In the word of the LORD (the KJB), it is as clear as the sun at noon on a cloudless day that God has given us our own free will. As with many foundational principles in the word of the LORD, the foundational principle of free will is given by God early in his word. It is in Leviticus Chapter 1. If you have the word of the LORD, you can read it for yourself… God has given us our own voluntary will – and when we come to him, he requires that we do so of our own voluntary will. That foundational principle is crucial for a right understanding of the rest of God’s word. It is crucial to a right understanding of passages that talk about election and predestination and foreknowledge, and so on and so on. Modern versions – especially those produced by Calvinists (who deny free will) – purposefully delete the foundational principle words from Leviticus Chapter 1. Thus they “have perverted the words of the living God” (Jeremiah 23:36). And they proceed on from there to deceive the hearts and minds of their followers. However, let us hear the words of the LORD. Read them from the word of the LORD, and notice the flow of the key words that pertain to God’s foundational principle for understanding free will:
Leviticus 1:2-3 If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD… let him… [BUT] he shall offer it of his own voluntary will…
The word of the LORD is replete with (meaning FULL of) clear words pertaining to our own free will (voluntary will) that he has given us. Just a few (of MANY) are given as examples in the study notes from our latest July 7, 2018 KJV Bible Study entitled: Free-Will-in-the-Bible.
It is critical (for your eternal soul) to know that God did not save you before you believed. If that is what you have been taught, you have been deceived. The Bible clearly states the order of things (God is a God of order). Acts 16:30-31: Q: “What must I do to be saved?” A: (1) “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” “and” (2) “thou shalt be saved” … from which we see the order, that belief comes first, and per the foundational principle and MANY confirming passages, that belief is required to be of our own voluntary will. That belief requires one thing of us: Acts 2:21 “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” It is only after a person believes and OBEYS, calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that God saves him. Salvation comes as God’s response to our obedience to the one and only work that is required of us to be saved – John 6:28-29 “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. Read carefully. Believing on Jesus Christ is the work, which is of God, that we must do, to be saved. Have you, of your own voluntary will, believed ON the Lord Jesus Christ… I.e., have you called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved? If not, now is the time. To day is the day. There may not be a tomorrow “to make your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10).