The idea that people have been given the freedom to choose between right and wrong and are accountable for the results of their decisions is known as free will in the context of the Bible.
During this discussion, we will examine some of the Bible verses on free will that speak on its importance in our lives.
These verses help us to grasp better how human free will and God’s sovereignty interact, as well as how our decisions affect both our lives and our relationship with God.
Free Will In The Bible
The idea of free will is an emotive topic in the Bible, with many different interpretations and points of view.
According to one viewpoint, God granted people the ability to choose and decide what to do with their lives.
This is made clear in the account of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis when they are given the option to decide whether or not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge.
Another viewpoint holds that God’s omnipotence and predestination constrain the scope of human free will.
This is seen in many passages of the Bible, including Romans 9:18–23, where God is said to have the ability to offer kindness to some people while hardening the hearts of others.
Some verses seem to combine God’s sovereignty and free will, such as Proverbs 16:9, which claims that people “plan their course in their hearts, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
Why Is Free Will Important In The Bible?
The concept of free will is important in the Bible because it is linked to individual accountability and duty.
Humans have been given the ability to choose between right and wrong, and the Bible holds them accountable for the results of their decisions.
The Bible also emphasizes free will because it reveals God’s character. God is frequently described as a righteous and loving being who longs for a relationship with His followers but does not coerce anybody into doing so.
Instead, He provides people the freedom to live their lives however they choose and the choice to accept or reject Him.
Bible Verses On Free Will
The Bible is filled with passages emphasizing the value of free will and the decisions we make in life.
These verses shed light on the character of God, human responsibility, and the value of free will in the quest for a relationship with God.
In this article, we will look at a few bible verses on free will and how they can guide us to make decisions.
Proverbs 16:9 (ESV) – The Lord Establishes His Steps
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
John 7:17 (ESV) – Knowledge Of God’s Will
If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.
John 1:12-13 (ESV) – Not The Will Of Man But Of God
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) – Grace To Overcome Temptation
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Revelation 3:20 (ESV) – Invitation To Dine With Christ
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (ESV) – Holding Fast To Christ
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
Genesis 2:16-17 (ESV) – Knowledge Of Good And Evil
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Romans 10:9-10 (ESV) – Confess That Jesus Is Lord
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV) – Walk By The Spirit
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Mark 8:34 (ESV) – Take Up The Cross And Follow Him
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Psalm 37:23 (ESV) – Established By The Lord
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
John 6:44 (ESV)
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
James 1:13-16 (ESV)
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Proverbs 16:1 (ESV)
The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
1 Timothy 2:4 (ESV)
Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Galatians 5:13 (ESV)
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
2 Timothy 2:26 (ESV)
And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Deuteronomy 30:19 (ESV)
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,
Ezekiel 18:30-32 (ESV)
“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
Romans 13:2 (ESV)
Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
Ephesians 1:11 (ESV)
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
Galatians 5:1 (ESV)
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Isaiah 55:6-7 (ESV)
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
John 15:16 (ESV)
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Romans 8:29-30 (ESV)
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Bible Verses On Free Will Vs Predestination
While some contend that human beings have the power to make decisions that affect their lives and eternal fate, others hold that God predestines all that occurs.
There are multiple verses in the Bible that speak to this subject, and scholars and theologians have given them various interpretations.
We will look at some of the important Bible scriptureverses on free will versus predestination in this article and analyze how they might be interpreted in different ways.
Romans 8:29 (ESV)
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
Romans 9:16 (ESV)
“So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
Genesis 50:20 (ESV)
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
John 3:16 (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Acts 13:48 (ESV)
“And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.”
Romans 9:15-16 (ESV)
“For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”
Romans 8:29 (ESV)
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
Bible Verse On Born With Free Will
It is the notion that people may make decisions and behave freely without being influenced by outside forces.
In Christianity, the concept of free will is crucial because it gives people the option to accept or reject God.
The idea of free choice and the responsibilities that come with it are highlighted in a number of verses in the Bible.
We will look at some of the important Bible scriptures on having free will at birth and evaluate how they relate to Christian doctrine and practice in this essay.
Genesis 1:27 (ESV)
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Joshua 24:15 (ESV)
“Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Joshua 24:15 (ESV)
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 30:19 (ESV)
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”
Joshua 24:15 (ESV)
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 (ESV)
“For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Conclusion
The Bible teaches that we are accountable for our decisions and that free will is a gift from God.
While God is in charge of everything, He also gives us the freedom to make decisions, and we are then responsible for the results of those decisions.
May we strive to honor God and do what is right as we make decisions in life, mindful that our choices will affect not just ourselves but also other people.
