The Free-Will of God (Part 1 of 2)

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.”

—Jeremiah 18:1-6

A High View of God’s Freedom

We have in this Old Testament parable a presentation of what we have titled the free will of God. One reason for focusing on this attribute of God’s freedom stems from a philosophy that as finite creatures, as limited beings, it is not possible to attain too high a view of God. Imagine arriving on the shores of eternity future, with God welcoming us into the joy of an eternity with him, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” except for this one thing: you thought too highly of me. The entire rest of eternity future would be God revealing more and more of his mercies and graces—his mercies new every morning in heaven, the continual unfolding of the revelation of God in his infinitude, experiencing that bliss forever.

With that premise, we turn to Jeremiah 18:1-6. There is a task presented to us in answering what could be one of the most important questions of all time. God poses this question to Israel, but it is also for our benefit. Answering it will be one of the most radically life-changing principles you could ever experience. This question contains the principles of believing the gospel. It is a power-packed gospel question—a life-changing gospel reality. All concepts of salvation are packed within it.

It reveals total trust in the absolute sovereignty and control of God over your entire life. Total dependency is revealed in answering affirmatively: a life fashioned, formed, and molded by the Master Potter, totally dependent upon that Potter. The clay does not rise up and jump off the wheel to seek another form. This carries total relinquishing of any semblance of self-determination, of determining your eternal destiny. That is relinquished entirely in favor of God’s control.

Answering this question is dangerous. But it can be one of the most comforting realities you could know, one of the safest places as a believer in Jesus Christ. Or for some, it could indicate real and serious danger in the hands of this Potter.

Jeremiah at the Potter’s House

God gives a command to Jeremiah the prophet, who experienced a ministry of suffering, where people did not heed his words. An entire nation moves toward destruction and captivity by the hand of God. As Jeremiah preaches, God gives a parable, condescending to our understanding to reveal a truth about his freedom—his free will in determining and orchestrating a person’s entire life.

He commands Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house. Jeremiah obeys, waits for the Word of God, and sees the potter at work. The potter rolls out clay, places it on the wheel, builds it up, fashions the edges into a vessel. But it falls apart—ruined in the potter’s hand.

God interjects with the essential, life-changing question: “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” The word “deal” means power or ability. Do I not have the same power over you as this potter over lifeless clay? The Hebrew conveys a right: Do I not have the right to do with you as I please, as the potter does?

The Ruin of Sin

In pottery, clay falls apart if a foreign substance is introduced—if it is not pure. Sin is that foreign substance in every person’s life. As Romans 3 declares, they are worthless. Everyone has sinned and fallen short of glorifying God. Sin causes ruin and misery on the potter’s wheel. The Hebrew conveys it was ruined again as the potter remade it.

Sin is that terrible, recurring. Pitting God’s sovereignty against a life ruined by sin leads to judgment. Sinners live in ruin now without knowing it, then in wrath knowing it fully. This paints sin as better than God’s sovereign control—the lie from Adam and Eve. Paradise was walking with God in sinless humanity—even married without corruption, guilt, or shame, enjoying marital bliss without negativity.

The greatest thing in Eden was God’s presence. The lie: God is jealous; eat and be like God, sovereign over your life. Verse 12 shows how not to respond: God’s control seems hopeless; instead, pursue your heart’s desires.

When you see ruin with no fix, you answer yes: “Lord, I desire your total control. I can’t be trusted. The clay on its own is ruined.” Real suffering is living in sin’s ruin. Other sufferings—illness, loss—bring Christ-likeness. The Christian moves from wrong suffering to right suffering, like Christ, who veiled his glory in humanity among sinfulness.

Christ’s temptation: Satan tempted holiness with sin, causing suffering before the cross. Sanctification increases intolerance of sin. Like Paul: boast in weakness to avoid pride. Resist sin to bloodshed (Hebrews 12). Higher life Christianity is bloodier Christians—ongoing battle, as Paul called himself chief of sinners. Holier people feel sin burn more.

The Danger and Comfort of Surrender

Saying yes means molding into something else: “Not my will, but yours be done” in any circumstance. Embracing God’s sovereignty from before the foundation of the world means discomfort—missions, dying for Christ. The higher life is suffering like Old and New Testament saints.

But there is comfort: marriages ruined by sin, family, work, past traumas—nothing is beyond the Potter’s hands to remake into honorable use, as Romans 9 says. As it pleased the potter, so it pleases God. You bring happiness to God to be fixed.

Bringing Joy to the Godhead

You would bring joy, you would bring satisfaction to the Godhead who has existed in eternity past as being totally and perfectly satisfied within himself and within that perfect familial Trinitarian communion. He said yes, I will even add to my satisfaction from fallen creatures who have haunted backgrounds or are currently experiencing sin. The way that I want to bring that satisfaction, the way that I want to bring that pleasure, the way that I want to show myself glorious is by making things better for them. That's your God, beloved. That's your Creator. That's your Savior.

The Warning of the Vessel of Destruction

There is a specific warning, though, that as we can see the negative responses, as we can see those that don't see this absolute sovereignty, there is a particular vessel that God still will fashion—a vessel of destruction, as Romans 9 presents.

Romans 9 (context of vessels of wrath fitted for destruction)

God's Affirmative Answer Already Given

One thing, though, that we have not talked about: we've talked about our answer, we've talked about the realities of accepting and embracing an affirmative response to God's question. But if you'll notice, praise be to God that he has already answered it. Verse 6 again: "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the Lord. "And behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel."

For the affirmative responses, that's the most significant joy, the most significant comfort that immediately floods and rushes into your life—that you can say it is already true, it's already a reality. The Christian life is best experienced as you proceed through the pages of Scripture and begin to realize the things of God that are already true, the actions and activities of God that are already true.

Genuine salvation takes place in the form of a gospel that is preached that says Jesus has actually perfectly, fully, and completely died for your sins and has borne the wrath of God for you and has interceded in the presence of the God who is going to judge and is going to accept. He has accepted you into his family. Believe it. Realize that that's already taken place for you.

Christ is not a potential Savior who potentially saves. He is a perfect Savior who saves perfectly. He is the Potter of your life.

Moving Forward in Trust

The greatest thing that we could begin to do in these moments, in these portions, in these times, and as we experience what we're going through right now with the total embraced acceptance of the sovereignty of God—like Romans 8 could say, who works everything out for our good—that now is the time to move forward with the acceptance and realization of that and to trust and depend that this Potter will do what he said he is doing.

Romans 8:28 (context of God working all things for good)

A Word of Caution on Sin

Now as a word of caution, I do want to correct a misunderstanding that often creeps up when you throw out the terminology that God works everything together for your good. Just because it's using the term "everything" does not mean that he is using your sin for your good. It's often been expressed in some circles—just as an avoidance, not saying I know this specifically within this church or within anybody here—that it is not that God is working anybody's sin out for their good; therefore, it doesn't matter that I've sinned, God will work out the sin for good.

There are only two actions and attitudes that God will ever have towards sin, and it depends upon whether or not you're saved. One is judgment, and that's never anything that's for your ultimate benefit—it's for the benefit of God's glory. Or there is loving fatherly discipline upon sin, which is one of the greatest assurances of salvation, by the way.

Responding to God's Question

As you see these things, as you examine—as God has asked this incredibly important question and has set us up for a life-changing reality, beloved: Does God have the right to do with you as a potter does with clay? Behold, he absolutely does. How are you going to experience that kind of sovereignty?