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Free Will and its Limitations

This month's reflections are more lengthy than usual. They deal with a difficult subject: free will. The materials are drawn from several faiths.

Yahweh God took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and take care of it. Then Yahweh God gave the man this command, "You are free to eat of all the trees in the garden. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you are not to eat; for, the day you eat of that, you are doomed to die." Genesis 2:15-17, New Jerusalem Bible.

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Then the snake said to the woman, "No! You will not die! God knows in fact that the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good from evil." The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was enticing for the wisdom that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.Genesis 3:4-6, New Jerusalem Bible.

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Then Yahweh God said to the woman, "Why did you do that?" The woman replied, "The snake tempted me and I ate." Genesis 3:13, New Jerusalem Bible.

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Then Yahweh God said, "Now that the man has become like one of us in knowing good from evil, he must not be allowed to reach out his hand and pick from the tree of life too, and eat and live for ever.!" Genesis 3:22, New Jerusalem Bible.

I'm full of myself--after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.

But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but I am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. Romans 7:15-25, Peterson, The Message at 317.

The Master's [Abdu'l Baha's] positive approach to life and to people encouraged His friends, good as they may have been, to become even better. They were to 'see no evil' in others, nor were they to see it in themselves, except in so far that it encouraged them to grow spiritually. The Master said, 'Do not look at they weakness; nay look at the power of they Lord, which hath surrounded all regions.' This advice is found repeatedly: 'Do not look at your weakness, nay, rely upon the confirmation of the Holy Spirit. Verily, It maketh the weak strong, the lowly mighty, the child grown, the infant mature and the small great.'

And again -- 'Trust in the favor of God. Look not at your own capacities, for the divine bestowal can transform a drop into an ocean; it can make a tiny seed a lofty tree.'

Super-psychiatrist that He was, He taught that, 'We should not be occupied with our failings and weakness, but concern ouselves about the Will of God so that it may flow thro7ugh us, thereby healing these human infirmities.' Abdu'l Bahá, Vignettes from the Life of Abdu'l~Bahá at 105-106.

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