How does Matthew 12:35 relate to the concept of free will in Christianity? Matthew 12:35 “The good man brings good things out of the good treasure stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure stored up in him.” Immediate Literary Setting Matthew 12 records an escalating exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees concerning Sabbath observance, demonic deliverance, and the unforgivable sin. Verse 35 sits within Jesus’ warning that “by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (v. 37), so His contrast of “good” and “evil” people is a commentary on the source of human speech and action. The Heart as the Seat of Will Scripture consistently places volition in the “heart”: “Above all guarding, guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Decisions, intentions, and desires arise from this inner core. Matthew 12:35 affirms that people act freely from what they have willingly stored. Neither fate nor external compulsion forces the content; the vault is filled by choice (Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15). Biblical Free Will in Tension with Sin 1. Creation endowed humanity with the capacity to choose (Genesis 2:16-17). 2. The Fall bent that capacity toward self-rule (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12). 3. Unaided, the will gravitates to evil (Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:19). 4. Grace enables genuine, responsible response (John 6:44; Philippians 2:13). Thus, Scripture presents a compatibilist model: God is sovereign, yet humans freely act from their own heart-treasure and are answerable for it (Acts 2:23). Moral Accountability Embedded in the Verse Jesus’ imagery assigns ownership: “his” treasure. Words and deeds are fruit, but the root belongs to the individual. Romans 2:5 echoes this—people “store up wrath” by persistent hard-heartedness. Conversely, believers are urged to “store up treasure in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). The storing process reflects continuous, deliberative choice—evidence for operational free will. Regeneration and the Renovated Will Since fallen hearts produce evil, a new heart is essential (Ezekiel 36:26). The atoning, bodily-resurrected Christ (1 Colossians 15:3-8) grants the Spirit, who renews the will (Titus 3:5). Only in union with Christ can one consistently bring forth “good things.” The verse therefore underscores the necessity of salvation: free will exists, but saving grace alone reorients it toward God’s glory. Common Objections Answered • “Determinism negates free will.” Scripture affirms human contingency under God’s sovereignty, never equating foreknowledge with coercion (Acts 17:26-27). • “Evil hearts cannot choose good; therefore no freedom.” Pre-conversion, people still choose relative goods (Matthew 7:11) and are held responsible; post-conversion, Spirit-enabled freedom is heightened (Galatians 5:13). • “Naturalistic evolution suffices to explain morality.” Undirected processes cannot ground objective, prescriptive moral values; yet Matthew 12:35 presupposes absolute categories of good and evil, confirmed by cross-cultural moral universals (C. Lewis, “The Abolition of Man,” 1943). Practical Exhortation Because willful storage determines future output, believers are commanded to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). Cultivating prayer, Scripture intake, and corporate worship fills the vault with “good treasure,” enabling speech and works that honor God. Conclusion Matthew 12:35 both presupposes and illustrates human free will: individuals exercise real agency in stockpiling moral capital, and their subsequent words and deeds flow from that self-curated reservoir. Divine grace transforms the heart, not by bypassing freedom, but by liberating it to fulfill humanity’s chief end—glorifying Yahweh through Christ Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. |
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