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NASB | Proverbs 1:29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Proverbs 1:29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD [that is, obeying Him with reverence and awe-filled respect], [Prov 8:13] |
Bible Question:
It is nothing less than shocking for a counselor to see the role of free will in the therapeutic process. Some say that we have no free will, that our lives are ruled by determinism. Some say that this idea defies logic because the one who believes in determinism must admit that that belief has been predetermined and is therefore not sustainable. But when words fail us to decide or describe a phenomenon, it is something else to see it in operation. Permit me to tell here a tale of two pastors. They were both in serious need of help, and that is why they came to my attention. One refused to accept help, even while proclaiming belief in the Bible refusing to consider the call to action there, and left in utter confusion, with words about the end of his ministry and/or his life. The other asked to come in as soon as possible, took his place on the couch, went through the process and left with hope, almost unable to contain himself, unable to wait for the changes to take place. One is left to ponder the contrast. It was C.M. Ward who used to say that the love and power of an omnipotent God can be held in abeyance by the strong will of a puny man. It was a mysterious thing that God did when he gave us free will. Man is free to defy God. He is free to destroy himself. He is free to choose bad over good. And all the while he justifies himself. It is a strange thing to behold. Sometimes we feel badly when a person says no to us. It is something else to see them say no to the gospel, and no to God. He allows it. He has given us that free will. Some people see themselves as only judges. They always know what is good and what is bad and they have a constant need to express their opinion. Meanwhile, they do not see their own need. And the counselor feels helpless because he can only help someone who is willing to admit his need and to accept help. And God, the Son and the Holy Spirit are each called Counselor. Love never fails, we are told. Yet God so loved. And the Almighty God is love. How is it we can resist love? How is it we can resist God? There are those who say that psychology is not a science and cannot be. The reason? Man’s free will. It is possible to explain behavior without it, but with it, man is a mystery. How wonderfully God works for us when we submit to him! How miserably we perish when we reject him! As a person who preaches the Gospel and counsels people, I look at the free will of man and marvel at it. If anyone has solved that mystery, it would be nice to hear from them. It would not be nice to hear again from those who make themselves the judge and would question the motives or the intellectual capacity of the questioner, as it would only add to the mystery, why they do that. O, I am tempted to multiply words here in order to dissipate any confusion. I am not comparing a human counselor to God or any such thing. But I am saying that a human counselor sees the free will of man in operation and wonders at that mans ability to exercise it also toward God. I hope that someone can respond to this without getting into Calvinism-Armenianism but I fear someone will exercise his free will to get into it anyway. Read Jeremiah 7:23-26; 25:1-7; 26:1-5; 29:17-19; 35:13-16; 44:1-5. All of this in one book, about the attitude of one set of people in one situation. How can we explain this? |
Bible Answer: In summarizing this topic at this point, I will say that I am grateful for those who shared, and for the opportunity afforded me to share, even when it is not in the usual academic style. I trust we all learned something. I will link this thread to my site and return from time to time to review it. For myself, the point seems to be that the Lord has given free will to all of us, and whether or not we understand it, we must live with it. We must be prepared to reckon with it as we deal with believers and nonbelievers alike. Some unsaved folk will refuse the Gospel and some saints will refuse to obey the word, but we must continue to preach the Gospel and we must continue to teach the word of God. Meanwhile, it is appropriate to weep for the lost and to sorrow over the disobedient. Jesus did. It is interesting to me that the Person quoted in Luke 13 is the same One quoted in Revelation 3. To those who “knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, … do the same” he says, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”. Again he says, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”. To believers who see the faults in others but not our own he says, “Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent”. Again he says, “Remember how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon you”. While I write this, there is a song playing in the background. I pray it can be the desire of all of us who read this. Sweet will of God, still fold me closer; Till I am wholly lost in Thee; Sweet will of God, still fold me closer, Till I am wholly lost in Thee. God’s will is in his word. I pray for grace to be continually sensitive to it and to obey it. |