Expert: Bob Hill - 12/15/2003

Question
Why should God who deeply respects the free will of men "overpower" Saul against his free will.The lord is recorded in the Bible as saying" saul , saul !why do you persecute me?"Why it becomes necessary for God to appear before a person when the person(in this case saul)is not cared in the least to know Jesus.

Answer
Dear Barath,

There is no doubt in my mind that God respects the free-will of men. However, God does have a number of plans that He is working out. In a few cases He allows man's free will to be overpowered.

I believe that He let Satan tempt Peter beyond Peter's ability, considering his temperament, to resist. Just before our Savior was going to die for our sins, there was a council in heaven. Satan was up to his dirty work again. He asked permission to sift Peter. Christ was in touch with the Holy Spirit enough to know that Satan was given the permission to take Peter beyond what he could handle. I call this the law of cause and effect and contrast it with the law of freedom.

Cause and effect never develops character. For instance, a pew is not good because it holds people. Man made it that way. When the law of cause and effect is in place, it cannot be resisted. Therefore, will loses its freedom in these instances. Instead, outside influence becomes causal. Cause and effect may not produce moral responsibility.

In Peter's case, since he did not survive a fairly minor testing of his faith, he did learn by this humbling experience. In this incident, Christ knew that Satan had permission to take Peter beyond Peter's ability, considering the circumstances. He had told him in Luke 22:31,32, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” I think it is clear that the statement, “when you have returned to Me”, shows us that Satan was going to be able to test him beyond what Peter was able to withstand in his own strength.

Here's the whole account in Luke: 22:29-34 “And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” 31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” 34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

I believe we have other examples of this law. Here are some other passages where I think this law was in effect: Ezra 1:1; 5:5; 7:27; 9:9; Pro 21:1; Isa 44:24-28; 45:1-4,13; 46:9-11; Jer 29:10; 51:11,12,29; Eze 38:1-4,16,18,21-23; 39:1-6,8.

As a special class of people, God predestined everyone who would believe in His son, in the dispensation of grace, to be conformed to the image of His Son. That would happen whether they wanted that to happen or not. The passage that shows this is Rom 8:28-30 “And we know that He works all things together for good with those who love God, those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 And whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

Another passage that shows that we are predestined even before we believed in Christ as our savior is Eph 1:3-6. He decided, before the foundation of the world, that everyone who would believe in His Son would be made holy and blameless. He predetermined this also.

Eph 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

When a person believes that Jesus Christ died for his sins, God saves him from his worthless life and seals him. When God seals him, He also predestines him to be holy and blameless before Himself according to Eph 1:11-14: In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Do you think Paul was sorry that God confronted him on the road to Damascus? He seems to glory in the fact that God really chose him to be His apostle to the Gentiles. Actually, I think that God did not overpower Saul in regards to his free will. Let's read the account closely. Acts 9:3-6 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

As I see it, Saul was very willing to do what God wanted him to do. Saul thought he was defending God when he was persecuting the Messianic Jewish Church. Now, he saw that Jesus had been the Messiah. Now, Paul was eager to do what Jesus Christ wanted him to do.

Sincerely,
Bob Hill