Is Free Will Really Free?

Nowhere in the Bible is there any specific mention of 'Free Will,' the divine will of God, or human free will because it never discusses philosophical subjects of any kind. It is apparent in the Bible that God is regarded as acting freely, and that humans are recognized as free agents to do whatever they want. However, the Bible does mention human freedom:

"So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory - even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'" "And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'" (Romans 9:18-26 ESV)

Throughout the Bible, it is revealed that God acts according to the counsel of His will. The freedom of His Divine will is plainly implied:

"For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." (Romans 11:34-36 ESV)

The Creator of the Universe can only act freely as there is nothing constraining Him to act in any other way. He acts in accordance with His own holy and just nature, which is love (John 4:8,16; also 1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

The Bible is written with the understanding that humans are free agents and have the consciousness of being free from the very beginning, as seen with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15-17). Jesus spoke with this understanding that humans are not passive pawns in the grand scheme of things when He said the following:

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 ESV)

"yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." (John 5:40-41 ESV)

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:44 ESV)

The Bible reveals that humans are totally depraved and dead in their trespasses and sins apart from Jesus and are incapable of helping or saving themselves without God's prior action. The people of this world are in bondage because of their sinful will and under a curse from the power of satan (Galatians 3:13; Acts 26:18). Everyone sins and is a slave to it (John 8:34; Romans 7:14,25).

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace, you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV – also John 1:9)

A spiritually dead person can't act or decide to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior and become Born-Again. People can be set free by acknowledging the countless unmerited acts of God's grace. Because God is love, He wants humans to know Him intimately by entering into a covenant relationship through Jesus. This relationship is far more than following the rules He has given. He prepares/draws people for salvation through acts of grace, which is a response to what He has already done and never begins with something a person does (John 1:9). Jesus enlightens everyone.