The Illusion of Free Will

This one is a big one, because it is so foundational to modern-day Christianity. It places the blame on not being saved on the individual, one whom, I might add, was never even given faith to believe in the first place! They never had a choice to. Remember that Jesus said that “no one can come to Me if ever the Father Who sends Me should not be drawing him” (Concordant Literal Translation, hereafter the “CLT¹”). First, before we begin deconstructing the doctrine of human free will, we need to define it. What is the definition of free will? It is the theory that you go through life making decisions completely on your own, and so are absolutely responsible for them. This means that you are free from ALL outside influences, including but not limited to: the current culture that you live in, the way you grew up (did you grow up with both parents in the home, where did you grow up, when did you grow up, etc), your job and coworkers, television, internet, etc. I intend to prove that the greatest threat to human free will is God Himself, and that if you do indeed have absolute free agency, then God does not! For if you can thwart God’s plan with a simple, “No,” then is He really God?? As Job says, “I know that You are able in all things, And no plan of Yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2, CLT, underline mine).

Eph 1:5 says, “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved” (NASB, italics mine).

The doctrine of predestination itself disproves human free will. How? You cannot “free will” yourself to be predestined. He designated some to be “vessels of honor” (2Tim 2:20) before the disruption of the world (that is, before sin entered), according to Eph 1:4. Some translations say before the foundation of the world. Either way, you had no part in it, either good or bad. You weren’t even alive at the beginning of the world, so how could you be? The truth is that God saved you from the foundation of the world via the Cross, both events well before you ever made a decision to come to Christ of your own “free will.” It was all of God, none of us. We are not worthy, but He made some of us worthy in the present time through His Justification. And, He will bring in the rest later, in His timing, which is Perfect! And He will enlist us to do it!

Here’s a sample of what I’ve found of God “stepping on toes” and being directly involved in the lives of humans:

Acts 13:48 says, “Now on hearing this, the nations (Gentiles) rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and they believe, whoever were set for life eonian” (CLT, italics mine). The term “were set” does not imply to me any concept of “free will.” That term is something done to you or for you. Other translations say, “were appointed” or “were ordained.”

In Proverbs 16:9, it's claimed that "Man devises, God directs his steps", but teachers of the NT cry foul—what about my free will? Furthermore, in Proverbs 19:21 it says something similar... "Man devises, but God’s counsel stands."

Isaiah 46:10 reads, "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure".

In Romans 11:32, Paul writes, “For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all” (NASB).

John 6:28 - “Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (NASB, italics mine).

Phil 2:13 - “...for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (NASB).

John 1:10 - “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh (i.e., free will) nor of the will of man, but of God” (NASB).

Phil 1:29 - “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (NASB).

Isa 45:5 - “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil (Hebrew word ra): I the Lord do all these things.

Rom 9:17 - “For the Scripture (Exodus 9:16) says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY REASON I RAISED YOU UP, IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE EARTH” (NASB).

Rev 17:16 - “And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled” (KJV).

Romans 9:1 -

1 The truth am I telling in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifying together with me in holy spirit,
2 That my sorrow is great, and unintermittent pain is in my heart --
3 for I myself wished to be anathema from Christ -- for my brethren, my relatives according to the flesh,
4 who are Israelites, whose is the sonship and the glory and the covenants and the legislation and the divine service and the promises;
5 whose are the fathers, and out of whom is the Christ according to the flesh, Who is over all, God be blessed for the eons. Amen!
6 Now it is not such as that the word of God has lapsed, for not all those out of Israel, these are Israel;
7 neither that Abraham's seed are all children, but "In Isaac shall your seed be called."
8 That is, that the children of the flesh, not these are the children of God, but the children of the promise is He reckoning for the seed.
9 For the word of the promise is this: At "this season" I shall come "and there will be for Sarah a son."
10 Yet, not only so, but Rebecca also is having her bed of one, Isaac, our father.
11 For, not as yet being born, nor putting into practice anything good or bad, that the purpose of God may be remaining as a choice, not out of acts, but of Him Who is calling,
12 it was declared to her that "The greater shall be slaving for the inferior,"
13 According as it is written, "Jacob I love, yet Esau I hate."
14 What, then, shall we be declaring? Not that there is injustice with God? May it not be coming to that!
15 For to Moses He is saying, "I shall be merciful to whomever I may be merciful, and I shall be pitying whomever I may be pitying."
16 Consequently, then, it is not of him who is willing, nor of him who is racing, but of God, the Merciful.
17 For the scripture is saying to Pharaoh that "For this selfsame thing I rouse you up, so that I should be displaying in you My power, and so that My name should be published in the entire earth."
18 Consequently, then, to whom He will, He is merciful, yet whom He will, He is hardening.
19 You will be protesting to me, then, "Why, then, is He still blaming? for who has withstood His intention?"
20 O man! who are you, to be sure, who are answering again to God? That which is molded will not protest to the molder, "Why do you make me thus?"
21 Or has not the potter the right over the clay, out of the same kneading to make one vessel, indeed, for honor, yet one for dishonor?
22 Now if God, wanting to display His indignation and to make His powerful doings known, carries, with much patience, the vessels of indignation, adapted for destruction,
23 it is that He should also be making known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He makes ready before for glory --
24 us, whom He calls also, not only out of the Jews, but out of the nations also” (CLT, bold, italics and underline mine).

Prov 16:1 - The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

Prov 16:9 - A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

Prov 16:4 - The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Prov 16:33 - The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

Lam 3:37 - Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

Rom 11:29 - “…for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (NASB). Once God has you, you cannot escape!

Daniel 4 is a great chapter on debunking the doctrine of “free will.” King Nebuchadnezzar thought that he had free will. He was the king of all of Babylon (which in this time, was the “capitol” of earth – Babylon was a worldwide kingdom!) and he boasted of himself that he had built all of the things of Babylon – its beautiful structures, its culture, etc. Well, that didn’t last long. The Bible says “while the word was still in his mouth,” God took away his sovereignty, and for a time, he was humbled. It says that he became like a wild animal. It was only until he lifted his eyes and acknowledged God, did he “come to his senses,” and praised the Jehovah Almighty!

Pharaoh was another great example! In Exodus, it is recorded that Ramses’ heart “was hardened” against the Jews. By who? It wasn’t Ramses that hardened his heart. God had a part in hardening it – so that He may be able to show His Great Power to him! Want to talk free will? Ask Paul the Apostle about his free will when he met Jesus on the road and was quite literally knocked off his high horse the day that he was converted – and then literally blinded for three whole days! It’s nothing of us, it’s EVERYTHING of HIM!!

 

1 This is a highly accurate translation, and can read online, in its entirety, for free at: https://www.concordant.org/. From that site, you may read the OT and NT, and even order hard copy Bibles!