Mike,

I have a question about free will. I don’t have a problem accepting the fact that we do not have free will, but scripture seems to disagree with it at times. Take Saul for instance. When he was on the road headed for Damascus he was not looking for salvation at the time when he saw the bright light and heard the voice from above, but there was a question directed to him from God “Saul, why do you persecute me (the church)?”

If God, already knew what Saul was doing, why ask Saul if God was causing sinner Saul to persecute the church to begin with? Why the question from God? It just does not make any sense.

Why didn’t God just say “Um, Saul… I have been causing you to persecute me but now, you are going to be for me and spread my gospel to the world?” See how easy that would have been to just say that? It would be just as hard to accept it if it were written that way because we would be thinking to ourselves… “Why in the world would God do that!!!???”

Same thing with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Why were the questions asked… Where are you (to Adam), … Have you eaten the fruit (to Adam)? Why were these questions asked by God if he knew he made them weak and that they were going to sin? I do not see free will in these scriptures at all. Why was it necessary for God to have Adam and Eve to sin to begin with? What was the cause for them sinning? Why was the temptation put in front of them? Why did God need them to sin? These are questions I have a hard time dealing with. I sure hope you can help me understand better.

R____

Hi R____,

Thank you for your question.

If indeed God intended for all men to receive His witness in this age, He could easily have spelled out His plan in very clear language, and he could have spoken in the manner you indicate. He could have said to Adam; “Adam do you really think that I, your Creator, am totally unaware of where you are and of what you have done? I know your very thoughts, Adam, because I give you your very thoughts.”

Psa 94:11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

1Co 3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

He could also have told Saul of Tarsus just what you said:

“Um, Saul… I have been causing you to persecute me but now, you are going to be for me and spread my gospel to the world.” See how easy that would have been to just say that? It would be just as hard to accept it if it were written that way because we would be thinking to ourselves… Why in the world would God do that!!!???

You are right, that is what we all ask, and that is just as you ask:

Why were these questions asked by God if he knew he made them weak and that they were going to sin? I do not see free will in these scriptures at all. Why was it necessary for God to have Adam and Eve to sin, to begin with? What was the cause for them sinning? Why was the temptation put in front of them? Why did God need them to sin? These are questions I have a hard time dealing with. I sure hope you can help me understand better.

I do not claim to be capable of giving you understanding of the mind of God because understanding God and having Godly wisdom are both based upon the fear of God which only He can give, as He gave it to Saul of Tarsus, and as He gives it to the few whom He chooses in this age:

Psa 11:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

What I can do is show you that Christ did not create man in a body of clay to save that body of clay. This first life we live is purposely designed by God as a disposable prototype of a much advanced spiritual body which awaits every man who has ever drawn breath on this earth. But it is very few who will be given those spiritual bodies in the first resurrection, and that, too, is by design. At this time, meaning is this clay age, this is what Christ did in the Garden of Eden, and this is what He is doing to this very day:

Mat 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen. [in this age])
Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

That is also the answer to your question. God speaks to us as if we had a will that is free to do as we please, when in fact it is not yet given to us to accept or understand or obey Him. The fact is that He is deliberately blinding the whole world from knowing the mysteries of His kingdom and how we will get into that kingdom:

Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

Why can we not understand? “Because… to them it is not given… neither do they understand [that God is] working all things after the counsel of His own will… who will have all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (Eph 1:11, and 1Ti 2:4).

I have been given to fear God and to accept the truth that His ways are better than mine. Like you, my old man can think of a much better way to do things than putting mankind through all of this Gehenna here on earth. In my exalted wisdom (I speak as a fool), I would have created mankind already perfected, and I would have eliminated even the need to go through fiery trials before being given rule over the nations of this world and then being used to be saviors to the masses of humanity as a spiritual “lake of fire” in the next age.

But this is what God thinks of my ways and of your ways when our ways seem so much better than His:

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

I cannot disagree with God for He has placed within me a fear of doing so, and so all I have to offer you or anyone else is His own answer to your question and to the same question from my own “first man Adam”:

Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Rom 9:15 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.
Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Rom 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Rom 9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? [Who is capable of resisting His will?]
Rom 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Rom 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

I can do no better in giving you understanding of why God did not skip all the suffering in this world and just go straight to perfect spiritual bodies. I will pray He gives you the humility to accept your lowly clay composition at His hand, and that you are granted to appreciate His power to “make one vessel unto honor, and one unto dishonor… after the counsel of His own will” (Eph 1:11).

Your brother in Christ,

Mike