Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

[reneweddaybyday]

Also, keep reading. In one of my responses I asked your understanding of the verse.

and I said I would consider responding to your request after you considered John 3:27 ...

since you are uninterested in discussing John 3:27, and you are interested in discussing James 1:18, why don't you submit your understanding of James 1:18:

James 1:

17 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.

18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

I even underlined it as requested by you ...
.

 

[Kroogz]

I haven't swept anything away. And you write walls of text and I'm reading on a phone. So I generally only read parts of walls of text. Perhaps you are part of the crowd who employs verses and doesn't explain crowd. Nothing to see here. Only read the parts I want.

Good Lord @Cameron143. @reneweddaybyday has the best and easiest explanation of what we believe.

But that isn't the point of the calvies. ......They try to Make all wonder and ponder over their ultra superior intellect and prowess.

 

[Cameron143]

It's been explained. Spirit gives birth to spirit. Jn.3:6

How about the phrase...by His will?

 

[Cameron143]

Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

It is God's will to regenerate after a person believes the word of truth.

I appreciate you answering.

 

[Genez]

Great question. And, yes, FWers prefer to trust in their own judgment even though all men are utterly deceitful. Trusting implicitly in God's holy, perfect will doesn't work for FWers! FWers insist that THEY must reach decisions on their own, otherwise they're mere "robots".

Question....

The angels that stayed with God?

Was that their choice to do so?

 

[Cameron143]

and I said I would consider responding to your request after you considered John 3:27 ...

since you are uninterested in discussing John 3:27, and you are interested in discussing James 1:18, why don't you submit your understanding of James 1:18:

James 1:

17 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.

18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

I even underlined it as requested by you ...
.

I appreciate the discussion.

 

[HeIsHere]

None of that addresses the verse.

No verse should be understood outside of full context of the letters

Having stated this the verse is not how they were saved but about their responsibilities as believers.

James is exhorting new believers to stand firm in their walk as they are some of the first believers to that time period.

 

[HeIsHere]

How about the phrase...by His will?

Once again this is not God regenerating individual people by His will before belief, it was His will to create the plan of salvation.
That was His will.

 

[Magenta]

I appreciate you answering.

No comment on how her understanding is nowhere hinted at in the verse?

 

[Pilgrimshope]

Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

It is God's will to regenerate after a person believes the word of truth.

amen his word in the gospel is what does it just like he spoke light in the beginning and it was so from his word ….

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:63‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

….But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:22-23, 25‬ ‭


“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:3, 6-8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:35‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:24‬ ‭

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:51‬ ‭KJV‬‬

all of these promises of life in the gospel from gods own mouth is where the life is offered to the hearer but not if we refuse to believe what he’s saying

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

It’s always been tbat way for mankind . The lord came and spoke to us and promised in his words salvation of sinners will repent and believe him

 

[Magenta]

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:63‬ ‭KJV‬‬

That pretty much says it all right there.

 

[HeIsHere]

It’s always been tbat way for mankind . The lord came and spoke to us and promised in his words salvation of sinners will repent and believe him

Amen!

God promised, initiated and completed the plan of salvation and somehow that gets turned into God individually regenerates before repentance and belief, over and over again.

 

[Pilgrimshope]

Once again this is not God regenerating individual people by His will before belief, it was His will to create the plan of salvation.
That was His will.

Amen The gospel was his plan tbat he was foretelling in tbe ot that would save and redeem believers ….he promised it for generations then he came and fulfilled it . Then he sent it forth to all creation

“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

Thanks be to God for the gospel in jesus name !!! His plan of salvation for all creation , that he’s been telling us about since the beginning and then fulfilled when he came and then sent the witness of the gospel to everybody

Frankly some reject it because they don’t like what they hear

 

[Magenta]

Frankly some reject it because they don’t like what they hear

Or they don't hear, or hear foolishness, being blinded along with the rest of the whole world under the power and influence of Satan.

 

[Cameron143]

No comment on how her understanding is nowhere hinted at in the verse?

Would it matter?

 

[Mem]

18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

I perceive that you are truly a wordsmith, although I afraid I'm still an apprentice. Does this explanation of it sound too confusing?

It is God's will that He beget (His children) by the word of truth, in order that we be counted as begotten of Him by the word of truth.


And backing up a few verses to James1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

I can't know what wisdom is if it isn't the word of truth. And who would argue that is not truly the good and perfect gift, except those that deny it?

 

[Pilgrimshope]

That pretty much says it all right there.

Yeah it’s one point I’d say he repeats it many times in different words

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

That’s what some are saying this is that word of life he’s sent to the world it’s the source that quickens and saves he’s already done his part and sent it to everyone so it’s available

“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

His word (the gospel ) is what quickens and saves

 

[Magenta]

Would it matter?

Not an iota.

 

[Pilgrimshope]

Would it matter?

You don’t have to understand something to believe it look at Abraham God told him leave your home and everyone you’ve known behind and go to a place that I’ll tell you about later after you leave and obey me ……

im sure Abraham wasn’t operating by his grasp of what god was doing but instead he just believed what god told him and responded in faith obeyed and packed up and left not even knowing his destination

 

[Cameron143]

You don’t have to understand something to believe it look at Abraham God told him leave your home and everyone you’ve known behind and go to a place that I’ll tell you about later after you leave and obey me ……

im sure Abraham wasn’t operating by his grasp of what god was doing but instead he just believed what god told him and responded in faith obeyed and packed up and left not even knowing his destination

I never claimed otherwise.