Free Will, Free Choice
Some Christians believe that God has chosen, even before a person
was born, whether or not that person will be saved. That is, those who
in the end are lost eternally are lost because God, in His wisdom (this
theology claims), made that choice for this person to be lost. Which
means, then, that regardless of their choices, that person will be con-
demned.
Fortunately, as Seventh-day Adventists, we don’t ascribe to that
theology. Instead, we believe that God has chosen for all of us to be
saved—and that even before the world began, we were chosen in Him
to have eternal life.
Read Ephesians 1:1–4; Titus 1:1, 2; and 2 Timothy 1:8, 9. What do
these verses tell us about being chosen by God and when we were
chosen?
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However good this news, some people will still be lost (Matt. 25:41).
And that’s because, though God has chosen us all, He has given humans
a most sacred gift, and that is free will, free choice.
What does Matthew 22:35–37 teach about free will?
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The Lord does not force us to love Him. Love, in order to be love, has
to be freely given. In many ways, one could argue that the Bible is the
story of God reaching out to lost human beings and seeking, without
coercion, to win their hearts to Himself. This reality can best be seen in
the life and ministry of Jesus, and how people—using their free will—
reacted to Him. Some were drawn to Him; others wanted Him dead.
Yes, God has chosen us for salvation, but, in the end, we have to make
the choice to accept that salvation. There is no question that of all the
choices we have to make, the choice to serve the Lord is, by far, the
most consequential for us and for those who are impacted (such as our
immediate family) by our life and the choices that we make in it.
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