God does not interfere with free will, he does not impose himself on anyone, but in the direct presence of God, there is no exercise of free will in faith. Meaning, that if God were to present himself to you in an overwhelming visible, tangible, physical way, your will to believe in him would not exist. For instance, at the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were ushered out of it, God placed convening Cherubs to guard the entrance to the garden, and they held swords that were constantly turning, and they stood guard there for 1600 years for all of the then known world to walk up and view. There was no question in anyone’s mind, that there was a God, and that he was real, and that he had great power. There was no free will in the exercise of faith then, it was simply a fact. The definition of faith is this, ” Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld” . At the Garden of Eden, the realities of God WERE beheld. Throughout the rest of history, up until Christ, mankind has a visible, physical acknowledgement of the realities of God. The Temple with it’s “Ark Of The Covenant” was at the center of that physical presence of God. It could only be viewed once a year by the high priest, and it’s view was blocked by the curtain that separated the holy from the most holy space in the temple. When God spoke from the center of the Ark Of The Covenant” a blue light would appear from it. Care of this arrangement was a life and death issue, free will was not an option, disobey the instructions meant an immediate death. The Old Testament is filled with stories that have been proven historically about the physical realities of God. Your forefathers had nothing to gain in their certain deaths by lying to you about their realities. The realities of these events are found carved into stone so that we remember them. The documentaries about Christ reveal that he volunteered to be sent to earth, to usher in a new covenant between God and man. And in the new covenant, faith in God, without a physical presence, would be a foundational stone. This belief system, based upon faith, rather than sight, allows mankind to prove to God their belief in him and his right to rule his creation, without the threat of imminent death, that would cloud the visible intentions of the heart of a man. This allows mankind the opportunity to exercise their free will, their belief in God, and support of his sovereignty, of their own heart felt motives, and not under the compulsion of an overwhelming presence of unimaginable power. Faith cannot be exercised in the physical presence of God. At some point in the future, God will once again reveal himself in a physical way. When that time comes, your opportunity to exercise your faith in God will have ended, it will be over. Take this time right now, before that day comes, to show faith in God, even though you cannot see his physical presence at this moment, the realities of him surround you, and can be felt with every breath you take, and every beat of your heart.
Clarence Sisk 