Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

[lrs68]

Nobody starts out as a believer. The whole world is blinded. Why do people deny this? Oh. Satan.

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.

I haven't really paid much attention to this specific part of the discussion you have mentioned but is it they don't believe in original sin or that there's an age of accountability factor that the Bible claims in the Prophets?

 

[Bob-Carabbio]

Many have probably realised i don't think we can exercise free will, even think it's impossible for us to. Won't explain why i think it's an impossiblility for us yet, think it's useful for some to express why they think it exists first.

I have no doubt we have and can make choices throughout life, however, think our options are far more restricted than most realise. What do you think?

I'd say that "FREE WILL" is a necessary attribute of human life. Also it's a "Given" that Jesus SIN OFFERING (Isa 53:10) is completely sufficent for all humans.

The only REAL QUESTION is whether all humans HAVE (are given) THE OPTION to become Born again at some point in their lives, or whether CONVICTION OF SIN is not given to some (the question of "election".

My "time of decision" came when I was 20, and i could have turned it down if I had chosen to.

I surrendered, and repented.

 

[Magenta]

Correct, however the "inability group" follow the philosophy of Augustine via their local pastor so that a person's will, emotions and intellect are totally corrupted at the fall, affecting man in such a way he cannot respond positively from birth to the message in the Good News and therefore each person God has who is pre-selected will receive a special unique divine illumination/ regeneration so that they then can believe.

Matthew 11 verse 27 ~ All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
Isaiah 65:1 “I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me."

 

[reneweddaybyday]

Nothing is nothing...

still does not change the fact that the first verse in the panel refers to the ministry given by God to John Baptist. John realized his ministry was given by God and his ministry was to decrease as the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ increased.

except to those who pervert the Word of God. Paul says such people are conceited and understand nothing.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
who does not change like shifting shadows

James 1:17-20 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

People need to learn how to harmonize verses.

stated better ... People need to learn how to harmonize verses without ripping verses from the context within which the Author of Scripture has placed them and thereby changing the meaning of what the Author of Scripture intended concerning said verse or verses.

Otherwise we are left being told salvation is not a gift from God, which is pretty inane.

I do not believe anyone who has posted in this thread has said what you infer ... i.e. I do not believe anyone has said "salvation is not a gift from God".
.

 

[reneweddaybyday]

The Greeks had simply grown up in a culture with a very intellectualized alternate reality. The learned were faced with Jews telling them the resurrected "Jewish man" (as you've said) was the Logos their heroes had intellectualized, and the unknown Creator God of the many gods they worshipped.

my reference to the "Jewish man" was in relation to how the "wise" Greeks saw Him.

for me? ... the Lord Jesus Christ is life itself (Col 3:4) ... He is eternal life (1 John 5:20) ... without Him, there is no life ... I have no life.

Interestingly Paul takes them back to creation and judgement by this resurrected Judge which is right out of Rom1 - creation and judgment - which Rom1 instructs all people inherently know and accept or reject.

Thus, it's interesting that teachings like this show us the approach to the Greeks was really about creation and the knowledge God has made inherent in mankind re: His existence, divinity and power.

None of this was or is difficult to understand. It's simply choosing to believe in reality/Truth vs. alternate manufactured realities.

God gives us the fountain of living waters ... we settle for broken cisterns that can hold no water (Jer 2:13).

I had an encounter with a young father and as I recall, his 9-year-old son. God was soon brought into the discussion. The boy enthusiastically told me how much he hoped he was one of the "elect". I looked at him and his dad and said something simple and the dad immediately understood I was not Reformed. He politely ended the conversation and took leave.

yikes ...
.

 

[Magenta]

Romans 8:15-16 You did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

 

[studier]

my reference to the "Jewish man" was in relation to how the "wise" Greeks saw Him.

for me? ... the Lord Jesus Christ is life itself (Col 3:4) ... He is eternal life (1 John 5:20) ... without Him, there is no life ... I have no life.





God gives us the fountain of living waters ... we settle for broken cisterns that can hold no water (Jer 2:13).





yikes ...
.

Yes, I understood that & thought it was a good, simple perspective.
Absolutely agree with your last 3 statements.

 

[tourist]

My "time of decision" came when I was 20, and i could have turned it down if I had chosen to.

I surrendered, and repented.

My time of decision was when I was 14 years old. I chose to have life and have it more abundantly by the grace of God. Jesus saves.

 

[HeIsHere]

"salvation is not a gift from God".
.

Agree, no one has made this declaration.

 

[Magenta]

Matthew 16 verses 15-17 ~ What about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.

 

[Magenta]

Agree, no one has made this declaration.

You need to learn how to read with comprehension.

 

[Magenta]

Mark 2 v 10 (Luke 5 v 24, Matthew 9 v 6) Mark 2 v 17 (Luke 5 v 32, Matthew 9 v 13) Acts 3 v 19-20 The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” WHO ARE THE RIGHTEOUS? THERE ARE NONE! NO, NOT ONE. Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Matthew 28 v 18

 

[BillyBob]

Come on. You guys have spent 1000's of posts trying to convince us and the readers that we are in total darkness, cannot see,cannot hear,cannot respond to the Gospel Of the Lord Jesus Christ....We are in total inability.

Is it satan or the Lord Jesus Christ keeping us in this darkness? You WILL answer Satan......The Light of the Lord Jesus Christ just can't quite overcome this all powerful force of the evil one. The Gospel will remain hidden to unbelievers by the power of satan and unbelievers will remain in their INABILITY to believe His Gospel....According to the calvies.

You have it all wrong! I can honestly say that I have never seen a post that claims that you are in total darkness, cannot see, cannot hear, cannot respond to the Gospel...etc
If I ever came across a post which said such things, I would argue as well!
No man can know the heart and mind of another and make such judgements about them, only God is able to do this.
What I have heard is that "If you can see, if you can hear, if you can respond - then this happens by grace and by grace alone. It happens by the work of the HS within you, giving you the ability to do so.

 

[Magenta]

You have it all wrong! I can honestly say that I have never seen a post that claims that you are in total darkness, cannot see, cannot hear, cannot respond to the Gospel...etc
If I ever came across a post which said such things, I would argue as well!
No man can know the heart and mind of another and make such judgements about them, only God is able to do this.
What I have heard is that "If you can see, if you can hear, if you can respond - then this happens by grace and by grace alone. It happens by the work of the HS within you, giving you the ability to do so.

Some here love burning down their straw men. But the Bible does define the lost as darkness, blinded, in need of
a Savior, and on the other hand, there are no verses telling us man is inherently free. Nope. Not one. God must act
first, for the flesh brings forth fruit unto death, then some tell us they do not teach that flesh brings forth fruit unto
life when that is EXACTLY what the free willers espouse. That is at the heart of the Pelagian heresy. Lotta them here.

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.

 

[Cameron143]

still does not change the fact that the first verse in the panel refers to the ministry given by God to John Baptist. John realized his ministry was given by God and his ministry was to decrease as the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ increased.

James 1:17-20 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.





stated better ... People need to learn how to harmonize verses without ripping verses from the context within which the Author of Scripture has placed them and thereby changing the meaning of what the Author of Scripture intended concerning said verse or verses.






I do not believe anyone who has posted in this thread has said what you infer ... i.e. I do not believe anyone has said "salvation is not a gift from God".
.

Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth. That deserved underlining.

 

[reneweddaybyday]

Correct, however the "inability group" follow the philosophy of Augustine via their local pastor so that a person's will, emotions and intellect are totally corrupted at the fall, affecting man in such a way he cannot respond positively from birth to the message in the Good News and therefore each person God has who is pre-selected will receive a special unique divine illumination/ regeneration so that they then can believe.

This of course is not taught in scripture.

When I think of "inability" on the part of natural man, I am in agreement that natural man will not, of his own volition, seek God. That's why I say that God always makes the first move ... He has revealed His eternal power and Godhead in creation ... He has given us the Scriptures whereby we can read come to know Him ... He inspires faithful believers to speak His Word ... I do not believe there is "inability" on the part of natural man to respond to God having reached out ... and that response is not always disbelief. Disbelief is from the one who suppresses the truth in unrighteousness.

Natural man can understand and believe some (most) of God's Word. There are some truths which are not understood at first reading ... some things written in Scripture require some spiritual maturity to understand, but not all of Scripture is beyond the grasp of natural man to understand. What "spiritual insight" is required in reading in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth ... or you shall not steal? You either believe what is written or you don't.

"salvation is not a gift from God"

Agree, no one has made this declaration.

the way your post made was submitted, it appears as if I had said "salvation is not a gift from God" ... however, what I said was "I do not believe anyone has said "salvation is not a gift from God".

I do not believe anyone who has posted in this thread has said what you infer ... i.e. I do not believe anyone has said "salvation is not a gift from God".

... just a point of clarification ...
.

 

[Magenta]

What I have heard is that "If you can see, if you can hear, if you can respond - then this happens by grace
and by grace alone. It happens by the work of the HS within you, giving you the ability to do so.

The free willing folks almost to a man translate being enabled as being forced. It is quite perplexing how they continually pervert
Scriptures. My awareness of the list of verses they contradict and outright deny gets longer over time. It is quite concerning!

 

[BillyBob]

Natural man can understand and believe some (most) of God's Word.

Believing that there must be a god is not the same as having the desire to turn and please the one true God. Natural man does not have a desire for God, they have a very great love for the things of this world which must be overcome.... Their hearts are wicked and corrupt, who can understand it!

James 2:19
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

 

[Cameron143]

Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth. That deserved underlining.

Any of the word people want to explain this to me?

 

[HeIsHere]

the way your post made was submitted, it appears as if I had said "salvation is not a gift from God" ... however, what I said was "I do not believe anyone has said "salvation is not a gift from God".

Easy to verify the original statement.