Some people say that we have a "free will" that is not enslaved to sin. I believe differently and I wanted to post on the subject. Just a few verses that would contradict this belief are: Ecclesiastes 9:3, Titus 1:15, and 2 Timothy 2:25-26. These are all really good but my personal favorite is John 8:44 which says, "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires." It is so simple. This is great because it shows not only the depravity of man, but it also makes you realize how the act of salvation is all about God doing the work. It makes the gospel that much more amazing, and all the more glorious!
All For His Son's Glory!
-Kole
Free Will
Posted by
Kade
Monday, September 15, 2008
16 comments:
It is very simple. Regardless of what others say, the Bible is clear. Man does not have free will. Thanks for the post.
Hmm, interesting idea. I have looked the passages up, and I don’t think that you are interpreting them correctly. I have a tendency to go on and on, so I will not explain how I think you are wrong on each one. Instead I want to ask a different question. How was it possible for Jesus to be tempted by the devil, if humans do not have free will? I think that the reason that God let Jesus be tested was to show people that he does know what we are going through. Th Bible says that Jesus was perfect, he did not do anything wrong, even when he was tempted.
That is my opinion.
Grace,
Lauren
P.S. Sorry that was so long.
anonymous: I think that you are overlooking the most important and key component of the gospel- Jesus was God, is God, and will forever be God. He, although tempted, never sinned, could never sin, or desire to sin, as it is not a part of the nature of God. Man, in the Garden of Eden, had free will, yet this will was exercised against God in that they chose to sin. Therefore, Man lost free will and is in continuous bondage to sin. The only thing that can free one from complete bondage to sin is Christ. We, however will not choose Christ in our sinful state. Christ therefore chose us and changes us.
My opinion is that man has free will. Man has the freedom to choose right and wrong- but will always fail miserably because we are human. That is what makes God's grace so amazing. I agree with what Lauren, and I agree with Regan. We have choice, but we fail. God changes us to free us from our human failure. That is my opinion.
The problem is our nature. Before we are saved we cannot do anything to change ourselves until Christ saves us. We all inherit this sinful nature because we fell in Adam; our representative.
Because of our sinful nature we have no free will; we are bent to sin. Here are some passages:
-John 8:44 says that our wills are bent to the Devil.
-Romans 8:7-8 says we cannot obey god's law.
-2 Timothy 2:25-26 says we were captured by him (the devil) to do his will.
-John 8:34 says we are a slave to sin.
-Titus 3:3 also says we were slaves.
Read these passages, and I would like to know what biblical evidence you have to say that we have a free will.
All For His Son's Glory!
-Kole
We must never seek to base our beliefs on opinion but on scpripture. Thanks for these passages.
Yes Kole. People take the 'freed from sin' a little too far. We aren't free to do whatever we want to when we are saved, because we as christians are now servants of Christ.
Good Post!
Nick
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~Nikki
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Thank you,
~Nikki
Absolutely...
-Kade
I agree 100%!
Thanks for the post.
You Brother in Christ,
~Kaleb~
Kole, I agree with you to an extent. You said "The problem is our nature. Before we are saved we cannot do anything to change ourselves until Christ saves us. We all inherit this sinful nature because we fell in Adam; our representative." I agree. However, I also agree that God gave us a free choice(not necessarily free will).We choose whether to do right or wrong. As humans, we fail miserably and usually do wrong.(Romans 3:23) In Christ however, He gives us strength to follow Him. Still, though we fail. We choose whether we are going to live for Christ or for ourselves (and the devil). Here you could get all wound up in predestination and what-not (which I don't hold to), but that's not the issue. I looked up the word 'free' in my concordance, and I was surprised at how much the Bible speaks to this issue. This is what I found: (These are all from the NIV)
This is actually one you had pointed out, however, I think you should probably look a little closer at the context.
John 8:31-38: To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"
34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father."
And this is another which I believe clearly states that now that we are born again, we are no longer slaves to sin. Instead, we are slaves to Christ.
Rom 6:15-23 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And some more…
Gal 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Gal 5:13
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
So, that is my opinion on the subject. I realize we are probably coming from different directions because of the whole pre-destination thing, but this is what I believe. (I’m not a Calvinist, if you couldn’t tell—I’m a Mennonite). Is there some way in which you disagree with this? Wow that got really long. Sorry about that. This has been challenging and enjoyable for me to write. Wish my essay assignments like this could come so easily.
Smiling for Jesus,
TanyaBeth S
www.xanga.com/laborers2gether4Christ
Well, I believe in pre-destination, but I would like to know what you believe. Please tell what you believe as far as god chosing people to save?
-Kole
Hmm…I’ve never put this into words on paper, but I’ll try my best.
I believe that God wants all people to know Him and have a relationship with Him (2 Peter 3:9). That was His perfect plan in the garden of Eden. Then, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit. Because of that, we are a fallen people. We are separated from God. Then, God sent His son Jesus as our Savior. He offered the gift of life and salvation to everyone (or you might say He chose all of us). (Romans 6:23) He offers it to us, and then it is up to us whether we except or not. He puts the ball in our court, per say. God gives us the choice to choose between Him and Satan, just as we have a choice to choose between doing right and wrong. When Jesus said, in John 3:16, “For God so Loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life”, do you think He would have said “whoever believes” if it was not their decision alone (Same thing in Romans 10:9-10 & 13)? Obviously, the Holy Spirit will move in the heart of the individual and convict them, but other than that, they are held accountable (as are we if we do not tell them the gospel).
I hope that makes sense…it is what I believe.
~TanyaBeth Svo
TanyaBeth Svo, thanks so much for posting again! You just said what I've been trying to figure out how to say! :D
-Lauren
Same here.
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