One author has this to say about man’s free will to do good or evil. I have placed my comments in parenthesis underneath each ‘proof text’:
“Throughout Scripture the Bible continuously instructs mankind to make righteous decisions by free will. Many persons misinterpret a few verses to arrive at the false idea that mankind does not have a free will to do good or make righteous decisions. Below are some verses which strongly show that mankind has the responsibility to exercise their free will and is commanded by God to do so.”
Deuteronomy 30:11 “For this commandment which I command you today [is] not [too] mysterious for you, nor [is] it far off. 12 “It [is] not in heaven, that you should say, `Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 “Nor [is] it beyond the sea, that you should say, `Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 “But the word [is] very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
(This says only that the word is near and that those being spoken to have a choice)
Deuteronomy 30:15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 “in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 “But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 “I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong [your] days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.
(Same point – there is choice)
John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
(Same thing – choice)
John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
Romans 2:10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.
(We can chose to do good)
1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain [it]. 25 And everyone who competes [for] [the] [prize] is temperate in all things. Now they [do] [it] to obtain a perishable crown, but we [for] an imperishable [crown].
(We can choose how to ‘run the race)
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and [before] Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep [this] commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing.
(We are able to ‘fight the good fight – we make choices)
2 Timothy 2:21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
(We can ‘cleanse’ ourselves [from dishonorable things])
1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
(This verse just says whoever loves the Father loves the Son – inference is that when we believe something a choice has been made)
This post is not to take a position one way or the other, but an examination of the texts supporting one person’s assertion that we have “free will”. All these verses really say is that we can make choices, as far as I can see. That we are to make them by the exercise of “free will” is not hinted at, commanded, nor mentioned in these verses (as the author claims).
Am I wrong in what the proof texts actually SAY?
The Battle Cry 
A site predestined to hate “free will” at TheAmericanView.com; please visit/comment.
JLof@aol.com
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John,
Not sure where you are going with your comment, but I didn’t intend my post to take a stance, but was merely asking if the proof texts support the author’s premise that they teach that we are to make ‘free will’ decisions or that we have the ability to ‘choose’.
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I’ve just done a search on net.bible.org for the word/s “come unto me” “choose” “come” and “free” “free will”
I’ve done this study before but I just wanted to refresh my memory before I commented. It is overwhelming the amount of times in scripture we are told He has done the choosing. That there is nothing within us capable of choosing well, but that His Spirit moves first.
I do hear the call, “Come unto me…” “If any man hear my voice…” “Choose this day whom you will serve…”
We are told to choose and yet, we cannot choose without His calling us first. I must hold these two in tension, I just don’t know how, this side of eternity, I can be too adamant.
He definitely does the calling and choosing, I believe that; however, I don’t know who He has called or chosen, so I continue to give out the call to whomever will believe. Knowing it is all settled in Him.
That’s my thinking… 😕
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“Overwhelming” is a good way to put it!
Whom God chooses to choose Christ, choose Christ.
It can be a real mindbender, huh? We choose Christ, but only because God chose who would ultimately be saved and He brings it to pass. The natural mind hates that because it tosses “free will” out the window. The verses quoted really don’t say we make “free will” choices – they only say we make choices. It is us who want to believe we have total free will in the matter.
And yuo are right – we haven’t a clue about who God has hosen so we proclaim the gospel to everyone, leave it to God, and are amazed that He gives us the privilege to be the ‘means’ of getting the message out.
🙂
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Dan,
I think you are accurate in your comments on the proof texts.
Anytime someone who’s an advocate of “free will” for lack of a better term, sees that someone in scripture is told to choose something or sees them choose something, they automatically assume that the ABILITY to do so is there…
Unfortunately scripture doesn’t support that notion…
We are slaves to one of two things…sin, or Christ…there are no “fence sitters.”
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Thanks for stopping by, Bob. I came across those ‘proof texts’ looking for something I can’t even remember. It just struck me that they didn’t speak to free will at all, only that we make choices. The author’s leap to ‘free will’ is actually very common I think. I used to think that until the Holy Spirit hit me with John 6:44. I haven’t been the same since.
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