The False Doctrine Of Free Will
Few things really make me angry, but hearing people promote the false doctrine of “free will” happens to be one of them. I challenge ANYONE to find that doctrine in the Bible, because it’s not there. In fact, it is TOTALLY contrary to just about everything the Bible teaches, and it frustrates me to no end when I hear women standing for marriage restoration say “…but what about his free will?” or “God can’t/won’t MAKE him do anything he doesn’t want to do.” THAT IS A LIE STRAIGHT FROM THE PIT OF HELL! Ask Paul if the Lord MADE him do something he didn’t WANT to do when he was blinded on the road to Damascus while on his way to imprison or murder more Christians, and the Lord called him to be one of His most influential disciples. Ask Mary how much choice she had about being Jesus’ mother when the Holy Spirit impregnated her exactly as the prophets had foretold many generations before her birth. Ask Pharoah how much choice he had when the LORD hardened his heart so He would be glorified for generations to come by the stories of how He delivered the Jews from bondage. Ask Jonah why he changed his mind about not going to Nineveh after being thrown overboard to die and then spending three days in the belly of a whale, only to be vomited out AFTER he agreed to do what the Lord wanted him to do. Ask Ahab what he thinks about free will, when he was killed at Ramoth Gilead after God gave permission for lying spirits to be put in the mouths of his prophets so he would be killed there. And ask Balaam why he didn’t keep going after his donkey lay down on the ground under him and started talking to him.
Since we know God never changes, the above examples should be more than sufficient to poke huge holes in the erroneous doctrine of free will, which also totally contradicts the following Bible verses. They clearly tell us that it doesn’t matter what we plan or intend to do, because in the end the Lord’s will WILL be done:
Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 16:9
In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
Proverbs 20:24
A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?
Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.
The doctrine that man has “free will” tends to elevate us in terms of our relationship to the Lord and minimize His OMNIPOTENT power and control, and it definitely contradicts the doctrine of election SO CLEARLY indicated in the following Bible verses:
Acts 13:48
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
Ephesians 1:3-6
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Acts 9:15
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.
Romans 9:10-12
Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”
Romans 11:7-8
What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.”
Romans 11:27-29
And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.
2 Timothy 2:10
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
Mark 13:22
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible.
Matthew 24:22
If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Here are some more verses specifically illustrating how and why we KNOW the Lord does NOT give us free will:
Exodus 4:21
The LORD said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Exodus 9:12
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.
Exodus 10:1-2
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD.”
Isaiah 63:17
Why, O LORD, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance.
Joshua 11:20
For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Finally, I encourage anyone who still believes in the doctrine of free will to read Romans 9 in its entirety. There are so many things about how the Lord does things that we do not and can not understand, and I think this doctrine attempts to explain one of the things we can’t explain or understand, which is why some are saved and some aren’t. It’s certainly not my intention to create more confusion by sharing these passages of scripture and challenging the doctrine of free will, but in Isaiah 55:8-9, God did tell us that we can’t understand everything about Him, which says “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. However, that does not give us license to come up with doctrines that are not based on what we find in the Bible, especially one like the doctrine of free will which definitely contradicts so much of what the Bible teaches. Anyone still inclined to believe that we have “free will” should pay close attention to Paul’s warning in 2 Timothy 4:3, which says For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
One of the reasons I get so angry when I hear someone teaching or preaching about free will is that I grew up believing it myself, because it is taught by so many leading preachers and teachers. It was only after I started studying and preparing more seriously for this ministry that I began questioning it. I kept finding verses and passages like the ones I’ve included here, and realized that they were in total contrast to the concept of man’s free will and that God never forces His will on us, which is something I myself was guilty of believing and teaching! So I kept looking for it when I read the Bible, and so far I haven’t found it. One of these days I’ll take the time to research where the doctrine originated in the first place, but for now, I just hope and pray that I’ve helped others see how erroneous it is based on what the Bible says, which is the ONLY word we should ever rely on for the things we believe. That’s why it is SO important to spend time reading and studying the Bible for ourselves. And it is especially important for anyone standing for the restoration of their marriage to understand the danger of believing this false doctrine, and that our marriages CAN be restored, even when it is not what our spouses want, because in the end, it IS GOD’S will that WILL prevail, which is exactly what Proverbs 16:1 tells us, because it says To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. So we need to claim the promise of God’s word when He says He HATES divorce and trust and rely on HIS ability to keep that from happening or to restore our marriages even after it has!
Update May 05, 2006:
I found this verse while I was searching for something else this morning, so I’m adding it for anyone who still has doubts about the doctrine of free will.
2 Corinthians 4:4
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
I have been married for almost 26 years to an man who is an atheist. My son and I and many of our Christian friends pray regularly for his Salvation. The concept and verses on “free will” were eye opening to me as I have been raised to believe in free will and as a discipleship leader to women have described this concept many times. Having said that I have, just this day, been engaged in conversation and had made a commitment to myself to investigate free will. The verses listed will help me to begin this scriptural quest. Please pray for me. And thank you.
Fran, thank you SO much for sharing your experience. It’s so exciting when the Lord leads us to a new revelation and understanding of His word, because of the awesome promise we have in John 8:31-32, which says To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Your story provides an awesome example of exactly how that works too, because there’s no way we can reconcile the false doctrine of free will with “ALL things are possible with god”, which would obviously keep us from walking in the faith God REQUIRES to have our prayers answered, especially when our prayers concern someone else, such as prayers for marriage restoration and the salvation of our husbands. I know that having that stronghold of deception lifted will release supernatural power into your situation, and I sincerely believe you WILL see the salvation of your husband! And PLEASE let Romans 4:17 encourage you to expect and confess his salvation, which says As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
Dear Lord, we thank You for the awesome power of Your word! We thank You for the supernatural power it releases and for Your promise in Isaiah 55:10-11, when You said As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. We thank You Lord, that when we read Your word, You speak to us and give us the grace, wisdom and faith needed for ALL situations. We thank You that You will NEVER leave us or forsake us! We thank You that we can bring our petitions before You with boldness and confidence and that You will hear us and answer our prayers. We thank You that when two or more of us are in agreement, whatever we ask for will be done. We thank You for literally giving us the keys to the kingdom of heaven and promising us that the gates of hell can not prevail against us or our husbands, with whom we are one, that whatever we bind on earth will be found in heaven and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Therefore, we thank You that Fran’s husband is released from any and all forms of bondage and strongholds, all manner of deception and demonic activity that would keep him from coming to the saving knowledge of You as his Lord and Savior, because we bind them and cast them off of him in the most powerful name of Jesus Christ! We loose Your spirit of truth, grace and love to fill him and set him free, to release him from captivity, because we know that’s why You came Lord Jesus. You came to give us victory over every weapon Satan fashions against us, so that it will not prosper. You came that none would perish, but that ALL would have everlasting life. We know that Satan came to kill, steal and destroy, but that you came to give us abundant life. Your word promises us that Your power is greater than Satan’s power and that NO wisdom, insight or plan can succeed against You. And Your word promises us that your thoughts and plans for us are for good and not for evil, to give us hope in our future. And You promised us that if we delight in You, You will give us the desires of our hearts. And that if we commit ourselves to Your ways and if we trust in You, You will make our righteousness shine like the dawn, and the justice of our cause like the noonday sun! So we thank You for the encouragement, wisdom and instruction provided for us in 1 Peter 3:1-6, in which You said Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. Lord, we know that apart from You, it’s not possible to be such a wife, so we thank You that it is You who will give us the grace and strength to commit ourselves to this teaching and experience the promise it holds for the salvation of our husbands. We thank You that when we seek to understand Your word, especially when it is so contrary to our flesh, You will lead us through the power of Your Holy Spirit. We thank You that when we are weak, You are strong, and that we CAN do ALL things through You, because You will strengthen us! We thank you for the awesome promise You give us in Revelation 12:11, which says They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. And we thank You for peace that passes all understanding. I pray Lord Jesus, that Fran will be filled to overflowing with that kind of peace, which comes only when we REALLY trust and believe in You and Your promises, and that nothing she hears or sees can shake her from the bold and faithful stand she’s taken for her husband’s salvation. I pray that You will lead her into the truth, knowledge and wisdom of Your word concerning the faith and confidence she needs to believe that her husband IS saved and that You have answered her prayers and that she and her son will be blessed with the husband and father they desire. Fill her with the joy of salvation, Lord, and the absolute knowledge that the same power that worked in her heart and spirit to save her is now at work in her husband. I thank You that her husband will begin to see a peace in her that draws him, that he will see the light of Your love in her and that she will see him through Your eyes Lord, and NOT through the eyes of her experience. And, Lord, please give her the encouragement she needs at this time, and bless her with a most awesome testimony to use for your glory. AMEN.
Thank you for this post. I had someone who slammed me for being stubborn when I pointed out that a man has no free will. I directed him to point Romans 9:16-to the end. I do not believe everything I’m told, rather I read the scriptures for myself.
May the Peace of God be with you.