Free Will

“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Luke 4:34

Chapter 4 of the Gospel of St. Luke begins with the sentence, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.” Why would the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness to face the enemy? I would suppose so Jesus could start the battle for the world.

In the previous chapter, Jesus was baptized by John who said of Him, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” During Jesus’ baptism, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

The demons recognized Jesus, and the king of the demons plotted to destroy Him. Everywhere He went, He commanded demons out of possessed people. They shouted, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah. 

Today, people do not believe much in the devil and his minions. And that is exactly how the enemy likes it. I was amazed to know that a major political party in the US proudly proclaims they are for killing babies in the womb. There have been more than 28 million abortions in the world in this year alone. There is so much evil in the world and many ask how can we believe in God if He permits evil? If He allows human trafficking, social injustice, famine, and evil men to thrive? Evil exists because God gave man the precious gift of free will. 

Without free will, there is no genuine love, no self sacrifice, no servant hearts. For love to be true, it must be freely offered and received. That is what God wants from His people.