Post by Jesse Morrell on Jan 15, 2010 20:49:50 GMT -5
MAN’S ABILITY TO
OBEY THE GOSPEL
The first public message that Jesus heralded in public was “repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). This was a command to men. Jesus didn’t say that God would repent and believe for them. Jesus didn’t say, wait for God to give you the ability to repent and believe. Jesus commanded them to simply repent and believe immediately, preaching in such a way that we can logically conclude that he assumed that they were capable of doing this.
After preaching repentance and working miracles, it says that Jesus began “to upbraid the cities wherein most of his might works were done, because they repented not” (Matt. 11:20). Why would Jesus be frustrated with them for not repenting if they were not capable of repenting? Unless they had the power of choosing to repent, and were freely refusing to repent, why would Jesus rebuke them? His frustration could only be logical, reasonable, or justified if they were capable of fulfilling his expectations. Jesus here assumed that they could have repented. Michael Pearl said, “When you are angry towards a man for his degrading or offensive behavior, you are assuming he could have acted differently.” 1
Repentance Is Man’s Choice
A. W. Tozer said “we must of our own free will repent toward God and believe in Jesus Christ. This the Bible plainly teaches; this experience abundantly supports. Repentance involves moral reformation. The wrong practices are on man’s part, and only man can correct them. Lying, for instance, is an act of man and one for which he must accept full responsibility. When he repents he will quit lying. God will not quit for him; he will quit for himself.” A. W. Tozer (Paths To Power, Christian Publications, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania) He also said, “God cannot do our repenting for us. In our efforts to magnify grace we have so preached the truth as to convey the impression that repentance is a work of God. This is a grave mistake, and one which is taking a frightful toll among Christians everywhere. God has commanded all men to repent. It is a work which only they can do. It is morally impossible for one person to repent for another. Even Christ could not do this. He could die for us, but He cannot do our repenting for us.” A. W. Tozer (Paths To Power, Christian Publications, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania)
God said, “Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die….” (Eze. 18:30-31). “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55:7) God “commandeth all men every where to repent…” (Acts 17:30). All throughout the Bible God commands men to repent. This means that repentance is man’s own free choice. A command is a declaration of what type of choice you should or shouldn’t make. It is the will which is the subject of a command. God does not force us to repent through some irresistible will, as if we were machines. Rather He calls and commands us to repent, because we are free moral agents (Matt. 9:13; Acts 17:30-31). Jesus said that he came to “call” sinners to repent (Lk. 5:42). To call means to “invite” (Thayer’s Definitions, e-sword) or to “bid” (Strong’s Definitions, e-sword). Entreating and beseeching sinners to repent takes for granted that repentance is their choice that they can and must make.
Repentance is a moral change in man and therefore it cannot occur without man’s consent. Repentance, as a moral change, must be man’s choice. A change of character is a change of choice. Repentance is not a choice that God can make for us; otherwise God is responsible for all of the impenitence of the world. Repentance is man’s own choice, which is why Jesus rebuked men for not repenting (Matt. 11:20). Melito said, “There is, therefore, nothing to hinder you from changing your evil manner to life, because you are a free man.” (c.170, A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs by David Bercot, p. 286, published by Hendrickson Publishers)
C. S. Lewis said, “we are... rebels who must lay down our arms.” C. S. Lewis (The Problem of Pain, published by Macmillan, p. 91.) George Otis Jr. said “entire personality is involved in the act of repentance. Our minds, enlightened through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, are able to perceive sin stripped of all pretense. Emotionally we respond to this understanding with considerable revulsion, pain and sorrow. But the final and crucial stage involves our will in the actual severance and forsaking of sin. This stage will always follow if repentance is genuine.” George Otis Jr. (The God They Never Knew, published by LuLu, chapter 6)
Catherine Booth said, “But then another difficulty comes in, and people say, 'I have not the power to repent.' Oh! yes you have. There is a grand mistake. You have the power, or God would not command it. You can repent. You can. This moment lift up your eyes to Heaven, and say, with the Prodigal, "Father, I have sinned, and I renounce my sin… God "now commandeth all men everywhere to repent," and to believe the Gospel. What a tyrant He must be if He commands that and yet He knows you have not the power." Catherine Booth (Papers on Godliness by Catherine Booth, published in 1881, p. 96-97)
The disciples of the Lord “went out, and preached that men should repent” (Mark 6:12). Jesus also said to the Church, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Why should we preach the Gospel to all men, commanding them to repent and believe, unless all men are capable of this? To offer them hope through the Gospel, when they cannot obey the Gospel, is an offer that is nothing but a mockery! God would be insincere in commanding all to repent and believe, unless they all could do it. Why would God want all of the unsaved to hear the Gospel, unless once they hear it, they are capable of obeying it and being saved through it?
If the call to obey the Gospel does not imply that man can obey the Gospel, then what in the entire Bible could ever imply that men could obey it? If the command does not presuppose ability, what text ever could presuppose ability? Nothing could imply the ability to repent and believe more than the commands to do so.
The Gospel requires that men give up their sins in order to be pardoned by God through Jesus Christ. Sin is the choice to violate God’s law. Since we have already established that the moral law is not impossible but that sin is avoidable, then we can logically conclude that men are capable of obeying the Gospel, they are able to give up their sins or of repenting as the Gospel demands.
Faith is a Choice
Obeying the Gospel also implies having faith. No man can be saved without faith. Faith is a personal choice. Faith is not merely a passive state of the mind; it is an active state of the heart. Faith is not only the assent of the mind to the truths of the Gospel but faith also includes the consent of the will to the demands of the Gospel. Gordon C. Olson said, “Saving faith is not merely an intellectual state… Saving faith is an act of the will in total commitment… Saving faith is always our own act…” Gordon C. Olson (The Truth Shall Set You Free, Published by BRCCD, p. 135-136) Faith is the hearts active embrace and compliance with the truth. Faith is deliberate. Believing is a deliberation of the heart, a personal volition of the will.
Some say that faith is a gift from God in such a way that it is not man’s free choice. This would make God responsible for all of the unbelief of the world. Unbelief would not be man’s fault because he doesn’t have the ability to have faith. Augustine even admitted that God was responsible for the unbelief of the world because he believed that faith was God’s gift, not man’s choice. Augustine said, “Faith then, as well in its beginning as in its completion, is God’s gift… this gift is given to some, while to some it is not given.” Augustine (God’s Strategy In Human History by Paul Marston and Roger Forster, p. 258) A. W. Pink said “faith is God’s gift, and the purpose to give it only to some, involves the purpose not to give it to others. Without faith there is no salvation… hence if there were some of Adam’s descendants to whom He purposes not to give faith, it must because He ordained that they should be damned.” A. W. Pink (The Sovereignty of God, p. 101)
Calvinists use Eph. 2:8-9 to support their doctrine that faith is not man’s choice but is rather God’s gift. “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.” Referring to this passage, John Piper said, “Faith is a gift from God.” John Piper (A Godward Life, Book Two pp.327-332) This verse however is not saying that faith is not of ourselves, but that salvation is a gift. Salvation is not something that we earn by our works but something we receive by a living and obedient faith. We cannot boast since salvation is unmerited and undeserved; it is by grace. Even John Calvin did not interpret the “gift” of this passage as “faith” but as “salvation”. John Calvin (The Epistle to the Ephesians, Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1965, p. 144)
Salvation is God’s gift but faith itself is our choice. The word “heart” in the Bible is commonly used as a metaphor to refer to a man’s will. Heart is figurative or symbolic for the human will. And the Bible says it is with the heart that men believe. “If thou believest with all thine heart…” (Acts 8:37) and “…believe in thine heart… for with the heart man believeth…” (Rom. 10:9-10). Jesus commanded men not only to repent, but to “repent and believe” (Mk. 1:15). This means that believing is a person’s choice just as repenting is a person’s choice. A command is a declaration of what you should choose. Telling men to “repent and believe” is nonsense unless repenting and believing is their choice. Jesus charged his audience to “believe the works” that he performed so that they might believe in his relationship with the Father (Jn. 10:38; 14:11). Jesus told his hearers to “believe on the light” or the illumination which he had given them (Jn. 12:36). Paul told the jailer in Philippi to “believe on the Lord Jesus” (Acts 16:31). All of these examples show that it is within man’s ability to believe. To speak to men in this way or manner takes for granted that faith is a choice. To tell a man to believe presupposes that faith is a choice which they are capable of making.
A. W. Tozer said, “The day when it is once more understood that God will not be responsible for our sin and unbelief will be a glad one for the Church of Christ. The realization that we are personally responsible for our individual sins may be a shock to our hearts, but it will clear the air and remove the uncertainty. Returning sinners waste their time begging God to perform the very acts He has sternly commanded them to do.” A. W. Tozer (Paths To Power, Christian Publications, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania)
Unbelief is a Choice
Unbelief also is a personal choice of the will. Unbelief is a sinners own fault. Unbelief is not merely a passive state of the mind; it is an active state of the heart. Unbelief is the hearts active rejection of the truth. The Bible tells us to “take heed… lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief…” (Heb. 3:12). “Take heed” implies choice and “evil heart of unbelief” means that unbelief is not merely of the mind but is of the will. Unbelief is described as being deliberate. “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed…” (Matt. 13:15; Acts 28:27). This shows their personal and intentional choice. Their unbelief was volitional. Men purposely turn their ears away from the truth (Acts 7:57; 2 Tim. 4:4). Unbelief is the wills active state of suppressing the truth (Rom. 1:18). “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Heb. 3:15; 4:7). This command implies that a man chooses to harden his heart or not. We are also told that men refused to believe in Jesus Christ (Ps. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Mk. 12:10; Lk. 20:17; 1 Pet. 2:7) Just as faithfulness is obedience, faithlessness is disobedience. The Scriptures even contrast disobedience is contrasted with believing. “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner…” (1 Pet. 2:7). An unbelieving heart is the wills rejection of the truth that is revealed to the mind.
Jesus even rebuked men for not believing, which implies that it is their choice to believe or not. “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.” (Luke 24:25). It would make no sense to rebuke men for not believing, unless faith and unbelief is their free choice. Their unbelief was their own deliberate choice, as implied in the rebuke “slow of heart to believe…” Jesus did not look at them in their unbelief and think, “poor men, God has not yet granted them the gift of faith”. He knew that their unbelief was their own fault, not God’s. We are told that Jesus “marveled because of their unbelief” (Mk. 6:6). If they were incapable of believing, or if God simply did not grant them faith, Jesus would not have marveled. There would be nothing to marvel at. Jesus marveled because they could have and should have believed, but they didn’t. Jesus commanded “be not faithless, but believing” (Jn. 20:27). Therefore it is our choice to be faithless or believing.
The reason that men do not know God is not because they are ignorant of God. God has given all men knowledge of Himself. The Bible says that God “lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (Jn. 1:9). The word “lighteth” means that to “enlighten” and “illuminate” (Strong’s definition in e-sword) We are also told, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19-20). All men are “without excuse” for not acknowledging and serving God because no man is without the knowledge of God. The reason that men do not know God is because they choose not to seek after God. Jesus said, “…seek and ye shall find..” (Matt. 7:7). Paul said, “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.” (Acts 17:27). The knowledge of God, and knowing God, is available to everyone. The problem is that “there is none that seeketh after God.” (Rom. 3:11). God said that sinners “refuse to know me” (Jer. 9:6). Men do not know God by choice.
Just as God has granted mankind natural ability, God has granted us natural knowledge. That is why unbelief is a crime! An unbeliever is not an ignoramus who hasn’t encountered the light, who cannot believe in God because of lack of knowledge. An unbeliever is a criminal who selfishly and foolish rejects the light! They choose to rebel against the knowledge that they have. They run from the light! God punishes men for their unbelief. It would make no sense to punish men for not believing, unless believing or not is their own choice. Sin is always a choice. The “sin of unbelief” is the choice not to believe. The condemnation of the unbeliever is justly deserved because light has come into the world but men chose darkness over the light (Jn. 3:19). The only thing that keeps men back from God is their own unwillingness of heart, not any inability of their nature (Isa. 30:9; 30:15; 30:16; Jer. 8:5; Eze. 20:7-8; Matt. 11:20-21; 23:37, Mk. 6:6; 7:30; 13:34; 14:17-18; 19:14; 19:27; Lk. 14:16-24 ;Jn. 5:40; Acts 7:51; 17:27; Rev. 2:21).
All Men Can Seek God If They Wanted To
Sinners have enough natural knowledge of God to seek after Him if they wanted to. “Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I….” (Isa. 48:16) “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse…” (Rom. 1:19-20) “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…” (Jas. 4:8) Cornelius was a Gentile who sought after God with the limited knowledge that he had and so God gave him a further revelation by bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to him (Acts 10:1-48).
I once met a man on the Mizzou University in Missouri who had heard us open air preaching and came up to us afterwards. He said that he grew up in Nepal in a Muslim family. His father was a leader in the Mosque. When he was younger he said it was his responsibility to rise up early, get into the prayer tower, and call the community to prayer. During his teenage years he began to question whether Islam was true or if truth was somewhere else. He began to pray and to fast in the Mosque, praying and fasting continually because his soul was not satisfied. After much prayer and fasting he said that he had a vision. The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him, whom he had known to only be a prophet, and said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by me.” It was not until he came to the United States as a foreign student to study in College that he found a Bible and read that Jesus Christ had said the same thing two thousand years ago.
At the age of accountability, it is a person’s individual responsibility to seek after truth and not to be dependent upon his family or culture. Once that state of reason is reached, those who do not know God do not know Him by choice. And those who do know God know Him by choice. Knowing God or not knowing God is a choice for those whom God has granted the light of natural revelation.
Men have the natural ability to obey their conscience (natural revelation), and when men hear the Gospel and the truths of the Bible (supernatural revelation); they are capable of obeying it or disobeying it. The Gospel requires repentance and faith from men. Repentance is the hearts choice to turn from sin and obey God. Faith is the hearts choice to embrace the truth and trust in Christ. Both repentance and faith are states of the will. Therefore the Gospel requires states of the will. Under a good government, the command implies ability. Only under tyranny is this not true. God’s government is good and therefore in God’s government the command implies ability. We can conclude then that that which the Gospel requires of men, men are capable of doing. A sinner is capable of remaining in a disobedient state of mind, or of having an obedient state of mind through repentance. A sinner is capable of rejecting the truth and not trusting in Christ, or of embracing the truth and trusting in Christ. If men were not capable of it, they would not be commanded to do it.
- The command of a good ruler implies the ability of the subjects.
- God (a good Ruler) commands all men to obey the Gospel when they hear it.
- Therefore all men are able to obey the Gospel when they hear it.
Men are commanded to circumcise their hearts (Deut. 10:16; Jer. 4:4) which means that this is their own responsibility and choice. To circumcise your heart means to repent or put off your sins (Col. 2:11). When Stephen was open air preaching, he said to the crowd “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7:51). Stephen was rebuking them for disobeying a specific commandment, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked” (Deut. 10:16). Why would Stephen rebuke them for being uncircumcised in their heart unless they were capable of circumcising their hearts? Why rebuke them for breaking a commandment unless they were capable of obeying the commandment? Why would he rebuke them for resisting the Holy Spirit unless they were capable of yielding to the Holy Spirit? Unless they were capable of doing these things, why rebuke them for not doing these things? Stephen seemed to take for granted or assume the ability of his audience.
Jesus said, “And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not” (Revelation 2:21). Why would God give her time to repent, if she doesn’t have the ability to repent? Also, is it not clear that her impenitence was not God’s fault, but her own fault? But if God created her with the inability to repent, her impenitence would be His fault. But if God created her with the ability to repent, then her impenitence is her own fault. The blame of impenitence in this passage is clearly put upon her. God wants all men to repent (2 Peter 3:9), He calls all men to repent (Acts 17:30-31), and He blames them if they do not repent (Matt. 11:20, Matt. 23:37, Mk. 6:6, Lk. 7:30, 13:34, 14:17-18, 19:14, 19:27, Jn. 5:40, Rev. 2:21). This presupposes that they have the ability to repent.
Sin is a choice. Sin is an avoidable choice (Jn. 5:14, 8:11; 1 Cor. 15:34; 1 Jn. 2:1). It is a man’s own choice to be in a state of rebellion or sin, that is, it is a man’s own choice to be a sinner (Gen. 6:12, Ex. 32:7, Deut. 9:12, Deut. 32:5, Jdg. 2:19, Hos. 9:9, Ps. 14:2-3, Isa. 53:6, Ecc. 7:29, Rom. 3:23, 1 Jn. 3:4). Therefore reconciliation, or ceasing to be a sinner, also requires the choice of man (2 Corinthians 5:20). Repentance and impenitence are man’s own choice (Matt. 11:20, Rom. 2:5). Therefore man, not God, is responsible for the impenitence of the world. If God makes men incapable of repenting and obeying, by either removing free will when Adam sinned or by withholding free will when He forms us, then God and not man is responsible for the disobedience and impenitence of the world. Therefore either man is capable of obeying and repenting or else God is the reason for the disobedience and impenitence of the world.
Consider how God treats those who disobey the Gospel. “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17). The Bible answers that question. “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). Why would God punish men, for not obeying the Gospel, unless they were capable of obeying it? Is God cruel and unjust as to command of them the impossible, only to punish them eternally for their failure to do what He created them incapable of doing?
In a good government, not only does the command imply ability, but punishment for failure to obey the command most definitely implies ability. God is just, good, reasonable, and loving. Therefore He commands the possible and only punishes men for doing what was avoidable.
God punishes those who do not repent (Eze. 20:8; Rom. 2:5). Therefore repentance must be within our power and impenitence must be our choice! John Fletcher said, “It is offering an insult to the only wise God to suppose . . . that he gave them the Gospel, without giving them power to believe it . . . With regards to repentance, ‘Then he began,’ says St. Matthew, ‘to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not.’ Merciful Savior, forgive us! We have insulted thy meek wisdom, by representing thee as cruelly upbraiding the lame for not running, the blind for not seeing, and the dumb for not speaking! . . . Suppose a schoolmaster said to his English scholars ‘Except you instantly speak Greek you shall all be severely whipped.’ You would wonder at the injustice of the school tyrant. But would not the wretch be merciful in comparison of a Savior, (so called) who is supposed to say to myriads of men, that can no more repent than ice can burn, ‘Except ye repent, ye shall all perish?’” 2
A Loving Relationship with God
It is an age old question, “What is the meaning of life?” It is an identical question to ask, “Why did God create us?” The answer is a loving relationship. God wanted to love and enjoy us. He wanted us to love and enjoy Him. And he wanted us to love and enjoy each other. It seems that all men know that loving relationships is really what is important and what life is all about. When a person is on their death bed, who do they want to be around them? They want their loved ones to be there. If a person is on a plane, knowing it is about to crash, who do they call? They called their loved ones to tell them that they love them. The death of a loved one is the greatest tragedy that we can experience in this life, because we are relational beings. We have been created and designed to love God and love each other, and to be loved by God and to be loved by each other.
Just as parents create children to have loving relational experiences with them, God created mankind for the same purpose. In the beginning, man had a loving relationship with God. Everything was very good in the Garden and the Lord wanted it to stay that way. When we choose to sin, God’s plan was interrupted. Now God wants to bring man back into a relationship with Him but in order to do that, He must turn us from our sins. If mankind had never sinned, the relationship between God and man would never have been interrupted. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God…” (Isa. 59:2). God’s problem with mankind is that we have chosen to sin. Therefore the solution to the problem is for God to get man to decide to turn from his sin. God is trying to salvage His fallen creation, to restore our rebellious race. In this reconciliation or restoration, He must not take away our free will otherwise He could not accomplish that which He created us for.
While I was open air preaching at the University of Minnesota in Duluth, one of the students asked me "Why did God give us free will? Couldn't He have created a universe where there was no possibility of sin?" I explained that God did not want His universe to be full of puppets or robots. That is why God even gave the angels free will and allowed them to choose between loyalty and rebellion. Without free will, there can be no loving relationship. A loving relationship requires mutual consent. God created us to have a relationship with Him. The reason for our existence necessitates the existence of free will. Sure God could have created us without a free will, thereby avoiding all possibility of sin, but this would have also excluded any possibility of us doing what we were created to do! We could not have a real loving relationship with God! Love is a free choice. God cannot and will not make us love Him. God leaves that to our own free will.
Steve Harrison said, "He made us free moral agents with the ability to chose who we would love. He could have made us like animals, driven only by instinct, but God took the risk of rejection for the prize of uncoerced love. He desires a response of love, a voluntary choice of friendship." Steve Harrison (Consuming Love by Steve Harrison)
The salvation experience is when a person enters into a relationship with God. Eternal life is to know God (Jn. 17:3). A relationship between two people requires the choice or willingness between the two. God cannot enter into a loving relationship with man without man’s choice. That a loving relationship requires mutual consent is shown by the extreme example of date rape. When a man forces a woman into a relationship with him, it is not real love because there is no mutual consent. There can be no loving relationship when there is a violated will. Love must be a free choice or else it is not love at all. Since God wants to have a genuine loving relationship with man, He gives us the freedom of choice to know Him or not.
God made Himself very vulnerable with Israel because instead of usurp their free will to force them into a loving relationship with Him, He granted them the freedom of choice to have a loving relationship with Him or not. “The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? She is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these things, turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put here away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord. And the Lord said unto me, the backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and will not keep anger for ever.” (Jer. 3:6-12)
God even subjected Himself to great heartache by granting Israel the free choice to have a loving relationship with Him or not. He said, “I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go whoring after their idols…” (Eze. 6:9). God told Hosea to take a wife of whoredom to illustrate his relationship with Israel, because “the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord” (Hosea 1:2). God granting Israel the choice to have a relationship with Him or not is clearly seen when God said, “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face…” (Hosea 5:15). God was stepping back, giving them the choice and opportunity to come after Him. He was not going to force them to know Him, nor seek after them anymore, but was waiting for them to come after Him. God wanted to have a relationship with them, but He wanted it to be a consensual relationship.
God has wanted to know men in a personal way but was unable to because they would not consent. God said, “… thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back…” (Eze. 23:35). “Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.” (Jer. 2:32). God said, “… they refuse to know me…” (Jer. 9:6). A personal relationship between God and man requires the personal choice of God and man.
We read about the “bride of Christ” and that there will be the “marriage supper of the Lamb”. What is a marriage but the union of two consenting individuals who have decided to enter into a loving and permanent relationship? The consent and willingness of Christ’s bride is clearly seen, since “his wife hath made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7).
I have heard Calvinists argue, “If you pray for God to save someone, you are assuming that salvation is solely God’s decision and is not man’s free will choice”. This line of reasoning is completely fallacious. When I pray for someone’s salvation, I am not praying for God to override their will, violate their will, or usurp their will. I am praying for God to draw men unto Himself by influencing their will. I am praying for God to send the Holy Spirit to convict them of their sin, or to send a believer to them to give witness to the Gospel. God does not convert men through causation but through influence which is why we should “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:38). Praying for God to save someone through public proclamation presupposes that truth is an influence upon man’s will. When I pray for someone’s salvation, I am asking for God to reveal His good character to them and give them a powerful revelation of the atonement. If a man wants to enter into a relationship with a woman, he doesn’t give her a “date rape drug” to violate her will, but he woos her until she forms affection for him and chooses to enter into a relationship. God does not violate our will, but He woos us to Himself through the Spirit’s revelation of His good character, until we freely choose to enter into a relationship with Him or not.
Conversion is Man’s Choice
The way to Heaven and the way to hell are described as roads (Matt. 7:13-14). It is our choice which road we are going to walk on. We are commanded, “Enter ye in the straight gate” (Matt. 7:13). This implies man’s choice in salvation. We are also told, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” (Lk. 13:24). This means that we are to absolutely determine with our will to do so, that we are to energetically put forth the powers of our will.
True conversion is the choice to live a new life. True conversion is the decision to no longer live a selfish life, but to live a holy life to please and glorify God. “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds” (Col. 3:9) and “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts…” (Eph. 4:22) The phrase “ye have put off” and “ye put off” means that it is our own responsibility and our own choice. The words “deeds” and “conversation” implies our former way of life. We are also told to “put on the new man” (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). This also signifies our own activity or choice. Whether we are living the old sinful life or living a new and holy life is our own intentional choice. It is the result of our own personal volition.
Jesus also said, “If any man come to me” (Lk. 14:26), and “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (Jn. 7:37), which describes our own personal role and activity in salvation. It was man who left God so it must be man who comes back or returns to God, as it is written “return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity” (Hos. 14:1).
The Bible also says that it is our choice to do the will of God or not. Jesus said, “If any man will do his will…” (Jn. 7:17). Jesus taught that to preserve your life and consequently lose it or to give your life to the Lord and consequently save it, is your own choice. Jesus said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Lk. 9:24). All men are free to choose between these two possibilities. God let’s us decide. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24; Lk. 9:23). This indicates the activity of man’s will in conversion. The word “will” in these passages means to “choose” and to “determine” (Strong’s Definitions, e-sword), it means to “resolve” and to “purpose” (Thayer’s Definitions, e-sword). No man is passively converted, or converted independent of his will, but conversion is actually decision of the will.
A Calvinist will object and quote John 1:13 which say, “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” Doesn’t that mean that salvation is not our free will choice? The answer is no. Proper biblical hermeneutics would exclude this interpretation because the immediate context contradicts it. The very verse before it talks about a man’s choice in becoming born again, “But as many as received him, to them he gave right to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name…” (Jn. 1:12). That word “receive” means to "to take, to choose, select” (Thayer’s Definitions, e-sword). Therefore those who choose Him are granted the right to become sons of God. John 1:13 is referencing our first birth. Our parents decided by their will to come together and have intercourse which resulted in our creation. This was “of blood” and “of the will of flesh” and “of the will of man”. But we were not born again, or brought into a relationship with God, through our parent’s decision to have intercourse. It is not through their will that we are born again. If our parents were Christians, their relationship with God is not hereditary or transmitted to us. That was their choice and if we are going to have a relationship with God, we must choose to. A relationship with God cannot be inherited. We must have a second birth. What is physical is hereditary, but what is spiritual is not. That is why Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (Jn. 3:6). Our parents brought about our first birth by their will, giving us flesh, but God brings about our second birth, bringing us into a relationship with Him. John 1:13 is not saying that our will is not involved in our salvation, which would contradict so many other passages, but is simply saying that the decision of our parents did not give us a relationship with God or produce in us that which occurs at the second birth. We must remember the sound rules of biblical hermeneutics when interpreting the Bible. One verse does not cancel out many other verses. And that a single verse should be interpreted in light of those many others, especially if the single verse isn’t clear but the other verses are.
The Gospel appeal that Peter made, “Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Acts 2:40) certainly takes for granted the role of man’s choice in the salvation experience. The Bible says “whosoever will” and therefore salvation is a choice of the will (Rev. 22:17). Paul’s gospel appeal took for granted man’s role and choice in reconciliation when he said, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). Paul said that by continuing in the truth, you will “save thyself” (1 Tim. 4:16). Paul also said, “I declare unto you the gospel, which I preached unto you, which also ye received…” (1 Cor. 15:1) He also said, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received…” (1 Cor. 15:3). Christians are those who chose to receive the gospel instead of reject it. The Bible says that men need to “receive” Christ (Jn. 1:2; 1:11), but some men refused to believe in Him and rejected Him (Ps. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Mk. 12:10; Lk. 20:17; Acts 3:14; 1 Pet. 2:7). Receiving and rejecting are states of the will. Receiving Christ and rejecting Him is a personal volition. “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Pet. 2:15). Just as we went astray by choice, we have returned by choice. The word “returned” in this passage means to “to turn one’s self about” (Thayer’s Definitions, e-sword)
Clement of Alexandria said, “We…have believed and are saved by voluntary choice.” (c.195, A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs by David Bercot, p. 287, published by Hendrickson Publishers) Origen said, “We have freedom of the will and that we ourselves are the cause of our own ruin or our salvation” Origen (Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up, by David Bercot, pg 74, printed by Scroll Publishing). Pelagius said, “Grace indeed freely discharges sins, but with the consent and choice of the believer” Pelagius (The Letters of Pelagius and his Followers by B. R. Rees, pg 92, published by The Boydell Press) Augustine said, “The beginning of our salvation flows from the merciful God; but it is in our power to consent to his saving inspiration.” Augustine (An Equal Check to Pharisaism and Antinomianism by John Fletcher, Volume Two, pg 206, Published by Carlton & Porter) Erasmus said, “By free choice in this place we mean a power of the human will by which a man can apply himself to the things which lead to eternal salvation, or turn away from them.” Erasmus (E. Gordon Rupp, P. Watson, Luther And Erasmus: Free Will And Salvation, The Westminster Press, 1969, p. 47)
OBEY THE GOSPEL
The first public message that Jesus heralded in public was “repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). This was a command to men. Jesus didn’t say that God would repent and believe for them. Jesus didn’t say, wait for God to give you the ability to repent and believe. Jesus commanded them to simply repent and believe immediately, preaching in such a way that we can logically conclude that he assumed that they were capable of doing this.
After preaching repentance and working miracles, it says that Jesus began “to upbraid the cities wherein most of his might works were done, because they repented not” (Matt. 11:20). Why would Jesus be frustrated with them for not repenting if they were not capable of repenting? Unless they had the power of choosing to repent, and were freely refusing to repent, why would Jesus rebuke them? His frustration could only be logical, reasonable, or justified if they were capable of fulfilling his expectations. Jesus here assumed that they could have repented. Michael Pearl said, “When you are angry towards a man for his degrading or offensive behavior, you are assuming he could have acted differently.” 1
Repentance Is Man’s Choice
A. W. Tozer said “we must of our own free will repent toward God and believe in Jesus Christ. This the Bible plainly teaches; this experience abundantly supports. Repentance involves moral reformation. The wrong practices are on man’s part, and only man can correct them. Lying, for instance, is an act of man and one for which he must accept full responsibility. When he repents he will quit lying. God will not quit for him; he will quit for himself.” A. W. Tozer (Paths To Power, Christian Publications, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania) He also said, “God cannot do our repenting for us. In our efforts to magnify grace we have so preached the truth as to convey the impression that repentance is a work of God. This is a grave mistake, and one which is taking a frightful toll among Christians everywhere. God has commanded all men to repent. It is a work which only they can do. It is morally impossible for one person to repent for another. Even Christ could not do this. He could die for us, but He cannot do our repenting for us.” A. W. Tozer (Paths To Power, Christian Publications, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania)
God said, “Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die….” (Eze. 18:30-31). “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55:7) God “commandeth all men every where to repent…” (Acts 17:30). All throughout the Bible God commands men to repent. This means that repentance is man’s own free choice. A command is a declaration of what type of choice you should or shouldn’t make. It is the will which is the subject of a command. God does not force us to repent through some irresistible will, as if we were machines. Rather He calls and commands us to repent, because we are free moral agents (Matt. 9:13; Acts 17:30-31). Jesus said that he came to “call” sinners to repent (Lk. 5:42). To call means to “invite” (Thayer’s Definitions, e-sword) or to “bid” (Strong’s Definitions, e-sword). Entreating and beseeching sinners to repent takes for granted that repentance is their choice that they can and must make.
Repentance is a moral change in man and therefore it cannot occur without man’s consent. Repentance, as a moral change, must be man’s choice. A change of character is a change of choice. Repentance is not a choice that God can make for us; otherwise God is responsible for all of the impenitence of the world. Repentance is man’s own choice, which is why Jesus rebuked men for not repenting (Matt. 11:20). Melito said, “There is, therefore, nothing to hinder you from changing your evil manner to life, because you are a free man.” (c.170, A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs by David Bercot, p. 286, published by Hendrickson Publishers)
C. S. Lewis said, “we are... rebels who must lay down our arms.” C. S. Lewis (The Problem of Pain, published by Macmillan, p. 91.) George Otis Jr. said “entire personality is involved in the act of repentance. Our minds, enlightened through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, are able to perceive sin stripped of all pretense. Emotionally we respond to this understanding with considerable revulsion, pain and sorrow. But the final and crucial stage involves our will in the actual severance and forsaking of sin. This stage will always follow if repentance is genuine.” George Otis Jr. (The God They Never Knew, published by LuLu, chapter 6)
Catherine Booth said, “But then another difficulty comes in, and people say, 'I have not the power to repent.' Oh! yes you have. There is a grand mistake. You have the power, or God would not command it. You can repent. You can. This moment lift up your eyes to Heaven, and say, with the Prodigal, "Father, I have sinned, and I renounce my sin… God "now commandeth all men everywhere to repent," and to believe the Gospel. What a tyrant He must be if He commands that and yet He knows you have not the power." Catherine Booth (Papers on Godliness by Catherine Booth, published in 1881, p. 96-97)
The disciples of the Lord “went out, and preached that men should repent” (Mark 6:12). Jesus also said to the Church, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Why should we preach the Gospel to all men, commanding them to repent and believe, unless all men are capable of this? To offer them hope through the Gospel, when they cannot obey the Gospel, is an offer that is nothing but a mockery! God would be insincere in commanding all to repent and believe, unless they all could do it. Why would God want all of the unsaved to hear the Gospel, unless once they hear it, they are capable of obeying it and being saved through it?
If the call to obey the Gospel does not imply that man can obey the Gospel, then what in the entire Bible could ever imply that men could obey it? If the command does not presuppose ability, what text ever could presuppose ability? Nothing could imply the ability to repent and believe more than the commands to do so.
The Gospel requires that men give up their sins in order to be pardoned by God through Jesus Christ. Sin is the choice to violate God’s law. Since we have already established that the moral law is not impossible but that sin is avoidable, then we can logically conclude that men are capable of obeying the Gospel, they are able to give up their sins or of repenting as the Gospel demands.
Faith is a Choice
Obeying the Gospel also implies having faith. No man can be saved without faith. Faith is a personal choice. Faith is not merely a passive state of the mind; it is an active state of the heart. Faith is not only the assent of the mind to the truths of the Gospel but faith also includes the consent of the will to the demands of the Gospel. Gordon C. Olson said, “Saving faith is not merely an intellectual state… Saving faith is an act of the will in total commitment… Saving faith is always our own act…” Gordon C. Olson (The Truth Shall Set You Free, Published by BRCCD, p. 135-136) Faith is the hearts active embrace and compliance with the truth. Faith is deliberate. Believing is a deliberation of the heart, a personal volition of the will.
Some say that faith is a gift from God in such a way that it is not man’s free choice. This would make God responsible for all of the unbelief of the world. Unbelief would not be man’s fault because he doesn’t have the ability to have faith. Augustine even admitted that God was responsible for the unbelief of the world because he believed that faith was God’s gift, not man’s choice. Augustine said, “Faith then, as well in its beginning as in its completion, is God’s gift… this gift is given to some, while to some it is not given.” Augustine (God’s Strategy In Human History by Paul Marston and Roger Forster, p. 258) A. W. Pink said “faith is God’s gift, and the purpose to give it only to some, involves the purpose not to give it to others. Without faith there is no salvation… hence if there were some of Adam’s descendants to whom He purposes not to give faith, it must because He ordained that they should be damned.” A. W. Pink (The Sovereignty of God, p. 101)
Calvinists use Eph. 2:8-9 to support their doctrine that faith is not man’s choice but is rather God’s gift. “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.” Referring to this passage, John Piper said, “Faith is a gift from God.” John Piper (A Godward Life, Book Two pp.327-332) This verse however is not saying that faith is not of ourselves, but that salvation is a gift. Salvation is not something that we earn by our works but something we receive by a living and obedient faith. We cannot boast since salvation is unmerited and undeserved; it is by grace. Even John Calvin did not interpret the “gift” of this passage as “faith” but as “salvation”. John Calvin (The Epistle to the Ephesians, Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1965, p. 144)
Salvation is God’s gift but faith itself is our choice. The word “heart” in the Bible is commonly used as a metaphor to refer to a man’s will. Heart is figurative or symbolic for the human will. And the Bible says it is with the heart that men believe. “If thou believest with all thine heart…” (Acts 8:37) and “…believe in thine heart… for with the heart man believeth…” (Rom. 10:9-10). Jesus commanded men not only to repent, but to “repent and believe” (Mk. 1:15). This means that believing is a person’s choice just as repenting is a person’s choice. A command is a declaration of what you should choose. Telling men to “repent and believe” is nonsense unless repenting and believing is their choice. Jesus charged his audience to “believe the works” that he performed so that they might believe in his relationship with the Father (Jn. 10:38; 14:11). Jesus told his hearers to “believe on the light” or the illumination which he had given them (Jn. 12:36). Paul told the jailer in Philippi to “believe on the Lord Jesus” (Acts 16:31). All of these examples show that it is within man’s ability to believe. To speak to men in this way or manner takes for granted that faith is a choice. To tell a man to believe presupposes that faith is a choice which they are capable of making.
A. W. Tozer said, “The day when it is once more understood that God will not be responsible for our sin and unbelief will be a glad one for the Church of Christ. The realization that we are personally responsible for our individual sins may be a shock to our hearts, but it will clear the air and remove the uncertainty. Returning sinners waste their time begging God to perform the very acts He has sternly commanded them to do.” A. W. Tozer (Paths To Power, Christian Publications, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania)
Unbelief is a Choice
Unbelief also is a personal choice of the will. Unbelief is a sinners own fault. Unbelief is not merely a passive state of the mind; it is an active state of the heart. Unbelief is the hearts active rejection of the truth. The Bible tells us to “take heed… lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief…” (Heb. 3:12). “Take heed” implies choice and “evil heart of unbelief” means that unbelief is not merely of the mind but is of the will. Unbelief is described as being deliberate. “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed…” (Matt. 13:15; Acts 28:27). This shows their personal and intentional choice. Their unbelief was volitional. Men purposely turn their ears away from the truth (Acts 7:57; 2 Tim. 4:4). Unbelief is the wills active state of suppressing the truth (Rom. 1:18). “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Heb. 3:15; 4:7). This command implies that a man chooses to harden his heart or not. We are also told that men refused to believe in Jesus Christ (Ps. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Mk. 12:10; Lk. 20:17; 1 Pet. 2:7) Just as faithfulness is obedience, faithlessness is disobedience. The Scriptures even contrast disobedience is contrasted with believing. “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner…” (1 Pet. 2:7). An unbelieving heart is the wills rejection of the truth that is revealed to the mind.
Jesus even rebuked men for not believing, which implies that it is their choice to believe or not. “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.” (Luke 24:25). It would make no sense to rebuke men for not believing, unless faith and unbelief is their free choice. Their unbelief was their own deliberate choice, as implied in the rebuke “slow of heart to believe…” Jesus did not look at them in their unbelief and think, “poor men, God has not yet granted them the gift of faith”. He knew that their unbelief was their own fault, not God’s. We are told that Jesus “marveled because of their unbelief” (Mk. 6:6). If they were incapable of believing, or if God simply did not grant them faith, Jesus would not have marveled. There would be nothing to marvel at. Jesus marveled because they could have and should have believed, but they didn’t. Jesus commanded “be not faithless, but believing” (Jn. 20:27). Therefore it is our choice to be faithless or believing.
The reason that men do not know God is not because they are ignorant of God. God has given all men knowledge of Himself. The Bible says that God “lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (Jn. 1:9). The word “lighteth” means that to “enlighten” and “illuminate” (Strong’s definition in e-sword) We are also told, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19-20). All men are “without excuse” for not acknowledging and serving God because no man is without the knowledge of God. The reason that men do not know God is because they choose not to seek after God. Jesus said, “…seek and ye shall find..” (Matt. 7:7). Paul said, “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.” (Acts 17:27). The knowledge of God, and knowing God, is available to everyone. The problem is that “there is none that seeketh after God.” (Rom. 3:11). God said that sinners “refuse to know me” (Jer. 9:6). Men do not know God by choice.
Just as God has granted mankind natural ability, God has granted us natural knowledge. That is why unbelief is a crime! An unbeliever is not an ignoramus who hasn’t encountered the light, who cannot believe in God because of lack of knowledge. An unbeliever is a criminal who selfishly and foolish rejects the light! They choose to rebel against the knowledge that they have. They run from the light! God punishes men for their unbelief. It would make no sense to punish men for not believing, unless believing or not is their own choice. Sin is always a choice. The “sin of unbelief” is the choice not to believe. The condemnation of the unbeliever is justly deserved because light has come into the world but men chose darkness over the light (Jn. 3:19). The only thing that keeps men back from God is their own unwillingness of heart, not any inability of their nature (Isa. 30:9; 30:15; 30:16; Jer. 8:5; Eze. 20:7-8; Matt. 11:20-21; 23:37, Mk. 6:6; 7:30; 13:34; 14:17-18; 19:14; 19:27; Lk. 14:16-24 ;Jn. 5:40; Acts 7:51; 17:27; Rev. 2:21).
All Men Can Seek God If They Wanted To
Sinners have enough natural knowledge of God to seek after Him if they wanted to. “Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I….” (Isa. 48:16) “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse…” (Rom. 1:19-20) “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…” (Jas. 4:8) Cornelius was a Gentile who sought after God with the limited knowledge that he had and so God gave him a further revelation by bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to him (Acts 10:1-48).
I once met a man on the Mizzou University in Missouri who had heard us open air preaching and came up to us afterwards. He said that he grew up in Nepal in a Muslim family. His father was a leader in the Mosque. When he was younger he said it was his responsibility to rise up early, get into the prayer tower, and call the community to prayer. During his teenage years he began to question whether Islam was true or if truth was somewhere else. He began to pray and to fast in the Mosque, praying and fasting continually because his soul was not satisfied. After much prayer and fasting he said that he had a vision. The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him, whom he had known to only be a prophet, and said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by me.” It was not until he came to the United States as a foreign student to study in College that he found a Bible and read that Jesus Christ had said the same thing two thousand years ago.
At the age of accountability, it is a person’s individual responsibility to seek after truth and not to be dependent upon his family or culture. Once that state of reason is reached, those who do not know God do not know Him by choice. And those who do know God know Him by choice. Knowing God or not knowing God is a choice for those whom God has granted the light of natural revelation.
Men have the natural ability to obey their conscience (natural revelation), and when men hear the Gospel and the truths of the Bible (supernatural revelation); they are capable of obeying it or disobeying it. The Gospel requires repentance and faith from men. Repentance is the hearts choice to turn from sin and obey God. Faith is the hearts choice to embrace the truth and trust in Christ. Both repentance and faith are states of the will. Therefore the Gospel requires states of the will. Under a good government, the command implies ability. Only under tyranny is this not true. God’s government is good and therefore in God’s government the command implies ability. We can conclude then that that which the Gospel requires of men, men are capable of doing. A sinner is capable of remaining in a disobedient state of mind, or of having an obedient state of mind through repentance. A sinner is capable of rejecting the truth and not trusting in Christ, or of embracing the truth and trusting in Christ. If men were not capable of it, they would not be commanded to do it.
- The command of a good ruler implies the ability of the subjects.
- God (a good Ruler) commands all men to obey the Gospel when they hear it.
- Therefore all men are able to obey the Gospel when they hear it.
Men are commanded to circumcise their hearts (Deut. 10:16; Jer. 4:4) which means that this is their own responsibility and choice. To circumcise your heart means to repent or put off your sins (Col. 2:11). When Stephen was open air preaching, he said to the crowd “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7:51). Stephen was rebuking them for disobeying a specific commandment, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked” (Deut. 10:16). Why would Stephen rebuke them for being uncircumcised in their heart unless they were capable of circumcising their hearts? Why rebuke them for breaking a commandment unless they were capable of obeying the commandment? Why would he rebuke them for resisting the Holy Spirit unless they were capable of yielding to the Holy Spirit? Unless they were capable of doing these things, why rebuke them for not doing these things? Stephen seemed to take for granted or assume the ability of his audience.
Jesus said, “And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not” (Revelation 2:21). Why would God give her time to repent, if she doesn’t have the ability to repent? Also, is it not clear that her impenitence was not God’s fault, but her own fault? But if God created her with the inability to repent, her impenitence would be His fault. But if God created her with the ability to repent, then her impenitence is her own fault. The blame of impenitence in this passage is clearly put upon her. God wants all men to repent (2 Peter 3:9), He calls all men to repent (Acts 17:30-31), and He blames them if they do not repent (Matt. 11:20, Matt. 23:37, Mk. 6:6, Lk. 7:30, 13:34, 14:17-18, 19:14, 19:27, Jn. 5:40, Rev. 2:21). This presupposes that they have the ability to repent.
Sin is a choice. Sin is an avoidable choice (Jn. 5:14, 8:11; 1 Cor. 15:34; 1 Jn. 2:1). It is a man’s own choice to be in a state of rebellion or sin, that is, it is a man’s own choice to be a sinner (Gen. 6:12, Ex. 32:7, Deut. 9:12, Deut. 32:5, Jdg. 2:19, Hos. 9:9, Ps. 14:2-3, Isa. 53:6, Ecc. 7:29, Rom. 3:23, 1 Jn. 3:4). Therefore reconciliation, or ceasing to be a sinner, also requires the choice of man (2 Corinthians 5:20). Repentance and impenitence are man’s own choice (Matt. 11:20, Rom. 2:5). Therefore man, not God, is responsible for the impenitence of the world. If God makes men incapable of repenting and obeying, by either removing free will when Adam sinned or by withholding free will when He forms us, then God and not man is responsible for the disobedience and impenitence of the world. Therefore either man is capable of obeying and repenting or else God is the reason for the disobedience and impenitence of the world.
Consider how God treats those who disobey the Gospel. “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17). The Bible answers that question. “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). Why would God punish men, for not obeying the Gospel, unless they were capable of obeying it? Is God cruel and unjust as to command of them the impossible, only to punish them eternally for their failure to do what He created them incapable of doing?
In a good government, not only does the command imply ability, but punishment for failure to obey the command most definitely implies ability. God is just, good, reasonable, and loving. Therefore He commands the possible and only punishes men for doing what was avoidable.
God punishes those who do not repent (Eze. 20:8; Rom. 2:5). Therefore repentance must be within our power and impenitence must be our choice! John Fletcher said, “It is offering an insult to the only wise God to suppose . . . that he gave them the Gospel, without giving them power to believe it . . . With regards to repentance, ‘Then he began,’ says St. Matthew, ‘to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not.’ Merciful Savior, forgive us! We have insulted thy meek wisdom, by representing thee as cruelly upbraiding the lame for not running, the blind for not seeing, and the dumb for not speaking! . . . Suppose a schoolmaster said to his English scholars ‘Except you instantly speak Greek you shall all be severely whipped.’ You would wonder at the injustice of the school tyrant. But would not the wretch be merciful in comparison of a Savior, (so called) who is supposed to say to myriads of men, that can no more repent than ice can burn, ‘Except ye repent, ye shall all perish?’” 2
A Loving Relationship with God
It is an age old question, “What is the meaning of life?” It is an identical question to ask, “Why did God create us?” The answer is a loving relationship. God wanted to love and enjoy us. He wanted us to love and enjoy Him. And he wanted us to love and enjoy each other. It seems that all men know that loving relationships is really what is important and what life is all about. When a person is on their death bed, who do they want to be around them? They want their loved ones to be there. If a person is on a plane, knowing it is about to crash, who do they call? They called their loved ones to tell them that they love them. The death of a loved one is the greatest tragedy that we can experience in this life, because we are relational beings. We have been created and designed to love God and love each other, and to be loved by God and to be loved by each other.
Just as parents create children to have loving relational experiences with them, God created mankind for the same purpose. In the beginning, man had a loving relationship with God. Everything was very good in the Garden and the Lord wanted it to stay that way. When we choose to sin, God’s plan was interrupted. Now God wants to bring man back into a relationship with Him but in order to do that, He must turn us from our sins. If mankind had never sinned, the relationship between God and man would never have been interrupted. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God…” (Isa. 59:2). God’s problem with mankind is that we have chosen to sin. Therefore the solution to the problem is for God to get man to decide to turn from his sin. God is trying to salvage His fallen creation, to restore our rebellious race. In this reconciliation or restoration, He must not take away our free will otherwise He could not accomplish that which He created us for.
While I was open air preaching at the University of Minnesota in Duluth, one of the students asked me "Why did God give us free will? Couldn't He have created a universe where there was no possibility of sin?" I explained that God did not want His universe to be full of puppets or robots. That is why God even gave the angels free will and allowed them to choose between loyalty and rebellion. Without free will, there can be no loving relationship. A loving relationship requires mutual consent. God created us to have a relationship with Him. The reason for our existence necessitates the existence of free will. Sure God could have created us without a free will, thereby avoiding all possibility of sin, but this would have also excluded any possibility of us doing what we were created to do! We could not have a real loving relationship with God! Love is a free choice. God cannot and will not make us love Him. God leaves that to our own free will.
Steve Harrison said, "He made us free moral agents with the ability to chose who we would love. He could have made us like animals, driven only by instinct, but God took the risk of rejection for the prize of uncoerced love. He desires a response of love, a voluntary choice of friendship." Steve Harrison (Consuming Love by Steve Harrison)
The salvation experience is when a person enters into a relationship with God. Eternal life is to know God (Jn. 17:3). A relationship between two people requires the choice or willingness between the two. God cannot enter into a loving relationship with man without man’s choice. That a loving relationship requires mutual consent is shown by the extreme example of date rape. When a man forces a woman into a relationship with him, it is not real love because there is no mutual consent. There can be no loving relationship when there is a violated will. Love must be a free choice or else it is not love at all. Since God wants to have a genuine loving relationship with man, He gives us the freedom of choice to know Him or not.
God made Himself very vulnerable with Israel because instead of usurp their free will to force them into a loving relationship with Him, He granted them the freedom of choice to have a loving relationship with Him or not. “The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? She is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these things, turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put here away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord. And the Lord said unto me, the backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and will not keep anger for ever.” (Jer. 3:6-12)
God even subjected Himself to great heartache by granting Israel the free choice to have a loving relationship with Him or not. He said, “I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go whoring after their idols…” (Eze. 6:9). God told Hosea to take a wife of whoredom to illustrate his relationship with Israel, because “the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord” (Hosea 1:2). God granting Israel the choice to have a relationship with Him or not is clearly seen when God said, “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face…” (Hosea 5:15). God was stepping back, giving them the choice and opportunity to come after Him. He was not going to force them to know Him, nor seek after them anymore, but was waiting for them to come after Him. God wanted to have a relationship with them, but He wanted it to be a consensual relationship.
God has wanted to know men in a personal way but was unable to because they would not consent. God said, “… thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back…” (Eze. 23:35). “Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.” (Jer. 2:32). God said, “… they refuse to know me…” (Jer. 9:6). A personal relationship between God and man requires the personal choice of God and man.
We read about the “bride of Christ” and that there will be the “marriage supper of the Lamb”. What is a marriage but the union of two consenting individuals who have decided to enter into a loving and permanent relationship? The consent and willingness of Christ’s bride is clearly seen, since “his wife hath made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7).
I have heard Calvinists argue, “If you pray for God to save someone, you are assuming that salvation is solely God’s decision and is not man’s free will choice”. This line of reasoning is completely fallacious. When I pray for someone’s salvation, I am not praying for God to override their will, violate their will, or usurp their will. I am praying for God to draw men unto Himself by influencing their will. I am praying for God to send the Holy Spirit to convict them of their sin, or to send a believer to them to give witness to the Gospel. God does not convert men through causation but through influence which is why we should “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:38). Praying for God to save someone through public proclamation presupposes that truth is an influence upon man’s will. When I pray for someone’s salvation, I am asking for God to reveal His good character to them and give them a powerful revelation of the atonement. If a man wants to enter into a relationship with a woman, he doesn’t give her a “date rape drug” to violate her will, but he woos her until she forms affection for him and chooses to enter into a relationship. God does not violate our will, but He woos us to Himself through the Spirit’s revelation of His good character, until we freely choose to enter into a relationship with Him or not.
Conversion is Man’s Choice
The way to Heaven and the way to hell are described as roads (Matt. 7:13-14). It is our choice which road we are going to walk on. We are commanded, “Enter ye in the straight gate” (Matt. 7:13). This implies man’s choice in salvation. We are also told, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” (Lk. 13:24). This means that we are to absolutely determine with our will to do so, that we are to energetically put forth the powers of our will.
True conversion is the choice to live a new life. True conversion is the decision to no longer live a selfish life, but to live a holy life to please and glorify God. “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds” (Col. 3:9) and “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts…” (Eph. 4:22) The phrase “ye have put off” and “ye put off” means that it is our own responsibility and our own choice. The words “deeds” and “conversation” implies our former way of life. We are also told to “put on the new man” (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). This also signifies our own activity or choice. Whether we are living the old sinful life or living a new and holy life is our own intentional choice. It is the result of our own personal volition.
Jesus also said, “If any man come to me” (Lk. 14:26), and “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (Jn. 7:37), which describes our own personal role and activity in salvation. It was man who left God so it must be man who comes back or returns to God, as it is written “return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity” (Hos. 14:1).
The Bible also says that it is our choice to do the will of God or not. Jesus said, “If any man will do his will…” (Jn. 7:17). Jesus taught that to preserve your life and consequently lose it or to give your life to the Lord and consequently save it, is your own choice. Jesus said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Lk. 9:24). All men are free to choose between these two possibilities. God let’s us decide. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24; Lk. 9:23). This indicates the activity of man’s will in conversion. The word “will” in these passages means to “choose” and to “determine” (Strong’s Definitions, e-sword), it means to “resolve” and to “purpose” (Thayer’s Definitions, e-sword). No man is passively converted, or converted independent of his will, but conversion is actually decision of the will.
A Calvinist will object and quote John 1:13 which say, “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” Doesn’t that mean that salvation is not our free will choice? The answer is no. Proper biblical hermeneutics would exclude this interpretation because the immediate context contradicts it. The very verse before it talks about a man’s choice in becoming born again, “But as many as received him, to them he gave right to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name…” (Jn. 1:12). That word “receive” means to "to take, to choose, select” (Thayer’s Definitions, e-sword). Therefore those who choose Him are granted the right to become sons of God. John 1:13 is referencing our first birth. Our parents decided by their will to come together and have intercourse which resulted in our creation. This was “of blood” and “of the will of flesh” and “of the will of man”. But we were not born again, or brought into a relationship with God, through our parent’s decision to have intercourse. It is not through their will that we are born again. If our parents were Christians, their relationship with God is not hereditary or transmitted to us. That was their choice and if we are going to have a relationship with God, we must choose to. A relationship with God cannot be inherited. We must have a second birth. What is physical is hereditary, but what is spiritual is not. That is why Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (Jn. 3:6). Our parents brought about our first birth by their will, giving us flesh, but God brings about our second birth, bringing us into a relationship with Him. John 1:13 is not saying that our will is not involved in our salvation, which would contradict so many other passages, but is simply saying that the decision of our parents did not give us a relationship with God or produce in us that which occurs at the second birth. We must remember the sound rules of biblical hermeneutics when interpreting the Bible. One verse does not cancel out many other verses. And that a single verse should be interpreted in light of those many others, especially if the single verse isn’t clear but the other verses are.
The Gospel appeal that Peter made, “Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Acts 2:40) certainly takes for granted the role of man’s choice in the salvation experience. The Bible says “whosoever will” and therefore salvation is a choice of the will (Rev. 22:17). Paul’s gospel appeal took for granted man’s role and choice in reconciliation when he said, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). Paul said that by continuing in the truth, you will “save thyself” (1 Tim. 4:16). Paul also said, “I declare unto you the gospel, which I preached unto you, which also ye received…” (1 Cor. 15:1) He also said, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received…” (1 Cor. 15:3). Christians are those who chose to receive the gospel instead of reject it. The Bible says that men need to “receive” Christ (Jn. 1:2; 1:11), but some men refused to believe in Him and rejected Him (Ps. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Mk. 12:10; Lk. 20:17; Acts 3:14; 1 Pet. 2:7). Receiving and rejecting are states of the will. Receiving Christ and rejecting Him is a personal volition. “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Pet. 2:15). Just as we went astray by choice, we have returned by choice. The word “returned” in this passage means to “to turn one’s self about” (Thayer’s Definitions, e-sword)
Clement of Alexandria said, “We…have believed and are saved by voluntary choice.” (c.195, A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs by David Bercot, p. 287, published by Hendrickson Publishers) Origen said, “We have freedom of the will and that we ourselves are the cause of our own ruin or our salvation” Origen (Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up, by David Bercot, pg 74, printed by Scroll Publishing). Pelagius said, “Grace indeed freely discharges sins, but with the consent and choice of the believer” Pelagius (The Letters of Pelagius and his Followers by B. R. Rees, pg 92, published by The Boydell Press) Augustine said, “The beginning of our salvation flows from the merciful God; but it is in our power to consent to his saving inspiration.” Augustine (An Equal Check to Pharisaism and Antinomianism by John Fletcher, Volume Two, pg 206, Published by Carlton & Porter) Erasmus said, “By free choice in this place we mean a power of the human will by which a man can apply himself to the things which lead to eternal salvation, or turn away from them.” Erasmus (E. Gordon Rupp, P. Watson, Luther And Erasmus: Free Will And Salvation, The Westminster Press, 1969, p. 47)