Does that Bible Teach That We Have Free Will?

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The Bible has lot of things to say about lots of topics. It doesn't speak specifically about how much screen time kids in middle school should have, but it speaks to what we should put our time and energy into. Sometimes the Bible implies certain things about a topic. For example, when it says that we shouldn't murder, we can infer that if something is murder, we shouldn't do it (i.e. abortion).

Other times the Bible assumes that you already have some prerequisite  knowledge that doesn't need to be elaborated on. It's assumed that you have enough understanding to sufficiently grasp the main teaching point of the text.

I think the nature of free will is something like the last option. The Biblical authors assume that you have some concept of free will that you are bringing with you when you read the text. That's not to say that the Scriptures can't set the parameters for your view of free will. It just means that the Bible doesn't offer a treatise on the subject. So when we try to determine "what the Bible says about free will" we shouldn't expect it to directly address contemporary philosophical debates on the subject.


Often what happens is we look to specific passages where commands are given to do something or to make a choice:

Gen 4:7 Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.”

Deu 30:19 Today I invoke heaven and earth as a witness against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live!

Proverbs 3:31 Do not envy a violent man, and do not choose any of his ways.

But these kinds of verses are usually unnecessary as the debate isn't usually about whether or not people have free will. Even a staunch 5 point Calvinist believes that people have free will. In our unregenerate state, we can choose among a variety of evil actions. And once our will is freed (regenerate), we have the God empowered ability to make good choices.

So there may be very extreme cases where a believer says the Bible teaches that we don't have free will, but those individuals are not speaking from within mainstream Christianity. Only very fringe groups say that we don't have free will.

The real question is "what do we mean by free will?" Additional questions among Bible believing Christians include:

• What kinds of things can we chose?
• What is the difference between the "unregerate" and "regerate" will?
• What does grace do to the will?

These are the sorts of questions that Christians ask about free will.

The philosophical discussion behind these theological questions has to do with whether or not free will is compatible with determinism. Determinism is the view that all things are determined. One can maintain that all things are determined by the laws of nature or one can believe that all things are determined by God.

If you think that determinism is compatible with free will, then you hold to a philosophical position called compatibilism. Essentially affirmed that free will and determinism are compatible. If you maintain that free will is not compatible with determinism, then you are an incompatibilist. Those who emphasize God's sovereignty are generally compatibilists and they generally adhere to some form of Calvinism (in Protestant circles). Those who emphasize God's working with human free will in a way that doesn't necessitate the will are generally incompatibilists and they generally adhere to some form of Arminianism (again in Protestant circles).

In summary, almost everyone in mainstream Christianity believes that the Bible teaches that we have free will. What we disagree about is what free will means, what it entails, how it is affected by grace, etc. If you haven't already run into the Calvinist / Arminian debate, then it's likely you haven't read much theology. It's one of the first major in-house debates that people learn about when they get into theology.