As we read throughout the length of the Bible, from the beginning, we see God intervening in the world and carrying out His work, manifesting Himself to man, and contending with man and with His people so that they may recognize their evil ways, turn to Him, repent of evil and be saved. He intervenes in the world, all the time, and contends with man showing the truth of His power, His justice and His judgments so that man can see the light of truth, repent and turn from sin, from the evil of his hands, and thus can be saved. God is a God of justice, truth, and peace, who longs to save all who seek him by turning to His eternal truth. He is faithful, just and good, so that he has given the right of free will and free choice to man, and he will never ever violate or take that right away from him. Free will exists, but nevertheless it comes from faith, so that from the beginning God saves man and brings salvation to man through the existence of faith, whereby true free will exists. Without faith there is no free will, which comes from faith, so faith is the principle and essence of everything, and it is greater than free will. Many scholars, and even consecrated preachers, affirmed the non-existence of free will, while others affirmed it. This does not nullify the authenticity of their ministries and their preaching, since faith truly is the beginning of everything, by which man achieves justification and salvation. However, we cannot deny the existence of free will, which comes from faith, for it is clearly demonstrated throughout the entirety of the Holy Scriptures. Let's quote a few verses that attest to this attribute:
"Then the LORD said, 'My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for he also is flesh; but his days shall be a hundred and twenty years." (Genesis 6:3)
In this verse we see clearly that the Spirit of God "strikes" with man, so that he may repent of sin and walk in the good way of God, loving neighbor, believing in His Word and doing righteousness. We know that even with the merciful action of God, the men of that generation, except Noah, did not believe in God, to have faith, and did not repent of their evil works until the end, so that there was no alternative for the Lord, but to bring His just judgment upon them all, so that the deluge came, and slew all the unconverted ungodly and sinners of that time. The next verse follows:
"And he said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, Because thou hast done this deed, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, which I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand that is on the seashore; and your descendants will possess the gate of their enemies;" (Genesis 22:16)
Here is the well-known occasion when God tested Abraham's faith, to confirm upon him His justification and His promise. It is certain that the Lord designed a great plan and a great covenant of faith with Abraham, choosing him from among all men on earth to carry out through him His plan of redemption that would eventually reach the whole world, among those who believe in the His name. There we see that God made a request to Abraham, which could not be but the greatest of all requests, that Abraham surrender to God in sacrifice his only and beloved son, born by the promise of God and in his old age. There could not have been a more difficult request for Abraham, remembering that this was a specific event, in which a stage in the plan of the world's redemption was involved, and God will never again ask anyone to do such a thing, for it was fulfilled in Abraham, who was called the Father of Faith of those who believe in God. Abraham did not disobey God, but believed in His power and His Word, taking his son to the appointed place, and was even about to sacrifice his only begotten son, when the angel of the Lord cried out from heaven and prevented him from killing his son, for God saw that Abraham had definitely believed in Him and obeyed His Word, so that he was called a friend of God, doing an act similar to God who, full of unsurpassed love for humanity, would one day deliver His Only Begotten Son to save the world. We see then that God tried Abraham, who by faith made an extremely difficult decision, exercising by faith his free will in a decision practically impossible for him, because he feared and loved the Lord, who had already sworn to him that in Isaac, his son, his seed would be called, believing that God was able to raise up his son even from the dead. We move on to one more verse:
"Now therefore, if ye will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then ye shall be my peculiar possession above all peoples, for the whole earth is mine." (Exodus 19:5)
Here we see clearly that God made a covenant with Israel, that they should be His people, and walk according to His laws. It is very clear that God's command and His covenant were conditional, that is, they depended on the faith and obedience of His chosen ones. Free will was not taken away, the people could obey or disobey God, according to their faith or unbelief. The commandment was conditional, saying "If ye will diligently heed my voice", so that full free will and right of free choice, which comes first by faith, was being respected. And we know that the people countless times were unbelievers, rebelling against God and disobeying His faithful Word, which leads to prosperity and life, and so for disobeying, they suffered many disciplines and the judgment of God, which come by His right justice. Let's move on to the next Scripture passage:
"And the children of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the LORD their God; and they built high places in all their cities from watchman's tower unto the fortified city: and they set up for themselves statues and images of the forest, on all the high hills, and under all the green trees. And they burned incense there on all the high places, like the nations that the LORD had driven out from before them: and they did evil things, to provoke the LORD to anger. And they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, You shall not do these things, the prophets and of all the seers, saying, Turn from your wicked ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent you by the hand of my servants the prophets. But they would not listen, but stiffened their neck, as the neck of their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God." (2 Kings 17:9-14)
We see here that, after many events, the people of Israel, even in the time of the kings, turned away from the law of the Lord through unbelief, they rebelled and practiced every kind of sin, filth and evil works, despising God and rising up against His Covenant and His so faithful and blessed government over them, by which they would have His blessing and protection forever. It is clear that the people had full freedom of choice to obey or disobey the Lord's commandments, and here they chose to disobey. Faith is first and foremost, but if there were no free will, God could not be justified, exalted, and glorified by all those whom he created, and gave them free will, the breath of life, and the power to think, to judge and interpret freely. We go on:
"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)
Let us go here, already with Jesus, our Lord, Messiah and executor of the Final Work of Salvation for all who believe, and the coming of the Internal Kingdom of God, we see the beginning of His earthly ministry, in which He began to preach, with power and signs, He being the Son of God, manifesting the power of God and exhorting all to repent. Thus, in the New Testament, the designs of faith and free will remain. Jesus was not and never violated faith and the free right of choice, but rather, proclaimed the Gospel and wrestled with the hearts of men, exhorting them to believe in the witness and truth of God, by faith through Him, and by faith repent of their sins, exercising free will, turn from their sins and be saved. And we follow, finally, among many other verses that could be cited, with Colossians 1:21-23:
"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and unreproveable in his sight: If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;" (Colossians 1:21-23)
Here we see the apostle Paul discussing the saving grace of God, which He manifested in Jesus Christ our Lord, delivering His beloved, innocent Son, just and holy, to die for our sins and bring to the world the possibility of salvation and redemption for all those who, through faith, believe in His Name and in His undeniable witness of the Kingdom, the power and the blessed will of the Eternal, Magnificent and Ever Almighty God our Father. The spiritual rebirth, life and salvation of God, which is in Christ, were given to the saints, to all who receive it by faith, but again there it is written: "If in fact you stand founded and firm in the faith", clearly demonstrating that faith and free will are not, and will never be, disrespected in the hearts of men, even those who believed in God and were saved. It is necessary for the saved to persevere faithful and remain firm in the faith until the end, until they overcome and until each one completes their careers in the Fight of Faith, confirming salvation, glorifying the Name of God and obtaining final victory on Earth before be elevated to the center of the Celestial Kingdom and Glory of the Eternity of God, where they will await the return of Christ, the glorious resurrection and final coming of the Kingdom of God in fullness on the world.
We conclude, therefore, that, since the fall of Adam, God has striven with man to repent and be saved, that there is faith, which is the main thing, and that brings salvation, and that only through faith can exist and be exercised free will, which God does not violate or take away from him. In spite of everything, first comes Faith, which is greater and which is the essence of everything, by which men, since always, are justified and saved according to the eternal purpose that God has planned for the world, for all who receive it with a heart willing and free to serve and worship Him, through Jesus, in spirit and in truth, obeying His Word and walking in His ways, in love, with perseverance and submission to His commandments, which lead to life, seeking His will, which desires that all men do justice and be saved, for the elevation and full spiritual realization, in the Internal Kingdom of God, which is presently already in the hearts inhabited by the Holy Spirit, where there is justice, peace and salvation that last forever.
