In “Chosen but Free”, Norman Geisler speaks of many topics that could possibly be easy to skip over, if not interested. However, these topics cause you to really seek out what scriptures say and try to decide biblically what it’s stating instead of what you want to believe. The topic of free will has always been a topic that I have skipped over because I thought it to be common sense. Adam fell to sin because of his free will to eat the apple after Eve persuaded him because of Satan. God had warned them; it was caused by Satan, Eve and Adam choosing what they wanted to do. However, I’m coming to realize how free will isn’t a concept that is considered common sense. Geisler challenges the reader to think of what other’s viewed and what scriptures say about free will. Geisler points out arguments such as Could God create someone that was good but then decided to sin? How is that Satan even sinned in the first place? Geisler points out a scenario that helped me grasp it by stating that people are given a license by the government. The government states out rules of how you are suppose to drive such as: do not speed, wear your seatbelt, do not drive when wasted and many other laws. We are given the chose to either choose to obey those laws or decide to completely ignore them all together.(Geisler, 34-35) It isn’t the government who created these people to break the rules; it’s their own faults for being irresponsible. (Geisler, 41) This is how we can explain the question addressing how God was able to create Adam and still not have created sin, we are given the bible to be our guide for our lives. We decide to follow it or not.
We are given free will, so that we are able to choose what we do in our lives. Yes, we see from Adam that we are sinful people and have come into a fallen world but each sin we live out was given a choice. No one is making you cheat on the quiz or gossip with other friends; instead that person decides to choose it. Some, such as Jonathon Edwards might argue that sin comes from nature but Adam contradicts that because he fell in a perfect world and was created good in nature. (Geisler,39-40) Our fallen world does make it extremely hard to live without sinning due to the many temptations but our sin isn’t made ahead of time. Our sin is a decision only blameful of ourselves. Free will also gives us the right to decide what we believe. God gave us the decision to choose him or not. He never forced us to praise or turn from him. Why would we have so many arguments and retransformation of people if everyone was given one chose and you couldn’t fight it? We are given instruction of what to do in our lives, but with the help of Christ nothing is impossible. Free will, I have realized, is more than a simple explanation but Geisler does a great job giving both sides and states which one contradicts with the bible.
Geisler, Norman L. Chosen But Free. Bloomington: Bethany House Publishers, 2010.
