Q: How are we supposed to know what God's will is for us? How are we supposed to know whether or not something occurs because that is according to God's will or our own? I always pray to God asking him what He has planned for me in terms of pursuing a career. I'm really confused of what I want to do in the future and I just don't know what God's calling is for me.

A:  Hello!  Thanks for your question.  We have answered similar questions before, so please read the following posts before reading on:

How do you know that God is calling you to do something?

How do you know it's God speaking and not a coincidence?

It seems like your question revolves around future career paths or school program.  My advice to you would be just to relax.  I know that the uncertainty of the future causes anxiety for many people, but if you have a strong relationship with God and allow Him to guide you, you will be fine.

If you are waiting for a booming voice coming from the skies to tell you to be a doctor, dentist or accountant...that probably won't happen.  The Holy Spirit often leads in ways that aren't explicit: open doors to next to impossible school programs, job opportunities at the company of your choice, finding a mate when you least expect it. 

When our hearts are open to allowing God to work in us, than He will.  When we are in tuned with God, we'll know when and where He is leading us.  I know that that sounds arbitrary, but God isn't something we can break down and understand.  Just work on strengthening your relationship with God, read your Bible on a regular basis and serve in your local church - these are the things that God cares about.  The rest He'll take care of. 

[answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: Why wouldn't God let us all be Christians in the first place?

Doesn't he want us to be all in heaven and rejoice with him since we are all children of God?

I've answered a similar question, "If God can change the non-Christian's heart, why doesn't God just make everyone become Christians?" so read that first. As to your question, let me answer in sequential points:

1. God created us to have a relationship with Him.
2. God also created us with free- will. Free will is the ability for a person to make choices that determine his actions.
3. With the ability to make choices comes the ability to sin (i.e. do things contradictory to the will of God)
4. Like everything else in life, sin has consequences. The most devastating consequence is separation from God. When we sin we have effectively severed our relationship with God.
5. God sent Jesus to restore that relationship by paying the penalty for our sin. When we trust in his sacrifice for us; ask for his forgiveness and repent of our sin, God gives us new life, new hope, and a new family. We become His children, rejoicing in Him on Earth and in Heaven.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Since God is all-knowing...

...why did he create Lucifer knowing that he would turn bad? Also did God not make a mistake by creating humans? Where's the proof that God is all-knowing? Is he perfect?

These are tough theological questions. Allow me to answer the last two questions first.

1. Where is the proof that God is all-knowing?

There is no definitive proof of God's omniscience (How can a human being possibly know that God knows all things? It just doesn't work that way!) That being said, Scripture does REVEAL that God does have foreknowledge of all things. God's knowledge of events is described as his "omniscience," or his ability to fully know all things actual and possible in "one simple and eternal act." God is "perfect in knowledge" (Job 37:16) and knows all things (1 John 3:20). He knows all things ACTUAL, meaning all things that exist and all things that happen. He also knows all things that will happen in the future (Isa. 46:9-10) - even the smallest details of life (Matthew 10:30). In addition, God knows all things POSSIBLE, meaning God knows information regarding events that might happen but that do not actually happen. Jesus himself spoke about God's knowledge of possible events in Matthew 11:21, "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." Jesus is saying that Tyre and Sidon WOULD HAVE repented if Jesus' own miracles had been done there.*

2. Is God perfect?

YES. God is perfect in all ways, even in his omniscience or his knowledge of all things actual and possible. The apostle John once wrote "God is light and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). "Light" - in this context means that God is both morally pure and fully aware of everything.

3. Why did he create Lucifer knowing that he would turn bad? Also did God not make a mistake by creating humans?

I know you are wondering how can God be perfect if he made his creatures with the full knowledge that they would one day sin. The answer: Just because God is knew that his creatures would sin against Him does not make God imperfect. After all, the reason God created the universe (and everything in it) was for his glory (Psalm 19:1). Even though we may not understand it fully, God's glory is displayed in the act of redeeming his creation. At this point, please read the following article by GodQuestions. Thankfully, they have already answered your question in a concise, biblical manner. Their conclusion?

1. The rebellion of Satan and the fall of mankind were foreknown and foreordained by God.

2. Those who would become the people of God, the elect, were foreknown and foreordained by God.

3. The crucifixion of Christ, as atonement for God’s people, was foreknown and foreordained by God.

So we are left with the following questions: Why create mankind with the knowledge of the fall? Why create mankind knowing that only some would be ‘saved?’ Why send Jesus knowingly to die for a people that knowingly fell into sin? From man’s perspective, it doesn’t make sense. If the meta-narrative moves from paradise to paradise lost to paradise regained, why not just go straight to paradise regained and avoid the whole paradise lost interlude?

The only conclusion we can come to in view of the above assertions is that God’s purpose was to create a world in which His glory could be manifest in all its fullness. The glory of God is the overarching goal of creation. In fact, it is the overarching goal of everything He does. The universe was created to display God’s glory (Psalm 19:1), and the wrath of God is revealed against those who fail to glorify God (Romans 1:23). Our sin causes us to fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), and in the new heaven and new earth, the glory of God is what will provide light (Revelation 21:23). The glory of God is manifest when His attributes are on perfect display, and the story of redemption is part of that.

The best place to see this in Scripture is Romans 9:19-24. Wrath and mercy display the riches of God’s glory, and you can’t get either without the fall of mankind. Therefore, all of the above assertions—fall, election, redemption, atonement—serve the purpose of glorifying God. When man fell into sin, God’s mercy was immediately displayed in not killing him on the spot. God’s patience and forbearance were also on display as mankind fell deeper into sin prior to the flood. God’s justice and wrath were on display as He executed judgment during the flood, and God’s mercy and grace were demonstrated as he saved Noah and his family. God’s wrath and justice will be revealed in the future when He deals with Satan once and for all (Revelation 20:7-10).

God knew that Satan would rebel and Adam and Eve would sin in the Garden of Eden. With that knowledge, God still created Lucifer and Adam and Eve because creating them and ordaining the fall was part of His sovereign plan to manifest His glory in all its fullness. Even though the fall was foreknown and foreordained, our freedom in making choices is not violated because our free choices are the means by which God’s will is carried out.

I know you'll be frustrated as you wrestle with this issue. In my own experience, I have found the proper/best response when you have questions about why God allows certain things to happen is to be humble and trust in Him. God has perfect knowledge of all events AND He has our goodness in mind. This is reason enough to stay humble and trust Him - no matter what happens.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

*Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 190-191.

Q: Are we predestined/called or do we choose?

Hi friend. You've asked a very controversial, and intriguing question. We've answered a series of similar questions HERE. I encourage you to read these carefully. Got Questions has answered your question too. Read their answer here. Here is an important excerpt:

If God is choosing who is saved, doesn’t that undermine our free will to chose and believe in Christ? The Bible says that we have the choice—all who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10). The Bible never describes God rejecting anyone who believes in Him or turning away anyone who is seeking Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). Somehow, in the mystery of God, predestination works hand-in-hand with a person being drawn by God (John 6:44) and believing unto salvation (Romans 1:16). God predestines who will be saved, and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. Both facts are equally true. Romans 11:33 proclaims, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”

Also, listen to this sermon by Seattle's Pastor Mark Driscoll.

Q: Would it be a sin to want to be famous one day? I want to be an actor but my parents want me to be someone with a stable job...

...should I listen to my parents or do what I want?


A: Ask anyone if they have a crazy bucket-less dream and they'll probably share it with you. Mine would be be a recording artist and perform at Madison Square Gardens, Pastor Ho-Ming's would probably be to own 200+ guitars and travel with U2...others might be the same as yours: to be an actor/actress in Hollywood and one day become a star.

However, most often times than not, reality sinks in...and your parents obviously know that. Ever heard of the term "starving artist"? Take it literally...because those who go down the route that you want to often don't make it and don't have the means to support themselves financially. Your parents have great intentions of pointing you to something realistic and self-sustaining...don't think they are holding you back from what you want to accomplish. They are merely being good parents and giving you good advice.

To answer your question if wanting to be famous is a sin, let's try this equation out:

being famous equals self glory
self glory does not equal God glory
than being famous does not equal God glory

What I'm trying to say is that when you put your fame first before the fame of God, you are creating an idol in your life. An idol is not just a statue or a material good...it's ANYTHING in your life that takes away from you giving all the glory to God.

The fact that that you started this question by saying "Would it be a sin to want to be famous" and not "Would it be a sin to want to be an actor", kind of shows where your heart is: you want to be famous.

You really need to look deep inside your heart and evaluate your intentions. Do you have a gift that you want to share with the world? Will you be using this gift to point to God? Do you believe that God has given you this gift? OR, have you been reading way too many teen magazines of young people making it rich in this world and you desire that same fame?

Not all celebrities are conceited beings who care only about themselves. There are many who have found the balance of having fame with humbleness. However, if you look at the majority, there are many more who have allowed their fame and money to become and idol in their lives. They choose money over marriage, they opt for divorce when it's convenient, and morals are gone out the window in movie roles.

It's about the heart...put God first and cast all idols aside.

God's First Commandment:
"You shall have no other Gods before me"

God's Second Commandment:
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them"
Exodus 20:3-5

[answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: If only God can change the non-Christian's heart, why doesn't God just make everyone become Christians?

The answer boils down to free will. God made us with the freedom to affect our destiny; we can either choose to walk in relationship with God; or walk away from Him. It is, however, true that only God can change a person's heart. John 15:16 says:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and a bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
A person can only choose God and salvation through the power and grace of God. God sends the Holy Spirit to work in and through a person's will to save that person. John 1:12-13 says:

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.

Salvation is God's work alone. However, because God created us with free will, there is an element of human responsibility - meaning God still allows us to either accept or reject his salvation. Think of salvation as a phone call. The phone may be ringing and you may hear the call, but it is still up to you whether or not to pick up the phone. After all, God didn't create robots that are programmed to automatically love him. He created human persons with freedom and thus He cannot make/force/coerce anyone to follow Him if they do not freely choose to do so.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: If God wants us to be in heaven with him, why did he create sin to keep us away?

Indeed, God desires to be in relationship with us in this life and in eternity ("heaven"). However, God cannot be blamed for sin, because sinning is a voluntary, willful choice (Romans 3:23). When we sin, we exercise the FREEDOM God gives us. God does not want to force us into any relationship. He wants us to love him freely, so he created us with free-will. Part of having free-will is the ability to sin (i.e. failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude or nature). At its core, sin is turning away from God in rebellion and choosing to live contrary to God's plan.

This is the reason Jesus came (John 3:16-17): To save us from sin and pay the penalty sinners rightly deserve. Jesus died in our place; for our sin (1 John 2:2). Because God's wrath for sin was applied to Jesus on the cross, we can enter into a relationship with God if we confess our sin and trust in Jesus (1 John 1:9)

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: If everything is predetermined, how exactly is it free will?

"How it is free will if everything is already mapped out for everyone? For example, if you think of a game of chess. Think of you as God and the pieces as people. Say there's this one pawn that is in a position to take two opposing pawns. This pawn thinks that it will take the pawn on the right, but you (God) have always known that it will take the piece on the right. So if everything is already predetermined, how exactly is it free will?

What you're describing is known as "theological fatalism." The following text is from the "Got Questions" answer page. I think it answers your question well. To read the entire article, click HERE. Here is a portion of what they write...

"Theological fatalism is an attempt to demonstrate a logical contradiction between an omniscient God and free will, where free will is defined as the ability to choose between alternatives. In this it is similar in purpose to the conundrum "Can an omnipotent God make a rock so heavy that even he is not able to lift it?"

Theological fatalism’s premises are stated as follows: God is omniscient. Since God is omniscient, God has infallible foreknowledge. If God has infallible foreknowledge that tomorrow you will engage in an event (mow the lawn), then you must invariably engage in that event (mowing the lawn). Therefore, free-will is not possible since you have no alternative except to engage in the event (mow the lawn). In the event that you do not fulfill event, then God is not omniscient. Alternatively, if you engage in event, then you don't have free will on account of the inability to choose another alternative.

An opposing argument can state: God is omniscient. Since God is omniscient, He is also infallible. If God has infallible foreknowledge that tomorrow you will engage in an event, then you will freely choose this based on your free will, not out of obligation or lack of choice about the event. You still have free will to engage in the event; God merely knows your choice before you make it. You are not obliged to make choice 'A' (mowing the lawn) any more than choice 'B' (playing tennis). If you were going to change your mind, God would have seen that also, so you still have full free will in all matters. Also, you will still make the same choices (with free will), even if God chose to not see the future. Seeing the future or not does not alter your free will."

In addition, carm.org (read an article about "free will" here) says this concerning fatalism:

There is no logical reason to claim that if God knows what choices we are going to make that it means we are not free. It still means that the free choices we will make are free -- they are just known ahead of time by God. If we choose something different, then that choice will have been eternally known by God. Furthermore, this knowledge by God does not alter our nature in that it does not change what we are -- free to make choices. God's knowledge is necessarily complete and exhaustive because that is His nature, to know all things. In fact, since He has eternally known what all our free choices will be, He has ordained history to come to the conclusion that He wishes including and incorporating our choices into His divine plan: “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur," (Acts 4:27-28). Why? Because God always knows all things: "...God is greater than our heart, and knows all things," (1 John 3:20).

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Predestination?

"We all agree that man does have free will to choose God and follow Him. But I also think the position of Predestination is also biblical. From the verses I read God in His sovereignty has chosen those who have been saved already. Are puny minds can't understand that though until maybe we get to heaven. Can you give some insight into this? Verses to examine: John 15:16; Acts 13:48; Romans 9:15-16; Romans 9:22-24; Ephesians 1:4-5; Ephesians 1:11; Philippians 1:29; 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:13."

"No one can seek you unless he has already found you." Bernard of Clairvaux

"I can only show you the door, you are the one who has to walk through it." Morpheus, The Matrix

It seems there are actually two questions here. First, there is the question whether predestination has any biblical grounding. Second, if there is biblical grounding for this position, then how does this work with our free will? Before I begin, let me just say this is a massive question that has been hotly debated for hundreds of years (!), so chances are - whatever answer I give will be inadequate and brief. But I hope to point you in the right direction.

1. The 1st question is whether a person's eternal destiny is chosen by God before their birth. In other words, does God predestine people to go to heaven? From the verses you listed, this appears to be the case. That is why there are many that argue for this position. Those who support the doctrine of predestination are called "Reformed" or "Calvinist." Calvinists argue (this is taken from carm.org):

1)Total depravity: that man is touched by sin in all parts of his being: body, soul, mind, and emotions,

2)Unconditional Election: that God’s favor to Man is completely by God’s free choice and has nothing to do with Man. It is completely undeserved by Man and is not based on anything God sees in man (Eph. 1:1-11),

3) Limited atonement: that Christ did not bear the sins of every individual who ever lived, but instead only bore the sins of those who were elected into salvation (John 10:11,15),

4) Irresistible grace: that God's call to someone for salvation cannot be resisted,

5) Perseverance of the saints: that it is not possible to lose one's salvation (John 10:27-28).

The second position stresses the freedom of the human will in salvation. This school of thought is known as "Arminianism." In contrast to Calvinism, they argue (also from carm.org):

1) God elects or reproves on the basis of foreseen faith or unbelief,

2) Christ died for all men and for every man, although only believers are saved,

3) Man is so depraved that divine grace is necessary unto faith or any good deed,

4) This grace may be resisted,

5) Whether all who are truly regenerate will certainly persevere in the faith is a point which needs further investigation.

This blog will not allow me to examine each of the verses you listed in depth, but please listen to this sermon by Calvinist Mark Driscoll (I've also embedded it below). He answers your primary questions; subsequent questions you may have and makes a case for Calvinism OVER Arminianism. The sermon notes, entitled, "Predestination: Duck, Duck, Damned?") can be found here.

2. Your 2nd question: How does free will work with predestination? As you have recognized, human beings are limited and have relatively "puny" minds, so this is mystery (Eph. 1:9). Yet I believe, from the Scriptures, it can be argued that even though God chooses (and therefore) saves us, those who are chosen have a part to play. Listen to what Theologian Donald Bloesch (in his book, Essentials of Evangelical Theology, Volume I: God, Authority and Salvation. Peabody, MA: Prince Press, 1978) says about this issue:

"To give all the glory to God in the accomplishing of our salvation is not to reduce man to nothing. Yet we must also not say that man gets some of the credit for his salvation, that man can help in the procuring of his salvation... Our position is that we must affirm both the sovereignty of grace and the responsibility of believers. The two errors to be avoided are the following: that one is saved exclusively by the work of grace upon him thereby not including or allow for personal faith and decision in the salvific process...the second error gives man a determinative role in his justification so that he virtually becomes a co-redeemer with Christ...Only the person who is transformed by divine grace can make a positive response to God's gracious invitation, but only the one who does make such a response is indeed transformed by grace."

If you're confused, don't fret. This is a doctrine that defies rational understanding. There is no easy or simple answer. All we know is that God, in his sovereign will, saves some people. God predestines some to be saved. The act of saving is absolutely God's work. Yet in order to be saved, a person must - in her free-will - repent of sin, turn to Jesus and love God throughout her life.

Hope this helps.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: How do you know the will of God?

A: I would break this question down into 2 categories. (a), realizing the general will of God for Christians and (b), God's specific will of God for our specific lives.

Granted that you have already accepted Christ in your life and have a deepening relationship with Jesus, God's general will for all Christians is to "Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). As the example has been given to us through Jesus Christ, we are to live our lives modeled after Him. God asks us to be set apart, different than the world and live a life that is pleasing to Him (read Matthew 5:13-16). Our lives are supposed to be different...away from the darkness, full of integrity and holiness. This is God's general will for us.

The specific will that God has for each individual lives is unique. God always equips us with whatever we need to do His will. That being said, I would suggest for you to look into your life and see what spiritual gifts God has gifted you with. Most likely, they will align with your purpose (Romans 12:6).

In the church setting, try different areas of ministry and see which ones you fall in love with and which you feel you are not gifted. This is a practical way to discern God's will. Of course, always keep this in prayer, ASK God to show you His way. LISTEN to the Holy Spirit as it will guide you into making wise decisions (John 16:13). And finally, TRUST that God will never lead you astray and FOLLOW Him obediently (Proverbs 3:5-6).


[answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: Is it okay for guys who are Chrisitians to get their ears pierced?

The Bible does not condemn piercings and wearing earrings for neither guys/girls. The whole issue of piercings is not one of “Does the Bible forbid this?” but rather “Is this something I should do?”

While there is no specific counsel in the Bible about earrings (for both guys/girls), Paul had general things to say about jewelry when he advised Timothy on worship within the local church: “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God” (1 Timothy 2:9-10). The principle here applies both in and out of church: modesty, decency, propriety and good deeds are the hallmarks of a true Christian in both men and women.

As such, the issue with piercing is a matter of personal conscience. In any case, clearly our responsibility as Christians is to bring honor and glory to the God we profess to love, doing nothing out of vain conceit (Philippians 2:3) and remembering that “man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

I would strongly suggest if you are considering to get your ears pierced to obtain the full blessing from your parents/guardian before you take the plunge.

A good test is to determine whether we can honestly, in good conscience, ask God to bless and use that particular activity for His own good purposes. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

[Answered by, George (my last post for the time being)]

Q: I have a question about Judas...

"You know how Jesus predicted that Judas was going to betray him, even before the last supper, so does that mean that it was impossible for Judas to have a change of heart in the time between Jesus' prediction and Judas' betrayal?"

Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?”

He said to him, “You have said so.” (Matthew 26:25)

Great question. The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM) answers this question HERE. The author states: "God knowing what we are going to do does not mean that we can't do something else. It means that God simply knows what we have chosen to do ahead of time. Our freedom is not restricted by God's foreknowledge; our freedom is simply realized ahead of time by God."

So Jesus predicted that Judas would betray him (Matthew 26), He is not violating any free choice. He is only stating what Judas will choose. To answer your question directly, Judas could have had a change of heart, but he chose not to - and betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Ironically, Scripture tells us that Judas actually had a change of mind AFTER Jesus was crucified: "Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders" (Matthew 27:3).

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: 1 Corinthians 8:9-10

...in your answer to the question "is it bad to wear short shorts", you posted scripture from 1 Corinthians 8:9-10. However, when I read this passage, I interpret a different message. What I interpret is individual success or achievement within freedoms is wrong and dangerous because it becomes a barrier for the weak. It displaces others, thereby forcing the weak into poorer conditions. That being said, is this [passage] advocating that individual success should not be pursued, and institution or structures that allow this to happen should be opposed (capitalism). This is how I interpret the passage. Is this the right way to interpret the passage? If not, how do you know for sure that I am wrong?

For your reference, the "answer" that this question is referring to can be found here.


Firstly, I would suggest that you look into a Bible Commentary for more information about this passage. I will give the gist of it, but an in depth reading of this whole chapter would give better insight. So before you read on, please go here and read 1 Corinthians 8.

This passage is NOT talking about the idea of "the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer". Instead, this passage is talking about food and the sacrifice of food to idols. In the culture in which the Jews lived, there was worship of idols and part of the worship came in the form of laying out food. Obviously, this is not condoned as God says that we are to worship no idols, therefore, Jews would not eat the food that has been sacrificed to pagan gods, claiming that it would make a person unclean.

In the New Testament, Jesus declares that what goes into a person does not defile them, but it's what comes out that makes a person unclean. (Read: Mark 7:18-20.) What He means is that what we eat cannot possibly make us unholy, but it is in our actions, thoughts and hearts that can show our wickedness. Therefore, He declared foods clean and challenges us to change our hearts instead of our food.

The passage that I quoted to answer the other question about short shorts (verses 9-10), addresses the fact that we could be a stumbling block for those weaker Christians who may not understand the Scriptures. You see, while Jesus was saying this (declaring all foods clean), there were still many people who associated the worship of idols with the sacrificed foods. In turn, they did not fully understand that following Christ meant our hearts needed to change. They still felt as though what they DID was the only way they showed their faith.

And so Jesus warns the "stronger" Christians that even though the foods are clean and we have the freedom to eat it, there are still some weaker Christians out there that didn't fully understand and see otherwise. We must be mindful of those who are weaker and take the time to teach and educate.

And so as I use this passage to explain my stance on wearing short shorts, my point is that our actions may cause someone who is weaker to stumble. A girl who is wearing shorts on a hot day on the beach is fully acceptable. But if what is wearing and how she conducts herself causes someone to lust after her and think impure thoughts, than we ought to not put ourselves in that position and cause someone to sin.

To answer the latter part of the question "Is this the right way to interpret the passage? If not, how do you know for sure that I am wrong?"
It is not the right way to interpret the passage because the you have not taken the time to read the chapter in context. You have not looked into the historical or cultural context (as in you have not understood WHY Jesus is talking about foods and WHY it is considered unclean in the first place). In order to correctly interpret and understand the scriptures, you need to research the back story. After understanding the who, what, when, where, and why's...you can then apply the passages into your life.


[answered by Pastor Kelly J. Tam]

Q: Are the words "free will" or "freedom of choice" used in the Bible? Even if it doesn't, does it allude to it anywhere?

These exact phrases are not found in the Bible. However, Scripture does talk about the concept at length. After all, free will is the ability for a person to make choices that determine his actions. Below are some verses which strongly show that mankind has the responsibility to exercise their free will and is commanded by God to do so.

Deuteronomy 30:15-19: "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong [your] days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."

John 14:15: "If you love me, keep my commandments."

Romans 2:10: "but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

1 Timothy 6:12-14: "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and [before] Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep [this] commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing."

2 Timothy 2:21 "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work."

It is clear that God designed us and calls us to exercise our free will in joyful obedience to him. A number of scholars have written about how this actually works. Dallas Willard, for instance, breaks down a person into "elements." Think about an onion with many layers, with the spirit being the innermost layer and the social relationships a person has as the outermost layer:

         Elements of a Person: spirit --> mind --> body --> social

For Willard, the Spirit of a person is the inner core of being from which actions flow (this is what many would consider “the will”). Our spirit is the power to do what is good or evil. It’s the center of who we are and ultimately who we become. According to the Scriptures, this is what is enslaved to sin (Rom. 6:14-20), is desperately sick (Jer. 17:9), is full of evil (Mark 7:21-23), loves darkness rather than light (John 3:19), does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12), and cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). No matter how hard a person tries, she cannot change this state through a focus on external behavior (e.g. changing the way you dress/behave/talk; attending all sorts of programs, etc.). It is because the will is bent "away from God" and only "toward sin." Summarily, the will is free, but only free toward sin. If we put our faith and trust into Jesus (& his once-and-for-all sacrifice on the cross for our sin, in our place), then Scripture declares that we are given a new spiritual heart that is now responsive, alive and warm to God. This is exactly what the prophet Ezekiel predicted thousands of years ago, before the coming of Jesus:

"I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules" (Ezek. 36:26-27).

To be sure, our will before faith in Christ was like "stone" (i.e. completely unresponsive, dead toward God). Consequently, we were "free" only to choose sin. When The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts, we are given a new spirit (heart, will) that has the POWER to fight temptation and thus sin. 

Think of it this way: You are confronted with a temptation to sin. Let's say your friends are talking badly about another friend behind her back. That’s when your spirit comes into play. In order for you to commit sin, your spirit ("will") must say “yes” to that sin. If there is no inner yes, there is no sin. Even if you think about sin, that’s not a sin (that’s not even temptation!). Remember, temptation is the thought plus the inclination to sin. It's when you linger over the thought. Sin is when we inwardly say yes to the temptation; when we decide to do it. 

Here's the point: For those that place their hope and trust in Christ, God transforms our spirit to give us the new power to fight against the "inner yes" to sin. So in this way, our free will becomes "free" to follow God in humble and joyful obedience, and "free" from sin.

I know there are many, many more issues concerning free will, particularly as it relates to the foreknowledge of God (e.g. If God knows our free will choices, do we still have free will?). See CARM.ORG's articles HERE.

[Answered by Pastor HM, who is glad he freely choose ice-cream]