Freedom to Choose

Articles From Our Bulletins

Philip C. Strong
12/08/21 - Bulletin Articles

Everyone loves choices, and everyone is certainly free to choose to believe whatever they desire, especially if objective, concrete, absolute truth isn’t important to them. But think briefly about a few “alternatives” from which we must choose...

Either God created everything as Heb.3:4 says, or you can choose to believe in the Theory of Evolution- that matter of unknown origins exploded for unknown reasons creating “life” from “non-living” elements which then beat insurmountable odds and survived, replicated, and then favorably genetically mutated over millennia. You get to choose which to believe.

Even if you choose to believe in Intelligent Design/Creation by God, you still have choices. You can choose to believe that God created “us” with purpose as Eph.1:3-14 details, or you can choose to believe that although God created mankind, there was no real purpose in doing so, and thus “life” is just for living as you please.

Even if you choose to believe that God created humankind for specific reasons, you still have choices. Either God revealed His will (these purposes) to mankind in words that could be intelligently read and understood as Eph.3:3-4 state, or you can choose to believe that although God had specific reasons for us, He never told us what they are, and thus we’re “on our own” to try to figure out what those reasons might be.

Even if you choose to believe that God revealed His will and purposes to mankind in language that could be read, understood, and followed/obeyed as Jas.1:22-27 clearly indicates, you can still choose to disobey His revealed will and “go your own way” so to speak.

See? Choices. God doesn’t force you to believe in Him, let alone believe and obey Him. You are certainly free to live life (which is itself a gift from Him) anyway you choose. However, all choices have consequences attached. The wisdom of God reveals that “the way of the transgressor is hard,” Prov.13:15b. Sin, or transgression, either of omission (not doing what is required) or commission (doing what is restricted), is punitive of itself. When we “sow to the flesh” of our own desires rather than God’s, we necessarily “from the flesh reap corruption” and its incumbent consequences. Touching the hot burner on a stove in violation of what we’re told has detrimental costs apart from any parental punishment. What we need to understand is that none of the restrictions or requirements of God’s revealed will are given just to require or restrict; they are ALL “for our good” and so that “we may share His holiness” along with everything that goes with such, cf. Heb.12:10. But alas, you’re still free to do as you please.

However, there is one thing about which NONE as any choice, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad,” 2Cor.5:10. EVERYONE is free to choose what they believe and how they live; NO ONE is free from the eternal consequences of their choices. Choose wisely my friends!