Free Will Or A Stone Heart
By: Jeremiah Baldizan
Today in hospitals all around the world, doctors are using maggots by purposely placing them on patients wounds, and ulcers found on legs, arms, and other exposed parts of the body. According to doctors the maggots do a fine job of cleaning up wounds because certain species of maggots will only eat dead rotting tissue. According to BBC News the maggots have had a 100 percent success rate, and are completely painless. I think maggots have a lot to teach us about the “free will” of man, and man’s ability to choose God. First off the bible declares, that men are totally depraved. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 3:9-10 and 18,
"I have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, as it is written: None is righteous, no not one; no one seeks for God....There is no fear of God before their eyes."
In John 3:20 the bible declares,
“"Every one who does evil hates the light.”
The light this verse is speaking about is God, and men in their natural state like the maggots crave only death. As it is written about God’s light, wisdom, and instruction; “all they that hate me love death” (Proverbs 8:36). Human beings in their natural state are physically alive, and can even appear inwardly pious to others in an unconverted state but the bible unmistakable declares that in Adam’s fall we fell completely.
As Charles Spurgeon said,
“Just as, in a certain moment, when this body shall die, the blood stops, the pulse ceases, the breath no longer comes from the lungs, so in the day that Adam did eat that fruit his soul died; his imagination lost its mighty power to climb into celestial things and see heaven, his will lost its power always to choose that which is good, his judgment lost all ability to judge between right and wrong decidedly and infallibly, though something was retained in conscience; his memory became tainted, liable to hold evil things, and let righteous things glide away; every power of him ceased as to its moral vitality. Goodness was the vitality of his powers—that departed. Virtue, holiness, integrity, these were the life of man; but when these departed man became dead. And now, every man, so far as spiritual things are concerned, is "dead in trespasses and sins" spiritually.”
Now men often argue that God cannot violate man’s “free will”. That men must chose God, and then and only then God can save them. But as we have seen the bible has declared men dead, and a spiritually dead man cannot spiritually resurrect himself. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14 Emphasis added). Just like the maggot that will only choose to eat rotten decaying flesh. A man will only choose things that will promote his own destruction, because his lust drives him (see James 1:15). So how do I get this maggot to stop eating filthy rotten decaying flesh? I can try to reason with him, threaten him, cut off his supply of decaying meat, but that will not take away his desire for death. However, if I change a maggot into lets say a caterpillar. The caterpillar will no longer choose to eat rotten flesh because he has no desire for it. The former filth eater now desires only leaves filled with life giving sap. Since I changed the maggot into a caterpillar, the now former maggot’s free will has remained untouched and only changed indirectly. It is the same with man. Man in his natural state is like a strong man working to his utmost to conquer the walled city of death. In his violent pursuit of worldly pleasure he runs to sin, burning all the bridges behind him. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved;” (Eph 2:4-5). So God changes our nature, to love Him instead of sin, then we choose Him with our whole heart. Our free will is affected only indirectly. Before we were born again, free will was not our problem, the problem was our hearts (see Jeremiah 17:9). So why is this such good news to my fellow saints? The first reason is because if men are not saved by man’s ability, then men are saved by God’s ability. “Salvation is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). No matter how hard hearted sinners are. We are “not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes!” By trusting God, and believing His Word we know that an unadulterated gospel saves men by the power of God. Like David said, “The battle is the Lord’s!”
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
(1 Cor 1:18)
“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
(1Cor 2:5)
“For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”
(2 Cor 10:4-5)
“"Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD,
"And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
(Jeremiah 23:29)
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
(Hebrews 4:12)
"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”
(Ezekiel 36:25-28 NKJV Emphasis added)
Important terms:
Regeneration: Regeneration is a change of heart, wrought by the Holy Spirit, who makes alive those who are dead in trespasses and sins, enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the Word of God, and renewing their whole nature, so that they love and practice holiness. It is a work of God’s free and special grace alone.
Total Depravity: That man in his fallen condition can do nothing good apart from the work of Christ in the sense of his relationship to God.
Semi-Pelagianism: Man can (unaided by grace) make the first move toward God, and God then completes the salvation process. A false doctrine used to justify the visible church’s invitation system which orthodox Christianity has been battling since around 300 A.D. and before.
Monergism: In regeneration, the Holy Spirit unites us to Christ independent of any cooperation from our unregenerate human nature. He quickens us through the outward call cast forth by the preaching of His Word, disarms our innate hostility, removes our blindness, illumines our mind, creates understanding, turns our heart of stone to a heart of flesh -- giving rise to a delight in His Word -- all that we might, with our renewed affections, willingly & gladly embrace Christ.
