Can We Really Exercise Free Will?
- Thread starter LifelongLearner
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@Cameron143 Said:" All the activity of men apart from any activity of God. But faith doesn't come apart from the activity of God."
@studier Does God's Gospel evoke/bring about (or another word or phrase you'd use instead) Faith?
Great response. The answer has to be "no" according to reformed theology/Calvinism/TULIP. The Gospel comes AFTER God gives the elect faith in Christ.
Is the Gospel the activity of God?
Ultimately, the Bible is blank page after blank page to the unbeliever according to reformed theology/Calvinism/TULIP.
@studier Does God's Gospel evoke/bring about (or another word or phrase you'd use instead) Faith?
Great response. The answer has to be "no" according to reformed theology/Calvinism/TULIP. The Gospel comes AFTER God gives the elect faith in Christ.
Is the Gospel the activity of God?
Ultimately, the Bible is blank page after blank page to the unbeliever according to reformed theology/Calvinism/TULIP.
Great response. The answer has to be "no" according to reformed theology/Calvinism/TULIP. The Gospel comes AFTER God gives the elect faith in Christ.
Is the Gospel the activity of God?
Ultimately, the Bible is blank page after blank page to the unbeliever according to reformed theology/Calvinism/TULIP.[/QUOTE]
If the word of God is doing the provoking, how is that not the activity of God?
Two individuals hear the same gospel. If the word of God provokes the one to salvation, yet the other remains unchanged, what is the cause for the difference? One who focuses on the men says they are the difference. One who focuses on God says He is the difference.
Some simply believe what the Bible says. We have people who use their credentials as props so that when they decimate
a text they think people should believe that Scripture does not mean what it says just because they say so.
The word of God is nonsense to the natural man. The natural man can't hear/see the Gospel until they are saved.....According to reformed theology.
Noting another tactic
My conclusion about hearing in what I said. Did I limit hearing to audible hearing or say that we'd need to look for it elsewhere?:
It looks to me knowing the intent of my interior man and reading the external presentation from it that I simply said we'd need to look elsewhere to discuss assertion that hearing is supernatural. I simply do not see it in the language of this verse and explained why.
It's wild and untamed around here.
Scripture plainly states that it is God working in us to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
Just another text to contradict and deny for those who promote their vain man-exalting theology.
They tell us how sick they are of hearing the Truth. Too weird.
This is false. He clearly understands because he rejects it. It, according to the Bible, is foolishness to him.
In the OT they were told to circumcise their ears. What do you think that meant?
They were also told to circumcise their hearts. What do you think that meant?
Do you think they were able to do either??? Ah, you may not be able to answer correctly because you put confidence in the flesh.
Philippians 3 verse 3; Colossians 2 verse 11; Romans 2 verse 29b ~ For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh. You were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands. Circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.
I think it is rejected because he does not understand it. The text says he is unable to comprehend.
They (the unregenerated) are darkness itself. Darkness cannot comprehend the light.
The gospel is hid, they are blinded, it is foolishness to them.
No we don't. Taking the argument of the verse being simply audible hearing to its logical conclusion shows that it cannot mean audible hearing.
Yeah, it is like saying when I hear people speak Chinese I know what they are saying simply because I hear it.
Hearing must encompass comprehension. I hear Chinese being spoken and it is incomprehensible to me.
I am left incapable of believing what they are saying.
The natural man hears the gospel preached and it is incomprehensible to him.
That's another reason why when free willers say the natural man can choose to believe it is silly.
People do not choose to believe things which make no sense to them. They choose to believe that which they can make sense of.
Great point. Even someone who didn't understand Chinese should be able to saved by hearing the gospel in Chinese.
Hearing would depend on whether or not their ears had been circumcised. Who does that?
Given that we have some claiming nothing supernatural needs to happen in order to come to belief, how does one go about
circumcising their ears so they can hear properly? Perhaps one of these promoters of their man-made traditions can tell us.
It would be great if they followed that up by telling us how they circumcised their hearts, also.
Although I am well aware that these are things God does. But as usual there are free willers who deny them.