Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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Someone should really study geology.
Dirt becoming crystalized like calcium and mineral chemical makeup would be a modern day miracle.
One would think since Adam this would have been discovered by NOW :unsure:
 
Someone should really study geology.
Dirt becoming crystalized like calcium and mineral chemical makeup would be a modern day miracle.
One would think since Adam this would have been discovered by NOW :unsure:
Sedimentary rocks are formed from dirt.
 
Oh just in case you answered before you've had chance to understand something, scriptures demonstrates which can only be seen by a very in depth study of Paul's writings, that there is a difference between a heart of stone and a hardened heart. @reneweddaybyday

So the question I'm asking is not whether mankind is born with hardened heart. But a heart of stone

Have you ever been shown this.
I have shown you that the heart becomes hardened over time ... do you understand that truth?

Way back in Genesis 3, God tells us that mankind can know good and evil.

Have you studied what it means that mankind can know good? ... iow ... when God reaches out to mankind, mankind either believes or suppresses the truth in unrighteousness ... iow ... the "automatic" response to God reaching out does not always have to be rejection of truth. Have you studied that truth, Jordon?
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Someone should really study geology.
Dirt becoming crystalized like calcium and mineral chemical makeup would be a modern day miracle.
One would think since Adam this would have been discovered by NOW :unsure:
I think dirt comes from stone after the stone has been broken down over time ...

edited to add ... except at the time of creation ... I do believe God created dirt in the beginning as well as stone ... as stone created in the beginning continues to erode over time, the end result is dirt.
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Kroogz said:
Still, Not one verse......"Mankind cannot believe the Gospel that He sent to them."

That's exactly what 1 Corinthians 2:14 teaches. That's why I posed the questions. Unless you are saying a verse of scripture written by the Spirit of God isn't included in the things of the Spirit of God. Is that what you are saying?
False @Cameron143 as you well know by now. Still trying to keep that Calvinist zombie lie twitching huh?

Everybody here knows the real story on 1 Cor 2:14. Old news 1000 times over.
The text states DOES NOT RECEIVE - an act of personal volition.
The text does ***NOT*** state CANNOT RECEIVE - aka total inability

Strong's Greek: 1209. δέχομαι (dechomai) -- To receive, accept, welcome

1209 déxomaiproperly, to receive in a welcoming (receptive) way. 1209 (déxomai) is used of people welcoming God (His offers), like receiving and sharing in His salvation (1 Thes 2:13) and thoughts (Eph 6:17).

1209/dexomai ("warmly receptive, welcoming") means receive with "ready reception what is offered" (Vine, Unger, White, NT, 7), i.e. "welcome with appropriate reception" (Thayer).

[The personal element is emphasized with 1209 (déxomai) which accounts for it always being in the Greek middle voice. This stresses the high level of self-involvement (interest) involved with the "welcoming-receiving." 1209 (déxomai) occurs 59 times in the NT.]

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My biblical theology needs no fixing, thank you.
rolleyes ... as usual ...


missing-the-point-over-your-head.gif



instead of "FTFY!" ... you should use "FTFM!" ... otherwise you're just lying ...
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I think dirt comes from stone after the stone has been broken down over time ...

edited to add ... except at the time of creation ... I do believe God created dirt in the beginning as well as stone ... as stone created in the beginning continues to erode over time, the end result is dirt.
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Rocks eroding and then crushing together would be like sand. Dirt would just hold the sediments together in place as the structure forms.
 
Hearts of stone sound pretty hard to me.

Of course Adam was made of the dust of the earth.

Same as what comprises stones.

The natural man.

James1-14-15plus1-John2-16s.png

James 1 v 14-15; 1 John 2 v 16 Each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. For all that is in the world- the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life- is not from the Father but from the world. .:)
There is nothing to hard the lord can't remove tho, as found in Ezekiel the lord said I will remove there heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.
 
Going through it doesn't make your explanation correct. Saying that 1 Corinthians 2:14 doesn't apply to the gospel is ridiculous by the verse itself. How can any scripture not be the things of the Spirit of God since He is the author of scripture? And since every person is natural until converted, and conversion requires both the Spirit of God and the word of God, how is the word of God not ever seen as foolishness to someone who is unsaved?
Your explanation that the gospel isn't included in the things of the Spirit of God doesn't hold water.
you asked


Sure. But the question is not who, but why?


And I provided a link to a post which provides this information (red/bold not in original post):


and if we read what is written in 1 Cor 1 concerning the foolishness of preaching the gospel, 1 Cor 1:23 makes clear that only the Greeks considered the preaching of the cross as foolishness.
to the Jews the preaching of the cross was a stumblingblock because they require a sign (1 Cor 1:22) ...
to the Greeks it was foolishness because they seek man's wisdom (the wisdom of words of 1 Cor 1:17; and the wisdom of the wise of 1 Cor 1:19)
Clearly, the Jews understood and rejected – they wanted the Messiah Who has yet to come ... they were not interested in the Messiah Who came as the Lamb of God ... they want the conquering King. ... and some of them are still waiting, while other Jews have embraced the Lord Jesus Christ as Messiah :cool:.
The Greeks understood and rejected – in Acts 17 they mocked Paul when they heard of the resurrection of the dead (Acts 17:32). Scripture does not say they do not understand ... they understand and mockingly believe the gospel is foolishness.


they (who) consider it foolishness because (why) ...


and now you ask a plethora of questions with no regard to the answers already provided ... slow your roll and consider what answers have been provided and go from there.

If you want to discuss why the gospel is rejected we can discuss that ...

if you want to discuss the weightier matters revealed in 1 Cor 2:6-14 we can discuss that ...

what I am not going to do is fold the gospel into 1 Cor 2:14 ... you are free to do so, but we have gone over what is written in 1 Cor 2:6-14 many times. When you are ready to discuss 1 Cor 2:6-14 further, let me know.
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Absolutely not. And that's been gone over and over.

The Holy Spirit will convict the WORLD......GRACE.

Not in the distributive sense, He won't. After all, no grace is given to the proud. AND...the gift of the Fear of God is only given to God's chosen, covenant people -- not to each and every person in the world. The upshot is: The Holy Spirit will indeed convict men (and women) that Christ purchased from every tribe, language, tongue and nation (Rev . IOW, ALL KINDS of people -- just as God promised Abraham to make him the father of a multitude of nations!
 
There is nothing to hard the lord can't remove tho, as found in Ezekiel the lord said I will remove there heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.
Exactly. The heart needs to be replaced. Dust of the earth = smallest visible elements. Now we know this dust is made of even smaller elements known as atoms and molecules and atoms, same elements which make up everything known to man in the physical universe... all the matter in the universe is composed of the chemical elements listed in the periodic table, which are the fundamental building blocks of all substances. While the table lists 118 known elements, and only a handful are abundant, all matter, from stars to human bodies, consists of combinations of these elements. God is in the business of raising up children for Abraham from stones.

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In the Hebrew context of Ezekiel, a heart of stone (Hebrew: lev-even (לֵב־אֶ֔בֶן) ) represents a heart that is hard, cold, unresponsive, stubborn, and lifeless to God and His will.

Has nothing to do with the heart in a literal state of composition.
 
Please answer the question: are there any scriptures that are not the things of the Spirit.
Also, is there any spiritual truth that is not included in the things of the Spirit?
all Scripture is God breathed (2 Tim 3:16).

Some Scripture is understood (even by natural man) without having to research the Hebrew or the Greek or to whom God was speaking or the culture of the time, etc., etc.

Words are to be understood in light of the verse within which they are placed, verses of Scripture are to be understood in light of the context within which they are placed, the context is to be understood in light of the book within which the context is set, immediate context is to be understood in light of remoter context.

There is more to Scripture than ripping a verse from the context and holding it up as a proof text to support dogma. We are to bring dogma to Scripture and where dogma is in error, let go of the error.

Some Scripture is understood without having to dig deeper ... the gospel ... the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures ... the Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures ...

Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Belief of the gospel of Christ, which is the power of God to those who believe, is the first step. Then we are to feed on the milk of the Word until we are spiritually mature to the point where we can feed on the meat of the Word.

Instead of holding up 1 Cor 2:14 as a proof text that no Scripture can be understood ... at the very least read from 1 Cor 2:6 where Paul transitions from the milk of the Word to the meat of the Word. We've gone over the context many times ... you know it and I know it. you reject what I believe and I do not consider the gospel to be in view in 1 Cor 2:14. I believe the gospel is spoken of in the verses prior to 1 Cor 2:6.

And you and your friends can deny this truth, but just because I believe that is what Scripture reveals does not mean I "reject Scripture" ... or that I "believe foolishness" ... or that I am "rewriting 1 Cor 2:14 because I NEED it to fit any per-programmed way of thinking".

I actually believe it is those who fold the gospel and the milk of the Word into 1 Cor 2:14 are the ones who "rewrite Scripture" because they "NEED it to fit their per-programmed way of thinking".


2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
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you asked




And I provided a link to a post which provides this information (red/bold not in original post):

and if we read what is written in 1 Cor 1 concerning the foolishness of preaching the gospel, 1 Cor 1:23 makes clear that only the Greeks considered the preaching of the cross as foolishness.
to the Jews the preaching of the cross was a stumblingblock because they require a sign (1 Cor 1:22) ...
to the Greeks it was foolishness because they seek man's wisdom (the wisdom of words of 1 Cor 1:17; and the wisdom of the wise of 1 Cor 1:19)
Clearly, the Jews understood and rejected – they wanted the Messiah Who has yet to come ... they were not interested in the Messiah Who came as the Lamb of God ... they want the conquering King. ... and some of them are still waiting, while other Jews have embraced the Lord Jesus Christ as Messiah :cool:.
The Greeks understood and rejected – in Acts 17 they mocked Paul when they heard of the resurrection of the dead (Acts 17:32). Scripture does not say they do not understand ... they understand and mockingly believe the gospel is foolishness.


they (who) consider it foolishness because (why) ...

and now you ask a plethora of questions with no regard to the answers already provided ... slow your roll and consider what answers have been provided and go from there.

If you want to discuss why the gospel is rejected we can discuss that ...

if you want to discuss the weightier matters revealed in 1 Cor 2:6-14 we can discuss that ...

what I am not going to do is fold the gospel into 1 Cor 2:14 ... you are free to do so, but we have gone over what is written in 1 Cor 2:6-14 many times. When you are ready to discuss 1 Cor 2:6-14 further, let me know.
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What a ridiculous statement! You don't know what they "understood". You're arguing from silence!

Moreover, I can just as easily posit that they didn't have any true understanding, otherwise they would not have mocked Paul or the gospel! And I have scripture to support my position, which ironically is in the larger context of 1Cor 2! See v. 8.
 
Sedimentary rocks are formed from dirt.
All substances in our known universe are made up of elements from the periodic table...

Are people really arguing about this now? LOL

:rolleyes:


May as well give them some music to go with that...

PS~ meant to say atoms and molecules, not atoms and molecules and atoms... ;)
 
I have shown you that the heart becomes hardened over time ... do you understand that truth?

Way back in Genesis 3, God tells us that mankind can know good and evil.

Have you studied what it means that mankind can know good? ... iow ... when God reaches out to mankind, mankind either believes or suppresses the truth in unrighteousness ... iow ... the "automatic" response to God reaching out does not always have to be rejection of truth. Have you studied that truth, Jordon?
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The suppression of truth is as natural to fallen man as breathing air. (After all men naturally love the darkness, not the Light!) This is what man's wicked heart does -- suppresses truth! And that cannot be changed, until God gives his chosen vessels a new heart, instills the Fear of Himself in their heart and circumcises their heart.
 
I have shown you that the heart becomes hardened over time ... do you understand that truth?

Way back in Genesis 3, God tells us that mankind can know good and evil.

Have you studied what it means that mankind can know good? ... iow ... when God reaches out to mankind, mankind either believes or suppresses the truth in unrighteousness ... iow ... the "automatic" response to God reaching out does not always have to be rejection of truth. Have you studied that truth, Jordon?
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I believe this is the heart of stone we are all born with


Ephesians 2:1-3

English Standard Version




2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course[a] of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
I have shown you that the heart becomes hardened over time ... do you understand that truth?

Way back in Genesis 3, God tells us that mankind can know good and evil.

Have you studied what it means that mankind can know good? ... iow ... when God reaches out to mankind, mankind either believes or suppresses the truth in unrighteousness ... iow ... the "automatic" response to God reaching out does not always have to be rejection of truth. Have you studied that truth, Jordon?
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Ephesians 2:1-3

New International Version



Made Alive in Christ
2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

Here we see we are all born children of wrath which is not only addressing gentiles but The Jews who where to receive there inheritance, but also the ones who had already.

These are all the actions of the heart of stone that God removes in Ezekiel, then when you read Paul teaching it speaks of how the lord can harden hearts even more.

So what is the lord also able to harden the heart in,..if we believe the lord is only able to harden the heart in unbelief then what does that make our lord out to be.

Because pharo is not the only person to have his heart hardened.

So being hardened with a heart of stone could include other reason. It may be so that are nature doesn't consume us completely.
 
Sediments are Elements.

People do have degrees in Metallurgy, Geology, and Mathematics.
Imagine that :unsure:
 
Exactly. The heart needs to be replaced. Dust of the earth = smallest visible elements. Now we know this dust is made of even smaller elements known as atoms and molecules and atoms, same elements which make up everything known to man in the physical universe... all the matter in the universe is composed of the chemical elements listed in the periodic table, which are the fundamental building blocks of all substances. While the table lists 118 known elements, and only a handful are abundant, all matter, from stars to human bodies, consists of combinations of these elements. God is in the business of raising up children for Abraham from stones.

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I'm not sure the the heart of stone is refering to dust in which we where made up from.

You could have a point but we know the heart is flesh,

And we know that the lord says I will give a new heart of flesh but was that a new heart of flesh removing the dirt.

It's seem more logical the lord is rendering to a stone he has already placed in the heart of flesh.