Episode 17: "Freedom - Can We Call It Free Will If We're Not Free?"
Hey everyone, welcome back to Jesus the Legend! Today, I want to dive into a topic that came up in my recent interview with David Artman. When I asked him what the biggest push-back he gets against Christian Universalism is, he said it’s the idea that it takes away free choice. That really got me thinking, because I wrestled with that same question a few years ago as well… plus I’ve heard that same concern from others myself. The idea is if everyone ultimately chooses God, then somehow, human freedom is being violated—that real love requires the option to reject Him forever, even if that means eternal separation or torment. But is that actually true? Is that how freedom really works?I believe it’s time to take a closer look at what freedom actually is. Because when we talk about free will, we tend to assume that every person is making fully rational, unbiased, and independent choices. But in reality, our choices are shaped by so many things—our upbringing, our wounds, our fears, the lies we’ve believed, and the cultural and religious systems we’ve been part of. If a person rejects God, are they doing so with full clarity and understanding? Or is that rejection coming from a place of pain, confusion, or deception?If we believe that God is truly a loving Father, does He stand back and simply allow His children to remain in their blindness and brokenness forever? Or does He, in His relentless love, continue drawing them—pulling them toward healing, toward truth, and ultimately, toward Himself?Today, we’re going to explore what real freedom looks like, whether our choices are as “free” as we assume, and what it means when Jesus says in John 12:32, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” What does it mean for God to draw us? Does it override our will, or does it restore it?
Netherlands