Free to be a Knuckle Head
September 4th, 2009
A classic definition of tolerance states that each person has a right to the beliefs he or she holds. This implies that you may disagree with what someone believes, while recognizing his or her right to believe it.
We are given free will which is why Eve had the right to choose if she was going to eat from the tree of life and Adam had a choice to take a piece from Eve when she offered. In Genesis, it is amazing to watch the transition from prior to eating the fruit until after.
When God spoke to Adam and Eve after eating from the tree, we notice how they had already falling into sin by blame shifting. When God asked Adam he says, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” (Gen. 3:12) Notice how Adam directly blames God. He said, “The woman YOU gave me.” Eve says, “The serpent deceived me and I ate” (Gen. 3-13). Neither took responsibility and blamed the other, yet both had the freedom to choose.
This is the unfortunate, yet fortunate truth about life; the fact that we have free will. Free will is required for everything to exist the way it does. Without free will good and evil could not exist, therefore, there would be no reason for a Savior because everything would just be. In order to exist you have to have thought and to have thought you have to think. If we can think for ourselves, then we have free will.
God sacrificed his one and only son so that we could live in Christ. If we did not have sin, we would not need to be saved. If we did not need to be saved, then Christ died for nothing.
Even God’s angels have free will. How much more are we loved that the angels God created? We are created in the image of God, focus on the fact that WE are created in the IMAGE of GOD (Gen 1:27). Angels, created beings, also have the ability to fall from grace and become demons for Satan. “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven,” Luke 10:18. “For false Christ’s and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.” Matthew 24:24.
This is my obedience and passion for God:
Romans12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (NASB).
Before you were washed, before you were given the gift of righteousness through your confession of faith in Jesus Christ, when you once served the devil! Give the devil as much hell as you once gave God. Sock it to the devil, oh yeah!
