Chapter 3
There are, however,
persons who attempt to find excuse for themselves even from
God (saying all they do or did is God’s will). The Apostle James says to such:
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts He any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of
his own lust, and enticed. Then,
when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and
sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.
James 1:13-15 Solomon, too, in his book of Proverbs, has this answer for such as wish to find an excuse for themselves from God Himself: The folly of a man spoils his ways; but he blames God in his heart (we see this in militant Islam where even if they kill and torture or rape they say it was the will of Allah).
Proverbs 19:3 And in the book of Ecclesiasticus we read: Say not, It is through the Lord that I fell away; for you ought not to do the things that He
hates: nor say, He has caused me to
err; for He has no need of the sinful man… The Lord
hates all abomination, and they that
fear God
love it not. He Himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of His counsel. If you be willing, you shall keep His commandments, and perform
true fidelity. He has set fire and water before you: stretch forth your hand unto whether you will….
Chapter 4
What is the import of the fact that in so many passages God requires all His commandments to be kept and fulfilled? How does He make this requisition, if there is no free will? What means the
happy man, of whom the Psalmist says that his will has been the law of the Lord? Does he not clearly enough show that a man by his own will takes his stand in the law of God?
Then again, there are so many commandments which in some way are expressly adapted to the
human will; for instance, there is, Be not overcome of
evil,
Romans 12:1 and others of similar import, such as, Be not like a horse or a mule, which have no understanding; and, Reject not the counsels of your mother;
Proverbs 1:8 and, Be not wise in your own conceit;
Proverbs 3:7 and, Despise not the chastening of the Lord;
Proverbs 3:11 and, Forget not my law;
Proverbs 3:1 and, Forbear not to do good to the poor;
Proverbs 3:27 and, Devise not
evil against your friend;
Proverbs 3:29 and, Give no heed to a worthless
woman;
Proverbs 5:2 and, He is not inclined to understand how to do good; and, They refused to attend to my counsel;
Proverbs 1:30 with numberless other passages of the inspired Scriptures of the
Old Testament. And what do they all show us but the free choice of the
human will? So, again, in the evangelical and apostolic books of the
New Testament what other lesson is taught us? As when it is said, Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth;
Matthew 6:19 and, Fear not them which kill the body;
Matthew 10:28 and, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself;
Matthew 16:24 and again, Peace on earth to men of good will.
Luke 2:14 So also that the
Apostle Paul says: Let him do what he wills; he
sins not if he marry. Nevertheless, he that stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well.
1 Corinthians 7:36-37 And so again, If I do this willingly, I have a reward;
1 Corinthians 9:17 while in another passage he says, Be sober and righteous, and
sin not;
1 Corinthians 15:34 and again, As you have a readiness to will, so also let there be a prompt performance;
2 Corinthians 8:11 then he remarks to Timothy about the younger
widows, When they have begun to wax wanton against
Christ, they choose to marry. So in another passage, All that will to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution;
2 Timothy 3:12 while to Timothy himself he says, Neglect not the gift that is in you.
1 Timothy 4:14 Then to Philemon he addresses this explanation: That your benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but of your own will. Servants also he advises to
obey their masters with a good will.
Ephesians 6:7 In strict accordance with this, James says: Do not
err, my beloved brethren . . . and have not the
faith of
our Lord Jesus Christ with respect to
persons; and, Do not speak
evil one of another.
James 4:11 So also John in his Epistle writes, Do not
love the world,
1 John 2:15 and other things of the same import. Now wherever it is said,
Do not do this, and Do not do that, and wherever there is any requirement in the divine admonitions for the work of the will to do anything, or to refrain from doing anything, there is at once a sufficient proof of free will. No man, therefore, when he
sins, can in his heart blame God for it, but every man must impute the fault to himself. Nor does it detract at all from a man's own will when he performs any act in accordance with
God. Indeed, a work is then to be pronounced a good one when a person does it willingly; then, too, may the reward of a good work be hoped for from Him concerning whom it is written, He shall reward every man according to his works.
Matthew 16:27
