Do I have free will, am I free to choose? We all have freedom of choice, but we have made choices that end us up in a bind. For instance, some have gotten themselves into debt and are slaves to their debtor. Some have errored and are locked up in prison. Some have yielded themselves to their captors and are sold into captivity. Some have sold themselves to drunkenness, uncleanness, immorality, gluttony, or illicit drugs; and they have become slaves to their master; “For by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.” (2 Peter 2:19) For they have sold themselves to it. So there are some who have free will and some who don’t. And without question a slave does not have free will, but a freeman does.
Free-will exists when there are two choices. If there is only one choice, then free will wouldn’t exist. In the Garden, there were two choices; if there were only one choice then free will wouldn’t exist; but there were two choices. Adam chose the left rather than the right, the bad instead of the good. We have been made slaves of sin because of one man, because sin passed from man to man. We all have two choices, but we are compelled into the one choice because of one man. We want to do good, but the good we want, we don’t do. We don’t want to do evil, but we do what we do not want; and “If I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.” (Romans 7:20) Therefore sin rules in the flesh of all men, for all sin; and ”Everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” (John 8:34)
The one locked up in prison wants to go outside, but he can’t since he is behind bars — he must wait until his time is up. The one addicted to alcohol wants to quit, but he can’t; he wants to spend time with his kids, but alcohol carries him somewhere else. The one who is a glutton wants to be healthy, but his eats himself into sickness. (All of these are forced into choosing something they don’t want, which is slavery.) People don’t go to prison for a good deed, do they? An alcoholic isn’t enslaved because he hates wine, does he? But rather, a person is locked up for an evil deed, and a person is an alcoholic because he drinks. A person’s actions make him what he is; and so the one who sins makes himself a sinner; the one who walks in the ways of sinners ends up in slavery.
But I am free to make my own choice; yes, I desire good in my mind, but I chose evil in my flesh. So “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.” (Romans 7:21) I am made a captive to this body of sin; for “I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.” (Romans 7:22-23) “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24)
(Before we discuss Who it is, we must first see what we must do.)
What we must do: nothing. I say again: what we must do is nothing. Yes, doing nothing is doing something. Since we cannot do anything good, we must do nothing. We cannot save ourselves; we need to be set free by Another. In the Law, the men of Israel did nothing on the Sabbath and were justified according to the Law of Moses. For what reason? “That you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.” (Exodus 31:13) For it is our job to humble ourselves and do no work; it’s the LORD’s work to sanctify us. This goes for all the holy days: the men of Israel did no work. On the Day of Atonement the men of Israel were commanded to do no work and afflict themselves (fasting). In the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the men also ate “the bread of affliction.” (Deuteronomy 16:3) So our work, if we do any, is against ourselves to humble ourselves.
And this humbling of ourselves is of faith — “He should cease trying forever.” (Psalms 49:8) That is, stop striving and believe the Message. Humility makes us prime for the saving grace of the LORD; as it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6) For “To the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” (Romans 4:5) So then, if I do no work and believe upon Him who justifies the ungodly, can I boast about my faith? Of course not! What boasting is there in weakness? What boasting is there in humility? What boasting does a worm have? Or a maggot? That it grovels in the dust and eats mud? (Job 25:4-6)
Rather, as Christ says, ”My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) So when we are made weak, then we are strong; for God’s grace is perfected in weakness. When does food work best? When one is hungry or when one is full? Is it not when he is hungry? “A sated man loathes honey, But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet.” (Proverbs 27:7) So likewise, the meek is full of God’s grace, but the proud one is full of himself. So knowing that we are made strong by God’s grace, we follow the apostle of the Lord’s example, as he says, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) So therefore, labor diligently to do no work, a work of the Spirit.
For this Good News is for the poor one, for the one who knows there is no good in himself. As it speaks about the Preacher, "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” (Luke 4:18-19) In the Jubilee year, captives were release, debts were forgiven, and lands returned to their owner; and it came with the blasts of trumpets; but with the “Favorable year of the LORD” does not come with blasts of trumpets, but with the preaching of the Gospel to the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed.
So it is clear that this Favorable Year is similar to the Jubilee Year; but the Jubilee is as a shadow coming first and not the substance itself. For “The spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 15:46) This is the Favorable Year which Jesus Christ introduced; He is the one who came to set us free from this body of death — the slavery of sin. The Law only made guideposts in the case of a neighbor being blind, but did nothing for the recovery of sight to the blind. And for this reason the Favorable Year which is spoken about is greater and more better than the Jubilee; for Christ gave sight to the blind. And through the preaching of the Gospel, the captives were released, and the oppressed were set free; as it is written, “HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL,” and “TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD”. For Christ performed all these miracles through His spoken Word.
So it is evident: those who were enslaved were set free, during the Jubilee Year, the 50th. So at this Favorable Year, which comes after, which is greater, God’s favor is introduced through the preaching of the Gospel to everybody who believes. In the former, men who were enslaved were forgiven of their debts; but in the latter, men were forgiven of their sins. Just as a man is enslaved to his debtor, so he who sins sells himself to sin, making himself enslaved thereby and held accountable to God. But at the Favorable Year which is spoken about, “THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD”, men are remised of their sins by God’s Son and are set free “from the house of bondage” (Joshua 24:17). As Jesus spoke about this Scripture, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:21) For He is the One spoken about, “HE ANOINTED ME”.
And this freedom which the apostles spoke about saying, "Let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38-39) For the Law of Moses gave sin its strength; but Jesus Christ justifies apart from the law by grace, rendering the Law ineffective for justification; as the apostle says, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4) For faith is contrary to the works of the Law. Through faith we uphold the Law, not through works of the flesh, but by the Spirit of faith; so by faith works are established — not by striving after them, but through the faith of Christ. The one who works in the flesh, strengthens the flesh; but the one who resists the flesh, strengthens the Spirit.
It’s by the loosing the restraint of the Law that we are set free, justified by the grace given at the appointed time; for the law is obligation, but grace is freedom; work produces wages, but no work merits the free gift; works bring forth slaves, but sons are free; the law begets children of wrath, but grace, children of peace. So our work is to do no work, which is the work of faith, humbling ourselves “under the mighty hand of God” (1 Peter 5:6), so that we may be justified by the grace of God in due time. The law produces insincerity and hypocrisy, but grace makes willing servants of Jesus Christ.
To express this in another way: the law charged everybody with commandments. And we were not able to keep them. When a law is not kept, the charge is not absolved and we are indebted; as it says, “The one who despises the word will be in debt to it, But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” (Proverbs 13:13) So “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” (Romans 5:20) For when grace came, God forgave our debts — just as the debtors forgave those indebted to them in the Jubilee Year. And not only was the debt forgiven, but the charges taken away, since “sin is not imputed when there is no law.” (Romans 5:13) For the law is passing away, but the Word of the Lord remains forever.
So we are no longer slaves, enslaved to that which we are indebted to — that is, the law. As it says, “The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender's slave.” (Proverbs 22:7) But we are sons of God made free by the Spirit of the Son; and “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36) So now, speaking allegorically, the sons of the king are exempt from such things as polls and taxes, since they are only imposed on strangers; as Christ says, “Then the sons are exempt.” (Matthew 17:26) So they are not charged because they are sons. So if it is so with physical things, why not spiritual? “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14) And, “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.” (Galatians 5:18) For “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)
And because we are free, the apostles did not command nor compel us by law, rule, or regulation; they instead urged us “by the mercies of God” (Romans 12:1) or another place, saying, “for love's sake I rather appeal to you” (Philemon 1:8-9). And again, in another place, they said, “as each person has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion” (2 Corinthians 9:7); or in another place, “not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God” (1 Peter 5:2); and yet again, saying, “we beg you on behalf of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20), or “I beg of you, brethren” (Galatians 4:12), or even, “I ask you, lady,” (2 John 1:5) or simply, “I ask you” (Philippians 4:3); and another time, “we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:1), or “we request of you” (1 Thessalonians 5:12). For although the apostles had been given authority, even to command and order for us to do what is proper, they instead appealed on the basis of love, which is the new commandment.
Does not the law testify the same thing? For in the law if a person made a “binding oath to humble” (Numbers 30:13), they were obligated to keep it — they were bound by the words of their mouth. There was no law that required one to make an oath, but they did it voluntarily, even though it bound them (This is why we are exhorted not to make vows by Christ and the apostles). Also in the law, Israel gave free-will offering to the LORD in the wilderness for the building of the tent of meeting; and they gave more than enough that was required! Similarly, the materials for the temple with foundations in the earth were given by the freewill of David and the people; and the materials far surpassed the materials needed! This shows that although we are free from the law for righteousness, our contributions by our own freewill exceed what is required of the law. “Willingly I will sacrifice to You; I will give thanks to Your name, O LORD, for it is good.” (Psalms 54:6)
Because of these things, Jesus taught to “make no oath at all” (Matthew 5:34): so that we would remain free. Likewise, regarding the oath of marriage, it is taught that it is better not to marry, “not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:35) For “It was for freedom that Christ set us free.” (Galatians 5:1) And the apostles also taught: “do not become slaves of men.” (1 Corinthians 7:23) “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8) And if you were a slave when Christ called you, “If you are able to become free, rather do that.” (1 Corinthians 7:21) Paul also wrote to the Galatian church warning them, so that they would not be enslaved all over again to the law; for they were being circumcised and observing “days and months and seasons and years.” (Galatians 4:10) And because of freedom, the Corinthians church proclaimed, “All things are lawful for me.” (1 Corinthians 6:12)
Then arises the question: what is profitable and edifying to do with our freedom? And here lies the truth: “You were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13) And, “Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.” (1 Peter 2:16) For in the law, a man willingly serves his master because he loves him; and “his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.” (Exodus 21:6) So how much more should we offer ourselves as bondservants of God saying, "I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man” (Exodus 21:5)? As the Psalmist says, “My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law.” (Psalms 119:109)
Therefore, remain free! Although All things are lawful for me, “I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) “For by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.” (2 Peter 2:19) If you are overcome by a sin, you are a slave of sin; as Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” (John 8:34) Wisdom also says, “Evil will not deliver those who are given to it.” (Ecclesiastes 8:8) For evil never delivered any of its subservients. However, offer yourself as “slaves of righteousness,” (Romans 6:18) slaves of God, for He delivers from the wrath to come. And, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21) Look to the apostles who used their freedom to do good: he said, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.” (1 Corinthians 9:19) And again he said, “We did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 9:12)