Responsible, But Not Free – The Law of God: Questions and Answers

Responsible, But Not Free
The Law of God: Questions and Answers

The human will is free within certain constraints.

Question: What does the Law of God teach about free will?

“Oh that they had such a mind as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever! Deuteronomy 5:29

“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” Deuteronomy 10:16

Something was wrong with the people of Israel. They had seen God do amazing things on their behalf. They’d heard Him testify of His love for them. They’d tasted of His daily provisions of food and water. They had a history of His making and fulfilling precious and very great promises. Among them were people whose manner of living demonstrated the benefits of following the ways of the Lord. And they had His Word—His Law—to guide them so that they might flourish in wisdom and in love for Him and one another.

But something was wrong. They did not have a heart for God or His Law. The word, “mind,” in Deuteronomy 5:29 is actually the same word as “heart” in Deuteronomy 10:16. God testified that His people did not have a heart for Him or His Law. They did not desire Him, were not inclined to obedience, and would habitually allow their affections to seek out other objects to adore, desire, and obey.

Yet God exposed the problem to His people and instructed them to do something about it. We can only imagine that the people of Israel must have puzzled over that command to “circumcise the foreskin of your heart.” For while the action of circumcision was familiar to them, how to perform this on their hearts was beyond the scope of their knowledge or ability.

Yet God commanded them to perform it, and He would hold them accountable to His definition of justice if they failed to obey. Which, routinely, they did.

How shall we understand this situation? If we want to understand the teaching of God’s Law on the question of free will, we have to consider this and all such teaching from God’s point of view. In God’s view, what was required of the people was clear to them; He’d spelled it out in His Law. Israel was responsible to hear and obey the commandments of the Lord. Thus, they must learn to desire God and His Law, or else they will not act responsibly before Him.

Yet, as God saw it, the people were not free to obey Him, because of the condition of their hearts.

A certain measure of obedience was apparently within their grasp, for the record of Scripture shows that, throughout the pages of the Old Testament, certain people in certain times lived in a manner more in line with the divine economy. But this was not the case with all the people, and it was not the case with most of the people most of the time.

The people of Israel were responsible to God, but they were not free to obey Him completely. Something in their “hearts” needed repairing. The obedience God requires begins in the heart, issuing from a desire to love, please, and serve the Lord, a desire freely embraced and actively nurtured. And, for the most part, the people of Israel lacked this desire. And even those who demonstrated such a desire—such as Moses or David—were not capable of perfectly fulfilling what God required for them to live as He intends. They were responsible, but not free.

But they were also freely irresponsible, as, indeed, are we.

Got a question about the Law of God? Write to T. M. at tmmoore@ailbe.org, and your answer might appear in this series of In the Gates columns.

Visit our website, www.ailbe.org, and sign up to receive our thrice-weekly devotional, Crosfigell, featuring writers from the period of the Celtic Revival and T. M.’s reflections on Scripture and the Celtic Christian tradition. Does the Law of God still apply today? Order a copy of T. M.’s book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, and study the question for yourself.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T. M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.