Chosen

Do we have free will?

This is what I have been taught and what I have believed. Yet, the following scriptures say were were chosen. What do you think?




Mt 20:16
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Mt 22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen.

Mr 13:20
And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

Joh 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Joh 15:19
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Ephesians 1:4
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

2Th 2:13
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Jas 2:5
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to

1Pe 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Revelation 17:8
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Re 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

And my personal favorite:

1Co 1:27,28
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

Wonder what verses point to free will??

1 comment:

Tim A said...

Of course there is no Scripture on "free will". But there is much scripture on the man's will. I think you can look up "willing" or "whosoever" or "choose" and find much scripture that deals with man's will in his relationship to God. I call it an "encumbered will". Rom. 7 talks much about the weakness and corruption of man's will whether a believer or not.

There is much scripture that could be understood to suggest that man's will plays no part in his spiritual life. But these verses must be interpreted while completely ignoring or outright explaining away the scripture that broadens the scope to include both God's will and man's will. God's will and man's will is a concept that requires each verse to be interpreted in light of the WHOLE scripture, not just individual verses pasted together.