Can We Really Exercise Free Will?
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Actually only peter is recorded to have a weapon Jesus never had such a thing his sword was metaphorical but his sword was to divide not to destroy
Grace does not make us believe. (having no choice)
In fact. Grace makes us ABLE to believe. (having choice)
But, without grace?
Nobody would, nor could, believe.
........
"Do to others as you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31). This highlights the importance of putting yourself in another person's shoes and acting accordingly.
All the scripture you have showed you have tried to make it say something it isn't but the scriptures are clear here
Right. As there would be total abandonment and no Word from above by which a choice could be made.
God did indeed make Isreal unable to hear his word after tbey rebelled and ignored it for a long time and had to choose some of them and make them able to hear him again .
“And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant,and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, and the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.”
Isaiah 6:9-12 KJV
So he made them unable to hear it but for the remnant that he chose the remnant promised to be saved the tenth of them in the final verse of that prophecy
“But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.”
Isaiah 6:13 KJV
That’s part of a prophetic line in tbe ot Paul’s discussing it here about how the nation of Israel didn’t obtain what they tried and worked so hard for but the elect of Israel this chosen remnant , but the rest of them were blinded and made deaf .
“I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.”
Romans 11:1 KJV
“Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ( all the Isrealites that accepted Jesus and became the early church ) What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (according as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear” ( this is that same repetetive quote about them , israel ,being made deaf and blind ) unto this day. (Probably said 40-70 ad appx ) And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, And a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, And bow down their back alway.”
Romans 11:5, 7-10 KJV
what im saying is in several ot prophecies one also is this
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.”
Isaiah 10:20-23 KJV
These prophecies of Israel’s judgement and punishments to come the desolation promised again and again there’s always a remnant that he promised to choose and spare . That’s why if you read the gospel when Jesus was only preaching to israel before he sent it to gentiles , he’s choosing them and saying “ you didn’t choose me I chose you , you can’t come to me unless I do it , ect ect
because they were made deaf and blind in tbe ot to gods word except for those he chose in the gospel and shortly after like Paul who’s explaining this in Roman’s 11 but gentiles never have been blinded by god because they weren’t part of the covenant in the ot only the children of Israel were .
The remnant is just part of prophecy a small number of them would accept Jesus but the nation as a whole would reject him and have him crucified . Then the remnant would be sent out to all the world preaching the gospel to all people
It’s also the subject of a couple of Jesus parables. But really it’s mostly part of the prophetic line in the ot .
“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward: for out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.”
Isaiah 37:31-32 KJV
“Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:”
Romans 9:27
Paul’s recalling this
“For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.”
Isaiah 10:22 KJV
abut really there’s a whole story we even know as the went out of jeruswlem the lords word would be with them
“Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.”
Isaiah 8:16-18 KJV
This is referenced in Hebrews ect ect
Im not sure thisnis clear but israel was blinded and made deaf because of thier constant rejection of his word but he also said he would choose a remnant of them and they would hear and believe and he would send them out preaching the gospel from Jerusalem to all people . Those he made able to hear
My whole point was gentiles have never been made dead to his word or blind we never had a covenant before the gospel we can all hear it just fine ,
“hearing" vs. "understanding".”
hearing is the first step to understanding if I have never heard the message “ your a sinners and sinners are sentenced to death , but God sent his only son to die for your sins so you could be forgiven “ …..then I could never possibly my understand it . Roman’s ten is t making a competition between hearing and understanding at all hes quoting from a prophecy about how blessed the apostles who were sent to preach the gospel are so that anyone who believes and calls upon his name can be saved
I have God regenerating an individual to bring about faith. Salvation comes when one believes.
Yet he believes that faith is a supernatural and spiritually gifted thing, Calvinists do not believe this
Not if someone actually jumped into the water and pulled him out first! Your god is either a coward or he doesn't like to get is feet wet. He'd rather play it safe and keep his distance from the water, right?
It's obvious what I am saying to you is going right over your head. If a person goes under the water three times as you suggest, that person has had more than enough opportunity to grab the life saver the Lord has thrown him and is now beyond the area of salvation. Heb.9:27 The Lord acts before we go under the first time and continues to act as we are floundering in the water. Rom.5:8 Indeed, He acted before we were even in the water. Rev.13:8
Your god is slow to act (if He bothers at all) and indifferent to the plight of man.
Whoa...
Please explain to me what you believe they believe faith is?
It is not so much that our faith (what we believe to be true) is in itself supernatural.
But, rather, we sensed a strong supernatural presence when we believed.
For, God was bearing witness to us as we were choosing to believe.
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No Cameron, grace is the matter at hand. God has no problem whatsoever handling our flesh so we may hear the Gospel.
Just like a basketball player touring through Munchkin land.
He believes that faith is one of the gifts of the spirit and that it is spiritually produced believing something is one thing faith the gift of the spirit is anotherWhoa...
Please explain to me what you believe they believe faith is?
It is not so much that our faith (what we believe to be true) is in itself supernatural.
But, rather, we sensed a strong supernatural presence when we believed.
For, God was bearing witness to us as we were choosing to believe.
......
How does he “ regenerate “ people and by what means ? He chooses a man then “regenerates “ him and then he’s able to hear the gospel ? So forst gos would have to choose you to be saved by his Will alone not based on anything else but his choice and then he makes you able to hear words and then you would of course be compelled irrisistably to believe ….because he chose you and his Will is going to be done regardless of what you think you can choose or do ?
I agree with the first part but I would reword the second part as anyone already saved has heard (past tense) the Gospel and believed (past tense).