There is a heresy going around that states that God decided who would be saved and who would be damned before the foundation of the world. They don't believe that we get any choice in the matter. The people who spout this nonsense are of course the lucky ones whom God chose to save.
I have gone through some Bible stories and picked out a few different stories that show that people do indeed have a choice not only in their salvation, but also in their decisions in everyday life.
First, Adam chose to eat the fruit. Eve was deceived by the serpent, but Adam knowingly took and ate the fruit.
I Timothy 2:13-14- For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
Eve ate the fruit because she gave into the temptation from the serpent. Adam, however, knew full well the consequences of his actions and decided that he would rather die with Eve than live without her.
Cain chose not to seek God's acceptance.
Genesis 4:3-7- And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Cain could have asked his brother for the acceptable offering- the lamb. But instead, he allowed the hatred he already felt for his brother to spread because of God's rejection of his offering.
I John 3:12- Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
His offering was the work of his hands. He brought the fruits and vegetables that he grew. There was an element of pride and self-righteousness in his offering, and that is why the Lord considered it evil and rejected it.
Lot chose to move to Sodom.
Genesis 13:10-11- And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
I don't believe it was God's will for Lot to end up living in Sodom. I cannot believe it was God's will for Lot to offer his daughters to the men of Sodom in place of the angels who came to stay with him. And yet, that is where his choices led.
Esau chose physical blessings over spiritual.
Genesis 25:30-34- And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
Jacob may not have gone about getting the blessings in the right way, but he coveted them. Esau was hated because through his choices it was revealed that he despised the Lord's blessings.
Romans 9:13- As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Hebrews 12:15-17- Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Pharaoh chose to persecute the Jewish people.
Exodus 1:8-11- Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
Not only did he make them slaves, but he also murdered their children because he was afraid they would multiply too fast and then rise up against him.
Exodus 1:22- And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
The people who believe that everyone does what God has preordained should have a problem with this. God says that human sacrifice never entered into his thoughts. He used it as a test to see if Abraham loved Him, but He never would have allowed Abraham to kill Isaac- that was His promised seed!
Jeremiah 32:35- And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
Pharaoh had hardened his own heart long before the Lord sent Moses to Egypt.
Exodus 4:21-And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
Joshua tells them to choose whether they will serve the Lord or the idols of the land of Canaan.
Joshua 24:15- And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
If we don't get a choice in the matter, if we are compelled to worship God because He decided that we would be saved, why would Joshua tell the Jewish people to make that decision?
How about when they decided they didn't want the judges anymore that they wanted a king? Do you suppose that was God's will?
I Samuel 8:7-9- And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
God chose Abraham, then Isaac, and then Jacob and his descendants to be His chosen people. I believe that it broke God's heart for these people to reject Him as the ruler and ask for a king- it was not His divine will for this to happen.
Saul chose not to kill Agag.
I Samuel 15:9- But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
God told Saul to go in and wipe them out. They had become so corrupt that God would no longer have mercy on these Amalekites, and yet Saul decided it was okay to disobey God's orders! For this choice, Saul lost his kingdom.
I Samuel 15:24-26- And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD. And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
If God made all the decisions, do you really think He would have arranged this?
Solomon chose to worship false idols with his wives.
I Kings 11:1,2,4- But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
Solomon had loved the Lord. He was the architect of the first Temple! However, he disobeyed the Law of Moses and not only multiplied wives to himself, but took women from other nations who worshiped idols. His choice was the reason that the Kingdom of Israel split into two nations!
Ahab chose to do evil. He allowed his wife to influence him for evil. They were the dynamic duo of wickedness!
I Kings 16:30-31- And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
I Kings 21:25- But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
Do you really believe this was God's will?
God used many prophets throughout history to speak to the children of Israel. Sometimes, He even sent prophets to Gentile nations.
Jonah 1:1-2- Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
If God overcame a person's will, how could Jonah choose to run the opposite direction?
Johan 1:3- But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
Jonah decided to flee to Tarshish. It was only after the Lord had a fish swallow him for three days that he finally decided to obey the Lord. The book of Jonah ends with him sitting angrily in the wilderness waiting for the Lord to destroy Nineveh- we don't know if the Lord ever used him again. But I don't believe that God orchestrated that to be the end of Jonah's ministry.
Daniel and the Hebrew children chose to stay faithful regardless of the consequences.
Daniel 1:8- But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
It may seem like a small thing, but it was only a first step of faith. Later Daniel's friends- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego- would face the fiery furnace. And Daniel would spend a night in the lion's den.
Daniel 3:16-18- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Daniel 6:7-10-All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
During these trials, these Jewish men didn't know if God would spare their lives, but they decided when they were children that they wouldn't defile themselves. It was a choice they made and stuck to throughout their lives!
Esther chose to save her people.
Esther 3:8-9- And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.
Haman had come up with a plan to destroy the Jewish people once and for all. Esther had not revealed that she was a Jew. So when Mordecai came to her and told her that she needed to go before the king and intercede for her nation she hesitated.
Esther 4:13-14- Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Mordecai told her that God would deliver His people. He could use her position as the queen, or He could send deliverance some other way. The choice was hers as to whether or not she would go before the king and plead their case.
Joseph chose not to make an example of Mary.
Matthew 1:18-21- Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
The Old Testament law stated that a woman who played the harlot was to be stoned to death. Joseph knew this. He was engaged to Mary, and when he found out she was expecting he decided that he would quietly divorce her instead of hauling her to the town square and having her killed.
The Lord did step in and let Joseph know that she was innocent of the crime that he assumed she had committed. But, Joseph had already made his choice to not obey the law of Moses and have mercy on Mary.
Jesus chose to die on the cross.
Matthew 26:36-39- Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
He prayed, "Not my will, but thine be done." Jesus knew the torture that was coming. He knew He would become sin personified and that God would pour out His full wrath on Jesus while He hung on the cross. This was not something He wanted to endure, and yet He told God the Father that He would submit to His will!
The favorite example that these people like to use of God forcing His will on someone is the conversion of Paul.
Acts 9:3-6- And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Paul chose to ignore the Lord's conviction (kicking against the pricks of his conscience) and continue to persecute the church of Christ. Once God knocked him off his horse, he chose to finally submit to the Lord's will. Does this mean that God forced Saul into His service? No! Saul had a choice.
Acts 20:22-23- And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
They will say, "See! Paul was bound in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. He had no choice in the matter."
Acts 21:10-14- And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
Paul was warned NOT to go to Jerusalem. The christians begged him not to go when they heard what would befall him. But he decided that it was worth dying to be able to witness to the Jews (even though God told him that it was His will that Paul be the apostle to the Gentiles).
The christians finished with, "The will of the Lord be done." Did that mean that Paul was in the will of God when he went to Jerusalem? Absolutely not! They meant they would pray that God's will with Paul's life be accomplished.
He was told the consequences of going to Jerusalem, and he chose to go anyway. Paul ended up in a prison in Rome. That was God's will. Make no mistake, God can allow you free will to decide and still get His will accomplished!
In the tribulation, people will have a choice to take the mark or try to survive without it.
Revelation 13:16-17- And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
God has told everyone how the future will play out. It will happen regardless of the choices you make. He will not overpower your free will and force you to comply. It will always be your choice to obey or not.
The only thing preordained by God was the payment for sin should Adam fail the test and the sacrifice of Christ for the sin debt of the world (and what those who accept or reject Christ's offering for sin would receive).
I Peter 1:18-21- Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
If you accept Christ's offering for sin then your soul will receive eternal life.
Jude 1:4- For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you reject Christ's offering for sin then your soul will receive eternal damnation.
