Christianity Oasis Forum

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awesome study!!!

FREE WILL
CHRISTIANITY OASIS HAS PROVIDED YOU WITH THIS FREE WILL STUDY. FREE WILL IS SOMETHING GOD GIVES US ALL. FREE WILL IS THE ABILITY TO MAKE CHOICES. LET US SEEK AND FIND THE TRUTH OF FREE WILL TOGETHER, SHALL WE?

There is a question in the minds and hearts of many Christians ...

Do we, as Christians have Free Will

OR

Are all of our Choices pre-determined?

In other words ... Do we have the freedom to choose or are our choices made for us by cause, circumstance and external factors leading to a destiny already planned out for us?

This ideology that there is a pre-determined plan for our lives and we are just sojourning down this pre-determined path is what is titled by many as Determinism.

You see ... We Christians believe that God is omniscience or all knowing and therefore knows what is going to happen before it does. So He has determined what is to be.

We believe this because He has prophesied future events throughout the Bible.

Isaiah 46:9-10
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:


It is obvious that God DOES know what will be in the END.

Sooooooo, the question becomes ...

Can Free Will exist on a predetermined path?

Many Religious researchers, like to ask ...

IF God has already determined what is to be, how is it that humans have Free Will ... Which is the ability to FREELY CHOOSE to do our own will.

WELL I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU ...
WHY MUST IT BE ONE OR THE OTHER?

Is it because mankind's limited carnal mind has such limited Spiritual insight? Why do some tend to put God in a lil box and limit Him to their understanding?

WHAT IF ...

FATE is the result of our day to day choices that we make by applying our free will, which our Lord allows us to use ...

BUT

DESTINY is where we will be in the END and God knows that outcome.

Let's be honest ...

God DID give man Free Will to make their own Choices from the start ...

Adam and Eve were given Free Will.

Genesis 2:16-17
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.


This reveals that God commanded that they NOT do something and yet said IF they CHOSE to do so, they would suffer consequences of said CHOICE.

Well ... We ALL know that they DID exercise their FREE WILL and CHOSE to eat from the TREE.

Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.


Their CHOICE ... Has affected every human born from that day on.

Due to this Choice made by the first man and woman ... The Sin is now in the flesh of all mankind and when we are born, we are destined to death ...

Romans 5:12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.


UNLESS we make the CHOICE to believe in Jesus. When we become Christians, we are REBORN and receive Salvation and Eternal Life. This New Covenant of Grace ... Has the destiny of death made void by the Blood of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.



So Adam and Eve DID have FREE WILL and their CHOICE did have consequences that changed the DESTINY of all humans ...

BUT ... GOD has given us another way to return to the original predestined path before Adam and Eve's CHOICE altered the destiny ...

BUT ... We must use our Free Will yet again and CHOOSE to believe in Jesus.

Another Example ... God promised Abraham a son would be conceived by Sarah.

BUT ... Sarah and Abraham utilized their Free Will and CHOSE to take matters in their own hands.

Genesis 16:2
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.


The chain of events resulting from their exercising Free Will and their CHOICE had another bloodline created through that child (Ishmael) which are still warring with the Jewish people to this day.

Of Course God DID keep His promise to Abraham and Sarah bore a child named Isaac.

Even Angels have Free Will ...

Genesis 6:2
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.


There were also Freewill offerings

Leviticus 22:18-23
Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering; Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you. And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein. Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD. Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.


Deuteronomy 23:23
That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.


Ezra 3:4-5
They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required; And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD.


And what of the Free Will offerings "of the mouth" ...

Psalms 119:108
Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments.


Free Will to CHOOSE righteousness or wickedness

Ezekiel 33:18-19
When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.


The New Testament is also filled with parables of Jesus which reveal this Free Will where man is given the ability to CHOOSE.

Here is but one example ...

Matthew 22:2-14
The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.


Many are called but few are chosen ...

Because few will CHOOSE.

Man must be able to CHOOSE and to do so WILLINGLY.

Philemon 1:14
But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.


Every aspect of Christianity, we are asked to WILLINGLY CHOOSE to act.

2 Corinthians 9:7
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.


People will have Free Will to CHOOSE ... Right up to the End of Times.

Revelation 9:20-21
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.


Then there are those who exercise their Free Will to serve the Lord and even CHOOSE to die for Him.

Revelation 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.


Still believe we do not have Free Will to choose?

Then why does the Lord say that those who overcome will not have their names BLOTTED OUT of the book of life?

Revelation 3:5
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before His Angels.


Think about it ... If we did not have Free Will, there would be no reason for judgment because if our path was predestined AND we did not have Free Will ...

Why would we be punished?

Unless the CHOICE was ours?

Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.


So the judgment is based on CHOICES made.

We DO have Free Will ... And we are to CHOOSE the right path.

And
whosoever
WILL

Revelation 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.






Take care and have a SON-derful day