Jun 24 2012
Just How Free Is Man's Will?
There is the “age old” question about whether, or not, man has a free will. Most people misunderstand the issue regarding free will. Most think it means does man have choice. That isn’t really the issue. The issue is more correctly asked, is man’s choice totally free of influence that would cause his decision to go one way or the other. A libertarian free will is defined as one where man is absolutely free in making choices, where nothing causes his decision apart from the decision making choice. A free will of inclination says that man’s choice is influenced in some manner that will cause him to choose one way or another. Most who hold to the free will of inclination will put it that man’s choice is subject to his nature. A common illustration is that if a man jumps from the top of a building, no matter how hard he chooses to, he will not be able to fly. He cannot choose to fly because flying is not within man’s nature.
There is disagreement about this issue amongst both philosophers and theologians. All I wanted to do here is list a number of Scriptures that I believe pertain to the subject. And as you read them, ask yourself, do these Scriptures describe man as a libertarian free person, or a person who chooses subject to their human nature. Remember, the issue is NOT whether or not a person chooses. But just how free is their choice from causal influences.
[Romans 3:23 NKJV] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
[Job 14:4 NKJV] Who can bring a clean [thing] out of an unclean? No one!
[Job 15:14, 16 NKJV] What [is] man, that he could be pure? And [he who is] born of a woman, that he could be righteous? … How much less man, [who is] abominable and filthy, Who drinks iniquity like water!
[Job 25:4 NKJV] How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure [who is] born of a woman?
[Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV] The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
[Jeremiah 16:12 NKJV] And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me.
[Psalms 53:1-3 NKJV] The fool has said in his heart, “[There is] no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; [There is] none who does good. God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are [any] who understand, who seek God. Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; [There is] none who does good, No, not one.”
[Proverbs 28:26 NKJV] He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.
[Ecclesiastes 9:3 NKJV] This [is] an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing [happens] to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness [is] in their hearts while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.
[Matthew 15:19 NKJV] For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
[Mark 7:21-22 NKJV] For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
[Mark 10:18 NKJV] So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one [is] good but One, [that is], God.”
[1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NKJV] Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
[Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV] Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told [you] in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
[Ephesians 2:1-3 NKJV] And you [He made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
[Ephesians 5:3-6 NKJV] But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
[Colossians 3:5-9 NKJV] Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
[1 Timothy 1:9-10 NKJV] knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for [the] lawless and insubordinate, for [the] ungodly and for sinners, for [the] unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,
[2 Timothy 3:2-5 NKJV] For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
[Titus 3:3 NKJV] For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
[Galatians 4:7-9 NKJV] Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how [is it that] you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?
It sure seems to me that above verses show man as one in bondage to sin and their own sinful nature! I would vote that yes man has free will, but it is free will of inclination. Man chooses what he most desires subject to his sinful nature.
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