Day 171

Of Free Will.

Chapter 9, Paragraph 1.

“God has endued the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice, that it is neither forced, nor by any necessity of nature determined to do good or evil.”

Scripture Lookup

Matthew 17:12

James 1:14

Deuteronomy 30:19

Reflection

Reformed folks believe in free will. This will has been bestowed upon humanity by God; autonomy is not a by-product of evolution. Each and every person has the ability to freely choose. I may choose to get take-out or cook a meal at home; you may choose to move across the country or stay put where you are. Not only do we have the freedom to choose, we also have the ability to act upon our choice. I can call the pizza place or I can pull out the cookbook; you can fly, drive, or walk across the country or flop on your couch. This ability to decide and act upon a decision is a natural part of being human.

This free will that all humanity possesses carries with it responsibility, for we are not subject to the whim of fate. There is no impersonal force that makes us live one way or the other. We cannot blame others for our actions, for we have the freedom and ability to decide what we do. It may be hard to accept that we all have free will. Sometimes it’s easier to wallow in self-pity, blaming parents, society, other races, or even God Himself for our choices.  But Scripture does not leave room for such wallowing. We are not forced to desire certain things; we alone choose them. We alone act on our desires. And we will always freely choose what we desire most.

Questions to Consider

• Do you blame others for your choices?