Do we have free will ?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
I

isfreewilltrue

Guest
#1
I haven't read any scripture saying that we have free will. Only the opposite
 

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
70,920
9,668
113
#2
I haven't read any scripture saying that we have free will. Only the opposite

Of course we have free will!! We can choose what we want to do, whether it's wrong or not. We can choose to sin, or we can choose to do the right things. Every choice we make in our lives is influenced by free will. God gave us free will because He wanted us to be able to choose for ourselves to come back to him, rather than him making us come back. If we did'nt have free will, we would basically be slaves, unable to make our own decisions.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,663
6,853
113
#3
I have the God given gift of free will................but you may not.............

You actually went to all the trouble to join a Christian Forum, specifically CC, and chose "isfreewilltrue" for your Screen Name JUST TO POST THIS COMMENT?

And, then you posted it on the wrong Forum..............sigh..............so, how many times have you been banned from CC to date? (just wondering)
 
I

isfreewilltrue

Guest
#4
I need scripture, that sounds like a lot of opinion
 
I

isfreewilltrue

Guest
#5
How is miscellaneous the wrong forum ? Lol and what scripture says we have free will. Everything I have read says our will is bound in denying God and fulfilling self. A slave to the flesh and in prison
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,663
6,853
113
#6
Who cares what you need.................if you want Scripture, read the Bible for yourself..........goodness.......
 
I

isfreewilltrue

Guest
#7
Your words come from a place of love and wisdom from God. You truly have a desire to help others grow in God's word.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,663
6,853
113
#8
as opposed to?.......................seriously?

If you really wanna contemplate something............try contemplating the differences between predestination and slavery.... that should keep you busy for awhile calvin.............
 
I

isfreewilltrue

Guest
#9
God teaches that there is none good no not one all have gone astray and all are dead in there sin. He also teaches that anything that is not of faith is sin. If our most righteous acts are as dirty menstrual rags, than we left in our Normal state have no belief in God or desire to believe in God. Where are we going to choose to believe in God If we have none !
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,663
6,853
113
#10
Joshua 24:14) Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
15 .) And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Now, go away little troll............

 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,663
6,853
113
#11
Matthew 10:38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Luke 9:23) And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

 
I

isfreewilltrue

Guest
#12
This is command not a question or invitation. And along with Jesus 's other word He clarifies that only to who it is given to will do this
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,663
6,853
113
#13
any scripture to go with that........?
 
I

isfreewilltrue

Guest
#14
Yeah, I've already told you them but here it is again. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. John
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,663
6,853
113
#15
Ok, so you profess to BELIEVE the Bible...............you do know that lying is a sin right? Good. So, tell me, what Screen Name did you use here on CC prior to this last little diddy you are using now?
 

JesusLives

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2013
14,554
2,176
113
#16
How is miscellaneous the wrong forum ? Lol and what scripture says we have free will. Everything I have read says our will is bound in denying God and fulfilling self. A slave to the flesh and in prison
What about - Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hears my voice and opens the door I will come in and sup with him..... Wait is that a choice? Do I open the door or do I leave the door closed? And who is asking the question? Oh, is that Jesus? He is asking us to make a choice to open or leave the door of our hearts closed....Sorry, sounds like a choice to me.
 

JesusLives

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2013
14,554
2,176
113
#17
I haven't read any scripture saying that we have free will. Only the opposite
What about Genesis 2:15 & 16

15The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

I just want to point out that man was perfect at this time and what are these two verses talking about? What - there is a choice there? If man a perfect one at that did not have free will why put a tree in the garden that would require a choice to be made? Eat the fruit or not? And we know how that ended....In a bad choice from free will.
 

nowyouseem033

Senior Member
Jul 17, 2014
535
30
28
#18
Well this is a yes and no answer and let me explain why for everybody out there.

Somebody used the text Genesis in which Man was presented with a choice, that is to choose God or rebel against God.
I would argue here that this is the only time where mans free will was not tainted by any intrusion and internal sin.
So yes in the sense that man was free in every aspect of his freedom. He was not tainted by sin, he was not impulse to commit sin.
HOWEVER.
If the question is relating to everybody today then I would say NO!
Our wills have been taken captive by our new master, SIN.
"No one seeks God" This speaks of the will of man.
Why?
Because man has been so affected by sin that we have become dead in every aspect of our humanity.

Note: Our wills can never be free from our nature

Now reformers and me also would say we have free will in the sense that our faculty of reason and choice has remained after the fall. So in that sense we have free will... like choose orange juice or apple juice etc.
But when it comes to spiritual matters we cannot choose because we are dead!!! and dead people don't make choices.
We are rendered unable because of our will being taken captive and is now in bondage.
SO ...
we now we are left with a will. and do you think our wills are to obey God, love God , and do good.
Quite the opposite. We hate God, are enemy's of God and want nothing to do with him.
That's the consequences of our will being taken over by sin.

All in all:

Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.
where the spirit of the lord is not there is bondage.
 

nowyouseem033

Senior Member
Jul 17, 2014
535
30
28
#19
What about Genesis 2:15 & 16

15The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

I just want to point out that man was perfect at this time and what are these two verses talking about? What - there is a choice there? If man a perfect one at that did not have free will why put a tree in the garden that would require a choice to be made? Eat the fruit or not? And we know how that ended....In a bad choice from free will.
Do you really think that the free will of Adam prior to the fall and the freewill of Adam after the fall are the same???
NNNNOOOOO!!
He had freedom then he lost it. So he is not rendered free but now is rendered a slave..
 

nowyouseem033

Senior Member
Jul 17, 2014
535
30
28
#20

Of course we have free will!! We can choose what we want to do, whether it's wrong or not. We can choose to sin, or we can choose to do the right things. Every choice we make in our lives is influenced by free will. God gave us free will because He wanted us to be able to choose for ourselves to come back to him, rather than him making us come back. If we did'nt have free will, we would basically be slaves, unable to make our own decisions.
This is funny. hahaha

Um last time I checked we are slaves.
Do you not understand that theres a reason behind every choice??
We cannot choose God because we are spiritually DEAD.
What part of DEAD do you not get??
Dead people do not and cannot make choices. (only in spiritual matters)
Because they have lost the ABILITY to RESPOND to any spiritual stimulation.
That's why the bible and Paul use the term DEAD.

You are a slave to sin and you cannot get yourself out of that predicament until God liberates the will and then gives you the faith needed to believe him.

Where the spirit of the Lord is their is freedom, dare I say where the spirit of the Lord is not their is bondage.

Read your bible.!