What About Free Will? By J.D.

It has been said that unless mankind has free will, we are nothing but robots and if we are nothing but robots, then God cannot get any satisfaction from our submission and love? This becomes the main rationale for excusing God from responsibility for eternally damning anyone.

It is said that God doesn’t send anyone to Hell but that we choose to go there by rejecting Jesus.

Let’s look at the evidence.

I see men in prison, who exercised their free will, but it conflicted with the will of others, and so their free will was severely limited by other men. Prison is seldom a free will choice, but is actually the result of other “free will” choices that were not acceptable to a more powerful system. How many people in prison would gladly leave if the doors were opened for them? Would it be fair to say that ninety percent would of their own free will leave prison if allowed to? We actually have a very humane prison system, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some chose to stay, “Three hots and cot” is the saying I’ve heard some of them say. Take away the three meals and the laundry service, the rest rooms, showers and the beds. Now how many would stay of their own free will? Perhaps a few mentally disabled? Now create a hostile environment, say, cause the temperature to rise above 140 degrees fahrenheit . Are any still remaining of their own free will? Not likely.
So what are we saying? Aren’t we really saying that people go to hell because they made a wrong choice? Nobody is going to Hell by their own free will to remain forever. The only way anyone could do that is to be mentally deranged, and God is the one who distributes mental capacity. So let’s explore the idea that people go to Hell for eternity for making a wrong choice. Does it not follow that for some to go to eternal hell for making a wrong choice, that the rest must have made a right choice? This scenario requires a right choice to get to heaven. True? Jesus told His disciples, “Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,. Joh 15:19 … I have chosen you out of the world…Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Let these clear words of Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, sink in. Go ahead, read this passage again carefully.

Predestinated – this is a loaded word. Our destination was already worked out by God Himself without our help in any way, shape or form. What is the destination mentioned? Adoption by Jesus unto Jesus himself! According to what? Our choice? NO! According to the good pleasure of HIS will. Wherein we have been accepted because of our right choice? NO! Wherein HE HATH MADE US ACCEPTED! Redemption through our good choice? NO! Through HIS Blood.

{If anyone believes that they are saved by their choice, they are somehow missing the clear teaching of Scripture and are in danger of being resisted by God. Our salvation is not by our will, not by our choice, not by our merit or work, lest any man should boast. It is a gift that is wholly unearned, undeserved and to think otherwise is pride. We are assured that God resists the proud.}

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: Here we have the assurance that God has made known exactly what His will is... His will that HE has purposed to accomplish! What is it??? That in the dispensation of the fulness of times ... that is at the end of time...he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him... Here we have God's will stated clearly enough along with the assurance that it is His purpose. Do you doubt His ability to accomplish His will? Is He like a mushy parent who won't assert His will to the destruction of His children? That is a very sad picture of God which contradicts the next verse: being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:


I see children squabbling over a game or toy each attempting to exercise their free will, which is conflicting with the free will of their companions. Again, the exercise of free will is limited by the impact it has on others of another will. When Billy needs the only remaining red lego block to finish his space station, and Jill see’s the same block as essential to the assembling of her house, one must yield. Both cannot have their will. (Isn’t this the source of most of the conflict in the world since the beginning of time?) Conflicting wills. The North didn’t “want” slavery, the South wanted the slave system to continue. Hitler wanted to control the world, the allied forces didn’t want it Hitlers way.
I see children, whose free will is being limited by their parents because their parents love them and want the best for them. No, you can’t pierce your tongue; No, you may not get drunk; No, I insist that you do your chores; Put down that computer game; Turn off the T.V.; Eat your dinner; Don’t hang with that crowd, etc. Although all children are given free will, wise and loving parents guide their children to make wise choices.
What happens when one persons free will conflicts with another persons? Both cannot have their will. Either the stronger asserts his or her will on the weaker, or the stronger compromises his or her own will because they perceive that the weaker one has a better idea, or sometimes the stronger allows the weaker to have his or her will in order to allow the consequences of that choice to become the teacher. “Give them enough rope and they will hang themselves.”

Yes, we have all been given “free will” and it comes from God. However, our free will is never without limitations. We may however, choose to reject God, disregard Jesus, curse God, reject our parents guidance, poison our minds, maim our bodies, and any number of things of this nature all of which bring consequences. Another word for consequences is judgments.

For instance, we may choose to reject our parents caution, and place our hand flat on the hot iron. Free will! The result is blistering pain. Most of God’s creatures conform their will at that point and purpose never to intentionally do that again.

The power of God is not to take away our free will, but to bring appropriate consequences when we violate His will that cause our will to be conformed to His better will.

Because we have a free will, God has designed judgments, that we all might eventually be conformed into His image, with our free will intact. To say that we must be allowed to have free will, that we be not robots is reasonable enough, but to say that God must allow us to continue in self destructive behavior, and that He, as a loving parent is not wise enough to prepare judgments that will ultimately turn us to Him, means that HE CANNOT HAVE HIS will.

Yes, God has free will too!

If anyone has free will it is God and He says He will have his way. Therefore, we must acknowledge that even though God has clearly given free will to us, He is most certainly able to refine us till our will becomes the same as His. Every knee shall bow. Yes all of His free will created ones shall willingly come to the point where they, without reservation, say with Jesus, not my will but thine, or to phrase it another way “Jesus is Lord”, and thereby become blessed forever.

Since our salvation has nothing to do with our free will, it follows that the judgment of Hell also has nothing to do with our free will. God, as a loving parent, has designed all His judgments with the purpose of conforming us to His will, which will be our deliverance. To say that God will send anyone to eternal torment, is to contradict in so many ways, the character of God, the will of God, the power of God and the Love of God.

Why do I think that this topic is worth the time I spend writing about it? Simply because it deals with our understanding of God himself. Ro 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God,

The false doctrine of Eternal Damnation is blasphemous to God and to Jesus. It teaches that Jesus did not accomplish the will of His Father. That God is not unchangeable. That God is not Love. That God is not smart enough or powerful enough to win our wills to willing submission to Himself. It screams out that LOVE FAILS. It does not glorify God as God..

This is the root of the most hideous sins which are prevalent in "Christianity" today. Read Romans 1:21 to the end of the chapter.

Change the way you think! Give God the Glory Due Unto His Name! Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free!

Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints...