Make a Decision (Now)
The choice is always yours; exercise your Free Will and decide with wisdom.
Forgive me for invading your thoughts about the imagery you see here. I know that you have already found many thoughts filling you mind as you look at this scene. How often have we found ourselves facing a choice between pathways? Here we see a dark and a lighter pathway. What would cause us to choose one over the other? Perhaps we know what lies down the dark path; our cabin, that favorite fishing hole or…? The lighter path can lead to various places too, some to our benefit or…? We can guess, we can deduce, we can rely on instinct or prior knowledge or a combination thereof. We get to exercise our choice; our Fee Will comes into play here almost unnoticed but is a part of our decision making none the less.
Elsewhere I have said that we are what we do. What we do is based on decisions, and however subtle, they have effects, consequences. Stand, sit or run, each brings a different result. We do this endlessly every day. Sometimes we take a little time to decide, but more often than not we act out of habit. We are making choices. Take time to consider the results of you decisions.
The Term Free Will is not In Scripture
If not, then where do we get this term that so many Christians hold on to so dearly? It has been discussed by philosophers and theologians since Christ arrived. Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Descartes and so many others have held up the idea of being able to make choices (without outside intervention) meeting our own interpretation. Along the way the words, “Free Will” became the term for mankind’s ability to choose the relationship they would have with God. These people worked with inductive and deductive reasoning and critical thinking. Their pamphlets, letters and books all included the conclusion that mankind had free will, the ability to decide his course of living. You must participate in making a decision.
Let us start with Adam and Eve. Created beings they were given one rule; “do not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge” and if you do you will die. A rule with a consequence; this infers at the very least that a choice is available. Otherwise, why the rule and why a consequence. We have the 10 Commandments given to God by Moses; more rules with consequences for violation. Our Violation of God’s Rules is Sin
“1 John 3:4 “Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”
Joshua 24:15a “If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose this day for yourselves whom you will serve …”
God has not compelled us to do anything. Consider the following Scripture verses …
“Jesus said unto him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 NIV
“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16 ESV
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8 ESV
“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” John 6:53 ESV
In which of these Scripture quotes do we see anything but choosing. These are “if, then” declarations. One must pick from the choices offered. Action is required; yet the reader/listener can remain on the fence. A decision to remain static is a choice and it defers to the negative result. Regardless of the title used mankind has to choose which actions to take and then receive the result. We were not made as mindless automatons/robots. What God would set us out into the world with no choices about what we do. you can buy that wind up toy almost anywhere.
Please excuse my simple analogy, but you cannot have the money you walk by unless you pick it up. Until it is in your hand you do not have it. God does not make you decide, you are responsible for that. Like a train on a track, you cannot move without an outside force, and you may not choose your direction if you do not have freewill. The rails become your guide and you have no participation. We are not sock puppets, we are sentient beings with a will of our own. Without the freedom to choose we are hopeless. No choice means just that, no choice. We become no better than a windblown leaf.
Moses speaking to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 30:15-16 CEV “Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster. I am commanding you to be loyal to the Lord, to live the way he has told you, and obey His laws and teachings.” The adults made their choices and decided to not obey God and reaped the reward of dying in the desert. They choose to ignore Moses and God willingly.
We do have Free Will to make decisions. Heed the instructions, promises and warnings of God and His Son. Choose now whom you will serve!
Free will exists in all the decisions we make!
”The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me, for I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgements were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from iniquity. Therefore, the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.” Psalm 18:20-24 NKJV
This Psalm is from King David with thanksgiving for deliverance by God.
Jesus Loves Me
A hymn for children that is suitable for any believer man, woman or child. Written by Anne & Susan Warner 1860.
Jesus loves me, this I know, For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me, yes Jesus loves me, yes Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me, He who died, Heaven’s gate to open wide.
He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in.
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No sound can be sweeter than that a child of God singing with love and devotion. Angels cannot match it. Praise God in every way you can for the gift of His precious Son. Sing with all the love you can muster! And never forget that you decide your fate by choosing Christ as your personal Savior!
Unadulterated Joy in the Human Voice!
PRAYER POINT - THANKS FOR YOUR DESTINY
Revelation 8:1-5, 14-15 “Then he showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the of the Lamb down the middle of the city’s main street. The tree of life was on each side of the river, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the fruit re for the healing of the nations, and there will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him. they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Night will be no more; the people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever. Look, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to repay each person according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are they who wash their robes, so that they have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.”
As a believer you have this in your future, it is your destiny/ reward and it will be your future to live there for eternity. It is your reward to be in the presence of God and the Lamb always. Death is defeated, and there will be no tears, you will have direct access to more love than you can imagine and God will have work for you to do.
This insulting, burdensome world we live in is not our home. We seek a better city. We yearn to be with our Savior. Nothing here holds us because we are given to Christ; remember what John quoted Jesus saying, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:28-30
Regardless of how our daily lives are, every prayer we enter into should include an offering of thanks for just this alone. It is our ultimate destiny to be with god the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit eternally. Pray and wait for Jesus return and live with hope.
