Today while reading my bible I was struck by Jeremiah 24:7, wherein "good" people are described.
7 I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
Notice who acts first in making a person "good"... God.
- God gives them their "hearts to know"
- Then, we are in relationship,
- And only afterwards does man "return" to God with their whole heart.
God's Sovereignty vs Free Will
God gives eyes to see and hearts to know. Without his say so I would not have faith.
Yet don't I have free will?! Adam chose to eat the apple... I choose to sin or not, right? Yes and no, you choose your actions, but you are not free to alter God's will or plan, you have choice, and that choice has impact but God is so large he can weave your brokeness, and my error, in with his plan.
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
God has a plan, with his perfect vantage, wisdom and power he can and will see his plan to completion, our choices can NOT stop Him.
Yet we make choices, and those are worked seemlessly into that plan.
How can that be so?
By the power of an all knowing, all seeing, ever present, powerful, good, loving, judge, father and King.
Tim Keller: God's Sovereignty
Conclusion:
Clearly God made the decision that freewill was worth the complication.
Like CS Lewis says, that instead of wanting to make toy soldiers, who do as they're told, God made men free to do good or evil. Sadly its true we can use our freedom toward great tragedy and selfishness, but without freewill we cannot truly, vulnerably, sacrificially love. And without love, real love, life is nothing.
What's more is that God is somehow working even our mistakes to beauty, Romans 8:28. Which is why I love the idea of God as a painter, "painting beauty with ashes".
If you want some more of this...
I also posted a 20+ min video on Youtube about this idea, his control, our free will to be good or bad, and also what it means to be bad or good.
Check it out!
That is all for today, have an awesome day and God bless.