Yesterday, I was listening to a teaching by Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, on the first chapter of Genesis.

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)

He pointed out that one of the ways that man was created in God’s image is that humans are self-determinate; that is, we can choose our conduct. Not only do we have the ability to choose, we are given choices, and those choices are respected by (not necessarily approved by) God. This is really quite profound.

Suppose that you go into a restaurant and ask for lemonade, but then told that only water is available. You don’t have a choice. You may have a preference, but you don’t have a choice. Now, suppose, instead, that the waitperson asks you, “Do you want water or lemonade?” You state that your preference is lemonade, but then you are told, “Lemonade isn’t good for you. I’m going to give you water.” You may have thought that you made a choice, but since your choice wasn’t respected, you still don’t have a choice.

I am reminded of the words of Archibald MacLeish (I had these words on the light switch plate in my bedroom as a boy):

Freedom is the right to choose: the right to create for oneself the alternatives of choice. Without the possibility of choice a man is not a man but a member, an instrument, a thing.

Now, I don’t want to get into the whole predestination/freewill debate here. I only wish to point out that we are endowed by our Creator with the ability to choose; However, without alternatives to choose from, or the implementation of our choices, the notion of freewill is a sham, or pure hyperbole. This is probably why thousands have risked life and limb to escape communist dictatorships.

When the Scripture declares “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15), a genuine choice is presented. Our current culture would have us blame our behaviors on genetic, societal, and environmental predispositions. Predispositions are not predestinations. Choose wisely.