Radicallybiblical’s Weblog

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Click on the picture below for Part 2 of Children and the Sovereignty of God.

FINAL CONCLUSION:

           If by “free will”, it is meant that every being has the ability to choose evil and/or good, then “free will” is not real.

           If by “free will”, it is meant that all or any humans are free from all (or even any) accountability to God as the only All-Knowing Creator, King, and Judge, then there is no “free will”.

           If by “free will”, it is meant that our choices are not dependent upon any other cause so as that every human act is undetermined until we make it certain with our choices, because we are free from and independent of the providential control, eternal decrees, and certain free-knowledge of God, then “free will” is a myth.

           If by “free will”, it is meant that we are always in a state of complete indifference, freely capable of choosing and can just as easily choose anything and everything, even that which is contrary to our nature and desires, at any and every given moment, in any and every given circumstance, then “free will” does not exist.

           If by “free will”, it is meant that each and every non-regenerate sinner is free and unshackled from all of the blinding, deafening, disabling, deadening, and binding effects of their sinfulness (which is theirs by nature and practice) and that they have the moral and spiritual ability within themselves to choose to repent and trust in Jesus for their forgiveness, cleansing, and complete salvation, then “free will” is a lie.

           But if by “free will”, it is meant that every human individual has the natural ability to make willing and voluntary choices without any constraint or restraint against their nature and desires, being in exact accordance with their present nature and desire and the perfect and sovereign will of God, then “free will” is not only true, real, and universal, but something that is to be protected and something to thank God for everyday.

I thought it might be good (maybe even necessary) to write a post clarifying and defending the third point on my previous post about how Jesus died for my good works too. 

First, let me clarify something.  It is not as though Christians can do no good thing, but that we cannot do a good thing perfectly.  I have not come to a conclusion as to whether it is better say that it is impossible for Christians to do anything perfectly this side of Glory OR to say that while it is theoretically possible for Christians to sinlessly do a good act, it is not an actualized reality for anyone.  The point is this, I can and do love my wife, but I do not (and maybe cannot) love her perfectly.  I do not (again, maybe even cannot) love God with ALL of my heart, ALL of my soul, ALL of my mind, and ALL of my strength, ever.  Dr. John Piper seems to suggest this in his book (more…)

All too often we think of Jesus’ death and resurrection as only being profitible for us on the Judgement Day.  And of course it does benefit us eternally on that great Day, but the Gospel Truth of Jesus Christ is to benefit us all day, everyday.  In each area and in every aspect of our lives we can and should rely on, rest peacefully in, find sure hope in, take great joy and delight in, and be sanctified and preserved by the gracious and effecacious work of Jesus on our behalf.  This is what it means to live a Gospel-centered life.

One such area of our lives that is too often left unaffected (only in our minds) by the Crosswork of Christ is our good works.  Whether it be the good deed of loving my wife, correcting my children, serving my neighbor, preaching a sermon, teaching a lesson, singing a song of praise, giving an offering, helping out a friend, etc…, it requires the blood of Christ.  This is why Jesus also died for my good works.

This is true in three ways:

1. Jesus died for my good works in that He died because of them (Heb. 9:11-14).   Isaiah 64:6 reveals that there is a way of doing a good deed that is evil.  Romans 14:23 says that faith in Christ must accompany good works, or else they are sinful works.  If I do something to benefit my neighbor with the goal of receiving the glory then I sin.  That is not good.  So, in one sense, Jesus died because some of my good works are only good outwardly, while inwardly they are evil.  I need Jesus to pay the price for my sinful “good deeds”.

2. Jesus died for my good works in that He died in order to produce them (Eph. 2:1-10; Titus 2:11-14; Heb. 9:14).  Would I do good works that glorify Jesus?  Then He must, by His gracious and powerful work, produce that in me, for on my own, I am self-centered and would only produce the fruits of the flesh, not of the Spirit (Gal. 5:19-23).

3. Jesus died for my good works in that He died in order to make them acceptable.  The best prayers I pray, the purest thoughts I think, the most righteous and loving acts I ever act are still tainted.  In my trusting in God for all things, I know that there might still be some doubt of Him and a hint of trust for myself or something else.  In my desire to glorify God, I know that my heart might want to obtain or keep some glory for myself.  In my effort to love my neighbor, I know that there might be some part of me (however small I think it to be, even undetectable by me (Ps. 139:23-24)) that seeks to advance my own cause or position.  No one can know for sure the purity of their motivations and desires at any given moment (Jer. 17:9-10), other than to say with the Apostle Paul, I am not “…already perfect…”.  This is why we must not be like the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14 who trusted in his own goodness (which he even attributed to God).  Why is this bad?  Because it is antithetical to what Paul says in Philippians 3:9.  We cannot, no matter how “good” our works are, trust in them!  And in fact, we must always and only trust in the righteous acts and perfect obedience and pure goodness of Jesus Christ to be counted as ours by the gracious promise of God.  But God does accept our good works as glorifying to Him (Matt. 5:16; John 15:8).  How can our tainted good works be acceptable to the Most High and Holy God?  Only by the substitutionary blood of God’s Righteous Lamb (Heb. 10:19-24; I John 1:8-2:2).  Jesus not only makes me acceptable to God, but also makes my works acceptable and pleasing to Him!  Jesus died for my good works, for if He did not, then they are not good at all.

PS. Check out the follow-up post on this which seeks to clarify and defend the third point just made!