I would like to talk about man’s free will and why people seem to cling to a freewill doctrine. God’s teaching from the Bible is contrary to free will, and so we will look at some passages that talk about why there is no free will. We will look at some passages that have been a snare to people because they seem to indicate free will.
Let us turn to Ephesians 1. It says in Ephesians 1:3-5:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
We see in these verses that they are not illustrating any free will.
Let us also go to John 6:44. John 6:44 says:
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
This verse is showing that the act of salvation is through God. God draws us. It is not through anything that we do. God draws us by His grace.
Let us look at Ephesians 2:8-9. This is a very familiar passage. It says:
For by grace are ye saved through faith…
We know that Christ is faith and that we are saved by Christ. It continues:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
This is a very good verse to present to people who want to say that we have a free will to accept Christ. We see here that we are saved by grace through faith and that it is not of ourselves; it is the gift of God.
So why is it that many in the churches believe in free will? This is because there are passages in the Bible that when read without examining the whole Bible about what it teaches, they seem to indicate free will.
Let us just look at a couple of these. Turn to Romans 10:9:
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
This is one of these verses that many people in the churches use when they say that we can do something to get ourselves saved. This is the free will that they have been teaching in the churches.
Turn also to James 2:21. Here we read:
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
This verse seems to indicate that Abraham was justified by something that he did. Once again, these are a few verses that seem to indicate free will. This verse is a study in itself.
Let us look at one more verse. Turn to Acts 16. This is in relation to the jailer at Philippi. Acts 16:29-31 says:
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
This is another verse that has been a snare to many people. This seems to indicate that if we just believe on the Lord, we shall be saved; but we know that there is nothing that we can do to get ourselves saved. We have learned, as God has opened up the Scriptures, that believing is a work.
Let us look at 1 Thessalonians 1. We read in 1 Thessalonians 1:3:
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
We see here that God is letting us know that faith is a work because when we look this word “faith” up in the Greek, we can see that it is translated as “faith,” which is a noun, and “believe,” which is the verb that indicates action.
This says:
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith…
So we can see that faith is a work.
This is also illustrated in 2 Thessalonians 1:11, which says:
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
So, again, we can see that faith is a work.
What does the Bible have to say about work? We know that in Galatians 2:16, it says:
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
We can see in this verse that we are not justified by the “works of the law.” What are “works of the law”? God gives us many commandments in the Bible. As we try to be obedient to these commands, this is a work. We are doing work.
For example, the fourth commandment says that we are to keep the Sabbath holy. So let us review some of the verses that talk about keeping the Sabbath holy. Let us go to Exodus 20 where we find the Ten Commandments. We read in Exodus 20:8-11:
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of JEHOVAH thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days JEHOVAH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore JEHOVAH blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
We see here that the seventh-day Sabbath was one of the Ten Commandments that was observed in the Old Testament. These commandments were given during the days of Moses. This was one of the Ten Commandments that God gave indicating that we were not to do any work. In six days, God made heaven and earth; on the seventh day, He rested.
Turn to Deuteronomy 5 where God reiterates the Ten Commandments. We read in Deuteronomy 5:12-14:
Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as JEHOVAH thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of JEHOVAH thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
The only difference between this passage and the one in Exodus 20 is what we read next in Deuteronomy 5:15:
And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that JEHOVAH thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore JEHOVAH thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
Why did God put this verse here and say that He brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand?
If we go to Exodus 20:2, we will see that being brought out of Egypt is comparable to being brought out of bondage. It says:
I am JEHOVAH thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
So God tells us that they were brought out of bondage through His blessings.
Let us go to Exodus 31. As we read Deuteronomy 5, we saw that the only difference between the passage in Exodus 20 and the one in Deuteronomy 5 was that God had inserted Deuteronomy 5:15, which talked about being brought out of Egypt. In Exodus 31, we will get our answer as to why God added this verse. We read in Exodus 31:12-13:
And JEHOVAH spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign…
We can see from this that God is instructing us that the seventh-day Sabbath was a sign. A sign is something that is pointing to something else. It continues:
…for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am JEHOVAH that doth sanctify you.
God is saying that we were to keep the Sabbath because it was a sign and it was a sign throughout generations. Then He says:
…I am JEHOVAH that doth sanctify you.
To be sanctified means to be set apart or to be made holy.
Then we read in Exodus 31:14:
Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
We can see the consequences of defiling the Sabbath. Anyone who defiled the Sabbath was to be put to death.
So keeping the Sabbath had to do with God bringing them out of Egypt and out of bondage. Then He says again in Exodus 31:13:
…I am JEHOVAH that doth sanctify you.
He is referring to being made holy.
God also gives us a picture of when we defile the Sabbath in Numbers 15 where it talks about the man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath day. We read in Numbers 15:32-36:
And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And JEHOVAH said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as JEHOVAH commanded Moses.
We can see that God is instructing us that on the seventh-day Sabbath, they were not to do any work because this was a sign that Jehovah God had brought us out of bondage and that we are not to do any works to try to sanctify ourselves or to get ourselves saved.
Let us look at a Biblical picture of people who trust in something that they can do to get themselves saved. Let us go to Genesis 4. We read in Genesis 4:3-7:
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto JEHOVAH. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And JEHOVAH had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And JEHOVAH said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
We can see that Cain and Abel both brought offerings unto God and that God had not respect unto Cain’s offering.
Why did God not have respect unto Cain’s offering? God gives us this answer in 1 John 3. Remember that we are studying the seventh-day Sabbath which pointed to us doing no work to get ourselves saved. We read in 1 John 3:11-12:
For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
This tells us that Cain’s works were evil. Why were Cain’s works evil? It was because Cain was trusting in the offering that he had brought to God. This is what made his works evil.
We are not to trust in anything that we do, as the seventh-day Sabbath says. We cannot do anything to get ourselves saved. The seventh-day Sabbath is instructing us that if we trust in the slightest thing, we are like the man who picked up the sticks. He picked up a few sticks on the Sabbath day and he was stoned to death; and so as God made the heaven and the earth in six days and then rested, we also are to rest in the work of Christ.
Let us turn to Hebrews 4. We read in Hebrews 4:1-3:
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
We can see that all of the works and the payment for sin were done by Christ before the foundation of the world. As true believers, we rest in the work that Christ has done.
Let us look at 2 Timothy 1. We read in 2 Timothy 1:7-9:
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2 Timothy 1:9 says again:
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works…
Our works cannot get us saved. It is the works that Christ has done, which we just looked at in Hebrews 4. Salvation must be 100% of the Lord. We do not make any contribution to salvation, nor do we earn it. We cannot do anything to obtain it.
Let us look at Jonah 2. We read in Jonah 2:9:
But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of JEHOVAH.
Let us now go to Acts 4. We just read that salvation is of the Lord. We read in Acts 4:12:
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Again, salvation is totally and 100% of the Lord. We cannot do anything in and of ourselves to obtain this. This is a gift that God gives us. We are saved by grace and not of ourselves. Christ made this payment all by Himself. All whom He has chosen, He chose before the foundation of the world.
Let us look at an account where Christ demonstrates that He made this payment all by Himself. Let us go to Isaiah 63. In Isaiah 63:1-4, we read:
Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone…
We can see that God is talking about treading the winepress alone. This is referring to Christ coming under the wrath of God. It continues:
I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
We can see here that Christ’s garments are stained with the blood of all those whom He made payment for. He endured the wrath of God, and this says:
…and of the people there was none with me…
Salvation is totally a gift. God made this payment all by Himself.
Let us go back to Ephesians 2. We read in Ephesians 2:1-9:
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:
We see just in this verse alone that God has done all of the work. It continues:
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
We can see again that God is emphasizing that we are saved by grace and that this is a gift.
Let us look at Romans 11, which is talking about grace. In Romans 11:1-6, we read:
I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace…
So we can see that salvation is a gift. God is telling us here:
And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
God is making a separation between the grace that He gives us and the works that we do.
Again, the second part of Ephesians 2:8 also talks about “the gift of God.” I wanted to look at one passage that talks about this gift and how a gift is free. Let us turn to Matthew 5. This gift is something that God gives us. We do not earn this. God gives this to us. We read in Matthew 5:21-24:
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca…
This word “raca” means “worthless.” It continues:
…and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
When I read this verse, I wondered why God said:
…if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
I think that the reason for why God is saying this in relation to our human nature. What do we do as husbands and wives when one is upset with the other? If the wife is upset with the husband, he might go and buy her some flowers. This is a gift. A gift should be something that is free, but we should not be trying to win back our wife by giving her a gift. If we open a door for someone, we should not become upset if someone does not thank us, else why did we open the door? Of course, it is not a bad thing to thank someone, but we should be doing this out of the kindness of our heart. I believe that this is what God is illustrating here when He says:
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
We are to first renew our relationship to our brother, and then we are to come and offer the gift. But if we give a gift, it is free. It is something that we have done out of the kindness of our heart.
We are helpless to get ourselves saved by anything that we could do, and so let us look at some passages where individuals were saved by God and not by anything that they might have done on their own. Let us took at Luke 18:25-27. We are familiar with this passage, which says:
For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
What is impossible with man? Salvation is impossible with man. We just read, “Salvation is of the LORD,” as well as the verse that says, “For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” We know that salvation is only possible with God.
Let us look at Luke 13. We read in Luke 13:11-12:
And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity [or affliction] eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
This tells us that this woman “could in no wise lift up herself.” We, as people, try to lift ourselves up. There are many people who are trying to do this. They exalt themselves, but we know from other passages in the Bible that those who exalt themselves shall be brought down. This woman is a picture of how helpless we are as people and how much we need Christ.
Let us look at Luke 23. We read in Luke 23:39-43:
And one of the malefactors [or evildoers] which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
This thief on the cross gives us some comfort. He was helpless. He was in his last hour before he died and we see how Christ saved him. He did not accept Christ. He did not make a confession of faith. He did not get baptized. Christ converted him in his last hour.
God teaches us that we are to wait upon Him in many passages. Many people are trying to initiate a salvation plan whereby they can do something to get themselves saved, but God tells us in many passages that we are to wait upon Him.
Let us look at Lamentations 3. These are familiar passages. We read in Lamentations 3:25-26:
JEHOVAH is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
We know that we only truly seek God unto salvation when He has saved us. It continues:
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of JEHOVAH.
We wait on the Lord. We wait upon Him.
Let us look at Micah 7. We read in Micah 7:7:
Therefore I will look unto JEHOVAH; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
This is referring to the true believer who has the assurance that God will hear him, and he says that he will “wait for God.” In many passages, God tells us this.
Let us turn to 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10. It says:
For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
We see again how we are to wait upon God.
Let us go to Galatians 5:3-5. We read:
For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
So this says that it is “through the Spirit” that we “wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” We can see again that God’s people wait upon the Lord. For the true believers, God gives assurances that we are to wait upon Him and that He will deliver us.
We will close with Romans 8:22-23. This says:
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
This is talking about how we wait for the “redemption of our body.” This is going to take place on May 21, 2011 for all of the true believers. God’s people wait upon Him and they get assurances from God that God will deliver them.
Let us close here.