The Church and Free Moral Agency
How important is "truth" to the Church of God? Through the decades I have heard a great number of messages that are given specifically about truth or include the value of truth for the church of God. This is certainly for good reason.
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:
2Ti 215 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.:
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Psa 31:5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
We are a witness to hundreds of various beliefs that have resided in the world's multitude of religions.
The members of these religions hold their individual beliefs to be true. Yet, it is the variously named Churches of God that have been actually dedicated to being the "ground of truth".
1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
But, I have had a lasting problem, concerning a very important area, where I have found myself at odds with a number of the Churches of God. I will try my best to provide the "Evidence of Truth" for this difference of thinking. It has to do with the "freedom of choice" or whether or not we have "free moral agency". In the past I have written about this subject. The papers "God's Will ! Mans Will ???" and "Made Subject to Vanity" spoke of my concern for the subject. As far as I can tell many ministers of the church maintain the belief that we have freedom of choice or in other words free moral agency. There is a reason for this thinking. I'll be providing the evidence of why the various messages that I heard from the ministry are not right.
The Bible speaks of "the world" as the people of the world having been led by the influence of Satan. Satan's influence has been going on from the time of the "garden of Eden". I would like to include the "worlds" thoughts of free will at this time.
Jewish philosophy stresses that free will is a product of the intrinsic human soul,
Theologians of the Roman Catholic Church universally embrace the idea of free will,
As found in Paul Althaus' study of Luther's theology,[77] sin's infection of every human thought and deed began with Adam's fall into sin, the Original Sin. Adam's fall was a "terrible example" of what "free will" will do unless God constantly motivates it (free will) to virtuous behavior.
Mormons or Latter-day Saints, believe that God has given all humans the gift of moral agency. Moral agency includes free will and agency.
As Hinduism is primarily a conglomerate of different religious traditions,[130] there is no one accepted view on the concept of free will. Within the predominant schools of Hindu philosophy there are two main opinions. The Advaita (monistic) schools generally believe in a fate-based approach, and the Dvaita (dualistic) schools are proponents for the theory of free will.
All these ideas give a general picture of the "worlds" view on the subject. This universal viewpoint doesn't take into consideration the Biblical statement that we were created "subject to vanity". At this time I would like to review the evidence of the truth of that statement.
The single revelation contained in Romans 8:20 is more than likely the most complete statement that explains the reason for all of the world's problems. We were made to follow the perverted ways of Satan. I have included verse 21 because it provides, in absolute terms, the context of verse 20.
Rom 8:20 For the creatureG2937 was made subject to vanityG3153, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hopeG1680,
Rom 8:21 Because the creatureG2937 itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
G2937 From G2936; original formation (properly the act; by implication the thing, literally or figuratively): - building, creation, creature, ordinance.
G3153 From G3152; inutility; figuratively transientness; morally depravity: - vanity.
G1680 From ἔλπω elpō which is a primary word (to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstract or concrete) or confidence: - faith, hope.
When we see that the "original formation" had nothing to say about how it was formed, that it was "subjected" to something, that something was "inutility" (that which has no value or morally depravity), in hope (expectation), that it will be delivered from that state, that state is a state of bondage and lastly that earnest expectation is to be changed into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
There are those who simply have not been able to believe this plain, straight forward statement. Who was that "original formation" that God expected to become the children of God? It was Adam and Eve!
The Philadelphia church era described by Revelation 3:7-12 began through the work of Mr. Armstrong. That work was responsible for the great amount of truth that has been brought to church of God members and to the world. His contribution made it possible for so many areas of the Bible to be clearly understood. With this in mind, I did mentioned earlier that I would give a reason for the idea of our having free will being so prevalent in the church. The following are some statements made by Mr. Armstrong.
Mr. Armstrong: DO YOU HAVE AN IMMORTAL SOUL. (1973) page 42
But man is vastly different. Man is able to perceive and understand various ways to perform an act. Man can
reason from memorized facts and knowledge, draw con-clusions, make decisions, and act according to a thought-out plan. Man can also choose - he has free moral agency.
Mr. Armstrong: HUMAN NATURE - Did God Create It?
Page 6: And THAT EVIL IN THEM CAME FROM SATAN, NOT FROM GOD! They were NOT created with this evil nature.
In Page 11 he uses the Phillips translation as evidence that human nature came from Satan.
The Phillips translation continues, (Eph 2 verse 3): "We all lived like that in the past, and followed the impulses and imaginations of our evil nature ... like everyone else". This nature has been acquired from Satan. It was not inherited from our parents. It was not created in us by God. That which has become habitual and therefore natural becomes a NATURE within us. Such nature IS NOT hereditary, but an acquired charac-teristic. This very passage shows the AUTHOR of this "nature" to be Satan, NOT GOD. The next words in the Phillips translation are: "being under the wrath of God by nature". It would make no sense at all for God's wrath to be on us BECAUSE OF WHAT GOD PUT WITHIN US. Adam was NOT created with this "EVIL nature. Adam acquired it from Satan. Lucifer (Satan) was created PERFECT. He acquired it by false reasoning
The Bible never assigns "God's wrath to be on His people!!! And I simply do not understand how Mr.
Armstrong could use Phillips translation of Ephesians 2:3 of evidence for his belief. That translation clearly states "in the past" we followed impulses "of our evil nature". The KJV for verse 3 states:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Verse 5 of the KJV continues with the thoughts of verse 3. Then in 2 Cor 5:17 we are told that we can be a new person.
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
Why was it that Mr. Armstrong simply could not think that God would have made man "subject to vanity"? The Bible is complete with statements, from God and those who followed God, relating to the nature of mankind and how that nature may be changed. The difference between Satan's ability to influence and that which God purposes, has no comparison. One should not minimize the saving power of God. What was created by God can be saved by God. By being "made" subject to worthless values, Satan took full advantage of our condition. Satan led Eve and then Adam to disobey God and proceeded to lead vulnerable mankind to follow his evil ways. God's work in us to bring us to salvation is so vital. The result will be God's children that will help fulfill all God's plans for all humanity. Mr. Armstrong's thoughts laid lasting foundations. Not that long ago I saw that free will is alive in the church. I was directed to Jeremiah 1:4-5 as an example.
Jer 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
The speaker acknowledged that Jeremiah had a very specific purpose but then he went on and said that Jeremiah had free choice and could have denied the calling. And then said Jeremiah accepted the call.
Does this statement indicate a possible diminishment of God's power or his ability to fulfill his proposed plan by proposing a possible deviation? Does God have the ability to form an the egg and a sperm that would be able to fulfill his desire? (Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee). Could God cause the "created person", known to us as Jeremiah, to do all that he planned for him? I believe the answers are yes.
A fundamental ploy of Satan would be to diminish God's power by causing mankind to think that it has a free will in order for mankind to be whole. Evidently many people of God believe: with the work of the Spirit of God, a person's free will helps enable them to independently make good "choices" on their way to salvation. Free will is a power that most, in the world, believe is needed for their integrity. This is not taught in the Bible. The Bible states that we have been "MADE SUBJECT TO VANITY". God created us to follow after that which has no value. Virtually everything we see in the "world" is a product of that nature.
Mankind has the need to rationalize away the influence of the "evidence of truth" - it is the way of the world. The Bible is complete with the knowledge of how God works with a person to make the person more and more in the Image of Jesus through God's Spirit that dwells in the person. There is never a mention of a "free will" that works with the Spirit of God in a person. The Bible speaks of mankind being sinners and the work of God to resolve that condition. (see: The Wrath of God & From Worthless to Precious)
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.