Free Will and Predestination: Choice, Accountability, and the Cost of Love

The questions have often been asked: does free will really exist? If God created all things knowing the end from the beginning, then who can choose something other than what is known? Does God really give us a choice not to follow Him when the alternative is hell? Why would God create man knowing he would sin, and then punish him for it?

To answer these questions, we need to understand what free will is—and what it is not.

The Definition of Free Will

The typical definition of free will is the ability to choose otherwise. It assumes that one must be able to choose something else without influence, interference, or consequence—in other words, without sufficient coercion.

Since everything we do is influenced by conditions and potential consequences, it is then said that we do not have true free will. It is supposedly just an illusion.

As a result, it is sometimes said that God removes our free will and forces us to choose Him because the consequence is hell. Naturally, no one wants to go there, so they are forced to choose God. That “force” is then seen as immoral.

But here’s the problem: people do still choose not to follow God, and the end result is hell. So the argument fails here. The skeptic arguing that they have no choice but to choose God is currently not choosing God. Influence and consequences, therefore, obviously fail to remove free will.

Interference does not remove free will either. If I intend to drive to the store and encounter road construction, I am not forced to abandon my goal; I simply choose a different route. Even if another person were to seize the steering wheel and cause an accident, they would be responsible for the outcome—not for my intention. Choice and outcome are not the same thing.

So the definition that free will is the ability to choose otherwise no matter what is flawed. A stronger definition must be used.

A better definition would be this: free will is the ability to choose according to one’s nature.

This removes the incorrect idea that freedom must be without influence, interference, or consequence. Those ideas were never true to begin with.

Now that we know what free will is—and is not—we can begin answering those questions.

Does Predestination and Foreknowledge Remove Free Will

There is an idea in the Bible called predestination. Many assume that predestination means our fate is sealed and out of our hands.

If God already knows our choices, then it is argued that we are powerless to change what they will be. But there is a very important detail that must not be missed. God knows our choices, but that does not mean God made those choices for us. Foreknowledge of a choice does not cause it. The choice determines what is foreknown.

The word predestination itself is pre-destination, not pre-path. That means the destination is known, but the path is up to you. You choose the path to the destination you want to reach. God simply ensures that the destination is available when you get there.

If you are a skeptic, it may be hard not to go in circles here. Some will ask, “If God knows what I am going to do tomorrow, then it is known today. Can I choose differently than what is already known?” But this again attempts to place the effect before the cause.

I have explained this many times, and almost always the skeptic will restate the accusation that if God knows the outcome, it cannot be changed by our choices. But once again, choice determines foreknowledge. To say otherwise puts the effect before the cause, which is irrational.

The reality is that predestination does not mean you have no choice. It means your choice is known. Understanding this helps us see that we are accountable to God for how we respond to His call.

In Romans 8:30, it says that those God predestinated, He also called. Some take this to mean that God only called those who would be saved—meaning no one else could even choose to answer the call. But Matthew and John make it clear that this is not the case.

All of humanity is called to come to God. That includes those who know His name and those who do not. Those who answer the call are chosen to be with the Lord. As He said, “Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you.”

Does Conditioning Remove Free Will?

If free will is the ability to choose according to one’s own nature, it can be argued that our very nature removes free will—because “we cannot choose what is not in our nature to choose.”

For example, can you choose to believe something you do not believe? No, you can’t—not without some kind of reason to change that belief.

But we can choose how we arrive at our beliefs. We can study opposing views. We can expose ourselves to new arguments. We can ignore evidence that supports another belief or deliberately challenge our own. We can make an honest effort to allow ourselves to be convinced—or refuse to do so.

You cannot simply flip a switch and change what you believe. But you can make small choices over time that alter your beliefs. This means we are accountable for our actions—and even our beliefs. Responsibility does not require that we control our beliefs in the moment; it requires that we control how we allow our beliefs to be shaped.

In other words, belief itself is not chosen, but the path toward belief is. Though we cannot instantly change what we believe, we can make small, voluntary choices that shape our understanding, our character, and ultimately our nature. So when a choice is finally presented, we have already been making that decision all along.

This also answers the common objection that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. The objection assumes the hardening was unilateral. But Scripture also says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. God gave him the choice, and Pharaoh chose to reject God ten times. Each time hardened his heart a little more.

The Nature of God and Man

This raises another common objection: “If my nature determines my choices, then I’m still not free.”

If free will is the ability to choose according to one’s nature, doesn’t that very nature restrict freedom by ruling out certain choices? In fact, I’ll take the objection a step further. Doesn’t this mean that even God no longer has free will?

If nature determines choice, then does God—whose nature cannot change—even possess free will at all? Can God choose to change His nature? If He cannot lie and cannot choose to sin, where is His free will? Does our very nature prevent choice?

The answer is no. The nature of an individual does not remove their ability to choose. That applies to both us and God.

The difference between God and us is that He already is who He is. The question is not whether God has the ability to violate His own nature—it is whether He has the desire to do so. He does not. He has already chosen to be the same yesterday, today, and forever.

We, on the other hand, are still becoming who we choose to be. His choice is made; His nature is settled. Our choice is still being made—our final nature is still being decided by us.

Our nature is still forming, so our choices can differ from one day to the next. God’s nature is already formed, so His choices never violate who He is. His freedom is not diminished by His nature to be faithful. He cannot deny Himself—not because He lacks freedom, but because there is nothing within Him—no lack, no conflict, no competing desire—that compels Him to do so.

Free Will Is Confirmed

So far, I’ve explained that free will does not disappear because of foreknowledge, conditions, influence, interference, consequences, or even a settled nature. It has been established as a real, observable attribute.

If free will exists, then our actions cannot be blamed on others. Our beliefs are not merely the result of our environment. And we are fully accountable to God.

What follows this realization is either acceptance—or an attempt to escape into denial once again. There are a few common escape hatches skeptics tend to run to at this point. These are the statements they make in hopes that their position will survive:

1. Free will only exists if one can choose against their own nature, reasons, or desires.
2. All choices are determined; therefore, no one is responsible.
3. Modern science shows brain activity before a choice is made, so our choices are not consciously determined by us.

But these statements cannot be made without a cost.

Statement number one results in the idea that free will requires choices to be irrational and random. If the skeptic uses this escape hatch to deny free will, they must accept that there should be no coherent thought in their own mind.

Statement number two is simply an attempt to return to the old, flawed definition of free will—the ability to choose otherwise. In doing so, the skeptic must recognize that they are returning to that definition for the sake of self-preservation, not truth.

Statement number three points to activity in the brain but it does not matter whether our subconscious is involved in decision-making or not. In the end it is still us. To rely on this argument, the skeptic must separate themselves from themselves.

The Morality of Free Will

So why did God give us free will? If He knew we would choose to sin, He could have simply not created us. Or He could have made a different version of us. Why create us knowing we would sin—and then punish us for it?

This is where we truly get to the bottom of the issue. The problem is not the logic of free will itself; it is the emotion and pain that come with it.

Yes, God could have chosen not to create us or not to give us free will. But He did. In that sense, He did create us knowing we would fall as part of His plan. He did not force our choices, but He gave us the opportunity to fall, knowing that we would. There is a difference.

So why would a loving God do something knowing it would result in so much pain and suffering? Why would He give us the ability to break the law knowing the consequence was hell? The answer is love.

Without free will, there can be no such thing as love—because love is not merely a feeling. It is a choice.

In order for there to be a choice, there must be options. And you must also be able to choose not to love. A world without free will is a world without options, and a world without options is a world without love.

So God faced a choice: give us the ability to love with the risk of suffering, or deny us love in order to spare the comfort of those who would have chosen suffering of their own accord. It is a choice between holding sinners accountable for their sins or withholding the greatest possible blessing from those who would choose to love.

This is where the rubber meets the road. There is a quote from a movie that I love: “Cost and worth are two very different things.” Your opinion on which option should have been chosen depends on whether you care more about the cost—or the worth.

The cost is indeed high. The consequence of sin is death. In fact, it goes beyond death and into eternal torment. The idea of seeing those you love endure pain and suffering forever is unbearable. But is the cost too high?

Many people have never experienced the tragedy of a loved one forcing you to hurt—or even kill—them. But those who have know it is one of the most painful experiences imaginable. Years later, people still struggle with overwhelming emotions because of it.

Sometimes we are wounded by forces outside our control, and those experiences can shape us. But they do not remove our ability to choose how we respond.

So how does a person respond to the choices of loved ones who choose suffering? How could anyone ever accept having to allow pain and suffering for those they love—even if it was their choice and not ours?

One way people cope is through separation. They shut off their compassion. They treat those people as though they never existed. They push them out of their thoughts. And if you wonder how people in heaven can cope with knowing there are people in hell, this is how.

When God says, “Depart from me,” He is not speaking of location—He is everywhere. He is speaking of separation from His compassion, His care, and His love. Those who choose evil are not worthy of Him, nor are they worthy of those who choose love.

That sounds cold and harsh. But that is the reality of judgment—and no apology is owed for it. Mercy is offered today. Love and joy for eternity are genuine possibilities for you and me. No one is forced to choose hell. But judgment comes tomorrow for those who reject God’s love and mercy.

So ask yourself: do you value the comfort of the guilty above the ultimate love of God? Your answer will likely depend on whether you stand among the guilty—or among those who love God.

The question is not whether God’s valuation of love is right. He has already made His choice. The question is: which group do you want to stand with on judgment day?

You have the ability to make that choice.