Avoiding Evil

Welcome to another Blogger Idol. Last week the theme was The 80’s. This week the theme is freedom:

Are we in any sense free if God exercises providential control over all events? I venture to say that the answer depends on what is meant by the word free. I think everyone would agree that we are in some sense free in our choices that we make, however the term “free” is subject to many misunderstandings and mis-interpretations.

If man is by nature evil and by nature does evil (Psalm 53:3b “…there is no one who does good, not even one.”) then how can man do any evil outside of his own nature? If then it is the nature that leads man to do evil is man’s choice to do evil actually a free choice or a choice that is a slave to sin? How then can a man who is a slave to sin do good works unless he is helped by grace? And if man is helped by the grace of God to do good works, how then was his choice to do them completely on his own free will? Our choices and decisions are always under some form of control and thus are not “free” as most people would define the word free.

The statement “free will” immediately brings to my mind the thought that if man is completely free then he is the master of himself uncontrolled by God who is supposed to be in control of all things. Calvin explains it better than I ever could: “But how few men are there, I ask, who when they hear free will attributed to man do not immediately conceive him to be master of both his own mind and will, able of his own power to turn himself toward either good or evil.” – John Calvin

Even if we had the complete freedom to turn ourselves toward good or evil we could never actually turn ourselves toward good because of our fallen sinful nature. If God gives us complete freedom to choose Him without intervening or changing our nature in any way then we could never choose him. Why? Because we inherently choose evil. We are slaves to the sinful nature and therefore it takes Godly intervention, providence, and grace to bring men to righteousness and so our ability to choose God is not actually free. I honestly have a difficult time agreeing with the idea that people who are not saved have the ability to do good (outside of any selfish ambition or vain conceit). It seems to me that the scripture teaches that without the Holy Spirit we don’t have the ability to do good, nor do we have the ability to understand the true meaning of scripture itself. Paul says that he wants to do good but he cannot carry it out, in Romans 7:18. He cannot carry it out because of what he says in 7:14, “…I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.” Isaiah says that all of our attempts at righteousness are like “filthy rags.” We are unable to do good without some help from the divine.

I think a major problem is that people throw the term “free will” around without properly defining what it means. When the question is asked do we have free will it is important to be clear as to what is meant by that phrase. According to Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, “Scripture nowhere says that we are ‘free’ in the sense of being outside of God’s control or of being able to make decisions that are not caused by anything. (This is the sense in which many people seem to assume we must be free.) Nor does it say we are ‘free’ in the sense of being able to do right on our own apart from God’s power. But we are nonetheless free in the greatest sense that any creature of God could be free–we make willing choices, choices that have real effects. We are aware of no restraints on our will from God when we make decisions. We must insist that we have the power of willing choice; otherwise we will fall into the error of fatalism or determinism and thus conclude that our choices do not matter, or that we cannot really make willing choices. On the other hand, the kind of freedom that is demanded by those who deny God’s providential control of all things, a freedom to be outside of God’s sustaining and controlling activity, would be impossible if Jesus Christ is indeed ‘continually carrying along things by his word of power.’ If this is true, then to be outside of that providential control would simply be not to exist! An absolute “freedom,” totally free of God’s control, is simply not possible in a world providentially sustained and directed by God himself.”

I am convinced that people have a false understanding of what it means to be free. Many believe that they have complete and total freedom and their choices are not influenced by anything outside of themselves. That however is a false assumption. I do not believe absolute freedom can exist for a human. I see no Biblical evidence of that. In fact God’s Word says that all things are providentially sustained and directed by God himself therefore an absolute freedom completely free of God’s control is simply not possible.

I do not like to use the statement ‘free will’ simply because it is highly mis-leading and creates confusion. We have to make a distinction here between a free will and a choice. I believe God gives us the ability to choose but he does not give us free will. If you have a free will (uncontrolled by any outside forces) then you should have the ability to fly if you so choose! The problem is if you get up on your roof and jump off your free will is defeated by the law of gravity. You will fall every time. Why? Because you are not free, you are controlled by laws and boundaries. It wasn’t your decision. We are not free, it is simply an illusion. It is not actually a matter of being free or not being free, but it is a matter of being able to choose. God gives us the ability to make choices inside His own boundaries that he has set for us.

We get to make real choices that have real consequences. I can eat, drink, drive a car, take a vacation, go hunting, play games, and many other things. I have the ability to make those choices, but I am not free. Even the choices I can make are controlled by other things… for instance I eat because I am hungry, drink because I am thirsty, hunt because I enjoy it, and it is the different experiences, emotions, and circumstances in life that compel me to make choices. Completely free? Nope.

Now that we have made the distinction between free will and the ability to choose, we need to also make a distinction between freedom and independence. We are not independent or autonomous creatures. We are completely dependant upon other things outside of ourselves. We need air to breath, food to survive, and the providential hand of God to exist. We live completely and totally dependant upon other things and therefore we do not experience this type of freedom (independence) either.

I certainly do not claim to have all the answers, but as always I am in the constant pursuit of truth. The Bible most certainly talks about Sovereignty, Predestination, Election, and all of these other issues. They are real things that God wanted us to be aware of and to ignore them or to pass them off as unimportant is an abuse of scripture. Picking and choosing what to believe and skipping over the things that may be difficult or hard to understand is not the way to handle the word of truth that God has entrusted us with. So I seek to try and understand them to the best of my ability. However, I also agree that if we are constantly squabbling about such issues and it causes us to forsake our other God given responsibilities such as loving God, loving people, and making disciples, then we are certainly in the wrong. So which should we do? Should we spend our time drawing closer to God, helping people, and reaching them for Christ or should we spend our time engulfed in the entirety of the word of God seeking its truth? My friends we must do both! I dare say that the study of the word of God and the time spent in seeking to understand it fully results in a greater understanding, a greater love, and a greater relationship with the very God it speaks of! The more we love God the more we will love people. The more we love people the more we will reach them with the very word of God. God has given us a resource and a power far greater than anything else we could find and it would be a shame if we passed it off as just few simple guidelines of how to live. Jesus should be our life not just our favorite pass time.

The bible says to question everything and hold on to the good. We should not believe every single thing that we hear, but we should question it all, put it to the test against scripture, and what we find to be truth we hold onto. Put the idea of freedom and free will to the test of the scriptures and see what you find.

Pressed