I agree and to add to what you are saying Cain had little knowledge of the Lord, Paul had the Torah and the Prophets.
Can We Really Exercise Free Will?
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I agree and to add to what you are saying Cain had little knowledge of the Lord, Paul had the Torah and the Prophets.
So lets put it this way, a dead corpse, a natural man believes, what happen next? Thanks
All are sinners, meaning all men are natural and the natural always rejects concerning spritual things. Therefore no one is saved. Is the conclusion sound contradictory? ThanksAt least you got this part ^ right.
The gospel is foolishness to the natural man, since he can neither accept nor comprehend the spiritual things of God. It is impossible for his incurably wicked heart to grow the seed of God’s Word into the good fruit of faith while he is captive to the will of the devil. Along with the rest of the world who does not know God, he is blinded to the truth and under the power and influence of Satan, rendered incapable of submitting to or obeying God, with Whom he is inherently hostile toward in his mind, for he craves what is contrary to the Spirit. He suppresses the truth in unrighteousness, refusing to come into the light because he is a slave to sin, a lover of darkness, defined as darkness itself, and his deeds are evil.
You are still front loading belief into the equation. What part of, belief does not come first, do you not understand?
God's elect will persevere because of the unilateral promises of the New Covenant. God knows how to keep his elect (Jude 1, 24).
This is why God's great and awesome salvation is supernatural in nature, and not natural as many here evidently believe.
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
This is a very poor example to use. Are you saying that if God tries to save someone and they resist that it may cause harm or death to God? Also, if God wants to save someone – can they resist and thwart His purpose?
It is God Who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose. Apart from Me you can do nothing. No word from God will ever fail. “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
As with all believers! I never heard a testimony (and I've heard plenty) whereby any saint ever said that they went to bed one night an unbeliever and then woke up the next morning a believer. (Not that God couldn't do that. But even then it would have taken several hours for that to happen.)
Libertarian free will,yes. Making the shopping list, choosing what's for lunch,like that.
God remains aware of even that.
Otherwise, no. All things occur for Gods glory. All is of and from God. We plan out our lives but God says,he determines the path.
If we pay attention we will see how everything in our experience in that regard relates to something that's already occured. And so to put us right there where we are in the now.
God remains aware of even that.
Otherwise, no. All things occur for Gods glory. All is of and from God. We plan out our lives but God says,he determines the path.
If we pay attention we will see how everything in our experience in that regard relates to something that's already occured. And so to put us right there where we are in the now.
And was filled with the Holy Ghost and annointed to be a witness to all nations like the other apostles .
About 800-700 bc
“The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there were any that did understand, And seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: There is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Psalm 14:2-3 KJV
After Jesus died and rose
“and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.”
Luke 24:46-48
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Mark 16:15-16 KJV
First came this part to make all men guilty before him without excuse
“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:19-20
The law came to give men knowledge of sin and thier guilt before god abut after the law was preached …..came the gospel offering repentance and remission of those sins and eternal life to those who repent and believe
And to believe is the unnatural way? Since a dead corpse or a natural man which by nature rejects spiritual things , thus, receiving or believing is the supernatural way to possess salvation? Thanks
Despite what the un-Biblical free will doctrine promoters put forth, the natural man does not have everything he needs in order to grow the good fruit of faith from the stony ground of his incurably wicked heart which is opposed to the things of God, and he cannot change himself, being a lover of darkness who suppresses the truth in unrighteousness as a slave to sin, being inherently hostile in his mind toward God, and blinded to the truth while under the power of the evil one. Those who promote the free will of the natural man reject a plethora of Biblical truths. Praise God if Jesus has set you free!
In 1 Cor 2 verse 14, the natural man, still unsaved, cannot comprehend the spiritual things of God. He does not understand Christ’s atoning sacrifice, for that is foolishness to him (1 Cor 1 verse 18). The Holy Spirit Himself must convict him of its reality, and of his standing before God (John 16 verses 7-11).So this natural man is unregenerated, one who does not have the Holy Spirit residing within him. As Jesus said, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3 verse 6).
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Since the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. from 1 Corinthians 1 verses 18-21 The natural man does not choose to believe that which he can neither receive nor comprehend, for it is foolishness to him.
If God draws all... well, God may be drawing all but which ones does He actually give to Jesus? Those are the ones said to come. There is no, if they choose to. It is simply stated that they do. God desires all to be saved and could do that flesh brings forth fruit unto life.
"Free will" in the Bible? ~ Freedom is something believers are called to (Galatians 5 verse 13). We need Jesus to “set us free” (Galatians 5 verse 1). If Jesus has not freed us from the bondage of sin, then we are still slaves to sin (Romans 6 verses 6-7). Freedom is found in the presence of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3 verse 17). Only Jesus can give us true freedom (John 8 verse 36). Only through His lovingkindness can we truly make choices unfettered by a nature that is inherently hostile toward God.
Idk I'm not really following that conclusion. Maybe it has been a long day dealing with an eye infection. If God draws all but not all respond then to me the error falls on man. If God wants all to be saved and died for everyone but not everyone is saved, then I naturally see the error fall on man.
I suppose the hang-up may be the definition of total depravity. Which to me it is total until God moved first. We already see how God moved first in the hearts of mankind. Now if God had not moved then it would be total depravity.
But then again to be total or complete would seem to conflict with the OT saints who by their deeds were seen as righteous. We think of Noah being found righteous as to be found is as if to indicate that God was searching. Not having the indwelling of God's Spirit still had people choosing righteous acts.
Romans 2:13-15
English Standard Version
13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them
That is actually interesting to think about. That scripture you reference (Romans 6:16) is talking to believers because the same word slave is also used by Paul in Romans 1:1 which says He is a bondservant for Christ.
A Believer
1. A bondservant was a choice
2. Paul says, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (Romans 7:19) For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; (Romans 7:22) Paul wants to do good but finds himself at war with the flesh. He delights in the good.
25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:25)
Paul gives us a great example of how he delights in the mind of God's laws in which we know of his history as a Pharisee he tried to keep all 600+ laws but also knowing he only failed in the flesh. A complete slave/depraved would not delight in the law or attempt to follow.
But it highlights not only the battle of the flesh but also the power of God once in Christ we gain the divine assistance to actually overcome sin.
An Unbeliever
Of course, we also know that everyone who practices sin is a slave.
John 8:34 ESV
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
A slave to sin doesn't negate the choice to accept Christ. Not having the ability to defeat sin, doesn't negate the Holy Spirit's conviction to repentance and acceptance of Christ. It simply means they are a slave to habitual sin without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Not a slave in the mind of choice to lack the ability to choose Christ after being drawn.
Otherwise, the scriptures that demand an unbeliever to choose are false and misleading.
Mark 5:36 ESV But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”
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Paul explains how the Gentiles were a law to themselves which wasn't always opposed to good. But I agree that having confidence in the flesh is futile which is the point of needing a Savior. Sure mankind can sometimes adhere to the holy laws of morality or even adhere just as Paul to the written laws of God. But they could never be perfect.
Because of the Holy Spirit drawing people and as mentioned the law written on the Gentiles hearts. It still as said doesn't gain them salvation but it does show how God works for the good even in Gentiles or unbelievers.
As stated, God's drawing and morality are still present or else no one would do good or even come to accept Him.
I agree but that is not my free will argument. The flesh will only bring death no matter what moral good an unbeliever does. No matter how much money they throw towards natural disaster victims. No matter how many fundraisers for sick kids. The debt of sin is eternal as sin separates us from perfection. To live with an all-holy perfect God demands an all-holy perfect sacrifice of atonement.