Freedom of Choice. An illustrious term used quite often during the turbulent 1960s that really did not fulfill the lofty thought that it infers. But have you considered that the freedom for us to make choices is born out of the sovereignty of Almighty God? The Lord God has given to all of mankind the right, the power, and the chance to choose. In the Garden of Eden, the progenitor of the species made a bad choice; hear what the Apostle Paul says about that choice in Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Adam’s choice of the Devil has had an eternal impact on mankind. However, I must tell you that your choices and my choices also can have an eternal impact.
When we choose Christ, we choose eternal life. When we choose Christ, we choose a relationship with Him, who is the way, the truth, and the life. When we make the choice to not choose Jesus, we have in effect made a choice of Satan. Not a good choice! Satan, the thief, the one who comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. Satan, the liar, and the father of the lie. Dear Ones, Satan is a bad choice. Choice emanates from the soul realm. It is the exercise of one’s judgement (the will asserting, information processed in the mind and influenced by emotions). God has given to every person a conscience, knowledge within, a moral compass, the compulsion to do right and make the right choices. When we receive the Holy Spirit, He guides us into all truth. We will make good choices if we use God’s word in the decision making process. To the contrary, we make bad choices by:
- Disobeying God – (Numbers 14:1-45)
- Putting the flesh first – (Genesis 25:29-34)
- Letting the world overcome – (Matthew 12:16-22)
- Rejecting God’s promises – (Acts 13:44-48)
In Exodus 8:1-5, there is recorded the account of the Plaque of Frogs. In the account, Pharaoh made not only a bad choice, but also a dumb choice! Pharaoh chose to spend “one more night with the frogs in a froggy town.” Bad Choice!
Jesus said in John 3:19, 20 that bad choices result from a depraved nature. May I tell you that we who are His are born of incorruptible seed, and incorruptible seed produces an incorruptible nature. And so, we are equipped to make good choices.
Be blessed as you make good choices in Him.
Pastor J. Amos Jones
