Bible Verse that Proves Free Will

Isaiah 55:8

“Your thoughts are not my thoughts, your ways are not my ways, saith the Lord.” My contention is that this verse proves that we have free will. Why? Because the verse implies free will.

First, let’s assume that you don’t believe that the Lord (God) actually said it. If that’s the case, then it doesn’t prove free will. But it does do great damage to the idea that the Bible is inspired by God so any conclusion about free will or lack thereof that is drawn from the Bible is suspect and/or meaningless. The Bible then is a just a hodge-podge of folk tales and bits of wisdom. If that’s your belief, and you’re more than welcome to it, then there’s no reason to use Bible verses to debate the matter of free will.

Second, is God just being facetious? Should the verse really say, “Your thoughts are my thoughts and your ways are my ways, because I’m God and I know and control everything about you, and I’m just manipulating you to produce some desired end product.” If that’s the case, then isn’t God stretching the truth just a little bit? In other words, would God be lying? Of course, this conclusion is based upon the idea that God is actually being quoted in the Bible.

Third, it’s time to think. If my thoughts are not God’s thoughts, then how can I not have free will? If they truly belong to me, then am I not their owner and originator? And if my ways (or actions) are not God’s ways, then am I not responsible for those actions that result from my thoughts?

God is the owner and originator of his thoughts and is responsible for his actions. No one would or should argue that God does not have free will. According to the Bible, we are made in his image. We have free will also.