One of the most pervasive and persistent beliefs throughout church history has been the doctrine of “free-will” – that our wills are independent of God’s sovereign control and the decisive factor in our salvation or damnation (or any other decision in life). Some, to be sure, have softened this stance with the doctrine of “prevenient grace,” teaching that we first need the assistance of God’s grace before we can choose to believe and obey Him. However, this gracious influence only prompts or attempts to persuade us into action – in the end it still boils down to our self-determining free-will decision. In other words, we’re able to resist God’s gracious influence and “freely” choose to reject His offer of salvation in Jesus Christ. A common refrain by those who teach this type of theology is: “God loves you and wants to save you, but He can’t violate your free-will and have a relationship with you unless you allow Him into your life.” God has done all He can do; the ball is now in your court, so to speak.
But is this doctrine actually taught in God’s word? The truth is that the “free-will” view of salvation stands in direct opposition to the clear teaching of Scripture. It’s not even a close call. Carefully consider the following points.
1. Due to Adam’s sin of disobedience, all men are now born (in accordance with God’s sovereign decree) with a corrupt or “carnal” nature – that is, except for Christ Himself, the “last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45), who was born sinless through the miraculous virgin birth and successfully obeyed God’s law at every point (Hebrews 4:15). As a result of this inherited corrupt nature all men, in their “natural” or fallen state, are in bondage to their sinful desires and unable to truly obey God’s law (in thought, word, or deed), believe spiritual truths, or come to Jesus in repentant faith.
“For when we were in the flesh [i.e., our inherited carnal or spiritually dead condition], the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death…For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.” – Romans 7:5, 14
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” – Romans 8:7-8
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” – 1 Corinthians 2:13-14
Notice that the carnal or natural man cannot please God or receive spiritual truths, such as the gospel message. This is true of all men apart from the free mercy of God and life-giving grace of His Spirit. Writing to believers in Christ, those who have been saved by God’s grace and regenerated by His Spirit (i.e., granted spiritual life or born again), Paul says:
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”– Ephesians 2:3
Thus, in our natural state, as a result of the corruption that we’ve inherited from Adam, apart from any “free-will” decision or consent of our own (Romans 5:12-19), we are all born into this world under the guilt and power of sin. Scripture unequivocally declares: “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God…there is none who does good, no, not one… There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:10-18). It takes a sovereign act of God’s life-giving power to open our eyes and grant us spiritual life before we are able or willing to believe the gospel. That’s why Jesus declared: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).
2. Satan “blinds” unregenerate (i.e., spiritually dead) men’s minds to the truth of the gospel, and holds them “captive to do his will.” Therefore, the will of an unregenerate man is not “free” but rather in bondage to sin and Satan. Of course, Satan himself is under God’s sovereign control (Job 1:6-12), so unregenerate men are in bondage to Satan only because the Lord wills for them to be enslaved in unbelief.
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age [i.e., Satan] has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” – 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” – 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Notice the unequivocal language of God’s word here: Unregenerate men are held “captive” by Satan “to do his will.” Hence, their will is the very opposite of “free.” God Himself must sovereignly “grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth” and thus be saved. Therefore, repentance and belief of the truth are not a result of sinful man’s “free-will” choice, but rather of God’s life-giving Spirit of regeneration to those whom He has sovereignly chosen for salvation (i.e., the elect).
3. God Himself “blinds” and “hardens” the non-elect (those whom He has sovereignly chosen for damnation; see Romans 9:22) and keeps the truth of the gospel “hidden” from them so that they will not believe and be saved.
“At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.’” – Matthew 11:16-25-26
“But although He [Jesus] had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: ‘Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?’ Therefore, they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: ‘He [God] has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’” – John 12:37-41
“What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest [i.e., the non-elect] were blinded. Just as it is written: ‘God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.’ And David says: ‘Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and bow down their back always.’” – Romans 11:7-10
“And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12
“Therefore He [God] has mercy upon whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.” – Romans 9:18
4. God exercises absolute sovereign control over men’s wills and desires. This doesn’t, of course, mean that God “forces” us to do things against our will, but rather that He turns our will in whichever direction He desires so that we voluntarily do what He wants (i.e., what He has ordained or decreed to happen).
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” – Proverbs 21:1
“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9
“The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue belongs to the Lord.” – Proverbs 16:1
“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.’” – Exodus 4:21
“But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as it is this day.” – Deuteronomy 2:30
“Nevertheless, they did not heed the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to kill them.” – 1 Samuel 2:25
“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done” – Acts 4:27-28
Note the unequivocal language here. None of the people who were involved in the crime of crucifying Jesus were “free” to choose otherwise. Their sinful actions were “determined before to be done” by God’s sovereign purpose and providential control. Whether we like this doctrine or not (and rebellious sinners hate it!), Scripture explicitly teaches that God alone is in sovereign control of all things and accomplishes everything that He wills and desires. No one can thwart God’s will in the slightest degree.
“All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He [God] does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” – Daniel 4:34-35
“In Him we [i.e., elect believers] also have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.” – Ephesians 1:11-12
5. Since we are unable of our own wills to truly obey God’s law or repent and believe the gospel (due to our inherited sinful nature and spiritual bondage to Satan), only those who have been freely chosen for salvation and effectually called or drawn by God are able and willing to repent and believe the gospel.
“No one can come to Me [Jesus] unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” – John 6:44
“And He [Jesus] said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.’” – John 6:65
“You did not choose Me [Jesus], but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” – John 15:16
“For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him [i.e., due to God’s sovereign choice and effectual call] you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption — that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.’” – 1 Corinthians 1:22-31
If you have believed the gospel, it’s solely because “of Him you are in Christ Jesus” – that is, because of God Himself. It’s not because you’re smarter or wiser or more holy than those who reject Christ, but only because God has chosen you and granted you spiritual life, changing your rebellious will and causing you to repent and believe the gospel.
“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake…” – Philippians 1:29
“Therefore, I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” – 1 Corinthians 12:3
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves [i.e., saving faith itself is not a human work generated by an act of our so-called “free-will”]; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
6. God sovereignly chooses to reveal the truth of the Gospel to His elect people alone, those whom He has chosen for salvation from all eternity and given to His Son as His own purchased possession.
“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” – Matthew 11:27
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’” – Matthew 16:17
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me [not might come to Me], and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” – John 6:37
“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him… I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.’” – John 17:1-6
“Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul [i.e., the gospel].” – Acts 16:14
“Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been ordained to eternal life believed.” – Acts 13:48 (Notice that they weren’t ordained to eternal life because God foresaw that they would believe the gospel; rather they believed the gospel because God had ordained them to eternal life.)
7. God has freely chosen His elect people for salvation from “before the foundation of the world” (i.e., from all eternity) apart from any foreseen merit or faith on their part. In fact, rather than being foreseen conditions of God’s choice in election, repentance and faith are gifts of God’s grace granted solely to His chosen people so that they will believe the gospel.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.” – Ephesians 1:3-12
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew [i.e., the elect, who were loved and chosen for salvation in God’s mind “before the creation of the world”], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” – Romans 8:28-30
Notice that the salvation of God’s elect is wholly of God’s grace and assured from beginning to end – from predestination in eternity past to final glorification in the future. What’s more, the emphasis is always on God’s will, God’s purpose, God’s grace, and God’s good pleasure in the salvation of elect sinners – never upon man’s will or desire.
“And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (For the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, ‘The older shall serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.’ What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy [read that again and let it sink in]. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’ Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.” – Romans 9:10-18
“Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. But you [i.e., elect believers] are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:8-10
As you can see, the Biblical evidence is overwhelming! It is God’s will alone that determines who will be saved and who will be damned. He is the absolute Sovereign, Almighty Lord of the universe, who wields omnipotent power and Lordship over all creation. Indeed, as Peter points out in the above passage, even those who are “disobedient to the word” have been “appointed” or ordained by God Himself to reject the gospel. Their wills are not “free” in relation to God’s absolute sovereign control in the slightest degree.
Does that sound unfair or unjust to you? If so, then you have correctly understood the Biblical doctrine of God’s absolute sovereignty over the salvation of His elect people and damnation of the non-elect, but you are reacting to it with a sinful mindset – a sinful mindset to which you have no right to entertain. In fact, the Apostle Paul anticipates and addresses this very complaint in reaction to his teaching:
“You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?’ But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” – Romans 9:19-24
This passage is proof positive that the doctrine of God’s absolute sovereignty that I’ve presented in this article is correct. Why do I say that? Because this type of objection simply doesn’t arise in relation to the false “free-will” view of salvation. No one responds to the “free-will” view by accusing God of injustice, because in that erroneous theology God elects or chooses people for salvation based upon their foreseen merit or belief, and He rejects others for salvation based upon their foreseen demerit or unbelief. God’s grace merely assists or attempts to persuade men to believe. But the decisive factor is the sinners free-will decision to obey God’s commandment to believe in Jesus Christ (1 John 3:23). Saving faith, in essence, is turned into a work of sinful man. Thus, in the end, it’s truly a works or merit-based religion (a false religion), despite its proponent’s protestations to the contrary and their refusal to draw this necessary inference. (Note: The reason why genuine saving faith isn’t a meritorious work is precisely because it is a free gift of God’s grace given to His elect people alone, not the product of sinful man’s so-called “free-will.”)
Therefore, if you reject this doctrine, you do so at your own peril. Scripture plainly declares, “if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace” (Romans 11:6). Saving faith is either a free gift of God’s sovereign grace given to His elect people alone, or it is a human work generated by sinful man’s so-called “free-will.” To put it another way, salvation (i.e., our justification before the bar of God’s justice) is either wholly of grace or wholly of works. There’s no “middle ground” between these two polar opposite doctrines. It’s either one or the other. So, which do you believe?
Addendum:
I’ll briefly reply to the most common Scriptural objections to the sovereign grace doctrine that I’ve presented in this article. A handful of verses are usually cited, but they’re representative of basically two types – those that use the word “world” and those that use the words “all men.” For instance:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:3-4
The assumption made by those who cite verses such as these is that the words “world” and “all” refer to all men without exception – that is, every person who has ever lived and will ever live until Christ returns on the last day. Yet, it’s important to note that neither of these passages actually say this; it’s simply assumed beforehand and read into the passage by many interpreters.
However, with just a little reflection, it can be easily seen that the words “world” and “all men” do not mean all men without exception. For, Scripture explicitly states that that God does not love or want to save all men without exception:
“And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I have hated.’” – Romans 9:10-13
God freely chose or elected Jacob for salvation while He freely rejected Esau for salvation. Why? Simply because He “loved” Jacob and “hated” Esau from all eternity – before they were “born” or had done anything “good or evil” – so that the sovereign “purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls.” Notice that foreseen human “works” – whether “good or evil” – are eliminated from God’s sovereign choice altogether.
Other verses also clearly state that God does not love all men without exception, but rather “hates” reprobate sinners whom He has rejected for salvation and hardened in their rebellion and sin. Rather than desiring to save them, Scripture teaches that He desires to pour out His anger and wrath upon them.
“The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” – Psalm 5:5-6
“The Lord tests the righteous [i.e., His elect people, who are redeemed, justified, and sanctified through faith alone], but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.” – Psalm 11:5-6
Clearly, since God “hates” non-elect or reprobate sinners, Scripture does not teach that He “loves” and desires to save all men without exception. Therefore, the only alternative – the one that lines up with the totality of Scriptural evidence – is that God loves and wants to save all men without distinction as to race, ethnicity, or nationality. In other words, God didn’t send Christ to save only Jewish sinners, but also Gentile sinners. And that’s precisely what Scripture emphatically declares. Christ redeemed His elect people out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation (i.e., “all men” or “the whole world”).
“And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.’” – Revelation 5:9-10
Therefore, while Christ has not redeemed all men without exception by His once-for-all sacrifice (“you are not of My sheep” John 10:26), He has indeed redeemed a great multitude of men out of the whole world (“I lay down My life for the sheep” John 10:14-16) without distinction as to race, ethnicity, nationality, class, or gender – all to the praise of His glorious grace! In our Lord’s great work in redeeming elect sinners, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). That’s why, in the Great Commission, our Lord told His apostles to go and “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19), for by His atoning death on the cross He has redeemed elect sinners out of every nation on the face of the earth. And those elect sinners can only be saved by hearing and believing the gospel message. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” – Romans 10:17
I’ll close with the Apostle Paul’s wonderful words of encouragement for God’s elect people, those of us who believe in Christ alone for justification.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect [i.e., the “us” and “us all” in the preceding verses]? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns?” – Romans 8:31-34
The answer is that no one is able to condemn God’s elect people who have been redeemed by Christ’s shed blood and justified on the basis of His imputed righteousness, which is received through God’s gracious gift of faith alone – apart from works of any kind!
“It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us [God’s elect people]. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us [God’s elect people] from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:34-39
Theophily 