RJBRM Bible Study: Free Will and God's Redemption Plan

Introduction

Imagine this scenario: God decides to cancel all evil at midnight tonight. As the clock strikes 12:01, what would the world look like? Would anyone survive?

Reflect on this question for a moment. How would it affect you? This thought experiment encourages us to reflect on our own hearts and actions, and more importantly, on the mercy and grace of God.

Despite the reality of evil, God’s greater purpose for humanity lies in the gift of free will — a gift that allows us to choose love, righteousness, and redemption through Christ.

1. Free Will: A Gift from God

Narrative: Once, there was a father who had two sons. One son always did what his father asked — simply out of duty — and was emotionally disconnected from the father.

The other son often stumbled and made mistakes. Yet every time, he returned to his father with love, asking for forgiveness and learning from his transgressions.

Which son do you think warmed the father's heart more?

This narrative illustrates why God gave us free will. He didn’t create us to robotically follow Him. He desires a relationship with us. A genuine love that comes from choice, even if that choice sometimes leads us astray before we return to Him.

• Key Scripture: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27).

  
  

  We are made in God's image, and just like Him, we have the ability to choose.

• Parable: There was a gardener who planted two trees in his orchard. One tree, though planted in good soil, produced bitter fruit. The other tree, planted in the same soil, produced sweet and juicy fruit. The gardener said, "The trees are in the same soil and receive the same sunlight. Why, then, does one tree produce good fruit, and the other bad?"

  
  

  In the same way, God has given all of us the soil and sunlight of free will. What kind of fruit will we produce?

• Application: Reflect on how you are using your free will. Are you choosing to love and honor God through your decisions? Take a few minutes to write down how you will intentionally choose to obey God this week and allow His grace to fuel your obedience.

2. The Reality of Sin

Narrative: A young boy lived in a beautiful house by the river. His father told him, "Stay close to the house. The river is fast and deep, and if you wander too far, you could be swept away." But the boy was curious and wandered too close to the water’s edge. Before he knew it, he slipped and fell into the river. He struggled and fought, but the current was too strong. Just when he thought he would drown, his father reached down, pulled him from the water, and saved his life.

This story mirrors our relationship with sin. We may be tempted to wander into dangerous places, but God is always ready to rescue us when we call out to Him.

• Key Scripture: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

  
  

  No one is without sin, but God's grace is always available to those who seek Him.

• Parable: A merchant once had two customers. One customer came to the shop every day and always paid what he owed. The other customer also came every day but frequently bought goods on credit, promising to pay later. One day, the merchant asked, "How much longer will you keep coming without paying your debts?" The customer replied, "As long as you continue to offer me credit."

  
  

  In the same way, sin accrues a debt we cannot pay, but thankfully, God’s grace is the ultimate payment for our shortcomings.

• Application: Confess areas where you’ve continued to “wander to the river’s edge” and ask God to help you return to the safety of His presence. Spend a few moments in quiet reflection, asking God to reveal areas of sin that need to be surrendered to Him.

3. Why Doesn’t God Eliminate All Evil?

Narrative:There was once a king who ruled a great kingdom. One day, his advisors suggested that he root out all rebellion in the land by force. But the king replied, “If I destroy all those who rebel, I will lose my people, for none are perfect.

• Key Scripture: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

  
  

  Despite our sin, God offers us eternal life through His Son, rather than immediate destruction.

• Parable: A man planted a vineyard and hired workers to tend it. He often visited to check on the workers and saw some being dishonest, stealing from him. Instead of firing them on the spot, the man chose to stay patient, hoping they would repent and change. In the same way, God patiently waits for us to turn from sin and choose Him.

• Application: How can you extend patience and grace to those around you, just as God has been patient with you? Write down one person you will show extra patience toward this week, and pray for God to give you the strength to do so.

4. God’s Desire for Relationship, Not Robots

Narrative: There was a village where everyone wore the same clothes, ate the same food, and went about their daily lives exactly as they were instructed. The villagers never questioned anything and lived in peace. But when a traveler arrived and asked, “Do you love your village?” the people didn’t know how to respond. “What does love mean?” they asked, for they had never had the freedom to choose anything for themselves.

True love and worship come from choice. God could have created us to follow Him without question, but He desired a people who would choose to love Him freely.

• Key Scripture: "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

  
  

  Our ability to love God comes from the love He first showed us through Christ.

  
  

• Parable: A man had two dogs. One he kept tied up in the yard, and the other he allowed to roam freely. The first dog always remained near the man, but only because of the leash. The second dog chose to stay near the man, not because it had to, but because it loved and respected him.

  
  

  God desires our love to be like the second dog's — freely given and not forced.

• Application: How can you show God your love through voluntary worship and acts of service this week? Take a moment to write down one act of service or worship that you will offer to God out of love this week.

Conclusion: God offers us the gift of free will, which means we have the power to choose Him. As we reflect on the possibility of a world without evil, we are reminded that God is patient and offers redemption instead of instant judgment.

Let us use our free will wisely, choosing love, grace, and faithfulness, so that we might grow in our relationship with the one true God, who desires for us to freely choose Him.