Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

[Inquisitor]

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?

From a theological standing Israel was hardened just like Pharoah for refusing the Christ.

The Gentiles were predetermined to hear the gospel and respond.

Romans 9-11, is everything to do with why Israel failed and nothing to do with individual election.

Think national and you too can unlock the letter to the Romans.

As for the concept of, "freewill", not in this universe.

That's why the word GRACE appears in the text.

 

[Cameron143]

Rom 5:18
So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

Adams Result~~ALL men.

The Lord Jesus Christs result~~All men.

So...all humanity has been justified?

 

[Cameron143]

I

Hold on there a second partner. You have relegated His Grace to second place compared to Adam.


Rom5:15
But the gracious gift is not like the offense. For if by the offense of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many.

I have no idea what you mean.

 

[Kroogz]

While I do think your discernment is mostly right, the particular poster you refer to isn't evil; he is simply immature.

That's rich.

He is arguably one of the most mature on this forum.

So...all humanity has been justified?

So Adam won? Adam was more successful than Christ?

Propitiated. Reconciled. Justified......I would recommend an extensive study on these terms.

Through FREEWILL faith we receive Grace and we are then justified.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you SHALL be saved.....

 

[Kroogz]

I

You have no idea what you mean.

You know what the verse means. And It WRECKS what you teach.

 

[Genez]

Raising someone from the dead I believe is simply the beginning of the grace God extends in salvation. I believe He also circumcises the heart.

........... unbelievers have foreskins on their hearts?

..... And, women believers, too?!​

.......

 

[Cameron143]

That's rich.

He is arguably one of the most mature on this forum.



So Adam won? Adam was more successful than Christ?

Propitiated. Reconciled. Justified......I would recommend an extensive study on these terms.

Through FREEWILL faith we receive Grace and we are then justified.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you SHALL be saved.....

He's not mature at all or the fruit of the Spirit would be more evident.

And you didn't answer the question. If the work of Christ is universal, as you suggested, then all are justified. But then you readily admit one isn't justified until they come to faith. Which is it? Is it universal, or only true of a believer?

 

[Cameron143]

........... unbelievers have foreskins on their hearts?

..... And, women believers, too?!​

.......

More maturity on display.

 

[Cameron143]

You know what the verse means. And It WRECKS what you teach.

While I'm becoming more convinced you don't know what you mean, it should have said that I have no idea what you were implying.

 

[cv5]

The problem is Cameron, it is as much as what you leave unsaid that leaves others to think what they do. You rarely explain anything in detail but mostly ask others to explain themselves while you're more inclined to walk away from the conversation when it gets too hard.

Instead of making the accusation, why didn't you take the time to correct my thinking on the matter? If man is not born evil, then what?

You can't have your Calvinist cake and eat it too.
Either you are born hopelessly depraved and only capable of evil or you're not.

There are a couple of posters here whose whole career is predicated upon accusing man of being totally evil.

 

[sawdust]

I actually answer nearly all your questions until you become presumptive and rude. At that point, what's the point? Should I answer and be a contributing factor for your behavior?

Really, yet you still haven't answered my latest questions. Should I be a contributing factor to your snobbishness? That's how you come across to me. Should I declare that is who you are? For the most part I ignore your comments that sound like you look down your nose at me.

Also, plenty of people here know exactly what I believe. They read the same posts you do. Perhaps it is you that doesn't actually read the posts carefully.

I'm not "plenty of people", I'm me and you call me presumptive? I don't read all your posts to others and there is far less detail in your posts than what you may think so maybe the problem is the lack of reading material.

Man is born with a sinful nature and is separated from God.

You think that is an explanation? What does having a "sinful nature" even mean? That's just Christian jargon. Where is this sinful nature? How does it work? What does it do to a man? What has God done to overcome it?

Raising someone from the dead I believe is simply the beginning of the grace God

You're in your Resurrection body and seated in the heavenly realms experientially? I said "it reaches to the depths and raises to the heights", how can you not see that I mean grace covers every inch of man's condition and beyond?

Always listening, never hearing?

 

[sawdust]

More maturity on display.

He is referring to the same lack of detail and Christianized jargon that you constantly employ thinking that somehow that explains everything which, is exactly what I have been saying to you. Newsflash! It explains nothing and actually makes you look like you don't know what you are talking about.

 

[Kroogz]

He's not mature at all or the fruit of the Spirit would be more evident.

And you didn't answer the question. If the work of Christ is universal, as you suggested, then all are justified. But then you readily admit one isn't justified until they come to faith. Which is it? Is it universal, or only true of a believer?

He reconciled the world(all men) to himself......He propitiated the Father.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.......JUSTIFIED.

Propitiated.Reconciled. Justified.......Now I DOUBLE recommend that you do an extensive study on these three terms.

I know you need to. Because they answer your question.

 

[sawdust]

You can't have your Calvinist cake and eat it too.
Either you are born hopelessly depraved and only capable of evil or you're not.

There are a couple of posters here whose whole career is predicated upon accusing man of being totally evil.

If man is born evil then God is to blame because the only thing we got from Adam was our flesh and the heart is a part of the soul, not the flesh. "All souls are mine" says the lord because He created them and He created them knowing neither good nor evil.

 

[Jordon]

While I do think your discernment is mostly right, the particular poster you refer to isn't evil; he is simply immature. And nothing is to be gained by putting anyone on ignore. I came to this site to broaden my understanding. One can learn from what is wrong as well as from what is right. Besides, people may be offensive, but we are not obligated to take offense.

That's completely upto yourself how you deal with insulting people.

But calling people crap, stupid, shit and using expressions like who the hell the cares, along with falsely accusing people's character most certainly is a person acting with evil intent in there heart.

Or if you prefer we can call it hate.

But hate and evil are the same thing when used in the manner he's using it.

However if you feel the need to help him mature, by all means take him under your wing.

I personally wouldn't because despite your effort to be pleasant, he just keeps putting you down.

It Is hatred, and it is clear to see.as the morning dawn, I sense that this has something to do with what I've been told about already from magenta but I'm not even going to waste my time talking about it, as it's ridiculous in my opinion.

You should know that where warned the mouth speaks what the heart is fond of, and wild accusations really is what I'm seeing from him. You should also know that the devil came to falsely accuse the breather an he is also.

And so far all I've seen is exactly that from him


I wouldn't like to meet him on a dark night or be his neighbour that's for sure.

What I'm finding highly annoying is he's also hiding behind the word of God or should I say using the word of God to come across as nice and insult people with.

That to me is something that really gets my back up.

But to be honest friend I can do without this,.my heart tells me and I should listen is to say nothing and live a quiet life. As people like him will bring you down to there level

 

[Cameron143]

He reconciled the world(all men) to himself......He propitiated the Father.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.......JUSTIFIED.

Propitiated.Reconciled. Justified.......Now I DOUBLE recommend that you do an extensive study on these three terms.

I know you need to. Because they answer your question.

If God's wrath over sin has been satisfied, what need is there of a second death in the Lake of Fire?

 

[BillyBob]

The Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins........Not yours only but for the sins of the WHOLE world.

Christ says to His Father, in John 17:25 “…the world hath not known Thee…” Does He mean that not one individual has ever known God? Certainly not!

 

[Magenta]

Christ says to His Father, in John 17:25 “…the world hath not known Thee…” Does He mean that not one individual has ever known God? Certainly not!

The world cannot receive the Spirit of Truth. That is why it is necessary to be called out of the world first.

But you will be condemned if you thank God for calling you out of the world. Free willers make little sense, after all.

John 14 v 17a, Romans 8 v 6-9 ~ “Inability” in Bible. The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. Praise be to God for calling me out of the world.

 

[Magenta]

Romans 8 verse 7a, Galatians 5 verse 17, John 1 verse 5, John 14 verse 17 ~ The mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. The flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. Darkness does not comprehend the Light. The world cannot receive the Spirit of Truth, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.

 

[lrs68]

All FWers, read and weep and wail and lament crocodile tears over the following passages I believe it was RDBD who vehemently objected to my thesis that God chose his elect in eternity and gave them his justifying grace also in eternity! And this implies that God's elect were always seen through the life and work of mankind's Federal Head -- Jesus Christ, which further implies that all of God's elect in HIS EYES were justified in eternity, having the righteousness of Christ imputed to them.

Eph 1:4
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
NIV

Not only did he choose all his adopted children in eternity, but God also gave his justifying grace to the elect in eternity.

2 Tim 1:9
9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time...
NIV

And not only was this justifying grace give to God's chosen people in eternity, but it was promised to them in eternity!

Titus 1:2
2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time...
NIV

And...the elect's names who have been recorded in the Book of Life before the foundation of the world did not, would not and could not worship the beast!

Rev 13:8
8 ...and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.
ESV

There you have it, folks. God chose his people, gave his justifying grace to them, and promised it to them -- all in eternity! This is how God gives his grace to the humble. All that grace comes through the elect's Federal Head who was a meek, mild, lowly, humble Servant of God. It's no wonder at all that scripture teaches that God qualifies his people for his inheritance (Col 1:12) and that it's by His doing that all the elect are in Christ Jesus (1Cor 1:30)! Ultimately, NONE of us are in Christ by exercising our "freewill".

How can they cry and reap when everyone with a clue knows Paul is speaking about the ancient Hebrew Jews?