In wrestling with paradoxes in Scripture, apparently contradictory ideas which appear in the Bible, it’s tempting to become dishonest and selectively focus on verses which encourage our bias.
Yet God expects us to explore these difficulties (Pr 25:2), and to do so with humility (Is 66:2), fearful reverence (Php 2:12), and a pure conscience (1Ti 3:9), rightly dividing the Word. (2Ti 2:15) We can’t neglect any verse; if scripture doesn’t fit, we change our theology.
On a particularly difficult topic we might list out some very clear and apparently contradictory verses, prayerfully note the wording and context of each one, and ask God to align our thinking and actions with Him. It isn’t merely academic: we walk in the light to be in fellowship with Him. (1Jn 1:7) We’re also equipping ourselves to provide a reasonable answer to those who are seeking. (1Pe 3:15)
For example, how do we reconcile Man’s Free Will with God’s Sovereignty? Are we just puppets or do we have any real say in how things go?
What has God told us?
God says He is perfectly just and right in all He does. (De 32:4)
No one seeks after God (Ro 3:11b) or receives the testimony of Christ. (Jn 3:32)
No one can come to Christ except the Father draws them (Jn 6:44); everyone the Father gives to Christ will come to Him (Jn 6:37a), and those who come to Christ will never ever be cast out or away from Christ under any circumstances. (37b)
Believers were given spiritual life by God even though they were dead to Him in rebellion and sin (Ep 2:1-3), when they were alienated and enemies in their mind by wicked works. (Co 1:21)
God chooses those who will believe in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love (Ep 1:4), having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto unto Himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. (5)
Believers have already obtained a spiritual inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who works all things after the counsel of His own will. (Ep 1:11)
God commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sin and unbelief. (Ac 17:30)
God can give repentance to people. (2Ti 2:25)
God can give faith to people (given them supernatural assurance). (Ro 12:3)
God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (He 13:6), and we should seek God without delay. (Is 55:6)
Everyone who seeks (God) will find (Him). (Mt 7:7-8)
We should ask God to make us go in the path of His commandments (Ps 119:35), to order our steps in His word and not let any iniquity have dominion over us. (133)
God works in believers to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Php 2:13)
We devise our way but God directs our steps. (Pr 16:9)
All things work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. (Ro 8:28)
God will have all people to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1Ti 2:4) He will never turn anyone away who is truly seeking Him. (Mt 11:28-30)
Few will be saved. (Mt 7:14)
We should strive to enter God’s kingdom and be saved. (Lk 13:23-24)
Those who are not seeking and finding salvation in God have no excuse. (Ro 1:20)
God is very angry with everyone who does not believe on Christ (Jn 3:36); those who don’t believe in Christ are condemned because they do not believe. (3:18)
We can know we have eternal life (1Jn 5:13), and we should diligently ensure that we have been elected unto salvation. (2Pe 1:10)
Perhaps this is sufficient to capture the scope of this particular paradox. How should these truths impact our walk and witness?
There is evidently a correlation between seeking God and finding Him, between striving to enter the narrow way and actually entering, between diligently ensuring that we are elect of God and actually being elected by Him.
So, we should diligently seek God for salvation until we are sure He has saved us and carefully and continually try to make choices consistent with the truth as we understand it. We should continually thank God for our salvation and rejoice in it, recognizing He is doing it all in us and for us when we cannot help ourselves. We should pursue God and righteousness, spiritual understanding and wisdom, in every way we are able. We should pray as if everything depends on God and choose to act as if it depends on us. We should encourage everyone who will listen to do the same.
It’s OK to live within a paradox, and this one has troubled many; let’s live according to the truth we know until God reveals more to us.
Is my will free? I certainly have a will, and I do make choices; I have no sense that anyone one is forcing me. I experience some control over what I do and how I act, and the better choices I make the easier it seems to be to make even better choices. When and how God is working in me is a mystery, what part I play and what part He plays is evidently not mine to precisely know. That’s how He has designed life, and it is good.
I purpose to make the best choices I can, while continually asking God to help me make better ones. As I find myself making good choices, I thank God; as I miss the mark, I ask Him to help me.
Is there any good reason to not live like this? Do we need any more theology to do so? I think God has shown us enough. As we need to know, He will guide us.
Central to this type of discussion is the doctrine of man’s total depravity. Once we conclude that man is completely morally destitute, utterly depraved in his moral nature, then it follows that his will is not free to choose good because he has no inclination to do so. Here is a discussion with Grok on the topic.
https://x.com/i/grok/share/P8o1F8BrN69iUly1OeQpBN2Rw
The definition of “free will” is that Man is able (has the “freedom”) to make choices of his own volition, without being forced to make these choices.
Based on this definition and the scriptures listed, I would say Man has limited free Will; we have freedom to make choices within certain on boundaries set by God. God restrains certain choices (limiting the amount and degree of sin in the world) and also causes some choices (working in us to will and do without our knowledge or consent).