The 'ELECT' vs 'Free-Choice'

  • 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.

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,469
542
113
I never needed to look back to realize what happened. At the time, it was one of the most
profound things I had ever experienced in my life, and I even wrote poems about it in the
late eighties after "it" happened. I just wasn't a believer then and did not lay down my
opposition to God for another fifteen years... while attending an Alpha Course. At least
a couple of those poems are in my poetry thread, which was where I introduced myself
.:)

You will know them by their fruit.

For you? .. Could one say?

He designed you and took you from a "poet tree? "


:unsure:




grace and peace ...............
 
Dec 18, 2023
6,402
406
83
What is there to say?
well it's important to know that the scripture you quoted is about a person believing on a vision given or choice given.

How is it the person is able to choose, does s he not have to be enabled,

On the flip side of he doesn't obey what is it that enabling him to not obey his choice or his heart.

See my belief is God's looks at the heart,
.
It has to be heart thing surely and not a conscious decision to obey.

Like say you could say I will obey a thousand times but then not obey the very next minute
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,469
542
113
well it's important to know that the scripture you quoted is about a person believing on a vision given or choice given.

How is it the person is able to choose, does s he not have to be enabled,

On the flip side of he doesn't obey what is it that enabling him to not obey his choice or his heart.

See my belief is God's looks at the heart,
.
It has to be heart thing surely and not a conscious decision to obey.

Like say you could say I will obey a thousand times but then not obey the very next minute

When the Bible speaks of a man's heart?
It refers to your mind. Specifically, the part of your mind that holds your personal values and conclusions.
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,469
542
113
As a man thinks in his heart so is he.... Proverbs 23:7​

And, another way to reveal in the Bible what function the heart has...

Satan's fall took place in his heart...

Isaiah 14:13-14

You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
The heart is where we do our thinking! Not emoting and feeling.
The Bible mentions other parts of the body for our feeling.


Always good to know these truths.
For the truth will make us free.



grace and peace !
 
Dec 18, 2023
6,402
406
83
When the Bible speaks of a man's heart?
It refers to your mind. Specifically, the part of your mind that holds your personal values and conclusions.
Well my heart says differently,

And my heart obeys and when something is tied there in belief it's very unlikely to be untied.

But for others I would imagine they haven't quite learned how to tie
There heart yet..

Now a common expression would be dont break my heart.

Or another would be unbreak my heart.

But as for you, yes you can place things on my heart but only if I allow it to take a hold will it have any chance of either breaking it or strengthening it.

However with the case of.God I only ever always allow it
 
Dec 18, 2023
6,402
406
83
As a man thinks in his heart so is he.... Proverbs 23:7​

And, another way to reveal in the Bible what function the heart has...

Satan's fall took place in his heart...

Isaiah 14:13-14​
You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
The heart is where we do our thinking! Not emoting and feeling.
The Bible mentions other parts of the body for our feeling.


Always good to know these truths.
For the truth will make us free.



grace and peace !
Well my heart says differently,

And my heart obeys and when something is tied there in belief it's very unlikely to be untied.

But for others I would imagine they haven't quite learned how to tie
There heart yet..

Now a common expression would be dont break my heart.

Or another would be unbreak my heart.

But as for you, yes you can place things on my heart but only if I allow it to take a hold will it have any chance of either breaking it or strengthening it.

However with the case of.God I only ever always allow it

 
Dec 18, 2023
6,402
406
83
I'm slanderous? Your words just made me look like a gentleman.

I am not in exile. My Home is in Heaven, not Israel.

You better check your tires. You are getting too close to that rock wall you keep racing towards....
Yes from now on ill take your
Words to lord and wait 24 hours to a whole year for an answer, well because when the lord doesn't answer me, its because I shouldn't answer

Oh in this song I've realised Jewish people are told to call there slave masters lord, are you a lord to in your land, I just wondered

But does Ths nice Jewish person sing about two lords 🙂






Well my heart says differently,

And my heart obeys and when something is tied there in belief it's very unlikely to be untied.

But for others I would imagine they haven't quite learned how to tie
There heart yet..


Now a common expression would be dont break my heart.

Or another would be unbreak my heart.

But as for you, yes you can place things on my heart but only if I allow it to take a hold will it have any chance of either breaking it or strengthening it.

However with the case of.God I only ever always allow it.

 
Dec 18, 2023
6,402
406
83
I have a question .

I have a question, but can this question be tied to the elect versus the Chosen.

How do you know the two seeds are not the same just different seeds.

One will war against the other.

So I tell a God story and I tell a gardener story.

Maybe it is a parable too I don't know.

So in the wild we have seeds of many different kinds of seeds, and some of these seeds grow pink flowers blue flowers purple flowers.


But somehow and it's not known completely how, but some of these seeds try to be the more dominant seed and they will by nature, act like a carnivore and devour any plants that are surrounding them, and take over the soil



So my question is why how and why.

How does the seed know to be the more dominant seed.

For it is just a seed, so where is the intelligence in this seat of the seed that governs this seed to be the more dominant seed.

And what is the purpose of this nature what is the reason for it 🙂
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,469
542
113
Well my heart says differently,

And my heart obeys and when something is tied there in belief it's very unlikely to be untied.

But for others I would imagine they haven't quite learned how to tie
There heart yet..

Now a common expression would be dont break my heart.

Or another would be unbreak my heart.

But as for you, yes you can place things on my heart but only if I allow it to take a hold will it have any chance of either breaking it or strengthening it.

However with the case of.God I only ever always allow it
There you go with your bs spirits guiding you. +
Making up stuff. Not thinking accurately with the Word of God again...

That can not be God speaking. Your "guiding" spirits are suckering you onto a path to destruction..

Dizzy.... If you are ever to recover you will need to find a good pastor teacher and to submit to the teachings, not those spirits that you are guided by. Be honest about it and put a "Psychic" sign up and bamboozle those who do not know the Word of God well enough to see what controls your mind....

Now go play victim and get a few to sympathize with your "feelings."

You are in trouble, sir. You're playing the "Christian card." And, your spirits are exposing you by what you say.
Even some famous psychics tried playing the "Christian card." Its nothing new.


Demons will play the Christian card around Christians to con the Scripturally ignorant who run by their emotions....
One day, on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl ran into us. She was a psychic
and, with her fortunetelling, made a lot of money for the people who owned her.
She started following Paul around, calling everyone’s attention to us by yelling out,
“These men are working for the Most High God. They’re laying out the road of salvation
for you!” Acts 16:16-17​

You are being given a chance.... Don't go seeking sympathy. Seek the truth.


Matthew 19:22

But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful,
for he had great possessions.

Some here would have tried to comfort him...

That's why we have the Word of God.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,078
425
83
I have come across an idea lately within this forum, that some believe that there are 2 classes of Christian. They believe that there is a class called 'the elect', who have no choice but to be saved because God has decided they will be saved no matter what and the 2nd class being those who are not elect but are still able to be saved through choosing Christ.

This is different from Calvinism as Calvinism believes God decides, or has decided, who will be saved and who will never be saved.

It is also not Arminianism because choice is given, according to this belief, to everyone.


What exactly do you mean by "choice is given...to everyone?

While people will continue to debate reformed vs non-reformed, this 2 tier believer system is not available as a 3rd option that I have found nor anyone else or anywhere for that matter. I have searched different teachers/teachings, various articles and so on and the conclusions of people more knowledgeable than anyone in this forum, is that it does not exist.
But you didn't search the scriptures wherein The Infinite Source of all Knowledge and Wisdom has revealed the Truth of this matter?

Just interested in what others might have to say. I have no idea whether or not the person(s) presenting this idea will defend what they believe or not.

For clairity's sake, I am neither reformed or non-reformed. I tend to think that no one can come up with exactly what the Bible has in mind when it states 'from the foundation of the world'. I do not agree with the approach of Calvinism to settle it and I do not appreciate the Arminiam viewpoint either because of problems it presents.
Since you have embraced an agnostic perspective on this subject, then why start another thread on Calvinism and Arminianism?

Not to start another debate about reformed/vs non, we have a library of those already, but to take a look at the elect who have no choice in being saved and the rest of humanity who can choose whether or not to accept Christ.

That's about it.
But that, sir, is precisely the debate. You are attempting to make a distinction without any material differences. Even the title of this thread is a false dichotomy. Election and free moral agency are not incompatible concepts....unless, of course, you believe that God is not a free moral agent. Is that what you believe? It is said in the Word that God cannot lie and he cannot deny himself. Do you infer from such scriptures that God, our Image Maker, is not a free moral agent? If you answer in the affirmative, then what do you think He is, since everywhere in scripture it is said he makes choices? But if you reply in the negative then you will have just affirmed my premise that Election and Free Will are not antithetical, opposing philosophical or theological concepts.

There is another way, also, to prove that your title is a false dichotomy, but to keep this post at a reasonable length, I'll stop here.
 
Dec 18, 2023
6,402
406
83
I finally got round to finishing my water fountain 🙂

Peace is what

Take a moment to wonder

 
Dec 18, 2023
6,402
406
83
Well my heart says differently,

And my heart obeys and when something is tied there in belief it's very unlikely to be untied.

But for others I would imagine they haven't quite learned how to tie
There heart yet..

Now a common expression would be dont break my heart.

Or another would be unbreak my heart.

But as for you, yes you can place things on my heart but only if I allow it to take a hold will it have any chance of either breaking it or strengthening it.

However with the case of.God I only ever always allow it
Well according to scripture and medical evidence the mind.and heart is different. I believe God wants belief in the heart not the mind

meta_eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ== (1).jpg

Is this lady singing to two different lords in Isreal

I heard some Isreal men like to be called lord too 🙂

It's an honest question really


 

Evmur

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2021
5,219
2,618
113
London
christianchat.com
well we can restrict that to the prophecy thread

this was or should have been, a small self-contained discussion and not the power grab some tried

I don't think your post considers the op and the op was not about pre-determination at all
what are you on about,