What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. Romans 9:14-16

     One of the frequently asked questions when explaining the doctrine of election and predestination is whether or not man has a free will. Do we have the ability to choose Heaven or Hell? Generally, ministers will give an invitation to those to whom he is speaking to choose eternal life or eternal damnation. Let us look at the scriptures and determine if we have such authority. Do we have the strength and ability to choose to follow God or choose death?

     God’s sovereignty is established in Romans chapter 8. He is exalted as the One who foreknew, predestinated, called, justified and glorified His children (v. 29-31). This clearly teaches that a particular people (the elect of God) were chosen to enjoy unbroken fellowship with God in Heaven. Later, Paul writes about our eternal security through Jesus Christ (v. 33-39). Nothing can separate us from the Love of God! In Romans 9, the Apostle Paul expands upon this teaching from the previous chapter. He uses the Old Testament illustration Jacob an Esau to demonstrate God’s sovereign power in the lives of these brothers. Esau was the firstborn brother naturally, but Jacob was the one that God loved. Jacob was also a deceiver, but God chose to show favor unto him. The central teaching of Romans 9:14 is that of election. God chose to love one man and hate another. One was to enjoy the blessings of God not because he desired it but because God in His sovereignty chose to bless the man Jacob. Hence, it was not Jacob choosing to serve God or making a decision to have the fellowship of the Lord, but God choosing to love Jacob.

     Some may say that this is not fair. Is God unjust because he chooses to love one and hate another? Let us notice Romans 9:14. “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.” God is not unjust in choosing a number of people and not choosing another. He is God! He can do whatever he pleases and be completely righteous and just in his decision. In Psalms 115:3 David writes, “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” Let us never claim that God is unrighteous or unfair in choosing a people to enjoy Heaven’s blessings and enjoy his grace and mercy. Man does not have the ability to choose or ‘will’ the things of God, but God chooses those whom will serve him.

     Why are we unable to choose Heaven or Hell? The Bible clearly teaches that we do not have the ability within our own selves to desire the things of God. Notice what the Apostle Paul writes about us in Ephesians 2.

And you hath he quickened , who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus (v. 1-7).

     Notice that Paul writes to those who are quickened or made spiritually alive. God blesses his children with his Spirit when they are born again. It is in that process that the child of God is changed from a state of spiritual death to a state of spiritual life. Then, Paul reminds us of our past condition. Before God dealt with us, we served the prince of the power of the air, the Devil. You will note that Paul says are desire was to fulfill the lusts of the flesh and were by natures the children of wrath. However, God in his mercy chose to love us as his children and bless us to enjoy fellowship with him. This principle dovetails with our verse at the beginning of this article. It is not of him (man) that willeth, nor of him that runneth (works), but of God that sheweth mercy. Our ‘will’ only desires to fulfill the selfish lusts of our flesh, but God in his mercy changes our nature completely. It is then that we are able to ‘choose’ to serve the Lord and do those things that are pleasing to him. He completed the work necessary for our eternal life (home in Heaven). The choosing that we do as born again children of God is whether or not we serve him on a daily basis in time. We still have to battle the lusts of our flesh but it is no longer the dominating factor is our lives. Only when our will is made conformable to God’s will are we able to freely make the daily decision to serve the God of Heaven and Earth! May God bless you as you consider these thoughts from his Word.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

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Michael Green, Jr. is pastor of Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church (www.palmchapel.org) in Crestview, FL. Palm Chapel meets every Sunday at 10:30am and Wednesday at 6:00pm. Pastor Green can be contacted at (850) 689-3383 or by email at pastor@palmchapel.org. Pastor Green warmly invites you to come and worship at Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church

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