In Joshua 24:15, Scripture reads, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” A passage that carries so much meaning, given the challenges of our current culture. But the verse also speaks to a great gift, which, properly understood, is also a tremendous responsibility.
As simple human beings, it can sometimes be challenging to understand why the all-knowing, all-powerful God would have given us the freedom to make our own choices. As much as I want to make sound decisions, I struggle with even the fundamental challenges of life. So did Paul. In Romans 7:19, he was inspired to write, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” Paul is speaking in the larger context about the war within him, and by extension, us, but concludes that the ultimate decision for us lies in the acceptance of the deliverance offer through Jesus Christ.
We have to see that God allows us to make our own decisions (He gave us free will) out of love and goodness. Yes, His power is such that he could force obedience and predefine our behavior, but in doing so, our obedience would be meaningless, and our love would be hollow. Deuteronomy 6:5 instructs, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” While this is a command, it is not something we are forced to do, because love demands freedom. Without the freedom to make choices (both good and bad), we could not experience spiritual growth or the renewal described in Titus 3:5 and other passages.
When we realize that God’s immense love for us is His motivation for our freedom (and our hope of salvation), we must mature to the realization that with great freedom comes great responsibility. We must carefully consider our choices so as not to waste the many blessings offered to us. Our growth, the purity of our character, and the product of our lives depend on both our ability to choose and the wisdom with which we make choices. The soundness of our choices begins with the decision presented in Joshua 24:15. Until we decide to serve the Lord, all other decisions are a misuse of the freedom God has given us.
—Martin Kent Miller