Bible Studies

DO WE REALLY HAVE FREE WILL?

by John Tyler
08/14/15
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Believe it or not, many people believe we have a thing called "FREE WILL", but they have no comprehension of how that works.

I've had pastors say, "If you think we have FREE WILL, you are wrong...we don't!"

Other preachers tell us that we have limited FREE WILL, meaning that God gives us a limited choice between good and evil.

Mormons say, "We have limited free will. Within certain limitations, we can make choices and act upon those choices."

The Reverend Charles Stanley says that we have limited free will, too.

He says, "At times people point out the King James translation of Isaiah 45:7, which says that God makes peace and creates evil. While I love the KJV's poetic language, I teach from the New American Standard Bible because it's the most accurate translation. The NASB says God is the One "causing well-being and creating calamity . . . " Even before we make a wrong choice, the Lord knows what the repercussions will be. And He uses the evil circumstances related to our sin as a teaching tool.- We have a certain amount of free will - the Lord allows us to step out His will and pursue our own agenda. He knows that sin reveals the flesh's weakness and arrogance. Once we realize our frailty, He teaches us to die to self and to rely upon Christ's strength (Gal. 2:20)."

We have TOTAL FREE WILL.  Even Christians can commit the most abominable sins...using the gift of FREE WILL.  I'm one of those who have chosen (as a Christian) to do evil.  I was a deacon.  I taught adult classes in Sunday School.  ANYONE CAN FALL...but, thank God...He's the God of second chances!  1 John 1:9 - "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."

What God had His prophets write...in Isaiah 45:7 -is this (KJV):  "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things."

This  is exactly the message God wants us to know.  God created GOOD - and BAD (Evil).  God created the tree in the Garden of Eden known as "the tree of the knowledge of GOOD and Evil (bad).  Evil is NOT SIN.  God did not create SIN....but He did create bad (evil).  If we choose to do evil things (bad things)...that is what becomes SIN.

The King James Bible came about in 1611.  According to Wikipedia, "The most recent edition of the NASB text was published in 1995."  Why would a preacher rely on a 1995 Bible?  Was Reverend Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) - who relied on the KJV preaching wrong? 

I listen to Reverend Stanley every day on InTouch.org, and respect him as a preacher of the gospel, but he gets things wrong...sometimes. If he was totally correct, it would mean that every other preacher is wrong!  So, some pastors are correct on some things..others are not. 

Paul, the great apostle of Jesus to the Gentiles tells us "Search the Scriptures daily so that you will know that even what I, the great apostle Paul, is telling you is the truth according to God's Word."

For example, Reverend Stanley tells us that "our name goes into the Book Of Life upon salvation."

The Bible tells us that our name is IN the Book of (eternal) Life from birth, and it gets blotted out at the end of our life if we have chosen to reject Christ....Revelation 3:5. Every person who is born has a soul.  The soul lives for eternity - somewhere....After the Great White Throne Judgment, those who chose to reject Christ - and what He did on the cross - are blotted out of the Book of (eternal) Life, and are cast into the Lake of Fire, but the soul has eternal life...SOMEWHERE.

Reverend Stanley and about 95 percent of all preachers or priests preach tithing as a rule or mandate.

I have written a book (FREE TO ANYONE) about the subject of MONEY...and the principle (not mandate) of tithing and giving. That is found on my book website at www.RelationshipBooks.com. If you'd rather just watch the VIDEO of "ALL ABOUT MONEY (and what Jesus says about TITHING), click on this link.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yObBHIHstwc

BUT - let's discover the truth about FREE WILL.

Rather than write everything down here, I have made a video on my YouTube Channel where I speak - from God's Word and not my opinion, about FREE WILL, and I also address some of the other misconceptions about the subject.

The video is a courtroom scene behind me, and it affords YOU the opportunity to listen in...and YOU become part of the jury who reviews all of the EVIDENCE that FREE WILL is a God-given gift, and how it all came about.

Here is that link:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=REOqFEu73N8

Be sure to visit my book site to take advantage of downloading any or all of the five (out of nine) FREE BOOKS. All Bible-based books are FREE.

God says in Proverbs 23:23..."Buy the truth, but do not sell it."

To me, it has the dual meaning...Buy it...own it, but never let it leave you....and...Once you have it, give it away to others and do not sell it.

John Tyler, Author

 ALL OF MY BOOKS ARE NOW FREE AT www.RelationshipBooks.com