A Fresh Call to Faithfulness in Our Free Will Baptist Heritage

[Armchair Apologist]

To be fair, free will is not necessarily always running away from God, disobeying His laws, or pursuing inherent sinful lusts.

I am simply going with what the scriptures tell us (Jn 3:19; Rom 3; Eph 2:1-9, etc.)

I would assert that man left to his own free will, will always run from, never towards God. Jesus said that "no man comes to me except the father draw him" (Jn 6:44) and even non-calvinists will acknowledge this. Evangelists often exhort their congregation saying "If God is dealing with you regarding your eternal soul today, there is no guarantee he will continue to deal with you tomorrow, behold now is the day of salvation!"

I think we would all be in agreement here.

Many unsaved individuals begin to seek God, obey His laws written in their conscience, and exercise rigorous restraint toward sinful lusts.

Yes, God uses our reasoning and intellect to bring us to the knowledge of the truth. I can think of my own salvation experience and see that this is true. I sat in a public High School biology class where I was convinced that the intricate design throughout nature could only happen from a sovereign creator of whom I was accountable. I tried to obey the "laws written on my conscience" and saw my complete inability to do so.

In some respects, I can understand how one could see such things as my "Seeking after God" but it seems quite clear to me that it was God who was seeking after and pursuing me! I simply couldn't outrun him! Perhaps there are those who see the very same things I have and chose instead to ignore them, to "conceal the truth in unrighteousness" and continue along their way. I have dealt with many who seemed "Really Close" but then made the ultimate decision to reject Christ and from that point onward, there was nothing I could do to convince them otherwise!

In some cases, people like Buddhists and stoics can sometimes be more ethical and ascetic than many Christians.

I would hope that you and I will both agree here that such are very much lost and are yet dead in their sins, right?

Romans 10:3 - For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. I know that Paul is speaking specifically of the Jews who have rejected Christ but this simply man's sinful nature that they naturally believe they are "OK" and are thus able to merit favor with God on their own!

To say all unbelievers are worthless trash is not an effective orientation for evangelism. Compared to our holy God, all human works amount to nothing but filthy rags, but in the context of humanity, there are good morals that benefit society.

I never said any such thing! We are the Imago Dei and as such, have incredible value and worth! That there are moral restraint in our society is due to God's common grace given to all men! Total depravity does not mean man is as wicked as he could possibly be. Even Adolph Hitler had morals and principles which guided him.

Romans 2:14,15

For when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, they, not having the law, are a law unto themselves,

Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another

Yes, God deals with every man through the "Work of his Creation" and the "Witness of his Conscience" and with this general revelation, man is rendered "Without excuse" without ever hearing or understanding the gospel! It is only through the special revelation of the "Written Canon of the scriptures" that a man is able to become wise unto salvation.

 

[Armchair Apologist]

You all have some great questions. Below is my response to each of the 9 questions.

1. Does “free will” apply only to salvation?​

Free Will Baptists affirm real moral agency in all areas of life. “Free will” does not mean freedom from influence, but the God‑given ability—enabled by prevenient grace—to respond to God.

Prevenient grace (grace that “goes before”) restores the sinner’s ability to respond without forcing the response. Thus, free will applies broadly, but is most emphasized in salvation because that is where Calvinism denies it.

To be fair, most biblically balanced Calvinists acknowledge both God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. There are some extreme, "hyper-Calvinist" types who are "fatalist" and deny the human responsibility aspect.

I can see certain aspects of prevenient grace at work but all men without exception are responsible to repent and believe the Gospel.

As I have stated, I believe that in certain aspects, Free-Will Baptists are more consistent than most eternal-security believing non-Calvininsts but this leaves many questions relating to forensic justification whereby one has been "Declared Righteous" through the finished work of Christ. If one has been declared righteous through Christ's finished, redemptive work, how could they ever be declared unrighteous through any thing they may have done? Are we speaking of a "Conditional Imputation" here?

3. Why would someone “alive in Christ” ever return to spiritual death and commit apostasy?​

Because regeneration does not destroy free will. Believers are truly made alive, yet still capable of choosing unbelief.

Hebrews warns real believers:

Hebrews 6:4–6 describes people who were:

• “enlightened,”
• “partakers of the Holy Ghost,”
• “tasted the good word of God.”

The verb “fall away” is παραπεσόντας (parapesontas)**—to apostatize. Free Will Baptists affirm that believers can truly fall from grace by willful unbelief, not by accident or weakness.

And I believe that the author of Hebrews makes the case that if one is actually "In Christ" and is able to fall from their salvation, that Christ would have to "redo" his work of redemption in order to "restore" you to salvation and that such would never happen. Therefore, there is no hope whatsoever for those who ultimately fall away and apostacize. Would this accurately reflect the Free-Will Baptist position?

4. Did God honor Jonah’s free will or Saul’s free will?​

God overruled their choices providentially, but did not annihilate their agency.

Jonah chose to flee; God disciplined him, yet Jonah still had to choose obedience (Jon. 3:3). Saul chose to persecute; Christ confronted him, yet Saul still had to respond (Acts 9:6).

Free Will Baptists affirm that God governs human choices without predetermining them.

I think we can all agree that God's sovereignty is not limited or thwarted by man's free will.

5. What is the Free Will Baptist view of World Missions and the Great Commission?​

We are strongly missions‑minded. Christ’s command is universal:

We reject the idea that people are “better off” never hearing the gospel. Romans 1:20 teaches that general revelation leaves all men without excuse, but Romans 10:14 teaches that the gospel is God’s appointed means of salvation.

Thus:

• All are accountable for the light they have.
• The gospel must be preached to all.
• No one is “excused” in a way that makes missions unnecessary.

I think we are in general agreement here. There are scriptures speaking of those having the "greater condemnation" and of the judgment being more tolearable for Sodom than those of whom Christ was preaching to.

So, you would agree that one cannot be saved outside of the message of the Gospel?

6. Regarding “saved by faith, kept by faith”—what role does regeneration play?​

Regeneration is a supernatural change, not mental assent.

Greek παλιγγενεσία (palingenesia)** = “new birth, new genesis.”

We are:

• Saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8).
• Kept by the power of God through faith (1 Pet. 1:5).

Faith (πίστις pistis) means trusting, obedient reliance, not mere intellectual agreement. Regeneration produces new desires, yet believers must continue trusting Christ. This ongoing faith is Spirit-enabled, not self‑generated.

I am guessing your view is similar to others who believe they could fall from grace; that such is possible yet it is difficult to define at what point such may actually occur? For others such as myself, this would just be an unregenerate person "showing his or her true colors" or simply admitting that they never actually possessed that which they actually professed. For most so-called "Ex-vangelicals" out there, I would say it is quite easy to pick out the fatal flaws in their theological understanding of their original "salvation experience" and I am being generous in saying "most" in that perhaps there may be one or two out there who may actually have a convincing argument that perhaps I am not aware?

7. Hebrews 6 and 10—are these warnings to professing Jews or true believers?​

Free Will Baptists hold that these warnings are addressed to true believers, not merely professing Jews.

Hebrews 10:29 says the person was:

• “sanctified” (ἁγιάζω hagiazō)
• by “the blood of the covenant.”

This verb is used of genuine believers (Heb. 2:11; 10:10).

Hebrews 6 describes people who were “partakers of the Holy Ghost.” This is not language for unconverted churchgoers.

Thus:

• Hebrews warns real believers against apostasy.
• Apostasy is a willful, persistent rejection of Christ and His blood.

Much of what I have stated above should suffice my understanding here. I would simply state that I agree with you about apostacy being a wilful, persistent rejection of Christ and his blood which to me, is consistent with that of an unbeliever. One could be "Playing the Game" and sincerely deceiving themselves or perhaps they may be aware of their unregenerative state and yet "playing the game" in order to deceive others. While some come to the realization of their hypocrisy and come to an actual repentance and faith (genuine conversion), others walk away as the "dog who returns to his own vomit" and repudiates the faith they once professed.

8. Difference between divine discipline and apostasy? And is conditional perseverance “dependent on us”?​

Divine discipline = God correcting His children who still possess faith, though disobedient.

Apostasy = deliberate abandonment of faith.

Conditional perseverance means:

• Believers must continue in faith (Col. 1:23).
• God enables this perseverance (Phil. 2:13).
• God keeps us through faith (1 Pet. 1:5).

Thus perseverance is synergistic: God keeps us, and we continue trusting Him. If someone is comfortable in sin with no discipline, it is evidence of no regeneration, and church discipline is appropriate.

So I guess you are "Consistently synergistic?" I would say that there is, in fact, some aspects of synergism in our sanctification (Rom 6:13-16) but that there is even a struggle here is evidence to me that regeneration has taken place. One may "Play the game" for a while but I believe that God is the one who ultimately keeps you and that such will be evident in a changed life that is becoming more and more consistent.

9. Why do we continue trusting Christ after salvation?​

Because salvation is a living relationship, not a one‑time transaction.

We continue trusting because:

• Christ is our life (Col. 3:4).
• We are commanded to abide (μένω menō) in Him (Jn. 15:4).
• We are warned not to be “moved away” from the gospel (Col. 1:23).

Faith is not a past event; it is a present posture. We were saved by faith; we live by faith (Gal. 2:20). If we cease trusting Christ, we cut ourselves off from the saving benefits of His atonement.

And to all of this, I would say "AMEN!"