Freewill

vs

Man's Depravity

​

​

Freewill by definition - made or done freely or of one's own accord; voluntary:

Origin - First recorded in 1525–35; free + will2

​

The only time freewill is mentioned in the Bible is in this context:

​

Deuteronomy 12:6 - and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

​

Psalm 54:6 - With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good.

 

Amos 4:5 - offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!” declares the Lord GOD.
 

​

Numbers 15:3 

Leviticus 22:18

Etc.

 

The word IS THERE, but why is it not taught, specifically in regards to Salvation, which so many teach that it is?

​

​

​

Because of man's sin nature:

__________________________________________________________________​___

​

​

​

Not Human Will or Exertion

​

​

Romans 9:15-16 - For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
 

John 1:12-13 - But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

​

Romans 9:19-22 - But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

[Isaiah 64:8, Jeremiah 18:6]

​

​

Romans 8:27 - And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

​

​

All based on God's will, not man's.

Salvation is a free gift. Freewill is not mentioned any where near where the gospel or the good news is given, but just the opposite. 

__________________________________________________________________​___

​

 

The Fall of Man

​

​

Genesis 3:17 - And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

 

​

Genesis 8:21 - And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.

[Romans 5:12] 

 

1 John 2:16 - For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

​

​

Because of the one sin, it spread to everyone.

__________________________________________________________________​___

​

​

The Natural Man

​

​

1 Corinthians 2:14 - The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

 

Ephesians 2:3 - among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

​

Psalm 51:5 - Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

​

Mark 7:21-22 - For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.

​

​

Man's will is in bondage to sin. Because of the Fall, we are sinful by nature and spiritually depraved.

__________________________________________________________________​___

​

​

​

Spiritually Discerned

​

​

Ephesians 2:1-2 - And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
 

Ephesians 2:4-5 - But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

 

Colossians 2:13 - And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

 

John 8:34 - Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35-. 36 - So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

​

Romans 6:16 - Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

[Freewill teaches you have both options, but not the case here].

[2 Peter 2:19].
 

Romans 7:14-15 - For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
 

 

Romans 7:17-25 - So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. ---. 23-24 - but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
 

​

Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

 

​

We are dead spiritually. The only one who can make us alive (in Christ) is the The Father. 

We cannot open our own eyes, ears and hearts to turn and be saved. We are slaves to sin, and sinful beyond our understanding. God has to intercede on our behalf and make us Spiritually alive (Born Again).

__________________________________________________________________​___

 

 

Man's Hatred for God

​

​

​

John 3:19-20 - And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

​

​

John 7:7 - The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.

​

John 15:18 - “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

[Matthew 10:22, Matthew 24:9].

[]Again

[1 Corinthians 2:14 - The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned].
 

​

​

God convicts the world of sin. No body likes or wants that in their natural sinful state.

So how does any true believer come to believe in Him?

__________________________________________________________________​___

 

 

God intercedes for us

​

​

​

John 3:27 - John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.

​

John 3:21 - But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

​

John:6:44 - No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

[John 6:65].

​

Ephesians 2:5 - even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

​

Ephesians 2:7 - so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 

Colossians 1:21 - And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

 

James 1:18 - Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 - And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

 

Ephesians 1:4-5 -even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

​

Ephesians 1:11 - In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

[Not ours].

 

Ephsians 1:17-19 - that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.

 

Romans 10:13-15,20 - For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ---. 20 - Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”

​

2 Timothy 1:9 - He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not because of our own works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time eternal.

 

Jonah 2:9 - But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!”

 

 

 

No one participates in their own Birth. Not in your Physical Birth and not in your Spiritual Birth.

It is a work of God, a Divine, creative miracle.  - JFM

__________________________________________________________________​___

​​

​

​

God's Power and Authority

​

​

​

Philippians 2:13 - for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

​

Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

​

Isaiah 6:10 - Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

​

Proverbs 16:9 - The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

​

​

Isaiah 45:7 - I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.

​

Isaiah 14:24 - The LORD of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand,

​

Isaiah 46:10,11 -  declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

​

 

​

No where is man's will mentioned for Salvation.

Instead it is according to the kind intention of His will.

God is Sovereign but we are responsible:

https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/43-15/twin-truths-gods-sovereignty-and-mans-responsibility

__________________________________________________________________​___

 

​​

Election

​

​

Matthew 22:14 - For many are called, but few are chosen.”

​

Mark 13:20 - And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.

​

Matthew 24:31

Mark 13:22

Luke 18:7

Titus 1:1

2 Timothy 2:10

1 Peter 1:1

Romans 11:7

Romans 8:33

2 John 1:1,13

​

​

He is not subject to others’ decisions. His purposes for choosing some and rejecting others are hidden in the secret counsels of His own will. - JFM

__________________________________________________________________​__

 

 

 

Foreknowledge

​

​

​

"They rejected God, then he hardened their hearts."

 

This is not the case in John 12:36-40.

-In Exodus 4:21 God said (before Moses ever went to Egypt) that He would harden Pharaoh's heart. [Exodus 8:15]

-If man's will cannot be determined (is voluntary), how then can God determine man's will by hardening their heart. 

-This idea does not coincide with the definition of freewill.

 

"God chose those whom he foreknew." 

​

When Peter wrote that we are “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”

(1 Peter 1:1-2), he was not using the word “foreknowledge” to mean that God was aware beforehand who would believe and therefore chose them because of their foreseen faith. Rather, Peter meant that God determined before time began to know and love and save them; and He chose them without regard to anything good or bad they might do. 

[No one would believe on their own - John 3:19-20, John 6:44].

​

Above all, we must not conclude that God is unjust because He chooses to bestow grace on some but not to everyone. God is never to be measured by what seems fair to human judgment. Are we so foolish as to assume that we who are fallen, sinful creatures have a higher standard of what is right than an unfallen and infinitely, eternally holy God? To think this way is prideful.

Isaiah 55:8-9 - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
[ Romans 11:33-34].

​

​

​

https://www.gty.org/library/Articles/A167/Gods-Absolute-Sovereignty
 

__________________________________________________________________​__