Why did God give the gift of free will to man when He knew exactly what man would do with that gift? Life would have been simpler if we didn’t have the choice of free will, but that would have made us as robots.
If you were God would you have created Adam, knowing the millennia of misery his simple act of disobedience would bring? Would you have given Adam the gift of free will?
Covenantal God
God is a God of covenant, which requires two parties, each with a free will. A covenant has specific conditions and promises when those conditions are adhered to. Yet, God’s covenant would cost the Son of God His life. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin, Hebrews 9:22.
God has conferred on man the dignity of being able to choose with rational. He could have created robotic people who loved Him because they had no other choice. Yet, what value would be that kind of love?
He gave those He made in His image the right to either accept or reject His covenant with Him. Then, He gave man the Law, revealing the standard of righteousness between God and man, Exodus 20: 2-17. This was part of that covenant. It was a standard man could not keep. God then formed a new and everlasting covenant, Genesis 9:16, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The One who humbled Himself and came to earth as a man, Philippians 2:5-7.
No Covenant
God does not have a covenant with angels, although they have a free will. A third of the angels rebelled against God. They will meet an eternal end of damnation, along with their leader, Satan. There is no redemption for fallen angels.
Man’s Arrogance
Man’s rebellion started in the Garden of Eden, where Satan twisted the truth, Genesis 3. Man was tempted to be like God, Genesis 3:5, instead of settling into a deep, loving fellowship that enjoys who God is. Only free will allows that kind of amazing love, based on God’s holiness, grace and mercy.
When man arrogantly takes the freedom of choice and sets himself up as a god, things get out of hand. Every man does what is right in his own eyes as they did in the time of the Judges, Judges 21:25. Man spends enormous amounts of energy forcing other people to obey his will. This often has disastrous and deadly results, from entire governments, to individuals.
Man’s reach for power is always ‘for the common good of all’. However, “If you tell a lie big enough people will eventually come to believe it”, Joseph Goebbels, as was proven by the Nazi machine.
Partnership
God created man that he would work as stewards, in partnership with God, in a covenantal relationship, Genesis 2;15. Humans make choices that not only affects their own lives but everything and everyone around them. Creativity and innovation are all part of having the gift of free will.
Redemption
God knew humans would make wrong decisions, but He gave man the way back to Him through redemption. Christ paid the price. That redemption is available to all, not just the ones who make right choices, John 3:16. There is no greater love, John 15:13.
In the time of Noah and his family, only eight persons accepted God’s way of salvation out of around 750 million people. Prior to the flood man lived many hundred years. Methuselah lived to 969 years, so the total population could have been a lot more than is estimated. Noah would have had many brothers and sisters. Amazingly, he only had three sons as he was 600 years old at the time of the flood, and not dying until he was 950 years old.
We have nearly eight billion people on earth today. If Jesus Christ came back tonight to claim His own, what percentage would go with Him? The choice is always theirs until that final call.
The Gift of Freewill as a Proving Ground
With our free will we determine what actions we perform throughout our lifetime of living in a proving ground. Our entire life is made up of decisions resulting from our free will. God has given us the right to determine our eternal destination, as we make a choice to accept or reject His way of salvation.
Using free will our loyalty is tested again and again, as well-tested faith produces a strength that can be gained no other way. Humans have the choice to develop morally and spiritually. Those who learn from their experiences and mistakes, grow in wisdom, developing compassion, empathy and justice. However, there are many who pervert their right of free will for their own egotistical ends.
The Apostle Paul gave us insights into the New Covenant that no other apostle did. No doubt his testing, apart from dealing with a fledgling church, gave him insight into the depths of man’s frailty and the power of spirituality, 2 Corinthians 11:16-33?
There are eight promises to the overcomer in the book of Revelation, chapter 2:7,11,27,26. chapter 3:5,12,21 and 21:7. If you look at the rewards from being an overcomer, it draws an impressive picture.
There are also special rewards to the overcomer in terms of a Crown of Life, Revelation 2:10, The Incorruptible Crown, 1 Corinthians 9:25; the Crown of Righteousness, 2 Timothy 4:8; the Crown of Glory, 1 Peter 5:4; and the Crown of Rejoicing, Philippians 4:1. Crowns symbolize God-given authority and legitimacy, with the right to wear a crown. They also point to how much God values the overcomer.
AIs Have No Freewill
AIs are the product of man, but they have no free will, even though they have become an integral part of our daily life. They can process knowledge at a rate no human brain can achieve. As knowledge doubles every 12 hours, AIs are an asset to mankind. However, all assets can be used for either good or evil. AIs are not rewarded for producing what they are programmed to do. They are controlled by what is programmed into them. Men fear that someday self-determining AIs will be created, but they will be without morality or spirituality. A machine can always only ever be a machine, no matter how clever they become.
That God gave man a free will is indeed a wonderment and an indication of the great love God had for us. As parents we give our children the right to choose, yet we know their choices will not always be what we want. How much more is it a miracle that God gave us a free will, knowing full well what we would do with that gift. Choices that lead many to eternal damnation and the few to eternal liberty. How precious to God are those who take the high road, valuing an everlasting covenant and overcoming in a world that is full of chaos, tragedy and pitfalls?
The gift of free will is the revelation of God’s amazing love, Jeremiah 3:17, in that God desires man turns to Him voluntarily. Many are called, but few are chosen, Matthew 22:14. To be in a covenantal relationship with God is all about the choice of the free will.
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