On the Freedom of the Human Will

Some Christians like to emphasize that, in conversion, humans have a free will. Others strongly deny this.

Can we, or how can we act as peacemakers while maintaining full submission to the biblical teaching on this issue?

It seems essential that we first explore what is meant by “free will”.

The Bible does not teach us that God saves people, who (continue to) refuse to be saved. God does not drag people into his Kingdom, who resist ‘with kicking and screaming’!

In the Gospel, God gives a gracious invitation, but since all of “his children”, created in his image, owe it to their true Father to seek Him and to serve Him, this gracious invitation also is an urgent call. We see this in Paul’s speech at the Areopagus. He reveals to the Athenians that the God he proclaims is the One who has given them (and all humans) ‘life and breath and everything else’. Since these are typical father-roles, he agrees with one their own poets, who said, ‘We are God’s offspring’. So, his audience, though they do not know God, already have a relationship with Him, albeit a one-way relationship. The God, who is nearby, wants to be sought and found by them.

Now, this revelation has serious implications. God may have overlooked their ignorance in the past, but now -after Pentecost- God commands people everywhere to repent. They must turn from their idolatry and seek to live with their Father-God.

When God calls people in the Gospel, he shows them what they must do. Those who hear it, have a responsibility and duty, but not without a (personal) choice. After Paul’s presentation only a few people believed his words and became followers of Jesus.

Also, for the people, who have already come to know God, there is a choice. After God had given Israel the land, promised to father Abraham, Joshua recounted all God’s blessings, after which he reminded them of their choice and obligation.

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  

Joshua 24: 14, 15

So, in conclusion: If ‘free will’ means that God gives us a choice, then we must agree.

Yet, historically (in the Calvinism-Arminianism debate or the Whitefield-Wesley conflict) “free will” suggests that unconverted human beings still have the capability to seek and follow God.

In contrast, the Calvinist position does not share this view of the sinful human’s capabilities. It reminds us of Paul’s claim that the unconverted ones are ‘spiritually dead’ and therefore need God’s Spirit to open their eyes or soften the hard hearts. In and of themselves nobody will seek God or will want to serve Him. Only when the Spirit works in them the appreciation of God’s gracious gifts, will people seek Him. And only when they begin to comprehend God’s amazing grace, will they (voluntarily!) offer themselves as servants of Christ. In the end, no one enters God’s Kingdom ‘with kicking and screaming’, for those who enter had first their wills transformed by the powerful love of God. During the conversion, people may think that they are in full control; only later may they realize that God had been at work long before. So, when people hear the Gospel, they are the ones who must repent and believe, but those who end up doing this must praise God for working this faith in their hearts. Faith is an obligation for men, yet it is a gift of God.

Biblical Truth and the Human Mind

“Jesus was a human, and yet he is God.”

How is this possible?

The categories “God” and “man” are normally taken to be mutually exclusive, so how could there be, or have been, a God-man, such as Jesus is seen by Christians?

Just think of some of the characteristics we would use to describe God, and then compare, and indeed contrast, them with the characteristics of human beings.

Obviously, in our minds it is impossible.

And yet, if we respect the written word of evangelists and apostles, it is true!

The ‘Logos’, which was God, became a human and made his dwelling among us.[1]

In the Bible, we find many teachings that would appear to be inconsistent or ignoring the natural laws as we observe them.

Most people in the secularized world take it that ‘god’ is just a fantasy-idea of those who believe in fairy tales or at least lack a good education, or perhaps for those who are weak and fearful.

Paul, already wrote that the Gospel was foolishness for the Greeks.[2]

On the other hand, the Bible tells us that human knowledge and wisdom is ignorant and foolish if it rejects the Word for its apparent inconsistencies. In other words, the biblical truth is often more complex than we can fathom with our limited mind-frame.

For the secular mind, this is indeed an insurmountable obstacle, but also among Christians this frequently generates disagreements and schisms. Throughout the centuries, churches have professed that the biblical canon is the infallible Word of God. Jesus did not hesitate to refer to the Septuagint, the Greek translation of (what we now call) the Old Testament, as authoritative for his time, so the early church included ‘the teaching of Jesus and the apostles’ as the criterion by which all teaching and prophecies had to be tested. Paul often claims that his writings are the very words of God; hence those who reject his teachings, reject the Word of God.[3] Over time, this ‘apostolic deposit’ was more specifically defined as the New Testament.

While the Christian church confesses that the Bible is the Word of God, yet we all know that it was written by human authors, each with their own experiences, gifts, and personal use of language. The Bible books also come to us in different genres, as they existed at that time. Nevertheless, we may not therefore dismiss the apostolic teaching as if it merely expresses the authors’ opinions, influenced by the culture of their times.

Yes, they are historical books, written by ordinary men. Yet, in the writing God directed them to write in such a way that the written word was God’s own teaching, authoritative for the church of all times and places.

The Bible, thus, is a collection of books, written by human beings, and yet it is the authoritative Word of God. The tension, here, provides us with a hermeneutical challenge as well as a test of true discipleship.

Having explored some of the biblical ‘complexity’ in relation to our ‘simple’ minds, we can explore the issue of “free will”.

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[1] John 1: 1, 14

[2] 1 Cor. 1: 23

[3] 1 Thess. 4: 2, 8

Yuta's Song: a metaphor from the experiences with our dog.

I love my Master – he’s so good for me;

It’s by his side, I always want to be.

The time I was a puppy yet – they clipped my tail; they chewed my ear,

But then, one day the Master came; he loved me, chose me, took me home.

Though I was young and wild –my snapping filled his kids with fear-

They loved me still; they made me all their own.

A special seat the Master made for me; good shelter did provide.

He filled my bowls- with kibbles and with water fresh.

He took me on his daily walks; I could explore, run free, and dash.

If danger lurked, he called me back; the leash was then my guide.

And at the end of night, I heard the Master at his bedroom door

I would jump up, and shake, and greet him with delight.

And soon he’d come, and take me for a walk- the moment I adored

Together in a fresh new day, awakening from the night.

We walked by corn fields to the forest or the lake.

I loved to do the hide-and-seek, his laughter for my sake.

And then, he trained me on the walks his calling to obey,

Yet, first I wanted more to smell, to dig, and have my way.

One Sunday morning after church – the kids walked ‘round the sty.

Some birds were sitting on the dirt within big concrete rim.

I jumped to spook them, scare them, make them fly,

As they flew up, however, I went down- and then I had to swim.

And as I thrashed through miry mess; I could not even yelp.

The kids were panicked too, but one ran quickly home for help

And then my Master came, reached down and held me tight.

He pulled me out and put me down, I jumped up with delight.

I shook and shuddered; black blotches made on Master’s dress.

Yet, he just smiled and patted me; there came no bad redress.

So, now I serve my Master well, much better than before,

And when he calls, I run to him; my Savior and my Lord.

One time, on holidays, we made a lengthy hike.

The hills were steep, the sun was hot; that was not what I liked.

And then, my legs gave way, I could no longer stand.

Master bent down, and took me in his hands,

He swung me up, so put me on his shoulder.

He loved me even more as I was getting older.

I love my Master – he’s been so good for me;

He cared for me, he carried me; he saved me from the mire.

He is my greatest love; and by his side, I always want to be!

He is the purpose of my life, my joy and one desire!