Chapter 4
Free Will Salvation – How Does It Work?
As I have mentioned previously, the belief in free will salvation is the dominant belief in Christianity today. I also mentioned that the free will power or ability of the unsaved man is not found in Scripture. We have already looked in depth at the Scriptures that prove the unsaved man’s inability to use his will in salvation. At this point, I want to describe how the system called free will claims to bring about salvation.
The Drawing of God
The first stage of the free will salvation view is that God is drawing every man and woman to Himself. As this view teaches, for God to be fair, He must of necessity be drawing not only every single person on earth, but He must be drawing them with equal power and might. If He doesn’t draw every single person with the same power and might, then He would be unfair in showing preferential treatment to some over others. If He gives more drawing blessings to some then that would be tampering with their free will and their free will must be protected at all times according to this view. If God gives to some more drawing grace than to others, on what basis does He do so? If it is because of their good deeds or some measure of faithfulness, then salvation is a reward. Giving some more grace than others is a tenet of the free grace view of salvation to be discussed next, not the free will view.
So, with regard to this first stage, God draws every single person on earth with the same power. However, God must not completely draw the person to Him. He spiritually pleads or entices but does not outright bring the person to Him in faith. According to this view, God must not violate the person’s free will, so God can only go so far and must stop. It is then left up to each of us to respond using our free wills to come to Christ. The person’s salvation depends ultimately, not on God, but on man. Why? It is because what God does He does for everyone according to this view. It is man who determines his salvation, not God. Therefore the difference in our salvation is not what God does; it is what we do with our will which is not overly influenced by God. Since it is what we do with our will that determines our salvation, we are rewarded with salvation if we are faithful to God in coming to Him. Is this the grace of the Scriptures?
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)
In the free will view, God must do His part and man must do his part. If man can use his will, his free will, to come to faith, he gets salvation from God. He receives the new birth or regeneration. However, he only gets this if he can achieve faith by using his free will effectively. The unsaved person must make an independent spiritual decision for Christ and receive salvation. Whatever part or role the person’s free will played in his salvation, he should receive that part of the glory and credit for his salvation and God loses that same part of the glory and credit. Free will saves the day for the person. That is the difference in man’s salvation. It is up to the spiritually dead sinner to somehow use his free will to accomplish his salvation. If he uses it well, if he co-operates better than others, he is rewarded with the new birth and salvation.
Since he is ultimately saved by his free will decision, the man has something to boast of. He got salvation and can say to those who didn’t that he was able to better use his will than they were. He was able to process this spiritual information better than the lost and therefore was able to bring about his own salvation. He did a better job co-operating with the Spirit. Again, this is not the salvation plan mentioned above in Eph. 2:8-9. In chapter 3 of this book, we saw clearly that the unsaved man is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins and cannot make any such spiritual decision using his will. The Scriptures make it clear that the unsaved man cannot respond to spiritual pleadings to cooperate with the Spirit to come to faith or salvation. (1 Cor. 2:14)
As we examine free will salvation, let’s look at this word draw. It is true that God draws men to Himself. However, does He draw every single person to Himself? Let’s go to some verses in Scripture that discuss God drawing people to Himself. Before we do that, it would be good to get the correct definition of the word draw from the original Greek. Let’s go to the Greek dictionary of the New Testament in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible for assistance.
1670. helkuo hel-koo'-o or helko hel'-ko; probably akin to 138; to
drag (literally or figuratively):--draw. Compare 1667.
So, the word draw actually means to drag in the following salvation verses mentioned in this chapter.
And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish (John 21:6).
Here we get a picture of this word draw. The fishermen had to actually drag the net full of fish to the shore because there were so many fish and the net was so heavy. God literally drags some people to Himself spiritually because they can’t use their dead wills to come to Him. Let’s take a look at perhaps the main verse with the word draw that is used to support the free will view of salvation.
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself. (John 12:32)
In this verse, we see that Jesus does draw all peoples or men (KJV) to Himself. Does this verse mean He draws or drags every single person who has lived since the time of Christ with the same drawing power? Let’s examine this verse more closely in the biblical context of the gospel or good news message of salvation in Jesus Christ.
The Drawing of God in the Old Testament
We know from the Bible that God’s chosen people in the Old Testament were the Jews. From Abraham through the earthly life of Christ, the message of God’s salvation was directed to the Jews. Some Gentiles became saved if they came into contact with the Jews and were converted by them to Judaism, but, by and large, the great majority of Gentiles died without salvation in the Old Testament. So, did God draw every single person to Himself in the Old Testament? No. Jesus, in talking with the woman at the well said the following.
You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. (John 4:22)
Jesus commanded his disciples not to preach to the Gentiles or Samaritans, but to preach only to the Jews, the house of Israel.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ (Matt. 10:5-7)
When speaking to the woman of Canaan who wanted Jesus to heal her daughter, Jesus said the following:
24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matt. 15:24)
It is clear from Scripture that God used His drawing power to save primarily the Jews in the Old Testament. The rest of humanity entered eternity lost. Why this special grace to the Jews? It was because they were His chosen people. God chose them, not because they were a good or faithful people because they were a stiff-necked and disobedient people. Moses said the following.
“27 …for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD, then how much more after my death? (Dt. 31:27)
God just loved them and chose them in spite of their sinfulness.
“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;…” (Deut. 7:6-7)
The Drawing of God in the New Testament
After the ascension of Christ, something very gracious happened in the plan of God. Salvation became not only a Jewish blessing but also a Gentile blessing. Gentiles were now given the message of salvation. This meant that all men, all peoples and nations (Matt. 28:19), would be given God’s grace to become saved. The Apostle Paul became a missionary to bring the Gentiles into God’s fold. The salvation plan of God would not change. It would still be for those He chose; however, those chosen would now include Gentiles.
This was the gospel or good news of Jesus Christ of the New Testament. It would be for all peoples, without distinction. God would now draw (drag) all peoples or men, without distinction of nationality or race. John 3:16 states that “God so loved the world [God’s chosen of the Jews and Gentiles], that He gave His only begotton Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.” This is what Jesus meant when he said. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw [drag] all peoples [chosen Jews and Gentiles] to Myself.” (John 12:32)
Let’s take a look at another verse that uses the word draw in it often cited to support the free will salvation view.
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:44)
This verse again shows that for salvation to take place God must draw mankind to Himself. This is certainly a true statement. However, this verse does not indicate that God draws or drags every single person to Himself. Actually this verse begins by saying that no person can come to Jesus. The word can denotes power or ability. No one has the ability, by the will or otherwise, to come to Jesus. Something first must happen before the unsaved person can come to Christ. The requirement “unless” has to happen first. That requirement is the drawing that the Father must do. This drawing or dragging is the new birth or regeneration of the Holy Spirit. This will be discussed in more depth later in the chapter on the Holy Spirit.
Does God Draw Everyone Equally to Himself?
At this time, I want to discuss the belief of the free will salvation view that God draws every single person to Himself in an equal fashion. Remember, it is the free will view that says God wants to save everyone. If He wants to save everyone, He would want to draw them equally to Himself. If He draws some more strongly than others, why would He do that? Is it because they were more worthy or faithful? If that were the case, then salvation is a reward. The free will view can’t go there. So, it is left with God drawing every single person on earth in an equal fashion to be fair to everyone’s free will.
Does this really happen? Let’s just simply look at the Scripture and the real world to answer this question.
First, did God reveal Himself in the Old Testament to every single person for all those thousands of years? No. Since the time of Abraham God only revealed Himself to His chosen people the Jews. With few exceptions, the vast majority of Gentiles died in spiritual darkness and eternal damnation. We have already seen in Deut. 7:6-7 that God revealed His salvation plan primarily to the Jews. He did that because they were His elect people.
That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. 4 For Jacob My servant’s sake, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; (Isa. 45:3-4)
Now let’s take a look at the New Testament era. Does God equally draw every single person in the world to Himself? What does actual reality reveal to us?
Is it not true that some people are blessed by God and born in a nation like America that has Christian roots and influences while others are born in some foreign countries that have no Christian influences or spiritual light? Those born in some of these non-Christian nations do not have the freedom, knowledge, or even the Word of God that we have here in America. In some of these countries, if you are a Christian or try to share your Christian faith, you can be persecuted and even executed.
Millions of people around the world are born, live, and die without ever experiencing the spiritual advantages that God has blessed us with here in America and in other places in the world. God made the decision before we were born about where we would be born and whether we would be born to Christian or non-Christian parents. So, it is clear from reality that there has been no drawing by God of countless millions of people in various places in the world. These people were born in spiritual darkness, live in a culture without spiritual light, and die in that state of spiritual death. In some of these countries, this has been going on for many centuries.
Let’s take a look at Scripture to see if God gives His revealing and saving grace to everyone alike.
Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:6-10)
In this account, we see that God forbade the saving message of Jesus Christ from going into some regions, preferring it to go to others. In those areas the Lord forbade the missionaries to go, most of those people died without Christ. Were they drawn by God to Himself? The answer is no.
Therefore, the belief of the free will salvation view, that God draws every single person to Himself in an equal fashion, cannot be correct. It is not supported in the Old Testament, the New Testament, or reality as we know it.
Can an Unsaved Person Cooperate With the Spirit to Become Saved?
Now that we see that the first stage of the free will salvation view fails, let’s look at the second stage of this belief system. This stage states that after the equal drawing by God of every person on earth, the unsaved person must apply his free will to either accept or reject this drawing for salvation to happen.
I have thoroughly discussed in chapters two and three with many biblical proofs how it is impossible for the unsaved person who is dead spiritually to receive Christ or cooperate with the Spirit by using a free will spiritual ability. It bears repeating just a couple of those verses now.
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor. 2:14)
…the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:17)
Scripture cannot make it any clearer that the unsaved spiritually dead person cannot receive Christ. He cannot cooperate with the Spirit to come to Christ because he can’t see the Spirit nor can he know the Spirit. He is dead spiritually. Therefore, the two main phases or parts to the free will salvation view both fail as shown above. As attractive as this view may be from a human perspective, it is not supported by either the Scriptures or what we know to be true with regard to whom God reveals Himself.
So, if it is impossible for the unsaved man to come to Christ, how can he become saved?
When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:25-26)
Praise God that He can save us who are so desperately lost in our sinfulness and unbelief. Only God has the power to drag a lost, unsaved sinner who is spiritually dead to Himself. He does it in His free grace by the power of the new birth. The lost sinner cannot do it by any free will ability; as this verse says, “with men this is impossible.” The new birth will be discussed more fully in chapter 7.
Where Did the Belief in Free Will Come From?
If this free will salvation plan is not found in the Bible, where did it come from? I have an opinion I would like to share regarding that question.
I believe it was designed by some who felt it made more sense than a God who would choose some and not others before the world began. It was a more fair and attractive approach in their minds. No one could blame God if someone rejected Him with his free will. The blame would fall squarely on the rejecting sinner. God’s integrity would be kept blameless. The problem here is that if the individual chose Christ, then he was saved by his own ability of the will, if his will was really free and independent. Those saved had something to boast of over those who were not able to use their free wills as well as the believers did. The believers accomplished salvation when the others couldn’t. Again, free will saved the day and the person. It was not God who ultimately saves because He must stop short of actually saving anyone according to this view. It has to be ultimately left up to the success of one’s free will.
Free will was conceived to explain away God’s sovereign choice in election. It seemed to be a much better way to describe how some men are saved and some are lost. Election just didn’t seem consistent with God’s love. Free will seemed to make more sense, protect the integrity of God, and explained away the difficulties presented by God electing some and not others according to His will. Free will has become the dominant view today and has, in most churches, replaced the biblical view of salvation.
The free will approach also tries to mix free grace and free will. A component of free will salvation is that God is trying (note the word trying) to save everyone by drawing them to Himself. So grace is a part of this view. Most Christians understand that we are saved by grace so this view is able to mix a form of grace with the will of man. However, the grace in this view only tries to save but it actually does not save anyone in the final analysis. It is what the spiritually dead unsaved sinner does with his own will that saves him, not what God does for what God does He does for everyone according to this view. In the end, it is the spiritually dead and lost unsaved person who somehow saves himself by the use of his own will.
The free will view changes the sovereignty of God in the salvation of man. Who is sovereign, in charge, or in control of our salvation? Is it the all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere God or the vile, sinful, spiritually dead unsaved sinner and his corrupt will? Would the Almighty Sovereign of the universe be in control of all things except one thing, the salvation of mankind? God would never give up part of His sovereignty to sinful man and Satan, who controls the unsaved man. What sense would that make? For God to be God, He must be sovereign and in control of all things, especially the salvation of mankind. We have to choose between a sovereign God over everything or no God at all.
This brings us to God’s wonderful free grace salvation plan. Over the next three chapters we will see how God uses truly amazing grace to save His people.
“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21)