According to the Holy Book of the Christians, the Bible:

“For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).

“In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will” (Ephesians 1:11).

If God created me and, according to the Scriptures, I was predestined—meaning that He chose me to be who I am now even before I existed, without my knowledge or consent—why should I believe that I have free will?

Or should I choose to believe what the same Bible says in Joshua 24:15 (KJV): "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD"?

This suggests that man has the right to choose whether to serve God or not. But does this also mean that man has the right to make his own decisions? Is there such a thing as free will?

When we begin to ask questions like:

• Why should God judge man for his decisions?
• What right has God to judge me?

He said you must not judge another man's servant. I am not serving Him, so why should He judge me?

Why should I be punished for the decisions that I make out of the free will that I am given according to the Bible?

This must be a difficult one, right?

Here is the picture, Beloved:

God is not a man.

Secondly, there's a big difference between free will, judgment, and consequences.

What do I mean?

The fact that you can make a decision of your own and act on it simply means you have free will. A ten-year-old cannot dictate what happens in the house, but when that child hits 18 or 21, as the case may be, hmmm…

Know that whatever decision you make can either mar you or make you.

So, free will is for you to decide. There is the presence of both evil and good, meaning that no one is forcing you to take any particular decision. You can act according to what is in your heart, but just know that there are consequences to every decision you make, whether good or bad.

That's why Christian preachers who have a true relationship with God would advise you to follow only the good paths so that you don't get caught in the wrong net.

You will hear them say things like:

• Don't smoke—it's bad for your health (liver, lungs).
• Don't drink alcohol—it's bad for your health and conduct.
• Don't commit sexual immorality—(that is you giving your strength and person away).

All these are for your own good, not for God. If you die at age 20, 30, or 40 from cancer or AIDS, how does that affect God?

Beloved,
All these things are for our good.
If you want to fulfill your days on earth and live your life in good health, the best path to tread is Jesus Christ and His will (Word/Bible) for you.

The life you have is one,
And you can only live once,
Why not live it right?

I am not saying you shouldn't try other ways,
But I believe you have tried already, and you are tired.

Accept this invitation,
Accept Jesus Christ into your life now.
Just pray to Him.
Ask God to forgive you and accept you into His kingdom of light now in Jesus Christ's name, amen.

Beloved, don't stop here.
Be deliberate; walk into a Bible-believing church in your area and submit to the pastor for guidance and mentorship, and I promise you, you won't regret it.