Free Will vs Predestination
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Paul says, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;“.
Ephesians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
Paul says, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”.
John 6:29
Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”
It is the work of God that a person believes – it is not the work of a person that they believe.
John 6:44
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”
It is the Father who draws a person to Jesus - a person does not draw themselves to Jesus.
John 6:65
And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”
It is the Father who grants a person to come to Jesus – a person does not grant themselves to come to Jesus.
An analogy…
Imagine taking a bucket of water to the top of a hill and then pouring it out. The water zigzags back and forth as it flows down the hill. In other words the water has a “free will” to create it’s own path as it makes it’s way down the hill.
Now imagine taking a second bucket of water to the top of a hill. Only this time you dig a trench halfway down the hill which leads to a river (the river representing Living Water or salvation).
When you pour the water out it zigzags back and forth down the hill just as it did before. Only this time when it encounters the trench it’s course is altered but it still zigzags back and forth as it flows along the trench. In other words the water has a free will to create it’s own path as it makes its way along the trench.
However, the water is totally oblivious to the fact that it’s course has been altered by the trench which guided it to salvation.
So…
Have you been predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son?
Did the Father choose you before the foundation of the world?
Has the Lord’s trench guided you to salvation?
