Do Humans Possess Free Will?

The following article is Lesson 41 from my book, Superhero University: The Ultimate Superhero Training Manual:

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Free Will:

Superheroes choose to be righteous superheroes rather than evil villains.

Do humans possess free will? Did I decide to write this? Did you decide to read this? Without free will, some people would be born superheroes and some people would be born evil villains, yet both would be who they are without choice. But is that true? What about predestination? Predestination is the biblical doctrine that GOD (in His sovereignty) chooses certain individuals to be saved. But doesn’t this contradict free will? Predestination does not contradict free will; rather, predestination simply needs to be rightly understood. 

Conceptions of the nature of human choice fall within three categories: determinism, indeterminism, and self-determinism. A determinist looks to actions caused by another, an indeterminist to uncaused actions, and a self-determinist to self-caused actions. Suffice it to say that it all boils down to free will. Do humans possess free will? If GOD has all control, doesn’t GOD ultimately guide everything we do? So are we ultimately saved because we choose to seek GOD? Does GOD guide those who choose to seek Him? Or are we ultimately saved because GOD ultimately predetermined who was to be saved? But if GOD guides or chooses who is to be saved, that means that GOD also predetermined who is not to be saved. But if that’s so, why would a loving GOD decide in advance for some people to go to Hell when this same GOD desires for all people to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9)? After all, GOD does not delight in the death of the wicked; rather, the Lord desires for people to repent and live (Ezek. 18:23; 33:11). If it is true that GOD predetermines our destiny, then it would also be true that it was predetermined that Judas would betray Jesus and then kill himself and end up in Hell. How could it be that Judas had been predestined to be one of the twelve disciples and then eventually betray Jesus? Did Jesus select Judas because He knew that Judas would eventually choose (by his own free will) to betray Him? Or are we to believe that Judas was predestined by GOD to sin and commit suicide? Is GOD a dominant dictator of all deeds, sinister psychopath, methodical madman, and monstrous mastermind? Certainly not! It all boils down to free will and a logical deduction. 

Free choice is not doing what one desires (with GOD giving the desires); rather, it is doing what one decides, which is not always the same thing. Either moral actions are uncaused, caused by another, or caused by oneself. No action can be uncaused— this violates the fundamental rational principle that every event has a cause. Neither can a person’s actions be caused by others, for in that case, they would not be personal actions and thus no accountability can be held nor charged. How can humans face the Judge and be held responsible for their sins if they themselves were not the cause of said sins? A complete determinist viewpoint is self-defeating. A determinist would insist that both determinists and nondeterminists are determined to believe what they believe. However, determinists believe self-determinists are wrong and ought to change their view. But “ought to change” implies freedom to change, which is contrary to determinism. If GOD is the cause of all human actions, then human beings cannot be morally responsible for their sins. But if that is so, how does GOD expect us to repent? Is that not a freedom of choice? Read and compare the following Scriptures: Matthew 13:53–58; Luke 13:3; John 3:16; 3:36; 6:60–71; 7:17; Acts 2:38; 16:31; Romans 7:18; 10:9–10; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Philemon 1:14; 1 Peter 5:2. 

What is the difference between romantic sexual intercourse and rape? The difference is that romantic sexual intercourse involves mutual consent; both partners decided to willingly participate in copulation. With rape, however, one person has chosen to be involved in sexual intercourse and the other is an unwilling participant. Both acts involve sexual intercourse. What’s the difference? Free will. GOD provides us with free will to choose because GOD is love (1John 4:8, 16). Just as you cannot force someone to love you (even if you force the person to have sex with you), GOD will not force anyone to do what they do not desire to do. In fact, that is the reason for Hell—Hell is simply a quarantine for those who neither desire to be with GOD nor desire to do GOD’s will. If GOD determines in advance who is to be saved (and who will go to Hell), that would make GOD a monster to fear, not a loving Being to love and worship (1John 4:18). Why would a loving GOD determine to create any human with malicious intent to send that person to Hell? A loving relationship simply cannot be formed without free will. 

Is GOD omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent? Yes (discussed in Lesson 32). Does GOD’s control contradict free will? No. GOD knows you better than you know yourself. GOD knows what you will do and ultimately decide, but that does not mean that GOD forced you to decide such. Think of two players in a chess match. The champion does not force his opponent to choose his/ her moves, yet the champion still wins. How? The champion of chess wins because he/she anticipates the opponent’s move and responds in order to overcome. In life, you choose your moves. But GOD knows you better than you know yourself and has already planned His next move in order to overcome what you’re about to do. GOD is able to do this because His thoughts and ways are much higher than our own (Isa. 55:8–9). In GOD’s love, He continues to anticipate your moves and responds in such an overcoming manner that He continuously provides chances for the sinner to repent and change. But it is up to the person as to whether or not they will accept Christ. 

Just as a parent can often accurately predict what a child will decide to do when faced with a temptation to do wrong, it is the same for us and our Heavenly Father, except GOD always knows exactly what you will decide. But that doesn’t mean the Lord tempted you (James 1:13), neither does He like or find enjoyment from what you decide. In fact, the Bible is full of examples of humans making decisions that both grieve and anger GOD. Our loving GOD finds no pleasure in seeing you sin. Sadism comes from Satan; salvation comes from our Savior. And that is why Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb to atone for everyone’s sins. GOD anticipated humanity’s moves of consistent sin and GOD lovingly placed Himself on a cross for a cosmic checkmate. But because GOD is love, He allows the final move to be up to you. With every move you make, GOD has already anticipated your move and has gone before you to provide a way out and a way back to Him (1Corin. 10:13). 

A sovereign GOD, in His wisdom and power, has determined that humanity should have free will, for there is no other way for a REALationship to be eternal unless it is established from love. Will you accept GOD’s love, or will you reject GOD’s love? In GOD’s sovereignty, He already knows who will choose Him and who will refuse Him. So in that sense, GOD has predestined those who will be saved, but the predestination is out of His omniscience, not His omnipotence. GOD is not a supreme spiritual rapist of souls nor is He a domineering deity or predestination puppeteer. You alone decide where you will end up. And if you decide to end up with GOD, then GOD will act in His ultimate power to see to it that the creation will once again be reunited with the Creator. But if you decide to reject Jesus, a place of quarantine called Hell has been created for you. Why? Because GOD loves you too much to force Himself upon you. Yet those who come to the knowledge of Truth and then decide to leave the grace of GOD in order to seek their own way have rejected the greatest gift. For those who abandon the gift of grace after already knowing Truth, there is no other way (Heb. 6:4–6; 10:26–29). The truth of salvation is simple: those who reject Jesus will not be forced to be with Him, and they will be quarantined in Hell; however, those who accept Christ will dwell with Him. And this is just because GOD is the absolute moral standard of good; therefore, those who reject GOD ultimately refuse to live righteously. 

The Gospel (good news) carries no meaning in a contaminated and corrupt culture that focuses on sickness and circumstances rather than sin and guilt, on passing the blame on others rather than accepting responsibility and confessing wrongdoings, and on the need for treatment and recovery rather than Truth and repentance. GOD chose to love you and save you—that’s why Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself for you. But you must choose whether to accept GOD’s love or reject GOD’s desire to save you. Indeed, you are free, but what will you do with your freedom and where will you go (Gen. 4:7; Deut. 4:29; 11:26–28; 30:15–20; Prov. 14:12; 16:25; 10:9, 17; 1 Corin. 8:9; Gal. 5:13; 6:7; 1 Pet. 2:16; 2 Pet. 1:5–10)? 

GOD already knows what you are going to do and where you will go, but you still must work out your salvation (Phil. 2:12). I pray, may you stay on the straight path and choose to enter by the narrow door (Prov. 4:25–27; Matt. 7:13–14; Luke 13:24–27). Are you truly saved (read Matt. 7:21–23)? Greater than hearing or knowing GOD’s Word is actually living it out (Rom. 2:13; James 1:22–25). Obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22). However, relationship is greater than religious acts (Deut. 6:5–6; Matt. 6:1; 22:36–40). Do you only know of Jesus or do you truly know Him (Matt. 16:13–17; John 8:19)? Do you only believe that Jesus exists or do you also trust in the Savior? Will you walk across the Bridge of Life? GOD gave you free will as a great gift out from His love. How will you decide to live? Your move. 

Reflection 

So ask yourself, how will you use your free will? All superheroes use the great gift of free will to use the ultimate superpower of speaking life and creating good while living a life of righteousness! If you believe that choosing to live a life of righteousness and sacrificial love is the best use of the great gift of free will, then you possess one of the qualities of a superhero and you just might be one someday!