Obedience Supersedes Free Will - Series: Part 3

Hello TiMP Nation I hope all have been blessed and safe. We are finally here at part 3 of our series "Obedience Supersedes Free Will". I can’t stress enough how strongly I feel about taking our time to study through these teachings. This is why I do my best to be obedient to God’s Holy Spirit in knowing when it’s time to move forward with something new, and when it’s not. I know most may be used to the idea that something new should be coming out every week. Now in some cases it may happen if directed. I could of course do it just to satisfy my audience or self, but would we truly be learning, taking it in and growing?

With that said, if you recall from part 2 we need to come to a growth understanding that true freedom is found in obedience to God’s word. Everything else outside of that is actually bondage and if not corrected will lead to eternal damnation! I know this sounds harsh but that is the reality of free will as it does not desire to please God, it desires to please our sinful nature. Now you could say well no, I use my free will to follow God. Actually if we are being honest that’s not what we do at all. Only conviction of the heart leads one to repentance and obedience to Christ.

If you recall the people of Nineveh were a free willing people until they heard the word of God come from Jonah. Prior to that they were not using their free will to seek out God. They were using it just like we all do, seeking out what's good for self. Let’s look at Romans 6:23 which is a very popular scripture. Simply put the efforts of our free will (sin nature) will lead to death. This verse is speaking to our spiritual eternal death as consequence for being slaves to sin. Thus, God in His infinite grace was purposed in saving the Ninevites from this outcome. Now you may be saying well how can one fix this dire situation today? As God is not likely to send a giant fish to swallow some one up to get your attention. Well, that same verse also gives you the remedy. It says BUT the gift of God, the “gift” refers to Jesus and what He did out of obedience concerning the will of His Father for us undeserving sinners. That only salvation which comes through Christ, is there real freedom and eternal life. In other words you can avoid spiritual death by believing and accepting Christ. Now there should be a desire if belonging to Christ, that wants to be in bondage or a slave. But it should be to righteousness not your free will (sin nature).

Read Romans 6:16-23 in its context. Paul uses a master/slave analogy so that we grasp the spiritual understanding. The Greek word here for slave is “doulos” and the word for lord or master is “kurios”. Often times we think we know what is best for ourselves. That the images and ideas we have for how to live our lives should be all about what we want. That what we want can be anything we so desire because if I’m happy then that’s all that matters. This is nothing new for men or women. This mentality has been applied to lifestyles, sexual orientation and public consumption for centuries. In today’s time we see the disobedience, hypocrisy and dominance of free will which leads to sinful behavior in more prevalent form due to social media. Also, the removal of God being acknowledged from most aspects of society. However, the Bible says in all our getting, get understanding Proverbs 4:7.

Clearly there is something we all need to understand and accept and here it is. God will never change to adapt to our free willing whims, pleasures and desires. As a matter of fact God is eternally unchanging in His desire that we be obedient to what He as already said! Therefore, the only way to be in a true relationship with Him is to believe in His son Jesus and keep His commandments as our original study text John 14:15 reminds us. My prayer is that we all humble ourselves from this study to be a doulos who desires to be an obedient servant to our kurios who is God the Father. Amen.