Bible Questions and Answers

1. Adam and Eve had free choice

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

They chose to disobey and brought sin and death upon themselves and their offspring.

All their offspring have free choice.

If we had no free choice, there would be no point in giving a Law.

God gave Israel a Law at Sinai.

2. Israel had a free choice.

If they obeyed the Law, they would be blessed.

If they disobeyed the Law, they would be cursed.

Deuteronomy 11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.

The blessings and cursings were reiterated when Israel went into the land.

Deuteronomy 27:12 These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin:13  And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

Israel disobeyed the Law and eventually were removed from the land.

3. Naaman had a free choice.

When Naaman the Syrian went to Elisha to be cured of his leprosy, he had free choice whether to obey Elisha or not.

2 kings 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

Fortunately, his servants gave him common sense advice and he chose to listen.

13  And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

4. Those who heard John the Baptist had a free choice.

When John the Baptist came preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, those who heard him were required to make a choice.

Many chose to obey him but others, particularly the Pharisees and lawyers refused.

Luke 7:29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

5. Those who hear Jesus have a free choice.

When Jesus preached the gospel and baptised, the people likewise had a choice whether they believed him or not.

We have the same choice today.

Do we believe and obey the gospel and inherit eternal life, or do we ignore the gospel and continue on our way to death without hope?

6. We have a free choice

Our choice is free – it is not predetermined.

God is not willing that any should perish, but the choice is ours.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Ezekiel 33:11  Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

There are many examples in scripture of right and wrong choices and their consequences.

7. We make free choices every day

We are required to make free choices every day of our lives.

Do we make them according to our own desires or according to what we know to be the will of God?

I hope this helps.

God bless,
Glenn