Do We Have Freedom of Choice?

Rom 11:8 God hath given them…eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear….
2Ch 18:23 Now therefore the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of…thy prophets and the Lord hath spoken evil against you.

Micaiah told Ahab the truth. But God had blinded Ahab because the Lord hath made all things for himself, yes even the wicked (Ahab) for the day of evil (Pro. 16:4). For Ahab, his trip to Ramothgilead was “the day of evil”, and he died because he listened to his prophets who God, through evil spirits, had deceived. But God wants us to know God hath given them eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear (Rom 11:8). …If the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet and I will stretch out my hand upon him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel (Eze 14:9). This is addressed to “the elders of Israel” who had come to Ezekiel to “enquire” of God (Eze 14:1-3).

But they had come to Ezekiel as many of us come to “enquire” of God’s word, the Bible. They had come with their minds already made up. It didn’t matter what Ezekiel said, they had made up their minds before they heard him.

Eze 14:3 Son of man, these (elders) have set up idols (false doctrines) in their hearts… should I be inquired of at all by them?
Eze 14:4 Therefore speak unto them and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel (that’s us – Eph 2:11 and 19) that setteth up his idols in his heart (clings to his false doctrine) and cometh to the prophets (the Bible); I the Lord will answer him ACCORDING TO THE MULTITUDE OF HIS IDOLS.
Eze 14:8 …I the Lord have deceived that prophet.

For those earnestly desiring to study and understand God’s word, but confused by the (mis) translations of many words in the various translations that are available, use of an Englishman’s Greek and the Hebrew Concordances by George Wigram to see how God (not some version) uses any particular word is extremely helpful. They can be ordered from most Bible book stores, or often found on eBay or half. com or other on- line book sellers. Even easier would be to download ‘E- Sword [ http:// www. e- sword. net] for quick reference without going from one book to another. These concordances are keyed to Strong’s Concordance numbers. As an example, there are at least 13 English word assigned the Num 165 and 166. Those are the numbers for the single Greek word ‘aion‘.

If you can honestly read all the entries under the Num 165 and 166 and conclude from what you read that the primary meaning of the word ‘aion‘ is ‘endless time’ (eternity), then that is an illustration of an ‘idol of the heart’. There are some very sincere Christians that are so steeped in their church doctrines of an eternal hell- fire for sinners, that they could read the truth 100 times and still not leave this false doctrine. If it’s a matter of simply not understanding, God has promised if we seek His will and ask Him, He WILL give us understanding of His scriptures.

‘Test’, ‘try’ and ‘tempt’ are all English word translated from the Greek root, Strong’s #3985 – pierazo.

Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led up OF THE SPIRIT into the wilderness to be tempted (pierazo) of the devil

It was the Spirit of God who led Christ …to be tempted of the devil. This is the same scenario we see in Genesis with Adam, (Christ was slain “before” the foundation of the world – 1Pe 1:19 and 20); in 1Sa 18:10 with Saul; with Job in Job 1:8 and 42:11; with Ahab in 2Ch 18:22 and with David in 2Sa 24:1 and 2Ch 21:1. Biblical examples of God’s sovereignty over man’s will or choice are endless.

If God had decided before the foundation of the world that Christ would be slain for the sins of the world, then he must have already decided that Adam would sin.

The fact that Adam chose to follow Eve does not prove freedom of choice any more than Ahab choosing to go to Ramothgilead. And the Lord said, who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead (2Ch 18:19). God had already decided what Ahab’s choice would be. His means of accomplishing what He has purposed is through evil spirits when necessary:

• I am God, I create light and darkness, I create good and evil (Isa 45:7).
• Man’s goings are of the Lord, how can a man then understand his own way? (Pro 20:24).
• Oh Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps (Jer 10:23).
• For the children being not yet born, NEITHER HAVING DONE ANY GOOD OR EVIL, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth…As it is written, Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated (Rom 9:11 and 13). It sounds like maybe that we are all predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh ALL things after (according to) the counsel of his own will (Eph 1:11).

Getting back to Rom 9, right after telling us that God hated Esau while he was in his mother’s womb having done neither good nor evil, Paul poses this question: What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy…so then it is not of Him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy (no free moral agency!). For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for the same purpose have I raised you up, that I might shew my power in you and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth (just another biblical example of God’s sovereignty over ‘free moral agency’). Therefore hath he mercy on whom HE will have mercy, and whom HE WILL (HIS is the only ‘free will’ in the universe) hardeneth (Rom 9:14-18).

What is man’s attitude upon being told that salvation is “not of him that willeth” (not of free moral agency)?

No doubt you are familiar with the fact that “your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit”, but are you aware that we are also called mere beasts when we resist the Spirit? …the sons of men…themselves are beasts (Ecc 3:18). This beast is loathe to leave the “temple of God”. He actually believes that he is God, that his salvation is in his own hands. He believes the salvation of all men hinges not really on Christ’s sacrifice, but on mankind’s number one “idol of his heart” – his ‘free will’. “It is of him that willeth” so says the beast.

He believes this in spite of the plain scripture agreeing with all the rest of scripture No man can come to me (Christ), except the Father which hath sent me draw him (Joh 6:44).

If you really want to understand what ‘draw’ means, you won’t go to any translation or version of man’s devising. You will go to the Strong’s concordance and find the number for the word ‘draw’. You will then go to your Greek concordance and look up that number. You will find listed below that number every single time that Greek word for ‘draw’ appears in the New Testament. I believe if you take this objective, (no idol of the heart) approach to that word, you will see that ‘drag’ in a better translation than ‘draw’ although both thoughts are included. Peter drew his sword and cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear; they dragged their nets into their ship, etc. Swords do not jump out of scabbards of their own ‘free will’, and fish do not willingly jump into boats. They are ‘dragged’.

Try that same system with the word ‘aion‘, Strong’s #165. Leave any ‘idol of the heart’ behind. Forget the fact that you have your whole life invested in the belief that a loving heavenly Father is going to punish his wayward children, whom HE blinded and gave ears that could not hear, with indescribable, excruciating, fiery torment for – not a thousand years, not a million, not a billion years – but for eternity! Why? For making a bad choice which God himself ‘hardened’ him into making, during a life which is as a vapor that appeareth for a moment and then vanisheth away. Is this the fate of the ‘many that enter in at the gate that leads to destruction’?

Is it not much more in line with scripture to believe:

1. God is love- not eternal wrath and hatred (1Jn 4:16).
2. If I be lifted up, I will (eventually) draw ALL men to me. (Joh 12:32)
3. AS in Adam ALL DIE, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1Co 15:22)
4. God…will have all men to be saved, and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1Ti 2:4), Because…
5. God…is the saviour of ALL men specially (not only) of those that believe (1Ti 4:10). And why has he allowed some to not believe, to not be drawn at this time?
6. Even so have these (the unbelieving) also now not believe (Pharoah, Esau, King Saul, King Ahab and yes, even those who slew Christ) that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded…all in unbelief that he might have mercy on all (Rom 11:31-32). For of him and through him and to him are all things; to whom be glory forever. Amen.

None of these scriptures deny an age of judgment called symbolically ‘the lake of fire’. ‘The lake of fire’ is connected with the Great White Throne judgment. It is a great WHITE throne judgment. White in scripture is connected with the righteousness of the saints (Rev 7:14). But of even more significance is the BIBLICAL definition of this word ‘judgment’.

According to the scriptures, when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord… (1Co 11:32).

‘Judgment’ scripturally is “chastening of the Lord” which sounds a whole lot more Fatherly to me than ‘eternal torment’ with no purpose in sight. What a grotesque ‘idol of the heart’, what a stain on the character of a loving Father who will have all men to be saved…

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, and I saw the dead small and great stand before God:…and the dead were judged…and the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and hell (Greek word hades meaning grave) delivered up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell (grave) were cast into the lake of fire…and there was no more death (Rev 20:11-21:4). Notice that Rev 20:13 says …and hell (hades) delivered up the DEAD which were in them.

The symbolic lake of fire is the symbolic second death, the death of death. Then cometh the end…the last enemy to be destroyed is death (1Co 15:24-26). So long as one person is still dead, death has had one victory, but death will be destroyed. O death where is your sting, O grave (hades – hell) where is your victory? (1Co 15:55).

Death has NO (not one) victory. Why? Because death is swallowed up in victory (vs. 54).

Now we just read that death was swallowed up by the lake of fire in Rev 20:14 And death and hell (hades) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Why did the King James translators not translate ‘hades‘ as ‘hell’ here in 1Co 15:55? Could it be that this verse makes it clear that hades or hell has no victory? Why does it have no victory? Because death and hell (hades – grave) are cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14), and death, being cast into the lake of fire, “is swallowed up in victory” (1Co 15:54).

It appears that scripturally the lake of fire leads those whose names were not in the book of life, TO life. Who or what is this ‘lake of fire’? If so many are going there, why is it not the ‘ocean of fire’. Maybe it’s called a lake because of how small it is. Strong’s number Isa 3041 and says this: “probably from #3040 (through the idea of nearness to shore); a pond (large or small).” A large pond is still just a mere pond. It is not a huge body of water.

What or who is this lake of fire that receives all the wicked dead? For one thing, we are told by Christ concerning his true disciples, You are the salt of the earth… (Mat 5:13). But then in Mar 9 telling the twelve disciples If your eye offends you, pluck it out; it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell (Strong’s #1067 – geena) where their worm (Strong’s #4663 – skolex) dieth not and the fire is not quenched (Mat 9:48).

Many a hell- fire sermon has been preached without explaining the difference between geena (ghehennah) and hades. It’s all just unquenchable fire from which ‘eternal’ is extrapolated. “The worm is your poor sinful, immortal soul” so ‘they’ say. But is there even a shred of scriptural truth to this orthodox doctrine?

No, not even a shred. It was Satan, not God who told Adam and Eve’ thou shalt not surely die…’ What God said was in the day that you eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shalt surely die. Who are we to believe?

The soul that sinneth, it shall die (Eze 18:4 and 20). That is not what Satan teaches. As in Adam all die… (1Co 15:22).

Note this point made by Paul: …If there be no resurrection…then they also which are FALLEN ASLEEP IN CHRIST are perished (1Co 15:13-18). Few ministers indeed, have any use for that verse of scripture, but THERE IT IS.

If Christ be not risen our faith is vain (1Co 15:14). Paul didn’t stop at verse 14; he went on to say that if there is no resurrection, then they which have fallen asleep in Christ are PERISHED. Much Christian theology (not scripture) teaches the immortality of the soul and that the soul goes to either heaven or hell immediately at the moment of death. That doctrine flies in the face of they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished if there is no resurrection, and if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

In most Christian theology, there isn’t really any need for a resurrection. If there were anywhere in scripture a hint of an ‘immortal soul’ instead of the scriptural “dead souls,” then indeed, there would be no need for a resurrection. Paul did not say, though, ‘to depart IS to be with Christ’. What he did say was having a desire to depart AND be with Christ… (Php 1:23). There is an ‘asleep in Christ’ difference in those two statements. One is scriptural, the other isn’t.

Now, let’s get back to the supposed mention of eternal unquenchable fire, immortal worms and self- mutilation of Mar 9. As many of you know, ‘geena‘ is a valley, the valley of the sons of Hinnom. The sons of Hinnom once owned what later became the Jerusalem city dump. It had no connection with the totally unscriptural teaching of eternal hell. As for the unquenchable fire, what is it scripturally that feeds a fire? Wickedness burneth as the fire, it shall devour the briers and the thorns (Isa 9:18). Scripturally fire ‘devours’. Yes, even unquenchable fire devours. If you will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day…then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched (Jer 17:27). This is exactly what Jeremiah later tells us happened to Jerusalem. And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house and all the houses of the people with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem (Jer 39:8).

Now if ‘not quenched’ has anything to do with eternity, why aren’t the palaces of Jerusalem still burning? The answer is the fires ‘devoured’ the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem and burned themselves out. But they were never quenched, because to quench means to ‘put out’. So in geena (Gahenna) the worms are allowed to mature to flies and the fires devour anything combustible.

In Mar 9:48, Christ was simply quoting Isa 66:24: And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Christ doesn’t stop there. He has in effect been encouraging his disciples to present their bodies a living sacrifice unto God (Rom 12:1). Now he goes on to say: For (because) everyone (he did say everyone!) shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt (Mar 9:49).

This fiery experience has a lot in common with falling on the stone (Christ) and being broken or else waiting until the stone falls on us. We are encouraged to fall on the stone and be broken, otherwise on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (Mat 21:44 and Luk 20:18). In other words …if we would judge ourselves (chasten, discipline ourselves) we should not be judged… (1Co 11:31).

It will be “more tolerable” for Tyre and Sidon for Ninevah and Sodom, than it will be for those on whom the stone falls. Agree with thine adversary (the spirit lusts against the flesh) quickly while you are in the way with him (this way is the Christian walk in Act 9:2) lest at any time the adversary deliver you to the judge and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. Verily I say unto you, you shall by no means come out thence till you have paid the uttermost farthing (Mat 5:26).

There is no eternal hell fire in anything Christ taught. Sin carries a price, and we may not come out till we have paid the uttermost farthing, but we do come out. Deliver such an one (adulterous one) over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. Yes, the wicked are destroyed but for what purpose? That the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord (1Co 5:5).

If a man’s work (adultery, thieving, drunkenness etc.) shall be burned, he shall suffer loss (he will not attain to the ‘mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus – Php 3:14) but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by (the lake of) fire (1Co 3:15).

So we come back to fire. Again, I ask why is a ‘lake of fire’ mentioned at the great white throne judgment? We know our God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29). We know that every sacrifice will be salted with fire (Mar 9:48). We know the adulterous Corinthian was delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord (1Co 5:5). We know that if our works are wood, hay and stubble (sinful) as opposed to gold, silver and precious stones (righteousness) we will suffer loss “yet we will be saved though as by fire” (1Co 3:11-15). We are God’s temple. If we defile that temple, “him shall God destroy” (the flesh) (vs. 16 and 17) that the spirit might be saved.

How is this accomplished? We are told by Christian theology that sinners will be in hell fire for all eternity. But what does scripture say?

Isa 33:14…Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? (‘Who’ is the small lake of fire?)
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hand from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil?

Once again, Christian theology and scripture are at odds, but those “everlasting burnings” sound like the place to be. “Our God is a consuming fire” and “we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him” (1Jn 3:2).

A basic understanding of God’s sovereignty, which He so clearly defines in His Word, makes Eph 6:12 come alive: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in the celestials.

The King James translators used the phrase ‘high places’ in this verse because they didn’t believe that Satan and his demons are in heaven where we see them in Job 1 and 2Ch 18:20.

While our salvation is secure (by grace are you saved), our reward is not – we might suffer loss. So strive for the prize of the high calling in Christ.