Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech
Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. Genesis 20:6
Israel divided.
So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite. 1 Kings 12:12
Eli’s sons
His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death. 1 Samuel 2:25
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:15
So how much control do we have over our own lives?
you have to consider the change in a man that accepts the gospel from the people under the law in the ot
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
John 8:31-32, 34-36 KJV
air depends on if we accept that or not one leads to freedom from sins bondage the other leads to no change and continued service to satans Will which is sin and death
“Know ye not, that to
whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death, (option one )
or of obedience unto righteousness (option two )
But God be thanked, that
ye were the servants of sin, ( past tense )
but
ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin,( you used to be a slave tonthe sinful nature but because you heard and obeyed the gospel your free and have a choice ye became the servants of righteousness.”
Romans 6:16-18
when you ask how much control we have you have to figure in “ did the person hear and accept the gospel “ or did they reject it “
When we accept the gospel as Jesus presents it not the distortions in the world but the actual gospel preached by Jesus and the apostles we become free
We have freedom and are given choice when we accept Christ
“For, brethren,
ye have been called unto liberty;
only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.( two options )
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this;
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
But
if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”
Galatians 5:13-15 KJV
The most effective lie the devil speaks is not that there is no god , it is
telling believers of Jesus you have no choice in what you do Jesus tells us you are free and who you choose to serve whether good or evil is going to lead to your eternity
a if he can get us away from the truth we have no hope and certainly when the devil says we can’t choose to repent and obey the lord it’s a deadly deception
It’s like being in a hot war and convincing the other side they can’t win so why fight the end is already set