Exercising Free Will
Free Will Exists for a Purpose
Human beings are the only creatures in the world gifted with the ability to exercise Free Will. Free will is a gift that enables us to choose between good and evil, and its purpose is not arbitrary. From a Christian theological perspective, free will exists so that human beings can voluntarily align themselves with the will of God, who is perfect and holy. Without the capacity to choose, our actions would lack agency, moral weight and relational meaning.
True Freedom Aligns with Goodness
Freedom is often misconstrued as the ability to do whatever our flesh desires when, in fact, is precisely the opposite. True freedom is the ability to act in accordance with our Spirit or highest good — what leads us to the truth, love, and holiness.
Sin, while seemingly freely chosen, enslaves us (John 8:34), binding us to selfish desires of the flesh and diminishing our capacity to act in true freedom.
If free will leads us toward imperfection or sin, it follows then, that we are not truly exercising free will. Only when we choose holiness — a state of being fully aligned with God’s will and moral perfection — are we exercising free will in its truest sense.
The Nature of Holiness
Holiness is not merely moral behavior; it is the state of being fully united with the divine, reflecting the image of God in its fullness. To choose holiness is to choose to become what we were created to be: beings who reflect the love, justice, and perfection of God. This choice requires the full engagement of free will, as holiness cannot be coerced or accidental — it must be deliberate.
Free Will Is Directed Toward Our Ultimate End
Philosophers such as Aquinas argue that all human actions are directed toward an ultimate end, which is happiness or beatitude. Perfect happiness is found only in God, who is perfect goodness. To truly exercise free will, then, is to choose the path that leads us to God. Any other choice is not free will.
Free Will Is Fully Realized Only in Choosing Holiness
When we choose to be holy, we are aligning ourselves with the highest good, exercising our free will in the way is truly free i.e., not subjected to anything. Sin, by contrast, is a failure to exercise free will; it is a deviation from our true nature and purpose. Holiness represents the perfect use of free will because it involves the conscious, deliberate decision to pursue perfection, love, and unity with God.
Free will is not simply the ability to make any choice but the capacity to make the right choice — the one that leads to holiness. Therefore, free will is only exercised when we use it to strive for perfection and become who we were created to be.
Juan Carlos Wandemberg Boschetti Ph.D.
President & Founder
Sustainable Systems International
About the author: Dr. Wandemberg is an international consultant and analyst of human behavior. For the past 40+ years Dr. Wandemberg has collaborated with corporations, communities, and organizations to catalyze a culture of Trust, Transparency, Accountability and Integrity through self-transformation processes and Open Systems Design Principles.
