Free Will
The Bible tells us that God created mankind in His own image and His likeness,
and gave them dominion over the works of His own hand. Yet He teaches them to
exercise their free will in a godly manner. Jesus said in Matthew 22:37 “you shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind”; this means your total being, God loves us and He wants us to love Him
freely and openly.
God told Moses to teach the Israelites to make right decisions (Deuteronomy 30:
19-20) “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set
before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that both
you and your seed may live. That you may love the Lord Yahweh your God, and
that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life, and
the length of your days; that you may dwell in the land which the Lord Yahweh
swear to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob to give them”.
Some people say things like “the devil made me do that”, but that is not the truth
(Romans 6:16) says “know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to
obey, his servants you are to whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of
obedience to righteousness”? The choice is ours which way we go. Galatians 6:7-
8 also says “be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows,
that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”.
There are many promises listed in the Bible which start out saying “if” meaning
you can make the difference in how the promise is fulfilled (Isaiah 1:19-20), which
says “if you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. But if you
refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the Lord
has spoken it”.
And then in Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says “and it shall come to pass, if you shall
hearken diligently, to the voice of the Lord Yahweh your God, to observe and to
do all His commandments which I command you this day, that the Lord Yahweh
your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth. And all these
blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall hearken to the voice
of the Lord Yahweh your God”. You should take time to read through this
chapter, as you read verses 3-14 the blessings are spelled out for you, if your
obey His voice; but verses 15-68 list all the curses that will come upon you if you
rebel.
God is anxious to save all of mankind; God’s love for the lost is indicated in the
parable that Jesus teaches of the man searching for the one sheep, and the
woman searching for the lost coin in Luke 15:4-10 “what man of you, having an
hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the
wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he has found
it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls
together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, rejoice with me; for I have
found my sheep which was lost. I say to you, that like wise joy shall be in heaven
over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which
need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lost
one piece, does not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till
she find it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and her neighbors
together, saying, rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God, over one
sinner that repents”.
II Peter 3:9 indicates that God doesn’t want any to perish, but that all should come
to repentance. Yet the Bible also says that “hell is being enlarged day by day.
Even though God doesn’t want any o perish, people have a free will and can only
be saved when they come in line with the word of God and repent and turn to His
ways (Ezekiel 18:21-24, 26-28) “if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has
committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall
surely live, he shall not die. And his transgressions that he has committed, they
shall not be mentioned to him in his righteousness that he has done he shall live.
Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? Says the Lord God; and not
that he should return from his ways, and live? But when the righteous turns away
from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the
abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that
he has done shall not be mentioned, in his trespass that he has trespassed, and
in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die. When a righteous man turns
away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in them; for his
iniquity that he has done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turns away
from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and
right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considers, and turns away from all
his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die”.
David expressed his free will in Psalms 54:4-6 which says “behold, God is my
helper; the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. He shall reward evil to my
enemies, cut them off in Your truth. I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your
name, O Lord Yahweh; for it is good”.
Paul tells of the free will of the Macedonia in II Corinthians 8:1-5 “moreover,
brethren, we do you to know of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of
Macedonia. How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and
their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I
bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves.
Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the
fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but
first gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God”.
III John 2 says “beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in
health, even as your soul prospers”. This establishes God’s will because “all
scriptures is God breathed”. However we know that all believers and not
prosperous and in good health.
The believers has to exercise their free will in accomplishing their belief, just like
Abraham had to become “fully persuaded” before he was able accomplish the
promise that God had promised him (Romans 4:17-21) “as it is written, I have
made you a father of many nations, before Him whom he believed, even God, who
makes alive the dead, and calls those things which be not as though they were.
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many
nations; according to that which was spoken, so shall your seed be. And being
not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about
an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to
God. And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to
perform”.
To receive the promises of God, we have to be fully persuaded that what God has
promised He is also able to perform.
Exercising your free will is possible when you surrender and renew your mind
(Romans 12:1-2) which says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be you
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good,
and acceptable and perfect, will of God”. Jesus is our example, in the garden He
surrendered to God’s will, He said “not my will, but let Your will be done”. When
we submit ourselves to God and draw closer to Him, He will draw closer to us.
Let us examine ourselves, to see why we do the things we do. Our motive
indicates our true will (Colossians 3:15-17) “and let the peace of God rule in your
hearts, to the which also you are called in one body, and be you thankful. Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: September 3, 2010
The Bible tells us that God created mankind in His own image and His likeness,
and gave them dominion over the works of His own hand. Yet He teaches them to
exercise their free will in a godly manner. Jesus said in Matthew 22:37 “you shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind”; this means your total being, God loves us and He wants us to love Him
freely and openly.
God told Moses to teach the Israelites to make right decisions (Deuteronomy 30:
19-20) “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set
before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that both
you and your seed may live. That you may love the Lord Yahweh your God, and
that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life, and
the length of your days; that you may dwell in the land which the Lord Yahweh
swear to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob to give them”.
Some people say things like “the devil made me do that”, but that is not the truth
(Romans 6:16) says “know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to
obey, his servants you are to whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of
obedience to righteousness”? The choice is ours which way we go. Galatians 6:7-
8 also says “be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows,
that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”.
There are many promises listed in the Bible which start out saying “if” meaning
you can make the difference in how the promise is fulfilled (Isaiah 1:19-20), which
says “if you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. But if you
refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the Lord
has spoken it”.
And then in Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says “and it shall come to pass, if you shall
hearken diligently, to the voice of the Lord Yahweh your God, to observe and to
do all His commandments which I command you this day, that the Lord Yahweh
your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth. And all these
blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall hearken to the voice
of the Lord Yahweh your God”. You should take time to read through this
chapter, as you read verses 3-14 the blessings are spelled out for you, if your
obey His voice; but verses 15-68 list all the curses that will come upon you if you
rebel.
God is anxious to save all of mankind; God’s love for the lost is indicated in the
parable that Jesus teaches of the man searching for the one sheep, and the
woman searching for the lost coin in Luke 15:4-10 “what man of you, having an
hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the
wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he has found
it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls
together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, rejoice with me; for I have
found my sheep which was lost. I say to you, that like wise joy shall be in heaven
over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which
need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lost
one piece, does not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till
she find it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and her neighbors
together, saying, rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God, over one
sinner that repents”.
II Peter 3:9 indicates that God doesn’t want any to perish, but that all should come
to repentance. Yet the Bible also says that “hell is being enlarged day by day.
Even though God doesn’t want any o perish, people have a free will and can only
be saved when they come in line with the word of God and repent and turn to His
ways (Ezekiel 18:21-24, 26-28) “if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has
committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall
surely live, he shall not die. And his transgressions that he has committed, they
shall not be mentioned to him in his righteousness that he has done he shall live.
Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? Says the Lord God; and not
that he should return from his ways, and live? But when the righteous turns away
from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the
abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that
he has done shall not be mentioned, in his trespass that he has trespassed, and
in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die. When a righteous man turns
away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in them; for his
iniquity that he has done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turns away
from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and
right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considers, and turns away from all
his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die”.
David expressed his free will in Psalms 54:4-6 which says “behold, God is my
helper; the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. He shall reward evil to my
enemies, cut them off in Your truth. I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your
name, O Lord Yahweh; for it is good”.
Paul tells of the free will of the Macedonia in II Corinthians 8:1-5 “moreover,
brethren, we do you to know of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of
Macedonia. How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and
their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I
bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves.
Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the
fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but
first gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God”.
III John 2 says “beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in
health, even as your soul prospers”. This establishes God’s will because “all
scriptures is God breathed”. However we know that all believers and not
prosperous and in good health.
The believers has to exercise their free will in accomplishing their belief, just like
Abraham had to become “fully persuaded” before he was able accomplish the
promise that God had promised him (Romans 4:17-21) “as it is written, I have
made you a father of many nations, before Him whom he believed, even God, who
makes alive the dead, and calls those things which be not as though they were.
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many
nations; according to that which was spoken, so shall your seed be. And being
not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about
an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to
God. And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to
perform”.
To receive the promises of God, we have to be fully persuaded that what God has
promised He is also able to perform.
Exercising your free will is possible when you surrender and renew your mind
(Romans 12:1-2) which says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be you
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good,
and acceptable and perfect, will of God”. Jesus is our example, in the garden He
surrendered to God’s will, He said “not my will, but let Your will be done”. When
we submit ourselves to God and draw closer to Him, He will draw closer to us.
Let us examine ourselves, to see why we do the things we do. Our motive
indicates our true will (Colossians 3:15-17) “and let the peace of God rule in your
hearts, to the which also you are called in one body, and be you thankful. Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: September 3, 2010
