Jesus makes a most fitting retort.
[Luk 7:35 KJV]
But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Can We Really Exercise Free Will?
- Thread starter LifelongLearner
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[Luk 7:35 KJV]
But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Somebody failed that much is clear.
[Luk 7:30 KJV]
But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
Even though I do not call myself a Calvinist, at least he understood the definition of the word grace. He never used the the word in a way that was so watered down that it no longer held it's meaning. He was also able to understand that all good gifts come from God.
So, even though I agree with the scripture that you present, I saw no wisdom in your earlier post...
You have no idea what the word "debunked" means. Actually, you struggle with the definition of many words.Somebody failed that much is clear.
This clearly seems to be the case with you. Just like the Pharisees, FWers think it's all about them and what they do. Much room for boasting!
Just curious here, but wouldn't free will prove who truly loves God because of all the options they have to choose from the choosing to accept God and His Invitation would give the most glorious Glory unto God versus God made me love Him?
God made us spiritually alive so we could love him (we love Him because He first loved us) 1 John 4:19. The spiritually dead hate God and will never seek him unless made alive (Romans 1).
Romans 1 tells us that God manifested Himself to people but they refuse to accept Him.
If people can reject God after God makes Himself known to them then why can't people accept God the same way. There's 2 options after God makes Himself known to us. Reject or Accept. But that is our decision to make, correct?
It is our decision and responsibility to accept or reject God. I've never stated otherwise.
Sure we failed.....
Can't unbrainwash the brainwashed that have no free will to be unbrainwashed.
Don't blame us for failing. Blame God.
God created animals with instinctive predetermined souls, deigned to interact with the creation as an integral part of the creation itself. Yet, they also have limited volition = decision-making capacities.
God allows us to kill and eat many animals. Why?
Because their souls are functional as He had prewired them to be, and are able to be disposable after having served their purpose.
I might add, God created expressions of beauty and love in many of his creatures. Having souls to reflect upon the angels, and man's nature for us to learn from.
Now, on the other hand.
The only 'nephesh' created in Genesis 1?
That was uniquely different from all the animals?
Was man's soul.
For only man's soul was created in the Image of God.
The difference is worlds apart and unique.
As for the angels?
Angels being spirit beings (not souls) have their unique type of spirit also created in God's image.
That is why God's angels are called "sons of God," and share that unique place in creation along with man.
Now...
Plants and what not?
Do they have a soul?
They have no volition like animals and man do.
Even many animals can be trained to do as its master wants them to.
They can choose to obey.
Plants, bacteria, germs, and liberals?
They are like divinely designed computer apps, performing complex functions as God predetermined they would.
Once in our resurrection bodies, this is all going to seem so elementary...
(except for Calvinists, who God will not hard wire to have understanding)
Grace and peace.....
Your responses are always the best!!
Nail the irony of it.
Brightened my day!
I couldn't help it.
God forced me to think that.
It is called irresistible logic.
And, here too!
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her
chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." Matthew 23:37
Those who make wrong and bad choices.
Even they...
God works together for the good of those who love Him.
grace and peace ............
To me, maybe not others, but the point of where we make that decision to accept\reject God is the point where I believe we have free will.
Obviously, Paul teaches we are to daily lay our life down, kill the self will, choose to do the Will of God but this only happens [(after our free will decision)] to accept the Invitation from God. We have basically surrendered our will to do God's Will.
OK, I see that you are confused with my Jethro Bodine styled responses. Perfectly understandable.
So let me dumb this debate down even further by asking you a rhetorical question:
What does the pre-birth lottery have to do with what Jesus says about "overcoming"?
Rhetorical answer: absolutely nothing.
And BTW dear commentator, never forget this:
There is ZERO scriptural evidence that our existence predates conception in the womb.
On the contrary we are a new creation in time, despite the Lord being outside of it.
In other words, the pre-birth lottery super-determinist mythos is reformer junk philosophy fit for the dumpster.
Thats just the way it is buddy.
These would be the supergrace believers who are crowned with grace.
Eternally crowned BTW.
Give God all of the blame and none of the glory.
This is the way of the super-determinist.
Do the will of God?
2 Peter 3:18
But be continuously growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Continuously growing?
We can only do that if we have humbled ourselves and found one of the few who can actually teach sound doctrine.
Only a few, out of the many today who profess to teach, can actually teach on the level required to reach maturity in Christ.
That is why Jesus said... "Only a few find it."
Here is why only a few will find the Life Abundantly that Jesus came to give us!
For the time will come when they will not put up with/tolerate sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number
of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3
we are there right now.
I couldn't help it.
God forced me to think that.
It is called irresistible logic.
Apparently also boring?
So odd how it is believed the incurably wicked heart has wisdom. Scripture certainly disagrees... in many places|!
There is no fear of God before their eyes. Yes, the very thing required... is lacking... but free willers care not.