QUESTION RECEIVED:
It doesn`t
seem like we have a lot of free will. Is this `just` God worth following?
MY ANSWER:
People have free will on this earth. This free will is limited to their
abilities. You can run-only so
fast. You cannot physically fly without
a mechanical device. You can choose to
eat what you are offered or have the opportunity to eat. You can choose to behave how you want if you
can accept the consequences. These
consequences usually come from men.
Scripture says we have a sin nature in many verses. We sin.
We choose to sin. We often want
to stop. We keep sinning. Why?
We choose to sin. In our nature
or natural state our “Free Will” has us choose to sin.
God is Holy. That,
holiness, is His standard to have peace
with Him on good terms. When we sin we
violate His standard. The first man Adam
had to account to God for “Original Sin.”
Humans who violate God’s holiness have a consequence called
hell.
There is a place called hell that is where the wrath of God
is poured out in a lake of fire on sin choosing humans when they die.
Revelation 20:15. New
American Standard Bible (NASB) “15 And
if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into
the lake of fire.”
Hell was created for the devil and angels. Those who are not in Christ and forgiven of
their sins will also suffer that fate. Matthew 25:41 “41 “Then He will also say to
those on His left, ‘ Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which
has been prepared for the devil and his angels;”
Your free will is in play concerning your eternity as you
choose to call out to the Lord or not. You
are offered forgiveness of sins, peace with God and citizenship in Heaven. God
preordained the cross of Christ to pay for your sins. What have you decided?
John 6:37 “37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me,
and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”
The Holy Spirit convicts us of sins. Jesus Christ
who was sinless was and is fully God and fully man, died to atone or pay for
the sins of all who believe that Jesus is the Savior. You are offered the chance to respond. John
8:24 “24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you
believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
The saved person is saved from what? The wrath of God poured out on sinners.
How? By a loving God
who sacrificed His own Son to redeem sinners who have chosen th violate God’s
law.
Jonathan Edwards was a colonial era preacher who was one of
our brightest Americans ever. He sparked
a great revival called The Great Awakening by preaching the horrors of hell and the grace
of the Savior. Here are some quotes
about hell and salvation from his famous sermon.
S I N N E R
S In the Hands of an Angry G O D.
A S E R M O N
Preached
at Enfield, July 8th 1 7 4 1.
“There is the dreadful Pit of the glowing Flames
of the Wrath of God; there is Hell’s wide gaping
Mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon,
not any Thing to take hold of: there is nothing between you
and Hell but the Air; 'tis only the Power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up.”
“'Tis true, that Judgment against your evil
Works has not been executed hitherto; the Floods
of God’s Vengeance have been with-held; but your
Guilt in the mean Time is constantly increasing,
and you are every Day treasuring up more Wrath;”
“The Bow of God’s Wrath is
bent, and the Arrow
made ready on the String, and Justice bends the
Arrow at your Heart, and strains the Bow, and it is
nothing but the mere Pleasure of God, and that of
an angry God, without any Promise or Obligation
at all, that keeps the Arrow one Moment from being made
drunk with your Blood.”
Things concerning that Wrath that you are in such
Danger of.
1. Whose Wrath it is. It is the Wrath of the infinite GOD.
If it were only the Wrath of Man, tho’ it
were of the most potent Prince, it would be comparatively little to be
regarded. The Wrath of Kings
is very much dreaded, especially of absolute Monarchs, that
have the Possessions and Lives of their Subjects wholly in their Power, to be
disposed of at
their mere Will. Prov. 20. 2. The Fear of a King is as the
Roaring of a Lion: whoso provoked him to Anger, sinneth
against his own Soul.”
“Therefore let every one that is out of Christ,
now awake and fly from the Wrath to come. The
Wrath of almighty GOD is now undoubtedly
hanging over great Part of this Congregation: Let
every one fly out of Sodom: Haste and escape for your
Lives, look not behind you, escape to the Mountain, least
you be consumed.”
Jonathan Edwards had a brilliant mind and was a great
preacher.
But Edwards was a man with an opinion.
But Edwards was a man with an opinion.
But what did Jesus say about hell?
Mark 9:47-49
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
47 If your eye causes
you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God
with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, 48 where their worm does not die, and the fire
is not quenched. 49 “For everyone will be salted with fire.”
Jesus uses the example of plucking out your eye so you will
exercise your God given right to avoid hell and become a citizen of Heaven.
The joy unspeakable of having your sins pardoned and receiving
eternity with the Father are indescribably more than just the opposite of
punishment.
No victory in war or sports championship or riches can compare.
Have you experienced the joy unspeakable of forgiveness?
When you do you can no more want to serve Him than a man
would want to be away from his love on a honeymoon. You would have a new nature. Your nature would be not to desire sin but
righteousness and the Savior.
Jesus once had His feet washed by a very sinful woman whose sins
were forgiven.
Jesus marveled to one of His disciples when a woman washed His feet with her tears and her long hair.
She was free. She in her joy and
thanksgiving could do nothing else but choose to serve Him.
Luke 7:47
“47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many,
have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves
little.”
To fully answer your question-
Oh yes He is worth following!
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