in and through a person's will to regenerate that person (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/John%201.12-13" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/John%"><U><U>John 1:12-13</U></U></A>) and give him/her a new nature “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephesians%204.24" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephes"><U><U>Ephesians 4:24</U></U></A>). Salvation is God's work. At the same time, our motives, desires, and actions are voluntary, and we are rightly held responsible for them.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Question: "Is God sovereign or do we have a free will?"</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Answer: </B>When we talk about free will, we are usually concerned with the matter of salvation. Few are interested in whether we have the free will to choose salad or steak for our dinner tonight. Rather, we are troubled over who exactly is in control of our eternal destiny.</div> <bR> <div> Any discussion of man's free will must begin with an understanding of his nature because man's will is bound by that nature. A prisoner has the freedom to pace up and down in his cell, but he is constrained by the walls of that cell and can go no further, no matter how much his will might desire it. So it is with man. Because of sin, man is imprisoned within a cell of corruption and wickedness which permeates to the very core of our being. Every part of man is in bondage to sin - our bodies, our minds, and our wills. <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Jeremiah%2017.9" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Jerem"><U><U>Jeremiah 17:9</U></U></A> tells us the state of man's heart: it is “deceitful and desperately wicked.” In our natural, unregenerate state, we are carnally minded, not spiritually minded. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be” (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%208.6-7" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>Romans 8:6-7</U></U></A>). These verses tell us that before we are saved, we are at enmity (war) with God, we do not submit to God and His law, neither can we. The Bible is clear that, in his natural state, man is incapable of choosing that which is good and holy. In other words, he does not have the “free will” to choose God because his will is not free. It is constrained by his nature, just as the prisoner is constrained by his cell.</div> <bR> <div> How then can anyone be saved? <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephesians%202.1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephes"><U><U>Ephesians 2:1</U></U></A> describes the process. We who are “dead in our trespasses and sins” have been “made alive” through Christ. A dead man cannot make himself alive because he lacks the necessary power to do so. Lazarus lay in his tomb four days unable to do a thing to resurrect himself. Christ came along and commanded him to come to life (John 11). So it is with us. We are spiritually dead, unable to rise. But “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%205.8" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>Romans 5:8</U></U></A>). He calls us out of our spiritual graves and gives us a completely new nature, one undefiled by sin as the old nature was (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/2%20Corinthians%205.17" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/2%20C"><U><U>2 Corinthians 5:17</U></U></A>). God saw the desperate and helpless state of our souls, and in His great love and mercy, He sovereignly chose to send His Son to the cross to redeem us. By His grace we are saved through the gift of faith which He gives us so that we can believe in Jesus. His grace is a free gift, our faith is a free gift, and our salvation is a free gift given to those whom God has chosen “before the foundation of the world” (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephesians%201.4" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephes"><U><U>Ephesians 1:4</U></U></A>). Why did He chose to do it this way? Because it was “according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace” (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephesians%201.5-6" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephes"><U><U>Ephesians 1:5-6</U></U></A>). It's important to understand that the plan of salvation is designed to glorify God, not man. Our response is to praise Him for the “glory of His grace.” If we chose our own salvation, who would get the glory? We would, and God has made it clear that He will not give the glory due to Him to anyone else (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Isaiah%2048.11" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Isaia"><U><U>Isaiah 48:11</U></U></A>).</div> <bR> <div> The question naturally arises, how do we know who has been saved “from the foundation of the world”? We don't. That is why we take the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, telling all to repent and receive God's gift of grace. <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Second%20Corinthians%205.20" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Secon"><U><U>Second Corinthians 5:20</U></U></A> tells us we are to be pleading with others to be reconciled to God before it is too late. We cannot know who God will choose to release from their prison cells of sin. We leave that choice to Him and present the Gospel to all. The ones who come to Jesus He “will in no way cast out” (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/John%206.37" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/John%"><U><U>John 6:37</U></U></A>).</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Question: "How does God's sovereignty and mankind's free will work together in salvation?"</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Answer: </B>It is impossible for us to fully understand the relationship between God's sovereignty and man's free will and responsibility. Only God truly knows how they work together in His plan of salvation. With this doctrine, probably more so than with any other, it is crucially important to admit our inability to fully grasp the nature of God and our relationship with Him. Going too far to either side results in a distorted understanding of salvation. </div> <bR> <div> Scripture is clear that God determines who will be saved (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%208.29" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>Romans 8:29</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20Peter%201.2" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20P"><U><U>1 Peter 1:2</U></U></A>). <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephesians%201.4" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephes"><U><U>Ephesians 1:4</U></U></A> tells us that God chose us “before the creation of the world.” The Bible repeatedly describes believers as the “chosen” (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%208.33" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>Romans 8:33</U></U></A>, <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%2011.5" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>11:5</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephesians%201.11" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephes"><U><U>Ephesians 1:11</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Colossians%203.12" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Colos"><U><U>Colossians 3:12</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20Thessalonians%201.4" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20T"><U><U>1 Thessalonians 1:4</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20Peter%201.2" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20P"><U><U>1 Peter 1:2</U></U></A>, <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20Peter%202.9" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20P"><U><U>2:9</U></U></A>) and the “elect” (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Matthew%2024.22" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Matth"><U><U>Matthew 24:22</U></U></A>, <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Matthew%2024.31" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Matth"><U><U>31</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Mark%2013.20" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Mark%"><U><U>Mark 13:20</U></U></A>, <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Mark%2013.27" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Mark%"><U><U>27</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%2011.7" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>Romans 11:7</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20Timothy%205.21" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20T"><U><U>1 Timothy 5:21</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/2%20Timothy%202.10" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/2%20T"><U><U>2 Timothy 2:10</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Titus%201.1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Titus"><U><U>Titus 1:1</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20Peter%201.1" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/1%20P"><U><U>1 Peter 1:1</U></U></A>). The fact that believers are predestined (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%208.29-30" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>Romans 8:29-30</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephesians%201.5" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephes"><U><U>Ephesians 1:5</U></U></A>, <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephesians%201.11" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Ephes"><U><U>11</U></U></A>) and elected for salvation (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%209.11" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>Romans 9:11</U></U></A>, <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%2011.28" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>11:28</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/2%20Peter%201.10" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/2%20P"><U><U>2 Peter 1:10</U></U></A>) is clear.</div> <bR> <div> The Bible also says that we are responsible for receiving Christ as Savior. If we believe in Jesus Christ we will be saved (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/John%203.16" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/John%"><U><U>John 3:16</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%2010.9-10" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>Romans 10:9-10</U></U></A>). God knows who will be saved and God chooses who will be saved, and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. How these facts work together is impossible for a finite mind to comprehend (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Romans%2011.33-36" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Roman"><U><U>Romans 11:33-36</U></U></A>). Our responsibility is to take the gospel to the world (<A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Matthew%2028.18-20" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Matth"><U><U>Matthew 28:18-20</U></U></A>; <A HREF="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Acts%201.8" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.logos.com/passage/niv/Acts%"><U><U>Acts 1:8</U></U></A>). We should leave foreknowledge, election, and predestination up to God and simply be obedient in sharing the gospel.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>This information has been used with permission from GOTQUESTIONS.ORG - see copyright, waiver & release details below .</B></div> <bR> <div> This particular pasage minus the brief description & picture at the top which I have added can be found in its original form by clicking this link : -</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.gotquestions.org/free-will.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.gotquestions.org/free-will.ht"><U><U>http://www.gotquestions.org/free-will.html</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.gotquestions.org/is-God-sovereign.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.gotquestions.org/is-God-sover"><U><U>http://www.gotquestions.org/is-God-sovereign.html</U></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.gotquestions.org/sovereign-free-will.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.gotquestions.org/sovereign-fr"><U><U>http://www.gotquestions.org/sovereign-free-will.html</U></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> <A NAME="copyright"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></FONT><B>Copyright Policy:</B> While all of the material on the GotQuestions.org website is under copyright protection, the only purpose of our copyright is to make sure people copy it right. 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