Is the doctrine of free will supported by Scirpture?

[elopez]

If yes, obviously what passages reference free will?

If not, then why not or what passage could possibly speak against the doctrine of free will?

 

[jcp988]

I think the whole Bible references free will... With Genesis and Adam and Eve they had free will to either follow God or eat from the forbidden tree. All the way through the Bible nearly every story and passage the people have the choice, or free will, to choice God or not.

I think the reason is love. The very nature of love is that it is a choice it cannot be forced. That is why we have free will. If Adam and Eve didn't have the choice to eat of the fruit then they could never have truly loved God. The same is with us, if we can't choose the opposite of God then we can never truly choose God.

I would say that you could argue that a FEW people in the people do not have free will, they were elect by God for either good or evil. Take Judas for example, God predestined him to betray Jesus. Judas didn't have the free will that we have, however I believe that God knew ahead of time Judas' heart and knew that he was already lost.

Free will is essential to the Christian faith, there is no way to go around it. Unless you read the Bible with your eyes closed you cannot escape it.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Ephesians 1 and 2 make it clear that man does not choose God; rather God has chosen his saints from the foundation of the world so that we, who were dead in our transgressions and sins were made alive by the grace of God.

 

[MamaZ]

Ephesians 1 and 2 make it clear that man does not choose God; rather God has chosen his saints from the foundation of the world so that we, who were dead in our transgressions and sins were made alive by the grace of God.

 

[Sidheil]

In terms of man choosing God by his own power? No, absolutely not.

 

[wpage]

We are saved by Gods grace...

Not by works.

 

[elopez]

Perhaps I shouldn't have been so short in my OP. What I mean by free will is the ability we poses to act without any external or internal factors preventing or forcing us to act which would of course warrant moral responsibility, not that we are able to choose God. Free will in that we choose to act on our own and are thus held accountable for our actions.

 

[itisdeliciouscake]

I think one could make a case that Scripture presupposes free-will?

Or you could also make the case that the idea of free-will can be inductively learned from Scripture, as is the case with such doctrines as the trinity.

I think if a person denies that people have free-will they put themselves in a very weird situation where they have to explain how God can punish people who have no control over their actions.

 

[MrPolo]

Those who recognize the Deuterocanonical books as Scripture know Scripture teaches free will.

Sirach 15:11-20 Say not: "It was God's doing that I fell away"; for what he hates he does not do. Say not: "It was he who set me astray"; for he has no need of wicked man. Abominable wickedness the Lord hates, he does not let it befall those who fear him. When God, in the beginning, created man, he made him subject to his own free choice. If you choose you can keep the commandments; it is loyalty to do his will. There are set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, whichever he chooses shall be given him. Immense is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power, and all-seeing. The eyes of God see all he has made; he understands man's every deed. No man does he command to sin, to none does he give strength for lies.​

Now that doesn't mean free will itself is of ourselves, or that God does not provide the grace to empower the will to choose Him (without which man apart from God's grace can make no such choice). And there are other passages, but that is such a good, clear one.

 

[itisdeliciouscake]

Those who recognize the Deuterocanonical books as Scripture know Scripture teaches free will.

Sirach 15:11-20 Say not: "It was God's doing that I fell away"; for what he hates he does not do. Say not: "It was he who set me astray"; for he has no need of wicked man. Abominable wickedness the Lord hates, he does not let it befall those who fear him. When God, in the beginning, created man, he made him subject to his own free choice. If you choose you can keep the commandments; it is loyalty to do his will. There are set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, whichever he chooses shall be given him. Immense is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power, and all-seeing. The eyes of God see all he has made; he understands man's every deed. No man does he command to sin, to none does he give strength for lies.​

Now that doesn't mean free will itself is of ourselves, or that God does not provide the grace to empower the will to choose Him (without which man apart from God's grace can make no such choice). And there are other passages, but that is such a good, clear one.

Or, if you're reformed like myself, you'll recognize that the Deuterocanonical books are helpful in understanding the way the original audience understood Scripture. Which, in this case, would mean that the original audience understood that Scripture implicitly taught or assumed the idea of free-will.

 

[New_Wineskin]

I voted "yes" as just about anything can be supported by the Scriptures Will people have provided plenty of passages for as long as they coined the phrase .