Free-Will vs. Free-Choice

Do we really have free-will? Does scripture say we have free-will? Free-will is defined as “the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies; the power of making free choices that are unconstrained by external circumstances or by an agency such as fate or divine will.” Very telling in the definition is “unconstrained by external circumstances.”  Is this an ability that God’s creation, whether human or animal, has? Do we really have the ability to make a choice that excludes all influence?  The answer is no, all of our choices are based on something external. Only God has the ability to choose based on no outside or external influence.

Every choice that we make is based on some outside influence whether the choice is to do something unpleasant over something pleasant. For instance, a pile of dishes may be in your sink but there’s a television show that you want to watch. You have two choices, either wash the dishes or watch the television show. You may choose to watch the television show and wash the dishes later. The influence that prompts you to watch the television show over washing the dirty dishes could be that it is more pleasant and the dishes are not going anywhere and you can deal with the dishes after the show. The scenario could change if you were expecting guests and instead of watching the television show, you wash the dishes. You now do something unpleasant instead of the more pleasant activity because the outside influence is the guests and there is not time to watch the show and wash the dishes before they arrive. There is always something that influences us to do a particular thing.

Man does not have free-will, man has free-choice. Even in the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden when the first sin that was committed that affected all of creation from there forth, was a freedom of choice, not free-will. There was an influence that Eve considered. After Eve told the serpent that God had commanded that they may eat of any fruit in the garden except from the tree in the midst of the garden, the serpent replied that ‘you shall surly not die.” “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”

What was the influence? Eve saw that the fruit was good for food, that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she chose to eat and gave some to her husband. Prior to that, there is no indication in scripture that either Adam or Eve even considered eating of that fruit. It was not until Eve was influenced by the serpent who stated to her that she will not die and that to eat of it, she will be like God, knowing good and evil. That one choice has affected all of creation but it was a choice based on some influence, not free-will that contained no outside influence. The influence was a desire to be wise.

Even before the fall, Adam & Eve did not eat of the fruit because God commanded them not to. The tree was there and accessible to them. They did not because of an outside influence – God. He said don’t eat of it and they did not. Again, no indication in scripture that they circled the tree, walked by the tree and thought about it, had discussions about whether they should give it a try. God said no and they did not. They were influenced by God’s command not to. The serpent came along and influenced Eve to eat of it and she chose to do so.

Only God has the ability to act based on nothing. Man can freely choose but all of his choices will be based on some influence. Everything that exists is a creation of God and we can only make choices based on His creation. Even a choice to eat is based on God’s creation of hunger. God created feeling of hunger so that man will eat and sustain himself.

Only God has free-will.

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