Can and Does God Violate Our Free Will?

A very common assertion among Christians today is the idea that God can do lots of things, but one of the things he can not or will not do is violate human free will. This can be seen in movies like "Bruce Almighty" where Jim Carey plays Bruce who receives all of God's powers for a short time with two conditions: You can not tell anyone you're God and you can not violate free will. Not only this, but it is also being taught in churches all across America and around the world. Does this teaching line up with what the Bible really teaches?

In truth the Bible teaches nothing in terms of human beings having a totally "free" will. It is something that many claim is implied by the fact that God holds people accountable for their actions. Many often point to Adam and eve and claim that God gave them a free will, and therefore we also have such a free will. Unfortunately the Bible makes it quite clear that a great fall took place, and sin entered the world. The Bible tells us that we are slaves of sin and that those who are according to the flesh can not please God, but only those according to the spirit can please Him.

However, even if we assume that we really do have a free will, is God allowed to violate it? More importantly, does the Bible give examples of God violating the free will of certain people? Indeed there are. In Genesis chapter 20 verse 6 we read God saying: "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her." Here we have an example of God violating a person's free will in order to restrain them from committing evil. Is God allowed to do this? Of course He is, Romans 9 tells us that God hardens whom He wishes and he has mercy on whom He wishes. In summary, God can do what He wants with His creation. Most people do not like this idea, unfortunately.

What about those who are Christians? Does God violate their free will as well? In Ezekiel 36 verse 27 God tells us about the Holy Spirit which He will later send: "And I (God not us) will put my Spirit within you, and CAUSE you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey my rules." This is one of many verses that support the idea that it is not our free will choices that save us and keep us saved, but rather the power of God working in and through us. It is God who does all the work. As Philipians chapter 1 verse 13 states: "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him."

These are just a few of the many verses of the Bible that completely refute the idea that God can not or will not violate human free will, and whether or not we have a free will to begin with is another discussion altogether. Where people come up with such ideas is clearly not a result of Biblical study, but rather a result of people creating a god in their own mind that they like better than the God of the Bible.