I am writing this not because I am puffed up with knowledge, rather, out of love for you (brother in Christ) and zeal for the Word of God. I write this to show the truth in hopes that you may come to know and believe. James warns us that those who become teachers of the Word of God ought to be careful and sure that they are teaching the truth (James 3:1) for they will receive a stricter judgment. This is a gentle exhortation to examine your beliefs. In no way is this meant to be an angry argument, this is a thoughtful intelligent dialogue that we are having with one another and I hope it stimulates thought and encourages more study. Here is my response...
"Jesus is awesome." Amen, salvation is not obtained by the works of the Law (as the Jews thought) but only by belief (faith) in Christ. Many people think that they are going to heaven by their good works when that is not the case. Only by faith shall a person be saved. Paul is talking about justification by faith alone and not through the works of the law.
In your scripture references (Romans 3, Hebrews 3, Galatians 5), you seem to be confusing the truths of the Christian and the truths of the unbeliever (those under the Law). Paul’s whole argument in the first 8 chapters of the book of Romans is the separation between the Law and the Gospel. Paul distinguishes two types of the Law; Natural Law and the Mosaic Law. Natural Law is that law that is written on the heart of all people (Romans 2:14). We know it as our conscience. Everyone can distinguish between right and wrong morally. The Mosaic Law was the law that the Israelites were under since its inauguration at Sinai. We know that the Mosaic Law with all of its festivals and sacrifices (which signified what Christ was eventually to do) has passed away because they were fulfilled in Christ. Natural Law (or “moral law” i.e. 10 commandments) continues as Paul argues in Romans 1:18-32. Paul clearly states that unbelievers “suppress the truth” (vs.18) in their unrighteousness. What then is the purpose of the Law? It is to show us our sins (Romans 7:7-12). Keeping the Law perfectly is God’s standard for us. But here we hit a wall for we know that we cannot even go 5 minutes without sinning. But what if someone did keep the Law perfectly? He would still go to hell. Why? Romans 5; sin came into the world through Adam’s disobedience in the garden. When he disobeyed God, sin entered into the world. We, as sons and daughters of Adam, inherit sin (Romans 5:12-14). This is called “original sin.” Therefore, sin is not only the breaking of the Law, but a condition given to us by Adam! This is why Jesus had to be born of a virgin. So then, now that we know that sin is a condition and the breaking of God’s Law, how are we able to be saved? To get into heaven requires perfection. Only those who keep the Law perfectly are able to enter into heaven.
We move now from the Law to the Gospel...
Why Jesus? Why did he have to come? He came to fulfill the works of the Law (Romans 8:1-4). This is why Paul calls Him the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45). Just as Adam brought sin and death to all who are in him (which is all humanity) through his disobedience to the Law of God in the garden, so Christ brings life to all who are in Him (the elect) by His obedience to the Law of God. That is why Christ had to fulfill the Law perfectly. He had to be that spotless lamb that was sacrificed for the sins of many (Mark 14:24). This sacrifice we know to be approved by God the Father for Jesus rose from the grave. What are the wages of sin? Death. Christ had no sin therefore death could not hold Him. Therefore, it is by our faith in Christ and what He has done that we are saved for “the righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). We are justified by our faith. What is justification? It must be pretty important if Paul spells out the Gospel as Christ being “delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25). The doctrine of Justification is that, by our faith in Christ, we are declared righteous before God. How is this possible? Because of our being “in Christ.” He has fulfilled the requirements of the Law in our place. So then, we as Christians no longer depend on the works of Law for salvation for Christ has done it for us. Also, just as sin was given to us through Adam, righteousness is given to us in Christ (Romans 5:17-20). Therefore, we rest securely knowing that Christ has done for us what we never could have done for ourselves. THIS IS THE GOSPEL! Anyone who says otherwise is under the curse of Galatians 1:8-9. Many false teachers have come and are still around today who preach salvation by works and not faith.
Paul says in Galatians 3:1-3: “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” All of Galatians 3 is a testament to Justification by grace through faith alone in Christ alone.
You said: “If we don’t have free will then faith is a moot point, and so is spiritual warfare, and pursuing anything…evangelism is pointless because we’re in God’s stranglehold…and Jesus wasted His time coming to die for us. Why do what He did, if we have no say in the matter?”
I say: “It’s because we had no say in the matter that Christ came and died for us.” We were under the curse of the Law and had to be redeemed (Galatians 3:13). Those who are not in Christ but are in Adam are enslaved to sin. They are under the wrath of God because God hates sin (Romans 1:18). Why does God hate sin? He is holy and just. And if He is a just God, sin must be punished for He forbids it. The problem that most people have, who believe in free will, is that they do not see the weight of sin in light of God’s holiness. They think of humans as being “in search of a savior” and not the God-hating people that they are (Romans 1:29-30). Where then is free will??? It is nowhere to be found. All humans are enslaved to the lusts of their flesh by their own choice. They cannot break out of it and turn to God unless someone breaks them out of it. That someone is God who imparts saving faith to His elect by His loving grace. This is why Jesus says “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father” (John 6:65). Why bother evangelizing then? Simple, we don’t know who the elect are. It’s not like we have special goggles that tell us who the elect are. God has His appointed ends but how can they be accomplished without the means to that end??? Therefore, that is why we are to evangelize.
Also, let me make a correction to something you seem to be implying. You seem to be implying that without the presence of free will, Christ wasted His time coming to die for us. How so? Let me ask another question; which sounds more like Christ coming to waste His time: “Christ dying for the whole world knowing that not all people are going to choose Him and therefore shedding His blood in vain?” Or “Christ dying for His elect knowing that all whom He died for will be saved and therefore does not shed His blood in vain?” Another problem with the theology of free will is that it is man-centered. They will say that Christ died for everybody and gives everyone an opportunity to come to Him. To sum this up, Christ did 99% of the work and now it is up to us to do the 1% by our choosing Him. By this doctrine, who gets the glory for our salvation: Man or God? It’s obvious where that theology leads. But, if you believe in what the Bible clearly teaches (and what I have argued), you will see that humans are unable to be saved by their own wills and it is God, in His loving grace, who saves us. So I will end with a verse and a question.
Romans 9:10-13: “And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, "The older will serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” As clear as this verse is in support of the doctrine of election, many people who struggle with this doctrine usually ask “Why did God hate Esau?” In light of what I have shown you through the scriptures, I say that the wrong question is being asked. With the scriptures so clear on our sinful condition and our hating God, the question you should be asking is this: “Why did God love Jacob?”
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