FAITHFULWORD.ORG | TEACHINGS

[II Timothy 2:15]; Genesis 2:15-17; Revelation 22:16, 17; Psalm 54:6; Romans 10:9, 10; 8:32; I Corinthians 2:12; Luke 24:44-53; Acts 2:1-4; 8:4-8; Matthew 10:1, 7, 8; Luke 10:1-9. 17-224; John 20:21, 22; II Corinthians 5:17-20; Philippians 2:5

We freely receive from God, and so we give freely. When it comes to the things of God, it is vitally important for us, as Christian men and women, to understand the way God has set up life. For true love to exist, there must be an atmosphere of freedom of will. God makes things available to His people, setting up His guidelines and parameters of love, then leaves it up to the individual to live or not live in that fashion. To the end we take God at His word and receive the things He has for us, we will be blessed.

To illustrate this, we must understand the concept of freedom of will. God, for example, tells His people in His Word that they are to study God’s Word. Yet God does not push the Bible in front of us and force us to read and study. We read of the benefits of all types of prayer and God’s delight in answering them, but the spirit does not force us to pray.

We have freely received the things of the spirit, and should freely give. But we will not automatically manifest the things of the spirit. That comes about by the free-will decision of each believer. Praise, worship, obedience and love for God are all matters of free will. Salvation is a free will choice. It is not automatic. It requires a person’s choice of confessing the Lord Jesus and believing God raised him from the dead.