Just Think About This: If your heart lies to you—can you really trust it to lead you to truth?
Many people today believe that the power to choose God lies within themselves. That if they just try hard enough, see clearly enough, or feel deeply enough, they can turn from sin and follow Christ.
But the Bible paints a very different picture.
It says our hearts are “deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jer. 17:9). It says we are “dead in our sins” (Eph. 2:1), blinded by the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), and unable to come to Christ unless the Father draws us (John 6:44).
That’s why David, a man after God’s own heart, cried out:
“Search me, O God…show me if there’s any offensive way in me” (Ps. 139:23–24).
He knew—what we must know—that only God can reveal our true condition and rescue us from it.
The Bible doesn’t teach that salvation starts with man’s will. It teaches that it begins with God’s mercy, God’s grace, and God’s sovereign work in the heart.
Anything less leaves us blind in our sin, thinking we’re free while still in chains.
But if the heart is truly deceptive and spiritually dead—how can a dead person choose life?
Arminianism unintentionally shifts the hope of salvation from God’s power to man’s ability. It gives the illusion of freedom while leaving people under the dominion of sin.
He didn’t ask for help discovering his sin. He asked God to reveal it, because he knew he couldn’t see it himself.
“Everyone who sins is a slave to sin… but if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34–36).
True freedom doesn’t come from within. It comes from being rescued by Christ.
This is the gospel: that God sees, God acts, and God saves—not based on our will, but on His grace and mercy (Romans 9:16).
We love God only because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Let us never trust our hearts. Let us never lean on our own understanding or think we can choose salvation on our own.
Instead, let us cry out like David:
“Search me, O God… lead me in the way everlasting.”
Many people today believe that the power to choose God lies within themselves. That if they just try hard enough, see clearly enough, or feel deeply enough, they can turn from sin and follow Christ.
But the Bible paints a very different picture.
It says our hearts are “deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jer. 17:9). It says we are “dead in our sins” (Eph. 2:1), blinded by the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), and unable to come to Christ unless the Father draws us (John 6:44).
That’s why David, a man after God’s own heart, cried out:
“Search me, O God…show me if there’s any offensive way in me” (Ps. 139:23–24).
He knew—what we must know—that only God can reveal our true condition and rescue us from it.
The Bible doesn’t teach that salvation starts with man’s will. It teaches that it begins with God’s mercy, God’s grace, and God’s sovereign work in the heart.
Anything less leaves us blind in our sin, thinking we’re free while still in chains.
What Does Arminianism Actually Offer?
In Arminian theology, human free will is seen as the deciding factor in salvation. Grace is offered, but it’s up to the person to accept or reject it. This sounds fair on the surface, but it hides a deep problem: it assumes fallen people can make spiritual decisions from a heart that is broken and blind.But if the heart is truly deceptive and spiritually dead—how can a dead person choose life?
Arminianism unintentionally shifts the hope of salvation from God’s power to man’s ability. It gives the illusion of freedom while leaving people under the dominion of sin.
What the Bible Teaches: God Must Act First
By contrast, the Bible clearly teaches that God alone initiates salvation:- Acts 16:14 – “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”
- John 6:44 – “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”
- Ephesians 2:4-5 – “But God… made us alive together with Christ.”
He didn’t ask for help discovering his sin. He asked God to reveal it, because he knew he couldn’t see it himself.
What True Freedom Looks Like
Jesus said:“Everyone who sins is a slave to sin… but if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34–36).
True freedom doesn’t come from within. It comes from being rescued by Christ.
This is the gospel: that God sees, God acts, and God saves—not based on our will, but on His grace and mercy (Romans 9:16).
We love God only because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Final Thoughts
If salvation depends on man’s ability to understand spiritual truth, then the foundation is already cracked. The Bible shows again and again: we cannot rescue ourselves, see clearly, or even desire God unless He moves first.Let us never trust our hearts. Let us never lean on our own understanding or think we can choose salvation on our own.
Instead, let us cry out like David:
“Search me, O God… lead me in the way everlasting.”
