Does Free Will imply freedom from God?

There are two meanings of the term “argument”: 1. Being stroppy, and 2. Presenting ideas with the aim to persuade. Unfortunately, there are many occasions where the second disintegrates into the first. In our fallen world, there’s often little one can do about it. We should at least have a decent knowledge of the topic. A…

bography

February 20, 2024

4 minutes

There are two meanings of the term “argument”:

1. Being stroppy, and

2. Presenting ideas with the aim to persuade.

Unfortunately, there are many occasions where the second disintegrates into the first.

In our fallen world, there’s often little one can do about it. We should at least have a decent knowledge of the topic. A good place to start building our house is the foundation: biblical knowledge and intellectual (logical) ability.

When Christians talk of free will, they mean they are free from God, and so able to choose to be born again.

“I’ve made up my mind to turn to you, Jesus, and accept you into my heart. Your pleading is over.” And the angels rejoiced that another soul had opened the door of His heart to Jesus. No more “keep aknockin’ but you can’t come in.-“

The vast majority Christian view is that free will is the most precious gift God has given to human beings. Therefore, God regenerates only those who choose to be regenerated (born again).

Here is C.S. Lewis on “free will”:

“If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata–of creatures that worked like machines–would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they must be free.” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).

This is the flawed position that most Christians hold. These Christians are called Arminians such as John Wesley, Ravi Zacharias and John Lennox, and lately, an anti-Calvinist movement called “Provisionism” (Leighton Flowers).

The antagonist camp is generally called “Calvinists.” Most of the latter also believe in free will, but say that it is compatible with God’s decree and kingly power. They’re closer to the biblical truth but not close enough.

Consider these three scriptures that give the lie to the view that God makes you independent of Him – if only for using your precious free will to decide to be born again of God.

As I said, when “free will” is discussed by most Christian thinkers, it means free of God’s control; disconnected from God.

Hebrews 1:3

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word…”

Thus, God’s glory sustains, holds together all things, including our thoughts and deeds (good and evil) by his power.

(Hebrews, equates the power of the Son with the power of God).

As I write this paragraph, my nurse intervenes to test my blood pressure. I am in a rehabilitation centre recovering from illness. Just at this moment she’s wrapping the contraption around my arm. I tell her that my blood pressure is going to be higher than yesterday, because that’s what happens when you get all excited talking Bible. My pressure increased by ten points.

Colossians 1:17 means the same as Hebrews 1:3.

“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Acts 17:28 expresses the same idea as the two previous verses:

“In him we live and move and have our being .”

If you don’t start with these very simple and unequivocal verses, your ratiocinations on “free will” end up in “free swill.” The fact is that “free will” does not exist in the Bible, that is, you can never be free of God’s power. It’s illogical and unbiblical to say that God lends you his crown – the Holy Spirit is a gentleman – to allow you freely choose Him. If God took His controlling hand off you, you’d cease to exist.

Arminians, it’s nonsense to think that you decided to follow Jesus. Live with it.

What is God’s plan on this earth for Arminians and inconsistent Calvinists? Keeping consistent Calvinists on their toes.

None of my favourite Calvinists such as Matt Slick and James White are as clear and consistent as Colin, whose use of scripture and logic is admirable. It’s a pity he is not more known. He also has a great sense of humour. See his podcast https://consistentcalvinism.podbean.com/

See my related

Free swill: Baa Ram Ewe: Apologies to Babe

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I am a Jew. I live in South Africa. My parents immigrated to South Africa from the Russian Empire when they were children in the early 1900s. I converted to Roman Catholicism at university. I’m now of the Reformed Christian faith. (You’re, you’re, you’re not a Calvinist are you? No I’m a monergist, that is, I had zlich to do with my regeneration). I studied philosophy, French and linguistics, and taught at schools and universities. My main interests are the Jews (of course) and Reformed theology and how the latter relates to Judaism and Roman Catholicism. My favourite writer is Martyn Lloyd Jones. I also learned a great deal from Art Katz, Lewis Johnson and Paris Reidhead. My theology has been mostly influenced by Martyn Lloyd Jones, S Lewis Johnson and John Macarthur.