Is The Will Of Man Really Free?

Question

The Bible describes man as being spiritually dead, 'aliens from the commonwealth', and not even able to become subject to the laws of God (Romans 8). So if this describes our nature, how can the will (desires) of man be free, especially if the choices he makes are based upon what he desires the most in any given situation? Please make note of the fact that I am talking about free will, NOT THE POWER OF CHOICE!!!

Answer 1

I think you made a good point as far as man being spiritually dead. This gives him all the free will he wants, he's still spiritually dead, and will never merit the kingdom of heaven on his own. I think Jesus made that abundantly clear in his parables and teachings about what is required of man in order to be "good" in God's eyes. Simple answer -- it's impossible.

This means that in order for man to be saved, the saving source must be external to himself, it cannot come from within -- it's dead, remember? Therefore, God does have the omnipotence after all to foreknow, predestine, and call his own unto himself. As for the unregenerate, THEY are the robots left in their sins and following their own course to their own destruction. It's God that sets us free, but Arminian thought would have you believing that it's the other way around as far as robots are concerned.

Answer 2

The only power we have that God has given us is the power of Choice, through free will. If we choose to have faith, to believe we are made alive in Christ, we become born-again, meaning that our spirit which was dead to God is now alive, to know God, to know life, to know truth. Our free will is matter of choice. So simple a child can understand it.

Answer 3

When you submit to God, it's not only a choice but an act of free will.

We can choose to sin or not to sin but we must use our free will to go with the "choice."

Our nature is to be selfish and self-centered. Think about it, when we start our lives, we cry and we get fed. We cry and we get our diaper changed. We cry and we get love and attention. We learn from a very young age how to control and manipulate adults for what we need. As we grow, we think the world revolves around us. It's all about me. Me. Me. Me. I. I. I.

When we begin to love others and let go of the selfish, self-centered child...our lives grow...when we choose to love the Lord with our free will...our lives change and grow.

If God took away our free will, we'd all be good little robots. He didn't want that. He wanted to think. He wanted us to love him because we wanted too...not because we had too...

Answer 4

Your will might be burdened by sin but your mind is still free to choose God...if you see your need for him and you make that decision..Nothing can stop you from being born-again

Answer 5

First, I would like to pose some questions. How can you segregate the power of choice from free will? The notion of choice implies that there is more then one option. The notion of power implies the ability to choose between those options, thus mans will is directly involved. Is mans will really free? Well if were arguing whether or not man can make a moral choice to follow Christ, I would argue that it is free. By that definition. If were arguing whether or not man can will to do WHATEVER he pleases, well at that point I believe we've gone off topic.

What is free will? Here is how I define free will. Free will is the human ability to make contrary choices or decide between multiple options. Free will is the power of self-determination. It gives human beings the power to make real moral decisions.

With that definition in mind, let's take a look at Calvinism definition of the Depravity of Man.

Total depravity: that man is touched by sin in all parts of his being: body, soul, mind, and emotions. Man is not capable of choosing good, he is completely depraved.

I believe it was Chuck Missler who uttered these words; "The proof or validation of any viewpoint is does it fit in with the whole council of Scripture."

If at any point our view stands at odds with Scripture, it must be changed and conformed to it. With that, I see a need to allow the Scriptures to define us, not Calvinism. Calvinism states that man cannot accomplish any good deed. The evil nature of sin has corrupted his entire being. If this were true, why would God's Word state this?

Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever "-- Gen. 3:22

Clearly man knows the difference between good and evil ...

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants," Deut. 30:19

Clearly man can make a moral choice between good and evil. Read what Jesus Himself stated about mans ability to discern that which is good...

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:11

Again, we see the contrast between mans present state (evil) and his ability to know that which is good. And so, it is clearly taught from Scripture that man not only knows both good and evil, but that he can also choose between them.

What are some of the implications of believing in Total Depravity?

Without free will, man is not morally responsible for his sin. It's like saying that man is both morally unable to come to God, and responsible for not doing so. Does that sound like the actions of a just God? To say that man has no free will is to say that man cannot participate in a loving relationship with God. Love requires a free will. Otherwise it’s not true love. In order for it to be true love, man must be able to reject God. Therefore, it is at the cost of true love that God was willing to make man with a free will. Calvinism's definition of man leaves him worthless, destitute, and without responsibility. It also makes God into something He is not.

Now the value of something is determined by what another is willing to pay. This is true of anything. Yet, according to Calvinism’s teaching of total depravity, man is so worthless that he is worth saving? There is no worth in man, and that worthlessness was worth the ultimate price, the life of God? Are we so totally depraved and worthless that the most worthy being in the universe would come die for us? I hope you can see how nonsensical these statements are. The truth is, you do have value. And Jesus was willing to pay the ultimate price for you.

The question now arises: Was His sacrifice intended for all mankind?

Christ died for all men: 1 Timothy 2:6
No one comes to Jesus unless the Father draws them: John 14:6
Jesus, when lifted up from the earth, draws all men to Himself: John 12:31
It is God's will for all to be saved: 2 Pet. 3:9
Yet, few are those who find the path to eternal life: Matt. 7:14

I believe that the catalyst between God's will toward man and their entrance into eternal life is human free will. Some may argue that this is putting salvation on man and not on God. This is incorrect, Jesus died first on the cross. His hand reached down first, man is simply reaching back. Man is not seeking God, God is seeking man. I believe this rightly presents the God who is full of love and justice.

G.J.E. Eccles

Answer 6

Does it really matter?

Nothing about the whole predestination/free will argument can ever be measured or proven, and neither philosophical viewpoint actually has any effect on our lives, so the whole tired argument is moot.

There is no way to answer this question with anything except blind supposition.

Answer 7

Free Agency is not Free, no because whatever we choose, there will always be a consequence for it. Consequences arent necessarily bad...

Answer 8

If you're dealing with Christians and Muslims the only "free-will" available is, you're with them or against them.' No further latitude is available.

Answer 9

Choice is evident in your posting. You chose to post out of free will.

Answer 10

don't believe everthing in the bible