From time to time there are discussions about free will. Some think that everything is predetermined and that God controls the will of man. Others believe that God is entirely “hands off” and man does as he pleases.
God gave man free will in Eden and has never rescinded that gift. God gave man one prohibition, which man disobeyed. The question is therefore, has man free will or not? Let’s take a look.
Does God have free will? Who dares to say, “No”? God is sovereign and does as He pleases. Yet there God also cannot lie, cannot be unjust, cannot be unholy or unrighteous. Does that mean God has no free will. No, it means that God is free to choose as He pleases, but within the confines of being God.
Man also is free to choose, but within the confines of his fallen nature. God respects man’s free will and will not override it. People are the sum total of choices that they make.
If this were not true, God would not be justified in punishing man for his sins. For example, no one takes a lion to court for ambushing a gazelle. It is driven by instinct.
The problem is with man’s nature. He could choose to behave correctly. But he will not because he has no desire to do so. The opposite, he seeks his own will, his own way and sin is preferable to holiness. So God’s salvation must include more than forgiveness for sin. Otherwise man is on a treadmill of sin, unable to escape. God’s remedy is the cross. By the death of Jesus, fallen man dies too. As Jesus rises, so man is raised too, but to new life with a new nature that does not desire to sin. And this is what it means to be born again.
If you claim to be saved, but you love your sin and refuse to change, your salvation is fake. That sounds harsh, but better that than self deception about your spiritual condition. You can experience the new birth, with all the wonderful blessings, in a moment.
John 1:12 tells us that all who receive Jesus and believe on His name have the right to be called children of God. It’s more than intellectual acceptance of facts. Those who are born again have seen their sin and been convicted. They know God’s judgement on sin and gladly accept the sacrifice of Jesus as full payment for all their sin.
Many are “second generation” believers, considering themselves Christian because they were raised in a Christian home. This is not true. Everyone must choose Christ for themselves by exercising the free will God gave them. There is no better choice that we can make.