When we talk about Determinist or Free Will, we are also talking
about the attribute of God – His all knowing and sovereign. And
normally, it addresses the topic of salvation: Does God chose this
person to be saved? Or this person decides to be saved? Some
of us spend a lot of time in deciding between steak or salad for my
dinner but this is not what I am addressing here. Rather, I am
addressing who really is in control of our eternal destiny.
To talk about this issue, I think we need to understanding of nature
of men because all men are bound by the nature law. A prisoner has
free will to pace around, jump or do whatever he wants in the cell.
However; his free will not enable him to go beyond the walls no
matter how much desire of his free will. He is limited around the
walls but he has free will within the cell. So it is with man.
Because of sin, human is imprisoned in the cell of wickedness and
corruption which pervades the core of our being. Every part of a
human is bounded by sin – our bodies, minds and wills. “ The
heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can
understand it?” Jer 17:9. In our nature, our heart is carnally
minded and not spiritual minded. We do things by our flesh; we sin
against God all the time! We are His enemy! Even though we totally
disconnect with Him and against Him all the time, He knows us. “For
He knows deceitful men;
He sees wickedness also. Will He not then consider [it]?” (Job
11:11) He loves us and His love conquered everything. “ Many
waters cannot quench love, all the wealth of his house for love, it
would be utterly scorned.” ( Song of songs 8:7)
The Cross is
God expression of His love to us. Jesus Christ, the second person of
the trinity, came to the world and died on the cross which is
salvation that tears down the walls for all the sinners who like to
follow Him and love Him in return. Through salvation, we are able
to reconnect to God with our spirit; through salvation, we are no
longer bound by our sins and are able to conquer them by the power of
Holy Spirit; through salvation, we are no longer in prison. “For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16)
His salvation as a gift is for every body in the world and every body
who is in the prison has free will to choose to accept it or not.
His heart towards us is like the father waiting for his lost son to
return. Interestingly, human is able to choose. When we say “free
will”, it normally points to the freely choosing of the opposed way
because of sin. Did God decide for us who is going to accept His
salvation? Absolutely not! As we start following Jesus, our spirit
is awake and we start having peace and power to conquer our sin.
Salvation is God’s job and it was finished at the cross! Our job
is to believe and be faithful to the end.
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