If you believe in free-will, how do you explain Romans 9:18?

Question

"Therefore God has mercy on whom He has mercy and He hardens whom He wants to harden"

Answer 1

Same chapter, a few verses down:

32Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

33As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Answer 2

First, this verse is not referring to our eternal salvation or even our everyday thoughts & actions.

The first part reads: "God has mercy on..." And who are those people that God bestows His mercy upon? John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world..." He has chosen to extend his mercy to all.

Who then does God "harden"? He hardens those whose reject His mercy, and harden their wills against Him. How? By "withholding" the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. God does not randomly pick-n-chose some to be saved. A person who receives God's gift of mercy is determined by a heart of faith. Those who are hardened have rejected grace via their unbelief.

Answer 3

This is a paradoxical statement. It seems contradictory when it is not. God gives us the choice to do what we want, but if things get out of hand he will chastize his children, and when we make just some mistakes here and there, He will have mercy . (it's based on how bad things get) It's like government. We have freedom in the U.S. but if we break the law there are consequences based on how bad things get. If I speed, the law will sometimes be merciful but if I keep speeding and get pulled over 10 times in a year, I'm probably going to get a much worse punishment.
I hope it helped,
Christi

Answer 4

Boy is that taking something out of context. Your answer is in the next two verses. Your verse is talking about Pharoh being the way he is. God made him that way but he had the choice to follow what he thought or let the Isrealites go free.

Mark 9:14-20

14Are we saying that God is unfair? Certainly not! 15The Lord told Moses that he has pity and mercy on anyone he wants to. 16Everything then depends on God's mercy and not on what people want or do. 17In the Scriptures the Lord says to Pharaoh of Egypt, "I let you become Pharaoh, so that I could show you my power and be praised by all people on earth." 18Everything depends on what God decides to do, and he can either have pity on people or make them stubborn.



God's Anger and Mercy
19Someone may ask, "How can God blame us, if he makes us behave in the way he wants us to?" 20But, my friend, I ask, "Who do you think you are to question God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why he shaped it the way he did?

Answer 5

God is in control. Either he causes things to happen or he allows things to happen. If you try to live a Godly life God builds a wall of protection against Satan around you as stated in the book of Job. In that way God rewards you with his mercy. But if you don't even try to live a Godly life and don't care God removes that wall and Satan can get at you and it is actually He that hardens your heart. And He is very good at it. swindled

Answer 6

That can define God giving amnesty to Atheists who are good people and condeming some Christians to hell because of what they do or follow in life.

God can do anything God wants and God's justification is God's own will!

Just remember that if you get a divorce or follow the teachings of PAt Robertson or JErry Falwell. God may not chose to LIKE what you do and who you follow and may not let you into heaven but might let an Atheist who calls god Sky Daddy and says the Bible is Fiction into heaven because THEY HELP THEIR NEIGHBOR selflessly and are good and kind and never have an ill word to say about anyone.

That's up to God and YOU, I, Jerry, Pat, Billy Graham and the POPE have NO say in the matter, because NONE OF US are God!

Answer 7

No one who believes in free will, will understand what you're saying. There will always be some justification for man's usurpation of God's sovereignty, toning the Almighty down to sub-human level in order to control Him. The entire tone of the Bible agrees with that verse, the "free will" verses quoted are simply Man not knowing who is written in the Book of Life, illustrating his frailty. Day-to-day decisions? Sure. But nothing to be desired, man has a sin nature with only one destination if left to his own choices -- and it ain't Heaven.

Answer 8

Despite all their claims, I honestly believe that the bible is totally antithetical to the concept of free will. Since all thing happen by the will of Lord, and all will unfold according to His plan, then every action by every person must be a result of His choice and no one Else's. It is because I believe in free will that I am not a Christian.

Answer 9

Easy. There are 66 books in the Bible. Don't try to build a doctrine, or destroy one just on this one verse. Take in the whole counsel of God. Look at every verse pertaining to free will, or election, or whatever topic you choose.

Answer 10

The bible can not be taken litterally. To udnerstand it one must read between the lines.