Free will
Yes, God gave us our own will to choose what we want to do, say, and believe.... to choose how we will live these short lives we are given on earth. God did not want puppets who loved Him because they had no other choice. He didn't want birds in a cage or fish in an aquarium who were unable to leave Him and pursue their own lives without His care and protection. None of us want our spouse and/or children to love us because they have to. That is not really love at all, is it?
So God created us to be able to choose Him or choose the Devil. There are no other choices, just those two. Many people might say that just because they don't follow Jesus doesn't mean they follow Satan, but that's a lie from the pit of hell. There is no gray ground. Jesus said you're either with Him or against Him.
He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. Matthew 12:30
And if you're against Him, they you are with Satan, whether you know it or not. In this world, you're going to serve someone. God or Satan. And if you're not with God, then you are with the god of this world. "But I serve only myself!" some might say. I don't answer to anyone." Really? Do you know the motto of Satan's church? Do what thou wilt. In other words, Satan says go ahead, do whatever you want, whatever feels good. So, if you are serving your own selfish desires, you are following Satan. Not to mention that on judgement day when you stand before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He's not going to care one bit if you didn't think you were serving Satan. He's not going to care one bit what you think or don't think. He's only going to care if you followed and trusted Him and the blood He shed on your behalf.
Which brings me to why Free Will is the Worst Gift to mankind. Our free will can either lead us to an eternity in heaven with God (best gift ever!) or our free will can lead us to an eternity in torment in hell. Believe me, there are days I wish we didn't have free will, especially when I'm concerned about people I love who have not made the right choice.
That's why our Free will is both the best and worst gift God gave to mankind.
And yet, even after we have put our trust and faith in Jesus, that darn free will can cause us to say and do things we know are wrong. Thank God, he made a way for us to quickly repent and be forgiven. As we grow in our walk with Jesus, hopefully, we make less and less mistakes as we are transformed into His image. However, if we let things go down the wrong path far enough, that free will can even cause us to turn away from the Lord who saved us and put our eternity in great peril.
You see God did not take away our free will once we got saved! Quote me one verse in the Bible that says that. Even after we receive and trust in Jesus, we have the choice to
- Submit to Him, follow Him, obey Him and love Him
- Live a lukewarm Christian life by pleasing ourselves first and not fully submitting to the Lord
- Walking away from the Lord altogether
For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” 2 Peter 2:21-22
So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Revelation 3:16
But, you may say, the Bible says, I'm sealed unto the day of Redemption I can't be unsealed, right?
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
In that verse, the Word translated "unto" or "for" in some translations of the Bible is the Greek word eis which translated means:into, unto, to, towards, for, among. It is most commonly used in the New Testament as the word into or toward. In other words, it projects a future event.
Besides, the rest of Scripture confirms that one can walk away from the Lord. I've posted about this many many times. Yes, we still have free will and the choices we make, even after getting saved, are vitally important.
As we approach The Tribulation, the more I study the time period, the more I realize that the great battle for our souls will no longer be hidden behind a veil from mankind but will be out there in the open where a clear choice can be made. People will know there is a God who created us and they will know there is a devil, who will appear like an angel of light and proclaim himself to be the good guy and God to be the bad guy. The free will choice will be evident to all. Ignorance will no longer be a good defense. People will have to choose which one, God or Satan is telling the truth. We will be right back in the Garden of Eden where Eve had to make that fateful choice to either believe God or the snake. She made the wrong choice, which is why we are in the mess we are in today!
We are at the cusp of the Tribulation. Signs abound all around us. If you can't see them, then you don't know your Bible or your God. Yet as long as we are here and we have free will, the devil will come after us with his lies. Recognize them for what they are. Stand strong in these last minutes.. and pray for God to lead our loved ones to Jesus.
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44
Right on target. There are only two teams. It has always been about which side you're on. And there's no sitting on the fence because Satan owns the fence. Choose wisely and never look back. As for Eve, I tend to cut her a little slack. She had never been lied to before. She didn't even know what a lie was. Really, her innocence was stolen...like so many of us. However, her sin was that she doubted God. And that will be ours at the time of choosing. Will we believe in God's promises or will we doubt Him and His word? When I coach people in writing, I go through the three act structure and how the Bible follows it perfectly. We are at the 75% mark...the major setback if we doubt God...or we move to victory if we don't. I choose victory.
ReplyDeleteSatan owns the fence! I love that, Katy! Also I never connected God's story with story arc structure.. but you're right! Who do we think invented the 3-act structure? God is the best story teller of all. Blessings.
DeleteGreetings in Christ our Lord,
ReplyDeleteYeah, love the devils fence ! Like warm fence sitter. Makes me think of the old saying, if you dont stand ( I like to say; make a stand) for something, you'll fall for anything ! And yes MaryLu that is because people dont read their bibles. It's to much work to do a proper study, when they can just turn the tv on and watch the devil being preached on most any channel with a bowl of popcorn and a coca cola ! While I was reading I kept picturing Joshua standing on a high place and bellowing out " Choose ye this day who you will serve". I dont think scripture mention how many walked away. Probably didnt want to reveal the evil in their heart in front of everyone. Here is a scripture I love when people say " well how do I know the bible is true"?
Romans 1: God’s Wrath against Sin
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.
Thank you MaryLu, may our Lord and Holy God reward your faithfulness !
Romans 1 is a very sobering passage, isn't it? Man is without excuse. It shows the levels of depravity... like stepping stones down to hell itself. but yes! If people would only read their Bibles!! not just read, but Study. How do we know the Bible is true? Is there any other book in the world that has 100% accuracy in all its predictions for the future? Is there any other book that can pinpoint the exact time and date Jesus would arrive in the world and then be crucified? (Hundreds of years before it happened?) Anyway I could go on... But you're right. It's so much easier to sit in front of the TV or go to the club and be entertained. Sad. So sad
DeleteAnd here's a little extra to make you smile. I was listening to a commentator on 1 Cor 15. He said they did a study on it at his church. When he quoted the scripture " we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed", a baby in the audience cried out !, and everyone busted out laughing !!! :)... He said the next time we went to the nursery, someone had made a banner and hung there with that portion of script !
ReplyDeleteThat made me laugh, Joe! Thanks. Love it!
DeleteFree will... reminds me of the time my granddaughter told me that when she was younger, she felt like she was "forced" to believe in God and go to church. She did not like being "forced", so she walked away from God, the Bible, and believes in nothing...there is no God. She will not hear anything else. I have tried. It makes me sad, broken hearted.
ReplyDeleteKathy, this happens to a lot of kids raised in Christian homes, even pastor's kids! My sister is this way too. She felt it was forced on her as a child. Now, she steers clear of Jesus. Anyway, there is always hope with God. His arm is not too short that it cannot save! He is mighty to save! Just keep praying for her!!
DeleteBingo Marylu! On target as always. It's been a minute since I have been on here.
ReplyDeleteI have a 24 year old son who just moved back home. Sadly, he has started from the Lord due to , I believe, disappointment with the church. After he graduated from college, he moved to the Dallas area. He went to a church that he did not vet very well. 5 months after attending the church, being active in the young adult group, and going to men's Bible studies, he found out through a sermon that the church believes in predestination. He was disillusioned. We encouraged him to find another church, but to make sure he reads thru their doctrinal statements. He never did attend another church there. He ended up moving back home. He has been home for 3 weeks now and has not been to church yet. One weekend he was out of town., Next Sunday, he going to theme park to meet up with friends. I'm praying that a week from Sunday he will go. We have an active young adult group I've told him about. They want to meet him.
Very disappointed. Wondering if my son is truly saved. His relationship with God seems to be no longer important to him. And yes, I pray for him everyday. The verse that the Lord puts into my mind is Proverbs 22:6, "Train a child in the way he should he should go, and he will not depart from it." I cling to that promise.
Thank you Marylu!
I pray you have a great week.
I'm so sorry Barbara. Believe me, I can relate. My own son, now 42, claims to be an atheist... and is ruining his life with bad decisions. As a mother, it is heartbreaking. This was recently sent to me by a friend. Check it out. I hope it blesses you as much as it did me. https://www.reviveourhearts.com/blog/6-truths-to-cling-to-while-youre-praying-for-your/
DeleteThank you so much! ❤️
ReplyDelete