The FreeWill Offering

​​The freewill offering—God ordained it.

​The reality of man’s free will has been greatly debated. Some would say that, apart from God’s making him, man has no ability to even want to go God’s way. Some would debate that Scripture says nothing about the existence of a free will. Agreeably, the wording of “free will” might not often be found within Scripture, but instead just be implied through scriptural context. Yet significantly, the Lord did label a type of offering that would be given, calling it a “freewill offering.”

Consider the following:

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. . . . And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.’” (Exodus 25:1-2, 8-9 NKJV)

“The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the LORD, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the LORD, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.” (Exodus 35:29 NKJV)

​Noticeably, even as was with the tabernacle (Ex. 25:1-9; 35:29), which is a type of the church (Heb. 8:1-5; 9:11, 23), God’s dwelling among men comes by freewill offerings. Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone (Ps. 118:22), first freely and willingly would offer His life for us (John 10:17-18). We, in turn, in our receiving and entering in, must freely and willingly offer our lives to Him (Mark 8:34; 1 Pet. 2:21).

Indeed, the Lord wants relationship with us. The Lord wants a love relationship with us (Deut. 6:5; 2 Chron. 16:9; Jer. 29:13; Is. 29:13). And yet, it is not love that has no choice. God always has desired to have men’s hearts, and thus He takes note of man’s will. Even as Scripture affirms with the following:

---

“ ‘. . . For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” (1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV)

“For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,” (2 Corinthians 8:3 NKJV)

“For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12 NKJV)

“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7 NKJV)

​The church is being built in the heavenly pattern of God’s tabernacle (Heb. 8:5)—as a temple “being built together as a dwelling place of God” (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:19-22). Likewise, just as was with the tabernacle, God relationships are being built through men's free will offerings. This continues to be by God’s design.

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.  (Revelation 22:17 KJV)