Free Will… Not Either/Or

SAT., JUNE 22, 1996, 2:09 PM
FARM, STUDY

You had a reaction to the sermon preached by My servant Rob, reinforced as you read the text, more slowly. It was a Pentecost theme, but the final emphasis was on My “act of strength” in allowing each of you to freely choose Me… or not. It sounded to you as if free will were almost an absolute… that I elect to just wait and hope for any of you to come to Me and My Way. What I’ll tell you now you’ll recognize as a reinforcement of Teachings from our “early days”… even of knowledge you had before I became such a factor in your life.

The Pentecost story is, in itself, a refuting of absolute free will. As Jesus I had selected them, and the Scriptures have no account of any of them turning Me down. I wanted them. It was My Will that they join Me. They did… quite a “stretch” of free will. I told them before My crucifixion that I would die, but I would return, and their spiritual futures were assured. Then there was the crucifixion, the resurrection, My appearance with them in several settings, and then My ascension. But there was no church, no symbolic representation of My sacrificed Body on earth.

Shouldn’t I have left them with their experiences with Me and with their free will? If I am the strong God that Rob pictures for you don’t I wait for these men to do whatever their spirits and will lead them to? No siree… I sent Me, the Holy Spirit, to lead them to what I wanted. Like any good teacher I both communicate and motivate. I gave Peter his sermon of that morning. I provided the mystical touch of making it possible for all those gathered there in that place to hear the message, each in his own language. My message wasn’t, “Gee, I hope you boys decide to get out there and tell of your Savior and organize some churches.” Rather, it was, “Boys, it’s time for you to preach, teach, and organize, ‘cause I want it!”

But of course the most gross “unexample” of free will was My treatment of Saul. (I didn’t even ask him if he now wanted to be called Paul!) I knew this “new religion” would not attract the hard core of My chosen folk, the Jews… and it was kinda fun to have My Jesus message carried to Gentiles and have them become the Christians. And how did I do it? By whacking down Saul on his way to Damascus and telling him how I wanted him to serve Me. Would Paul have thought of this himself? If I had given him a more free choice would he have done what he did? Hardly.

As part of your spirit, mind, and emotions you each have a will. For most of you there is a relatively “free quality” to this. You can decide how to think, and what to do and not do. Will is relative in that in some of you it is weak, others less so, still others, rather strong, and some who have very strong wills. You’ve used the concept of “peer pressure” in this present class, noting that a few create the pressures, and others… do what others want them to do.

With many of you humans I let your wills function, as they will, rather freely. But I do not give up My Sovereignty. I am not saying, “Woe is Me” in relation to the earth scene. I continue to “call” individuals to diverse services I desire. I am not reticent… nor do I feel guilty… about overriding certain wills. If I want you, I’ll call. If I call, you’ll come. If you don’t I may wait to a more propitious time… or let you take the consequences when you reenter the spirit realms.