I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Proverbs chapter
16. I don't guess I could have asked
Brother Neal to choose a scripture that would have been more relevant
to what I'm getting ready to preach on. Proverbs 16, verse 9. I want
to preach on this one verse of Scripture. Proverbs 16, 9. A man's heart diviseth his way,
but the Lord directeth his steps. I've entitled this message. I've
made mention of this. Brother Scott preached on this.
Every grace preacher that I know deals with this issue. But here's what I've entitled
this message. Does man have a free will? That's what you've talked about,
Neal. Does man have a free will? You know, the Scripture talks
about the Old Testament. The Jews would bring a free will
offering. It was a requirement. But the Scripture does not deal,
doesn't talk about man having a free will. It's not in the
Scriptures. We talk about a man's will. Now, I'll tell you what Scripture
does use. I'll tell you what it does use. Heart. Heart. A man deviseth his way, but the
Lord directeth his steps. Now, Proverbs, I was just looking
in the margin there right beside that The passage of Scripture,
Proverbs 19.21 says this, there are many devices,
that is, there are many intentions in a man's heart. Now, I looked
up that word, heart, and that's will. There are many devices,
many intentions in a man's heart. the counsel of the Lord, that
shall stand. Now, I want to deal with this
because I'm going to tell you something. This is the issue. This is the rub right here. Between
false religion, their rub against God's true and sovereign grace. Man by nature is born with a
heart that is selfish. I want what I want. Now this verse, Proverbs 16 verse
9, a man's heart diviseth his way, but the Lord
directeth his steps. That verse sets forth this truth
A man's heart diviseth his way." That means that a man is a creature
that possesses a heart, a will, a desire to devise or to plot, to plan,
to think, or to long to complete his way. A man's heart diviseth
his way, his course of life. Now that's a given, that's a
fact. You just write that down. He has the ability to think with
a mind that designs in his mind to build a house, build an end. to what he thinks he desires
to do. He projects in his mind, he has
a plan, a blueprint that leads to an end that he wants. But
let me tell you how far it goes. It goes only as far as the dictates
of his heart, concern to the capacity of his ability. You know, an animal possesses
an instinct to react to his environment, to do things that just happens. But being able to sit and plot
next year, next week, Tomorrow I'm going to try to manipulate
and stuff." Only a man. A man has a heart, a will, that
divides it his way. So someone would say, well, then
doesn't man have a free will? No. No. I'm going to show you
that. I'm going to show you what a
free will is. Man is capable of devising his
way, I know it says that, but he's in bondage because there's
limits on what that man can do. Here's what I'm saying. A man
does devise his way, but man by nature, as he's born in Adam,
has one heart, one will, one thought process. And it's evil. Genesis 6-5, God saw that the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination,
of the thoughts of his heart, the thoughts of his will, that
heart that diviseth his way. Every thought, every imagination
was only evil continually. It was only evil. So here's a
question. that's answered from the mouth
of our Lord, Matthew 12, 34. Old generation of vipers. How can ye, being evil, speak
good things? How do you think that you have
the capability? How can you? Not how may you?
How can you? For out of the abundance of the
heart, out of the abundance of the will, as a man or woman is
born in Adam, her mouth speaketh evil." A man born in Adam, I'm talking
about a man just born the way he's just naturally born. He's
got a nature. It's all the same. Every man, every woman born is
born a rebel against God. That's what God said. Man can
plot, devise, think through, plan his course of life, but
if the root of his reasoning is evil, then all that comes
forth from his plans are evil. A man deviseth his way. Job 15,
14, 16. What is man that he should be
clean? And he which is born of woman, that he should be righteous?
Behold, he, that is the Lord, putteth no trust in his saints,
Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable
and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water." You tell an unbeliever. The Scripture says that as a
man is born in his father Adam, as he is naturally born, You
are nothing else than a God-hating, Christ-resenting rebel against
God. You've never thought a good thought.
You've never done a good deed. Whatever you think is good, tainted
with sin, is rottenness before God Almighty. It stinks in His
nostrils. Man, I'm telling you, you'll
think, They'll think, I'm not like that. Yes, we are. And a believer, you tell a believer
that, and he'll raise his hand and say, I'm the first one to
agree with you. I'm telling you, I've told you this before and
I mean it, in me, that is in my flesh, I'm telling you, you're
looking at the most disrespectful person you've ever met before
God. I've never had a good thought in myself. I've never had a kind
word to say as I'm born in Adam. That's what Paul meant when he
said, a wretched man that I am. The Scripture says, Psalm 14,
3, they're all gone aside, they're all together become filthy. There's
none that doeth good, no, not one. And the first thing that
Almighty God is going to show somebody that He's going to show
mercy to, He's going to show them what they are. And they'll
admit by the grace of God. When God gives them a new heart,
a new will, that's the first thing they'll say, Mitch. That's
me. That's me. So I know that the
unbeliever devises nothing but evil from an evil heart. He devises. A man's heart devises his way.
He's free. But he's free only to rebel against
God, to desire evil, because that's all that's within his
heart. But he has no heart, no desire,
no will to do good. It's not there. It's just not
there. Free. Free. Every time I go home in the last
two or three weeks, about halfway between here and the house, just before you get to the church
right up here, Willow Tree Church, two or three houses back, there's
a dog that's chained up. And the chain, Carl, is about
as long as from me to you. Mark, you've seen this. Michelle.
And look, that dog has got a semicircle. Worn. When a car comes this way,
he's after that car. When he's coming this way, he's
after that car right there. And I'm telling you, the ground
is worn. And you know that dog can run
anywhere he wants to as long as he don't try to extend past
the chain. Is he free? No. He's bound. You say, well, he
can run anywhere he wants to. Yeah. And an evil man can rebel
against God all he wants to. But that's all it's going to
be. Evil. I know, Paul says, that in me,
that is in my flesh, the way I'm born there dwelleth no good
thing. For to will, now that he knows
God, to think, to devise, is present with me. Now here's a
new man talking. But how to perform, how to work,
how to fully accomplish, how to finish that which is good,
I find not, I perceive not. You see, a man that is unconverted,
he has one desire. He devises his way, and everything
he devises is evil against God. Now, a believer. Does a believer
have a free will? No. No. I just read it to you. Paul said,
I know that in me, that is in my flesh, there dwelleth no good
thing. That's the way I was born. But now there's a new man there,
and has it got a new heart, there's a new will, there's a new desire
for to will, to think, to devise. Now it's present with me, but
here's where my free will is stopped, is shown to be not there. Let me say it like that. But
how to perform, how to work it, how to fully accomplish and finish
that which is good. He said, I don't have it. I'll
have it. Even a new man can desire, can
will, can long to, to be fully faithful. You that know Him in
regenerating grace, I'm going to tell you what you think. I
would desire to be faithful. I would long. I would desire
to think rightly. before God. To speak with respect. I would long to never let anything
that anybody says to me ruffle my feathers. And I would long
to seek after peace and speak comfortably to God's people,
speak respectfully of God's people, and defend their character. I
would long to do that. But I'm telling you, there's
an old man in me that wars against my flesh. And though I have an
ability, a new heart, that diviseth my way." A believer loves Christ. That's why Peter said, Lord,
You know I love You. You know I do. He said that after
he denied Him three times. Lord, You know all things. You
know that I love You. But how to perform? That which
I would. I find not. A believer's heart
made willing in the day of God's power, divisive, wrongs after,
hungers for, to follow after God, to know Him. Oh, that I might know Him. What
do you think Paul knew Him? Oh, to be led by His Spirit.
To walk by faith. Lord, I believe. help my unbelief,
and to have no confidence in my flesh. I'm telling you, I
can devise that. I can hunger for that, long for
that. And I'm telling you, there is
an old man in me that tells me, man, Martin, you're exceptional. Wow! How in the world did you
ever accomplish that? That's a lie. I know that. That
heart is deceitful above all things. A believer devises his
way, but to perfectly perform it and never think highly of
himself, oh, how weak I am. A believer agrees with a psalmist,
not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory
for thy mercy, for thy true sake. Yes, man has a will that desires
what his heart dictates. But no man has a free will. Because I'm going to tell you
now what a free will is. Free means able to accomplish. No bounds whatsoever. No obstructions whatsoever. Nothing to stop me. Proverbs 16.33, the lot is cast
into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Now that's a free will. There's
a will that's free. Proverbs 21.1, the King's heart
is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water. He turneth
it whithersoever He will. That's free. The brothers of
Joseph, remember when they sold him into bondage. And truly,
they devised their way. That's what they wanted to do.
Do you think his brothers, when they sold him to that caravan,
do you think that's what they wanted to do? They sure did. But who directed their ways? Genesis 50-20, after Joseph was
put, sold him into bondage, he went into Egypt, was raised up,
second in command, just right under Pharaoh. I mean, Joseph
had a free hand to be able to dispose of the corn and stuff
like that. Whoever came had to come to Joseph.
There's a picture of Christ. But they came, these brothers,
the Lord put them, the ones that sold him into bondage, He put
them in a famine. They were going to have to go.
Do you know who they were going to have to talk to? They were going to have to talk to Joseph,
the one they sold. They didn't know who he was.
Didn't even recognize him anymore. He knew who they were. And here's
what he told them after he told them what they'd done and who
he was and who they were. He said, but as for you, you
thought, you devised. evil against me. But God meant
it unto good, to bring to pass as it is this day, to save much
people alive." The greatest comfort for the believer is to know that
his way is directed, is ordered by the Lord. It is Almighty God
who directs the steps of His people. by His Holy Spirit, guides
them according to His Word, moves heaven and earth for their good
and for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The steps of the
wicked is like the brothers of Joseph.
Now you listen. The steps of the wicked are directed by Almighty God. Psalm 76.10 says this, Surely
the wrath of man shall praise thee, the remainder of wrath
shall thou restrain. God Almighty is going to allow
a man or woman to do exactly what they want to do. And He's going to through their
rebellion, their directing, their ordering, their devising of their
way. The Lord is going to direct the
steps. I'm telling you, Almighty God
alone has a free will. One of the greatest confessions
God's sovereignty was set forth in closing here by Nebuchadnezzar. As I said before, I don't know
if Nebuchadnezzar knew God. I don't know. We leave that to the Lord. The
Lord knows. But what he said was so. He said
all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he
doeth according to his will in the
army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and
none can stay his hand or say unto
him, What are you doing? What doest thou? Saying that a man has a free
will, a free heart, is to attempt to put a man on the same plane
as God. Proverbs 19.21, I read this right
at the beginning. There are many devices in a man's
heart. Nevertheless, the counsel of
the Lord, that shall stand. A man deviseth his way. Out of a wicked heart, he devises
nothing but evil thoughts before God. And the Lord is going to
direct his steps. A new man, born from above, born
in Christ. He has a new heart. The will
is present with him now. Now he hungers after righteousness.
He hungers after Christ. He loves Him. I want to hear,
just tell me what God has to say. But I'm going to tell you, Paul
says, but how to perform that which is good. I don't have that. Why? Because my heart is not
free. I am not omnipotent. Free will
means that you devise and have the power to accomplish that
which you devise. And nobody, save God Almighty,
has a free will. So the next time somebody tells
you, man has a free will, you'll say, wait a minute. If you understood
what free will, what you're saying, you'd admit, no, that's not right.
Man is the object of God's good pleasure to do whatsoever he
will. May the Lord have mercy on our
souls today for Christ's sake.