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#####, you asked some questions about free will. Perhaps this article might offer some insight. It's a bit long. You may want to copy and paste it on your hard drive for future reading. Peace, GaryFree Will--Is it Biblical?
By Gary AmiraultThe fact there are literally thousands of denominations of Christianity which differ from each other enough to create their own traditions, articles of faith, leadership, church buildings, etc even though Paul the apostle STRONGLY warned against doing such a thing (1 Cor. 1:11-13), should be plain proof enough that millions of Christians have departed from the simplicity of Christ and gone after the "traditions of men" and divided into thousands of sects, schisms and divisions. We call them "denominations" so as not to reveal the blatant violation of Scriptures these divisions of Christ's body represent.
Without exception, these "denominations" are built upon "traditions of men" and "doctrines of demon." ALL of them without exception.
One of the leading "traditions of men" NOT found in the Bible which has caused millions of Christians to abandon the faith once delivered for all is the doctrine of the "free will" of man. Such a teaching simply does NOT exist in the Bible if one takes the whole Bible into consideration NOT relying on just a handful of isolated, out-of-context Scriptures. We have compiled a list of scores of Scriptures declaring the absolute Sovereignty of God. Listed below are just a small handful of those Scriptures taken from the Book of John:
•Jn. 1:12,13 Who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of the will of God.
•Jn. 3:27 A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.
•Jn. 5:21 The Son also gives life to whom He wishes. (Greek: wills)
•Jn.6:37 All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me.
•Jn.6:39 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I will lose nothing.
•Jn.6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.
•Jn.8:36 If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
•Jn.10:27-28 And I give eternal life to them (my sheep), and they shall never perish and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.
•Jn.12:39, 40 For this cause they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, "He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart; lest they see with their eyes and perceive with their ear, and be converted, and I heal them."
•Jn.19:11 You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given to you from above.Look at how many sovereignty Scriptures came from the gospel of John alone. This should give one a clear understanding that the Bible is full of the declaration that He is Lord over all. Many people seem to find an angry judgmental old vengeful God in the Old Testament who is going to wipe out just about everything He created. If a person has hate, resentment, anger, bitterness, prejudice in their hearts, they surely will find such a god in the first 39 books of the bible. But if their hearts have been sprinkled by the blood of the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, they will find a MUCH different God. Below are some Scriptures from Isaiah. Some scholars see the Book of Isaiah as kind of a miniature Bible. Let us see how Sovereign the God Isaiah knew is and what the outcome of His Sovereign acts will be.
Isaiah 2:2
In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.Isaiah 4:3
And it will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem.Isaiah 9:7
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace...from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.Isaiah 10:5-7
Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hands is My indignation. I send it against a godless nation....Yet it does not so intend nor does it plan so in its heart.Isaiah 10:15
Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.Isaiah 10:22
For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant within them will return; a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.Isaiah 11:9
They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.Isaiah 14:24
The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, "Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand.Isaiah 14:27
For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?Isaiah 19:17
And the land of Judah will become a terror to Egypt; everyone to whom it is mentioned will be in dread of it, because of the purpose of the Lord of hosts which He is purposing against them.Isaiah 22:11
But you did not depend on Him who made it, nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.Isaiah 23:9
The Lord of hosts has planned it to defile the pride of all beauty, to despise all the honored of the earth.Isaiah 25: 7-8
And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the Lord has
spoken.Isaiah 26:9
For when the earth experiences Thy judgements, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. Ed., The purpose of judgement is to learn, not burn!]Isaiah 26:12
Lord, Thou wilt establish peace for us, since Thou hast also performed for us all our works,Isaiah 27:3
I, the Lord, am its [the vineyard's] keeper; I water it every moment, lest anyone damage it; I guard it night and day.Isaiah 40:5
Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.Isaiah 43:13
Even from eternity I am He; and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?Isaiah 45:6, 7
There is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well being and creating calamity [lit.,"ra", evil]. I am the Lord who does all these.Isaiah 45:17
Israel has been saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; You will not be put to shame or humiliated to all eternity.Isaiah 45:22,23
Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.Isaiah 46:10
Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, "My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure";Isaiah 46:11
Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.Isaiah 48:11
For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.Isaiah 53:6
All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.Isaiah 54:16
Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals, and brings out a weapon for its work; and I have created the destroyer to ruin. No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper.Isaiah 55:11
So shall my word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.Isaiah 57:17,18
Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid my face and was angry, and he went on turning away, in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners creating the praise of the lips.Isaiah 60:21
Then all your people [all Israel] will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.Isaiah 60:22
The smallest one will become a clan, and the least one a mighty nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.Isaiah 61:11
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.Isaiah 63:17
Why, O Lord, dost Thou cause us to stray from Thy ways, and harden our heart from fearing Thee? Return for the sake of Thy servants, the tribes of Thy heritage.Isaiah 65:1
I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, "Here am I, here am I," to a nation which did not call on My name.Isaiah 66:18,23
Below are a few key sovereignty scriptures taken from various parts of the Bible. A more complete list is located at the end of this article. Again, the purpose for listing these Scriptures is to wash away thick scales of Arminianism (traditions of men) which block the light of plain Scriptures which reveal a MUCH more powerful and loving God than the one which "free-will" denominations of Christianity reveal:
Luke 18:27 The things impossible with men are possible with God.
1Cor.15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God in me.
Eph.1:4 Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world...
Eph.1:5,6 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace...
Eph.1:9,10 Making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him . . .with a view to . . .the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth . . .
Phil.1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Phil.2:12,13 Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Col.1:13 For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love.
Col.1:15 And He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of (Greek, protokos: prior to and sovereign over) all creation.
1 Thess.5:24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
1 Tim.2:4 Who desires (Greek\KJV: who will have) all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Ex.4:11 And the Lord said to him (Moses), "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?"
Deut.2:30 For the Lord your God hardened his (Pharaoh's) spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as he is today.
Deut.32:39 See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; it is I who puts to death and gives life. I have wounded, and it is I who heals; and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.
1Sam.2:6,7 The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and rich; He brings low, and He also exalts.
2Chron.20:6 Power and might are in Thy hand so that no one can stand against Thee.
Job 42:2 I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted.
Ps. 22:27,28 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before Thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's, and he rules over the nations.
Prov. 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Prov. 19:21 Many are the plans of a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord will be established.
Eccl. 3:14 I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear [be in awe] of Him.
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 4:28 Because I have spoken, I have purposed, and I will not change My mind [lit. be sorry], nor will I turn from it.
Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man's way is not in himself; Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.
Jeremiah 16:21 Therefore behold, I am going to make them know-- This time I will make them know My power and My might; And they shall know that My name is the Lord.
Jeremiah 16:21 Therefore behold, I am going to make them know-- This time I will make them know My power and My might; And they shall know that My name is the Lord.
Jeremiah 24:7 And I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.
Jeremiah 31:33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord. "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Jeremiah 32:40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them food; and I will put the fear [awe] of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.
Lam. 3:31 For the Lord will not reject forever, for if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness.
Lam. 3:37-39 Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and evil go forth? Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?
Ezekiel 12:25 For I the Lord shall speak, and whatever word I speak will be performed.
Daniel 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the Host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, "What hast Thou done."
Daniel 7:13,14 I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol (Hell); I will redeem them from death. O death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting?
Hosea 14:4 I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from them.
Micah 7:18-20 Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities underfoot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham, which Thou didst swear to our forefathers from the days of old.
Zephaniah 3:8-9 Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all My burning anger; for all the earth will be devoured by the fire of My zeal. For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him shoulder to shoulder. [Ed., Note that the purpose of God's fire is purification, that is, destruction of the flesh for the purification of the soul.]
Rom. 9:20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will you, the thing formed, say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for a honor and another for dishonor?
It appears most Christians say, "No, God does NOT have the right to do as He pleases. We have free will and can foil God's plans and purposes. We can "choose" to be born again and we can "choose" to go to Hell. We can "choose" to lead men to Christ and we can "choose" to be servants of Satan and lead men and women to Hell. Imagine…God giving so much power to human beings…that we as individuals can be responsible for sending one of God's own created beings to everlasting tortures. Is God really this powerless, or thoughtless, or careless or plain stupid that He has placed into the hands of mortal, corrupt, fallen man the ability to send a human being to a fate that is worse than all the atrocities that the corrupt of mankind have inflicted upon their fellow man? Is God REALLY so careless? If you were absolutely Sovereign, All-powerful, All-knowing, Ever-present, All-wise, perfect in Mercy and Justice whose very nature is totally committed and unconditional love--do you think you could have come up with a plan better than the one we have been told is the plan of God by "free will" advocates? (By the way, the theological term for "free-will" advocacy is "Arminianism.") Do you think you might have been able to come up with a plan which would save EVERYONE? I certainly could have come up with such a plan and so could you AND so could the Creator of the Universe…AND HE DID!!
How is it that so much of the church could fall so short of seeing the absolute Sovereign Power of God?
"But you did not depend on Him who made it, nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago. Isaiah 22:11
We, Christians, have substituted the "traditions of men" and the "doctrines of demons" with what is plainly revealed in the Bible.
We need a real good Scripture bath from the notion that man's will somehow can circumvent God's ultimate plan for each and every soul here on earth. Below is a list long enough to dispel the gross darkness of Arminianism which actually turns people into becoming their own saviors. Both Calvinism AND Arminianism are two great splotches upon the very nature and character of God which will one day be exposed for the lies which they are. From the very early centuries of the church until today, there have always been three major views about the will of God and the will of man--Calvinism and Arminianism have been the leading voices in recent centuries. But NEITHER of these two "traditions" represent the view of the early believers who read the Bible in the original languages of the Bible. To learn what they saw in the Scriptures BEFORE man introduced his "traditions" to Bible translations, write for "The Early Christian View of the Savior" which may be freely received from Tentmaker Publications by requesting it or going to the Tentmaker Internet Site. The purpose of the article the reader is presently reading is to Scripturally dispel the myth of the so-called doctrine of the "free will" of man. I hope this Scriptural bath has served that purpose. Now that the "dirt" of the traditions of men is off, perhaps the reader is ready for what the Scriptures REALLY say, NOT what tradition has been feeding us.
For further Scriptural proof of the absolute Sovereignty of God over ALL wills read:
(The list was originally typed by David Sprenger and has been put into electronic format by Eric Whitney)Matthew 10:29; Matthew 11:25-27; Matthew 13:11; Matthew 15:13; Matthew 18:14; Matthew 19:11; Matthew 19:26; Matthew 20:23; Matthew 22:14; Matthew 24:22; Matthew 26:54; Mark 4:10-12; Mark 13:20; Luke 8:10; Luke 10:21-22; Luke 18:27; Luke 20:38; John 3:27; John 5:21; John 5:25; John 6:37; John 6:39; John 6:44; John 8:36; John 10:16; John 10:27-28 John 11:43; John 12:32; John 12:39-40; John 13:18; John 15:16; John 17:2; John 17:6; John 17:9; Acts 1:16; Acts 2:39; Acts 3:26; Acts 4:28; Acts 5:31 Acts 10:40-41; Acts 11:18; Acts 13:48; Acts 16:14; Acts 17:26-28; Acts 18:27; Acts 22:14; Romans 3:23-24; Romans 4:17; Romans 5:6; Romans 5:8; Romans 5:10 Romans 5:18; Romans 5:20; Romans 8:28; Romans 8:29; Romans 8:30; Romans 8:31; Romans 8:33; Romans 9:11; Romans 9:16; Romans 9:18; Romans 9:19; Romans 9:20; Romans 9:21; Romans 9:22; Romans 9:23; Romans 9:24; Romans 9:27; Romans 11:5; Romans 11:26 Romans 11:27; Romans 11:28; Romans 11:29; Romans 11:32; Romans 11:33; Romans 11:36; Romans 14:4; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 1:29; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 4:7; 1 Corinthians 12:11; 1 Corinthians 15:10; 2 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17-18; 2 Corinthians 8:5; Galatians 1:4; Galatians 1:15-16; Galatians 4:9; Galatians 5:1; Ephesians 1:1; Ephesians 1:4; Ephesians 1:5-6; Ephesians 1:9-10; Ephesians 1:11; Ephesians 2:4-5; Ephesians 2:8-9; Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 3:11; Ephesians 4:6; Ephesians 4:10; Philippians 1:6; Philippians 1:29; Philippians 2:9-11; Philippians 2:12-13; Philippians 3:21; Colossians 1:1; Colossians 1:13; Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:16-18; Colossians 1:19-20; Colossians 2:13; Colossians 3:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Timothy 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:13-14; 1 Timothy 2:41; Timothy 4:10; 2 Timothy 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:9; 2 Timothy 2:25; 2 Timothy 2:26; 2 Timothy 4:18; Titus 1:1; Titus 2:11; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 2:8; Hebrews 2:9; Hebrews 6:17; Hebrews 8:8-12; Hebrews 9:26; James 1:18; 1Peter 1:1; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Peter 3:9; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 4:6; 1 Peter 5:10; 1 Peter 5:12; 2 Peter 1:10; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 4:14; Jude 1:1; Jude 1:24 Revelation 5:13 ; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 15:3-4; Revelation 17:17; Revelation 22:13; Genesis 1:1; Genesis 1:31; Genesis 12:3; Genesis 50:20; Exodus 4:11; Exodus 10:1-2; Numbers 14:20-21; Deuteronomy 2:30; Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Deuteronomy 9:6; Deuteronomy 9:24; Deuteronomy 9:29; Deuteronomy 18:5; Deuteronomy 29:4-6l; Deuteronomy 30:6; Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6-7; 1 Samuel 12:22; 2 Samuel 8:2; 2 Chronicles 18:33; 2 Chronicles 20:6; 2 Chronicles 29:11; Ezra 1:1; Nehemiah 11:1-2 Esther 4:14; Job 1:1 ; Job 23:13-14; Job 42:2; Psalms 16:6; Psalms 22:9-10; Psalms 22:27-28; Psalms 22:29; Psalms 33:12; Psalms 33:15; Psalms 57:2; Psalms 65:2; Psalms 66:4; Psalms 65:4 ; Psalms 67:2,7; Psalms 68:18; Psalms 72:11,19; Psalms 75:7; Psalms 86:9; Psalms 100:3; Psalms 103:9,10; Psalms 103:19; Psalms 115:3; Psalms 127:1; Psalms 130:8; Ps 135:6; Ps 138:4; Psalms 138:8; Psalms 139:7-12; Psalms 139:16; Psalms 145:9; Psalms 145:10 Psalms 145:14; Psalms 145:15; Psalms 145:16; Psalms 145:21; Psalms 148:8; Proverbs 16:1; Proverbs 16;4; Proverbs 16:9; Proverbs 16:33; Proverbs 19:21; Proverbs 20:24; Proverbs 21:1; Proverbs 21:31; Eccl. 3:14; Isaiah 2:2; Isaiah 4:3; Isaiah 9:7; Isaiah 10:5-7; Isaiah 10:15; Isaiah 10:22; Isaiah 11:9; Isaiah 14:24; Isaiah 14:27; Isaiah 19:17; Isaiah 22:11; Isaiah 23:9; Isaiah 25: 7-8; Isaiah 26:9; Isaiah 26:12; Isaiah 27:3; Isaiah 40:5; Isaiah 43:13; Isaiah 45:6; Isaiah 45:17; Isaiah 45:22,23; Isaiah 46:10; Isaiah 46:11; Isaiah 48:11; Isaiah 53:6; Isaiah 54:16; Isaiah 55:11; Isaiah 57:17,18; Isaiah 60:21; Isaiah 60:22; Isaiah 61:11; Isaiah 63:17; Isaiah 65:1; Isaiah 66:18,23; Jeremiah 1:5; Jeremiah 4:28 ; Jeremiah 10:23; Jeremiah 16:21; Jeremiah 18:11; Jeremiah 23:3.; Jeremiah 23:24; Jeremiah 24:7; Jeremiah 27:5; Jeremiah 29:11,12; Jeremiah 31:1,3; Jeremiah 31:33; Jeremiah 31:34; Jeremiah 32:27; Jeremiah 32:40; Jeremiah 46:28; Jeremiah 51:12; Lam. 2:17; Lam. 3:37-39; Ezekiel 7:9; Ezekiel 12:25; Ezekiel 20:44; Ezekiel 24:14; Ezekiel 36:22-27; Ezekiel 36:31-32; Ezekiel 37:5; Ezekiel 37:14; Ezekiel 38:23 ; Daniel 2:44; Daniel 4:3; Daniel 4:35; Daniel 7:13,14; Daniel 7:27; Daniel 11:36; Hosea 13:14; Hosea 14:4; Joel 2:26-28; Amos 3:6-8; Amos 4:13; Micah4:6-7; Micah 5:2; Micah 7:18-20; Habakkuk 2:14; Habakkuk 3:12-13; Habakkuk 3:19; Zephaniah 2:11; Zephaniah 3:8-9; Haggai 2:6-7; Haggai 2:21-22; Zechariah 2:10-11; Zechariah 3:1-4; Zechariah 4:6-7; Zechariah 8:12-13; Zechariah9:10; Zechariah 14:8-9; Malachi 1:11
For a full written out list of these Scriptures, write to:
Tentmaker--118 Walnut--Hermann, MO. 65041
or visit the Tentmaker Internet site and look under "lists."
http://www.tentmaker.org
tentmaker@ktis.net