2010 - Oceanside, CA
Perhaps you've noticed, orthodox Christians have no fear of God ever sinning. This is because scripture teaches God always wills in ways consistent with His nature, which is immutably holy. Because God is by nature unchangeably and eminently moral, all His choices without exception reflect that holiness. This leads to an important observation: God does not have a so-called "free will", either to sin or not sin, but rather always desires to act consistently with His nature. To be sure, God wills, but He does not have a will separate from who He is at heart. He wills within the bounds of His nature.
Perhaps you've noticed, orthodox Christians have no fear of God ever sinning. This is because scripture teaches God always wills in ways consistent with His nature, which is immutably holy. Because God is by nature unchangeably and eminently moral, all His choices without exception reflect that holiness. This leads to an important observation: God does not have a so-called "free will", either to sin or not sin, but rather always desires to act consistently with His nature. To be sure, God wills, but He does not have a will separate from who He is at heart. He wills within the bounds of His nature.
Confusion arises when we mistake to think of the will as something separate from who we are at the core of our being. The will is not an independent part of metaphysical anatomy with a mind of its own, like the serpentine tail of the mythical Chimera, but is perhaps better considered as nature set in motion. To will is nothing more than an extension of the nature, the active means by which one's heart seeks to convert desires into reality.
Why is this important? Most significantly, if God had a "will" somehow free of His nature, we might imagine the Lord as capable of acting contrary to His holiness at any moment. Such blasphemous absurdities belong to the capricious god of Islam, not the God of the Bible. Our Lord has a will consistent with His pristine nature.
Why is this important? Most significantly, if God had a "will" somehow free of His nature, we might imagine the Lord as capable of acting contrary to His holiness at any moment. Such blasphemous absurdities belong to the capricious god of Islam, not the God of the Bible. Our Lord has a will consistent with His pristine nature.
The will of man is equally reflective of his nature. As God acts upon His upright nature, so fallen man acts on behalf of his fallen nature to accomplish desires natural to his state. To say this in biblical terms, man's fruits are in accord with the sort of tree he is. What are the natural desires of fallen men? The shocking verdict of scripture is, "No man does good." What do we then make of the fact that some seem decent, even charitable? The bible says while men may do any number of outwardly good deeds, their purpose is always with an eye to justifying themselves or honoring something besides God with undue praise. Worse, the nature of fallen man is to persist in sinful self-will. Men were created "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever," yet have twisted their end to glorifying themselves and enjoying their self-will for as long as possible.
One may preach all day to an unregenerate man, "Look to Christ," but for lack of natural desire he will never do so, any more than God would tell a lie. No being acts outside of its nature. Man in his lapsed state is bound by sinfulness. He does not have a free will but a will corrupted by sin, and thus always acts in woeful accord with his natural corruption.
One may preach all day to an unregenerate man, "Look to Christ," but for lack of natural desire he will never do so, any more than God would tell a lie. No being acts outside of its nature. Man in his lapsed state is bound by sinfulness. He does not have a free will but a will corrupted by sin, and thus always acts in woeful accord with his natural corruption.
Jesus stunned his listeners when he announced, "No man comes to me unless the Father draws him." The word Christ used for this special drawing is the same chosen elsewhere to describe being carried off on the shoulders of another. What does this tell us? If human nature is so bent to evil that no man will not come to Christ naturally, how can man be saved? God must save him. The Lord does this by imparting a new holy nature through the miracle of new birth. The new nature, being empowered by the Holy Spirit, frees men from corrupt unbelief to faith in Christ. Sanctification is the process of this new holy nature subduing the old corrupt one, by the power of the Spirit. Glorification in the life to come is a once-for-all removal of the sinful nature which persists alongside the new in this life.
Whoever defends free will must answer why, at last, Christians in heaven never choose to sin again. Do they leave their free wills at the pearly gates? If one says, "it is owing to the imperfections of our present physical bodies, which shall then be glorified," he admits the will is presently disabled by something, and must explain how Christ, who had a physical body, was not guilty of sin. If instead one argues, "in heaven we won't sin because God will conform us perfectly to the image of Christ," he admits something presently binds the will against perfect obedience. Moreover, he acknowledges God will change Christians to no longer will in ways they presently do, demonstrating God's sovereignty over the human will.
The myth of free will implodes the idea of the effectual power of the gospel. What ought to be an incredibly dynamic act of God working through the preached word, is reduced to little more than a program for teaching sinners the rules of play. Free will portrays God, not as champion, but as one who roots helplessly from heavenly bleachers for sinners to run the ball home. The truth is, victory belongs to God alone. Furthermore, belief that one can act independent of his nature frustrates the Christian's expectation that the Holy Spirit, and not we ourselves, progressively heals our corruptions and guarantees success. Such people spend their time trying to change their wills instead of asking God in faith to change their hearts.
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© Michael Spotts:. 2010
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:
By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8
© Michael Spotts:. 2010
———————
You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:
By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8
2 comments:
Hi, Michael, peace be upon you! I'm from Brazil. Free will and predestination are topics that confuses me a lot. I would like to know what you have to say about Apocalypse 3:20-21. And about Romans 8:29-30 I want to ask you: if God foreknows every single creature - as He foreknows everything -, everyone is predestinated to salvation?
Thank you!
Hello, Mariana, thank you for commenting. I can understand your confusion on these topics. I have felt it too.
Regarding Rev. 3:20-21, Christ's words there are not addressed to unbelievers, but to Churches, and I believe have a different meaning than what is so commonly said about them. Read the context, He is speaking to churches. Still, Christ does indwell those who look to him in faith. The real question is, why do some people have faith and others do not? We know that the reason some people hate Jesus is because of their sinfulness. But why do some love and trust him? Were they naturally better? I would say Romans 8 provides the answer: God predestinated and calls His elect people, He grants them faith and justifies them, and finally will glorify them.
I have written other articles which might be helpful, such as:
http://theopenlife.blogspot.com/2009/08/relative-freedom-of-will.html
You may want to read A. W. Pink's book, "The Sovereignty of God," which is free online.
This may also be helpful:
http://www.waysidechurch.org/misc/calvinsm.htm
Blessings to you.
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