Our Free Will
Here is a quote from a book that I recently read called “Your Best Destiny” by Wintley Phipps, and on page 140 he states this; “If there is one thing I believe for sure, it is that God recognizes as sacred the right of every human being to choose to live according to what they believe – whether right or wrong. Unless we are violating the rights of others, God considers our free will a most sacred right, and one that He will not violate. Instead of making us obedient robots, He chooses to create us in his image and to give us the gift of free will. Then, instead of revoking the right when we abuse it, God chose to shoulder the responsibility Himself for our misuse of our freedom. Rather than take away our right to choose our destiny, God assumes all liability for our mistakes, should we repent of them, and ask forgiveness. God not only considers our free will sacred and inviolate, He sees it as an indispensable prerequisite to the development of our character. And he has promised to reward those who strive to resemble, reflect, and reveal his character.”
He makes a very good point; so how about this verse found in Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” We exercise our “Free Will” and Sin, and when we repent, then Jesus Christ bears the consequences of our corrupted “Free Will.” Using “Sanctuary Symbolism,” we sin, wages of sin is death {Rom 6:23} so we bring a Lamb for a Sacrifice, “Lamb of God” who is Jesus Christ {John 1:29} and the lamb dies in our place and we live to fight another day, as it were. So if we say we “Love Jesus,” then why do we do things that hurt and sorrow Jesus, so why not stay away from sin by the correct exercise of our “Free Will?”
Here is another Quote; “But He humbled Himself, and took mortality upon Himself. As a member of the human family, He was mortal; but as a God, He was the fountain of life to the world. He could, in His divine person, ever have withstood the advances of death, and refused to come under its dominion; but He voluntarily laid down His life, that in so doing He might give life and bring immortality to light. He bore the sins of the world, and endured the penalty, which rolled like a mountain upon His divine soul. He yielded up His life a sacrifice; that man should not eternally die. He died, not through being compelled to die, but by His own free will.” {FLB 46}
Or this Quote; “Men act out their own free will, either in accordance with a character placed under the moulding of God or a character placed under the harsh rule of Satan. Every act, every word, is a seed that will bear fruit. Every deed of thoughtful kindness, of obedience, or of self-denial, will reproduce itself in others; and through them in still others. So every act of envy, malice, or dissension is a seed that will spring up in a “root of bitterness” (Hebrews 12:15), whereby many shall be defiled.” {FLB 155}
To take the Parable of the Sower; this person went forth scattering seed and most of it failed to grow, but then a small portion yielded and there was a bumper crop, which was then all harvested. So if you are sowing the seeds of discord and conflict, do not be shocked by the crop that you harvest in the end, as you exercised your free will to plant such a crop, and God will let it continue grow to your condemnation, it is your own “Free Will” to plant anything you like. The seeds of Sin and the Seeds of Salvation will all grow, so do not plan on a drought or for God to turn up with a weed sprayer and destroy a corrupt crop. To remove a corrupt crop, you must with the “Gospel Plough,” go and plough deeply under a wrong crop and with prayer and repentance, get growing a new crop, plants of a righteous and Heavenly variety, all by your own “Free Will,” and you have now changed from “Death” to “Eternal Life.”
Quote; “If you would be a saint in heaven, you must first be a saint on earth. The traits of character you cherish in life will not be changed by death or by the resurrection. You will come up from the grave with the same disposition you manifested in your home and in society. Jesus does not change the character at His coming. The work of transformation must be done now. Our daily lives are determining our destiny.” {AH 16}
“The harvest of life is character, and it is this that determines destiny, both for this life and for the life to come. The harvest is a reproduction of the seed sown. Every seed yields fruit after its kind. So it is with the traits of character we cherish. Selfishness, self-love, self-esteem, self-indulgence, reproduce themselves; and the end is wretchedness and ruin. “He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Galatians 6:8. Love, sympathy, and kindness yield fruitage of blessing, a harvest that is imperishable.” {CG 162}
Dear Reader; Will we not all now resolve to plough in corrupt crops, to pluck out the weeds of Sin that so quickly and so easily spring up and blemish our crop of goodness and which then gives the appearances of a neglected Garden of our life, which should be more Heavenly, by displaying only order and perfection, by being a “Weed Free Zone.” Let us all resolve to use our “Free Will” for Heavenly purposes and to say “No More” to sin and defilement.
