C.S. Lewis on Free Will


Here’s the best, and shortest, analysis of personal volition, or free will, that I’ve ever seen. Go, Uncle Jack:

The sin, both of men and of angels, was rendered possible by the fact that God gave them free will: this surrendering a portion of His omnipotence (it is again a deathlike or descending movement) because He saw that from a world of free creatures, even though they fell, He could work out (and this is the re-ascent) a deeper happiness and a fuller splendour than any world of automata would admit.

From Miracles

Truth be told, and to the irritation of both sides of the divine sovereignty issue, the Bible clearly spells out both God’s absolute sovereignty, and man’s personal volition. “How can that be?” you ask. It’s easy if you’re God. Just don’t limit God to your ability to understand His Truth. Ever!

2 thoughts on “C.S. Lewis on Free Will

  1. God tells us what to do Jim if we don’t understand His Truth, wisdom is the Principal thing by the empowering of the Holy Spirit in knowing His Truth as confirmed below.

    Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding

    James 1:5-6 If any of you lack wisdom, let that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given them. But let them ask in faith, nothing wavering. For them that wavereth are like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

    1 Corinthians 2:9-16 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that Love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with Spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are Spiritually discerned. But he that is Spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the Mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? but we have the Mind of Christ.

    Why would God create Puppets who have to Love Him, it would be meaningless. Do you want me to Love you Jim as my Brother in Christ Jesus because I have to or because I want to. When we Love someone we want to be with them , we talk about them to others, we share our deepest thoughts and feelings with them, we may even have a Brag book like Grandparents often have but not because we have to but because we want to, and yes we look for a response from those we Love just as God does….my Brag Book is the Bible.

    Christian Love in Christ Jesus – Anne.

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