Do we have FREE WILL?

I was recently asked if there was a difference between predestination and free will compared to justification. Here was my answer.

 I see predestination and election in an integrated fashion. The concept of "free will" cannot coexist with the notion of predestination. The Bible does allude to free will in many verses but not in the context of salvation, in my opinion. Paul tells us we are slaves to sin. The concept of a slave contradicts any notion of free.

Paul says we are either slaves to sin or slaves to Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11). What is it about being a slave to sin that suggests any freedom at all. Sure, I am free to brush my teeth and eat an apple, but in the scheme of life, if I am a slave to sin, I have no freedom. I am bound by the tyranny of doing what I do not want to do. Romans 8:28 says God works ALL things together for good, for those who love Him and are called to His purpose.

In Christ Jesus our Lord, as a slave, I have certain freedoms as well. But if I truly understand the gift of God and of the Holy Spirit being firmly rooted in my body - then I am a slave to love and good deeds, not sin. All my deeds are like filthy rags, but God gives us our motivation and our good deeds.

Predestined from the foundation of the world, we know from Paul in Romans 8:29 – God foreknew us (meaning He intimately and personally had a relationship with us) and then predestined us. He called us and then justified us and then will glorify us.

Right there, we see clearly God first calls us - this means to me I was a slave to sin, but He called me first. He is the “first cause”, the initiator. We wait on God, we do not run ahead of Him. It is impossible to run ahead of God if He is sovereign over all things. Is God weak? Is God ever surprised? I think not. To think I did anything to get out of my sinful state is impossible. He called me, I didn't find Him. First, He foreknew me and then He predestined me. Once I was on His list, He called me and THEN He justified me. I was born again when He called me. I was made spiritually alive in Him and then He justified me. He made me righteous in front of God as I await glorification some day. It is beautiful.

To think I had ANYTHING at all to do with my salvation totally contracts scripture. If I was dead, dead, dead, only God could make me alive. My freedom was bound up in my sinful state. I was born a slave to sin. I was not a seeker nor have I ever been a seeker of anything spiritual. I especially was never seeking Christ. Being dead in my sins, how could I ever be looking for God? I was not seeking Him. I was a slave to sin, dead (nekro) in my sin. But now, once alive through the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross, I am NO LONGER a "doulos" - a slave to sin, I am alive in Christ and I am His doulos, His slave. Doulos in the Greek, means we have a permanent relationship of servitude to another. God called me to be His own from the foundation of the world. He foreknew me (proginosko). He recognized me beforehand, previous to me being born. He considered me and purposed to make me His, prior to human history. He did NOT look down the tunnel of time and react because He saw I would chose Him. No WAY!!!  He made a choice prior to my birth. Imagine that, God choose me for His good purpose. It had nothing to do with my goodness. I am His, bought with a price. He regenerated me from being a doulos to sin - having a permanent relationship to sin. He and He alone, pulled me from my sinful state. He resurrected me. I had NO FREE WILL. I was a slave. I was dead spiritually. The Greek word nekro - dead to Christ, refers to a dead body or dead corpse. I was subjected to the passions of sin in my dead body that knew not God. But God, saved me. He raised me from the dead and you as well. And we are now alive in Christ Jesus our Lord. Praise God.

This is important to fully appreciate and understand for two reasons. First, what God has put together, no man can separate. Paul tells us "Nothing can separate us from the love of God." We were His from the foundation of the world and He will hold on to us until we are glorified. So we need not worry about our salvation. Salvation is assured.

The second point is that because we are His from the foundation of the world, and nothing can separate us – we can be bold in our life. We can be bold for Christ. We can stand upright and give an account of what God has done. We do not have to fear man or the repercussions of righteousness. God is our protector and we rest firmly in His arms. Jesus said He will not lose one of His sheep. The all powerful and almighty Father will be faithful to complete what He has started in us.

In this world of insecurity and temptation, it is important for us to know that God is our salvation. God is our warrior. He stands with us against all evil and will protect us from the fiery darts. So put on the full armor of God. The belt of truth, the breast plate of righteousness, the soleplate of the preparation of the gospel, the shield of faith and wield the sword of the Spirit. For through Christ, we can do all things. AMEN.