Choice and Consequence - Deuteronomy 30:15-18
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.
What Moses told the people was really straightforward, very simple. If the people of Israel would love God and obey Him, they would be blessed by Him and dwell in the promised land in safety and peace, but if they chose to rebel against him and disobey then they would be cursed by Him and driven from the land. This is the Palestinian or Land Covenant.
God’s Word Gives the Consequences of Choice
When God created man, he created him in the image of God. One aspect of that image is free will, the ability to choose, even to choose to disobey God who created him. One of the reasons I have such a problem accepting the doctrine of preordination, the idea that God has already determined who is saved and who is lost, is that the Bible is filled with so many example of God telling man, “Choose.” It is an obvious contradiction for God to call on man to make a choice, if He has already made that choice for him. God cannot contradict Himself, else He is not God. Until someone can fully explain how Calvinism doesn’t make God a liar, I won't believe it.
Look at a few examples in scripture of man’s ability to choose and the consequences of that choice, that man is responsible for, something he would not be responsible for if God has already made the choice for him.
John 3:16-21 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Isn’t the entire book of Proverbs about making the right choices? Listen as wisdom speaks in Proverbs 8:32-36 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
Those verses and hundreds of others tell us to choose and the blessing or the curse of the choice we make or don’t make. As humans created in God's image we have free will, which was not lost in Eden. God's word is replete with examples of God telling man, "choose!" We must therefore, choose and reap the good or bad consequences of our choice
