Free Will

 Do humans have free will?

This is a "next level" question. While the Adam and Eve scenario deals with the origin of sin for the whole human race, this question here focuses on the individual.

If God is omniscient (all-knowing), He knows the final destination of every person before they are even born. This creates a difficult tension: Why bring a specific person into existence if the "result" is their rejection of Him?

The "Intermediate Good" Argument. This view suggests that an individual’s life has value and impact beyond their final belief system.  An atheist may still love others, create art, advance science, or be the parent or friend of someone who does find faith.

So, in a complex, interconnected web of history, God might create a person because of the "good" they do for the world or the role they play in the lives of others, even if that person never acknowledges Him.

Is there any Biblical evidence to back this? Actually, yes. The most vivid example of this in scripture is King Cyrus the Great. God explicitly states that He is using Cyrus for a grand purpose, even though Cyrus does not know Him.

“For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me,” Isaiah 45:4–5

Cyrus was a pagan king, but God used him to conquer Babylon, decree the release of the Jewish exiles, and fund the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. This is a direct biblical example of God creating, equipping, and positioning a person who never personally acknowledged Him, specifically because of the vital, positive role he would play in the lives of others.

“From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field.” Genesis 39:5

When Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt, he was purchased by a high-ranking official named Potiphar. Potiphar was an Egyptian pagan, yet God blessed him and his entire estate purely because of his connection to Joseph. While Potiphar didn't worship the God of Abraham, his existence, position, and household prosperity were directly utilized by God to preserve Joseph, who would eventually save the region from a catastrophic famine. 

However, if God only created people He knew would love Him, is that actually "freedom"? If a "filter" is applied at the moment of creation so that only "believers" are ever born, then the choice to believe isn't a choice at all—it’s a rigged deck.

For human freedom to be authentic, the "option" to be an atheist must be a biological possibility. To delete all future atheists from the "creation queue" would be a form of coercion that undermines the value of those who do choose to believe.

This perspective challenges the idea of a "fixed" outcome from a human time-perspective. While God may see the "end," the person experiences their life as a series of genuine choices. God provides every person with "sufficient grace" to believe. If He didn't create them, He would be depriving them of the opportunity to exist and the chance to change their mind, however small that chance might seem to us.

I’m sorry, but my main problem with “Election” and “Predestination without free will " is this. If God is truly all-powerful and all-loving, He wouldn't create someone for eternal separation. The friction point here is usually the concept of Hell or Eternal Punishment. If you believe in a God who creates someone knowing they will end up in eternal suffering, it is very hard to reconcile that with "Omnibenevolence" (all-goodness).

If you believe that God elects some people to be saved, no matter what, then logic dictates that the opposite is true. God creates people to burn in hell, no matter what. 

I would argue that humans possess genuine free will, real responsibility, and the power to choose their own destiny; let me show you a distinct thread of scripture. These passages frame God not as a puppet master, but as a Creator who presents real options and holds people accountable for what they decide.

Here are the primary biblical passages used to defend human responsibility and choice:

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live,” Deuteronomy  30:19

This is perhaps the most famous "free will" passage in the Old Testament. God is speaking to the Israelites through Moses, laying out the law, and then puts the decision squarely in their hands. The command to "choose" becomes a logical absurdity if the people didn't actually have the capacity to make that choice. If their choice was pre-determined, the appeal to "choose life" would be empty rhetoric.

“The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” Ezekiel 18:20

In the ancient world, there was a heavy focus on generational guilt (the idea that children are punished for their parents' sins). In Ezekiel 18, God completely flips this, emphasizing strict individual accountability based on personal choice. This passage establishes that God judges people based on their own actions and alignment. Responsibility cannot be passed up or down the family tree; it stops with the individual's will.

Then Jesus came, there are a lot more examples, but for time sake we skip ahead to when Jesus came. In the New Testament, I want you to read the following in the view that there is no free will, and tell me if you think this makes any sense whatsoever. First, one of the most famous.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Stop. Whosoever? Whosoever what? Believes. What? Should not perish but has everlasting life. Why? Because they, who? Whosoever believes. 

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John:3-16-18

Whoever believes, again, then whoever does not believe is condemned already. So? If there is no free will, then whosoever is saved or destroyed at God’s discretion, alone, then what is the point of any of what we just read? 

One of the toughest hurdles for the "no free will" argument is explaining instances where humans seem to actively thwart what God wanted for them. Luke provides a vivid example of this regarding the Pharisees:

“When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.” Luke 7:23-30

This text explicitly says humans are capable of rejecting God's purpose or counsel (boulē) for their lives. If God’s will were always irresistible, a human rejecting His purpose would be impossible.

How about this? 2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

 Not wishing who? Any. Any should perish. But who? All. All should what? Reach repentance. 

Again, if there is no free will, then any who perish, and, well, there would be no chance at all of repenting if it is at God’s discretion, alone, then what is the point of any of what we just read? 

Let’s look at Revelations. 

"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. Revelation 22:16-18

The very last chapter of the Bible ends with a universal invitation that places the responsibility on the one who hears it. The phrase "let the one who desires" (or "whosoever will" in some translations) implies that the deciding factor is human desire and volition. The water is free and available, but the individual must choose to drink.

The entire biblical concept of judgment is built on these verses. For God to judge, reward, or punish a human being fairly, that human must have been free to do otherwise. If a person is forced to do good, the good isn't praiseworthy. If a person is forced or destined to do evil (or remain an atheist), punishing them for it would conflict with the biblical definition of a just and loving God.

Those who emphasize Human Responsibility (the verses we looked at just a moment ago) generally counter this by arguing that while humanity is indeed deeply broken and crippled by sin, God's "Prevenient Grace" reaches out to everyone, temporarily overriding that spiritual death just enough to give them the ability to freely choose or reject Him.  I do not believe that the scriptures teach Election only. Rather the contrary, we have now, and always have had, always will have free will. This is why, although we possess total depravity, we can still be saved through the grace of God. More on that next time. 

Remember, you can always check out the vast archive here at TAG

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Spirit and the peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. May God bless and be with you always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!