Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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Colossians 2 v 8, Romans 16 v 18, Romans 10 v 2, Proverbs 19 v 2a ~ See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge. Zeal is no good without knowledge.
 
"except" "cannot".

Yup. Its always the door to salvation getting slammed shut by the gatekeepers.
They are quite obsessive about it.
Gotta pass that theology exam at the door. If you cant change world, everyone, all -> into - gentiles, some, elect you dont qualify.
 
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1 Corinthians 3 v 19-21a, 1 Corinthians 1 v 19 ~ The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” Therefore, stop boasting in men. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
 
This forum is a constant test whether we know it or not.

That is why I come here.
It's like a spiritual gymnasium.
I come here to exercise my faith to discover what I have learned and can put into experience.

Sometimes... I walk away, saying to myself....

.......... " Wow. I really did learn something from all that teaching that I now can know has actually become one with me."

Until tested?
It was hidden and dormant and seemingly forgotten about.

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Much about our human suffering is to become understood by the positive believer.
God has a deep purpose to be found in our suffering.

Here is a link that leads to a source of acquiring gold, silver, and precious stones.

Solving People Problems.

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One can spend hours there learning from in depth, detailed, and insightful wisdom

He is REAL! Our Father has freely given us what He wants us to be freely giving!

grace and peace ......
 
Aplogies if I am misunderstanding but aren't believers saved? I am not sure what is so wrong about him saying that

Calvinists of today somehow construe the thought that a man is regenerated before he is saved, in order to become saved.
 
If that is the case then why post that verse? as far as I can tell there seems to be a great misunderstanding in general not a useless controversy

Posted it to show you when it is appliable.
 
Being an original language and grammar student of the Word, there are some things there to pinpoint how and why someone is thinking wrongly about what's said.

You're seeing this when you go to Strong's and provide meanings of a few words. What do you think about the word "hearing" in Rom10:17? What do we think Paul means by it? What do you think @Pilgrimshope, @Genez, @reneweddaybyday, @Kroogz and others think it means? Then, what do we think @Cameron143 thinks differently about it than the rest of us?

Hopefully. I know better now than to guess and assume.
Having been shown numerous times by my pastor how the Greek language can mention several things in a passage, but the construct of a word will point to only one of the things mentioned.

It makes you sit there stunned to see how God provided.
Yet, too many want to run with what they will provide for themselves.
 
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Strange how God can give to us our desires (which come from Him in the first place) but can't give Himself what He desires.

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.


You asked why God's grace is "ineffectual"? It isn't, when His grace is rejected it is showing exactly why those who do such things need to be eternally separated in the lake of fire.

You just contradicted yourself. If God's grace was effectual, it would literally accomplish what God desires since NOTHING (including man's "freewill") can thwart, obstruct or compromise God's PURPOSE! In 1Tim 2:4, God does accomplish his purpose since "all" men should be understood as "all" w/o distinction due to the context of the passage.
 
No, God doesn't jump in and pull people out of the lake of fire. God saves the drowning, not the drowned. The salvation of God is right at the fingertips of all who believe, there is no need to drown. It's their choice to refuse God's truth, not the Lord's.

Well that's the point. Why didn't God do the BRAVE thing and jump in and save the DROWNING person before he went down the third time? Did the Good Samaritan "jump in and save" the half-dead man or did he simply provide an opportunity to participate in his own salvation by writing instructions to the nearest hospital and pinning it to the guy's chest in case he ever regained consciousness.
 
You must find joy in telling others how to raise their children. However, I think that it is highly unlikely that Cameron will take advice from you.
She thinks it wise to advise those she disagree with to go preach in cemeteries because she is so confused
about what it is to be spiritually dead. Then she denies conflating being spiritually dead with physically dead.
 
You still think that grace makes you believe.

YES! What is YOUR personal, spiritual problem with this truth? In your world it would be far better for God's grace to be ineffectual so that the vast majority of people can reject it, not believe the gospel and suffer in the lake of fire forever, rather than His grace be effectual that enables belief so that the believer can spend eternity with his loving, compassionate and merciful Creator and Redeemer?
In your universe, it would be better for God to go through the motions of offering mere salvation opportunities rather than actually pulling anyone's bacon out of the fire.

And what part of Act 18:27 don't you get? The text doesn't say that Apollos was a great help to those who believed by their "freewill" choice.
 
In your universe, it would be better for God to go through the motions of offering mere
salvation opportunities rather than actually pulling anyone's bacon out of the fire.
It really seems they think that God doing what is best for us is really not what is best for us.

Of course when it infringes on their self-exalting idol of free will they make a monster
out of God rather than acknowledging He really does know best. It is quite perplexing!

Then again, I really don't think they see all the ways they contradict themselves.
 
Your skin must crawl and gnarl whenever truth refutes your viewpoint.

Your answer screams don't leave me in the sunlight I am melting :ROFL::LOL::ROFL:

You haven't refuted anything! You're delusional. Besides...my only authority for determining what is true and what isn't doesn't rely on fallible, finite church fathers; rather on the infallible, eternal Word of God.
 
It really seems they think that God doing what is best for us is really not what is best for us.

Of course when it infringes on their idol of free will they make a monster out of
God rather than acknowledging He really does know best. It is quite perplexing!

Then again, I really don't think they see all the ways they contradict themselves.

They love to believe that they are autonomous beings who know what is best for their own lives.