Can We Really Exercise Free Will?
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Not!
[1Co 4:7 KJV] 7 For who maketh thee to differ [from another]? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive [it], why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received [it]?
Sorry, meant to say that IMO @Cameron143 DOES understand what you said.
Its just that it did not suit his fancy, so he did with it whatever he desired (abused it) to suit his needs.
I did not miss the fact that it was packed with non-sequiturs and absurdities, all of it an unbiblical fantasy.
But you and a few others are the only ones that believes if it does mean the entire world that God is a failure where everyone else can't find failure in anything God does including dying for people that would ultimately reject Him.
But then again maybe you view God based upon your own self and to you personally it would be a failure so you must project that towards God.
While this has absolutely nothing to do with what we were discussing, I have never said God was ever a failure at anything.
You mean the gentile people
he’s talking to who used to be that until they heard and believed the gospel and were brought near by his blood ???
“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
Ephesians 2:11-13
Yeah gentiles and other needed the gospel which preaches of his blood among many other things but that’s the point He’s talking to these people …
“among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”
Ephesians 2:3
Yeah gentiles were alienated from god and his covenant in tbe ot because israel was his chosen people. …..but all have sinned ….everyone is doomed now
But ….in the gospel god gave the world a hope and a savior
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
John 3:16-17 KJV
He gave the whole world a propitiation for thier sins not only some
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
1 John 2:1-2 KJV
Not just “pre determined “ believers but everyone.
“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”
1 John 4:14 KJV
Savior of the world
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
1 Timothy 2:3-4
All men to be saved. Christ shed his blood for all humanity many of them reject his word and condemn themselves by his blood that was shed for them because they won’t repent
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. ….of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”
Hebrews 10:26-27, 29 KJVa
part of the problem is people telling them they aren’t supposed to repent lol they’re already chosen and saved Orr they aren’t …they don’t even have any choice to do good or evil they’re helpless. And hopeless
The real message is God created them
in his image and likeness and like others they sinned and followed evil but Jesus was sent to redeem them unto
God who created and loves them ….before they die in thier sins .that’s why we need to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ
“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
John 8:24 KJV
1 John 5:18-19 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
The fact that the whole world lieth in wickedness does not change the fact that we live in this fallen world and God stays the hand of the wicked one from directly touching us ... the wicked one does, however, affect us in various ways as described in Scripture. The wicked one works through the systems of this world and, while we do not partake in wickedness, our lives are impacted by wickedness. And don't tell me you are not impacted ... just check out the headlines from any news organization ...
and how about these words spoken by Jesus ... maybe you'll believe Him:
John 17:14-15 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
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“ the scripture clearly doesn’t mean what it says repeatedly “ because they have a different theory
The verse isn't dealing with whether or not we live in a fallen world.
First though they have to hear the gospel and acknowledge the truth because Satan has his mits on every sinner
“in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
2 Timothy 2:25-26 KJV
We all start out as captives of the devil and need to be set free by acknowledging the truth like these who believed in Jesus were taught
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:31-32 KJV
He was setting the captives free
That’s why we need a savior we corrupted this world and doomed it to wrath
“The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
….The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.”
Isaiah 24:5, 20 KJV
As you see , this didn’t work out too well
“The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: But the earth hath he given to the children of men.”
Psalm 115:16 KJV
So we need salvation from what’s coming upon this creation and that’s found here
“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
They aren’t already damned or saved but when they hear the gospel they shall be saved or damned based on how they respond to the invite that’s why Jesus told parables like this
“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.”
Matthew 22:2-
As far as the super-determinists are concerned, this is false.
To them, Jesus offers nothing. There is no outstretched hand, there is no good faith offer. There is no power to save inherent in the gospel needing no preconditions.
Frankly, its enough to drive anybody to despair and morbid mindless meandering. As we can readily observe.
The word "world" has a range of meanings and therefore context is very important, using the BDAG and contemporary literature.
Kosmos is the system of human existence in its many aspects, and all that belongs to it as system along these lines
1 John 2:15 - Do not love worldly things and ways, or anything that comes from this worldly existence ...
I was like how on the surface there is one narrative, and then a little deeper, the super - determinstic, exclusionary, hopelessness for the non pre-selected humanity is revealed.
Of course God hates them, so no worries.
That is why those guys (Reformed ilk) write so many books, all in an effort to make it sound good and holy.