Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

[Magenta]

There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. Romans 3 verses 11-12; Romans 8 verses 5-8; 2 Timothy 2 verses 25-26

 

[HeIsHere]

@Rufus Is the gang leader on this. He is like reading the book on reformed theology. Everything he says is written and scripted.

Interesting.
Maybe a bit of turmoil going on, the system not quite holding together that well after all.

 

[cv5]

Exactly. And you nor anyone else is exempt from this truth.

Stop telling us that you are one of the 'special ones.'

Equal privilege and equal opportunity for ALL.

Saved by "specialness".

Sounds like unbiblical folly to me.....

 

[cv5]

@Rufus Is the gang leader on this. He is like reading the book on reformed theology. Everything he says is written and scripted.

$$$$$$$....???

 

[Magenta]

The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. The world does not recognize Him. No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. The one who loves God is known by God. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile toward God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it. Whoever is not from God does not listen to us.

 

[BillyBob]

yeah same thing really either way it was probably a lie.

Take care and Bye for now I'm of to work.

Jordon,
I cannot remember who wrote the following, but I thought it was a very well written thought on the condition of man's ability, due to the condition of his heart.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> He wrote the following:
Please remember that the first Adam was created as very good. He had a very close relationship with his maker and was provided something that we no longer posses, (both the ability and liberty to choose either good or evil).

The Bible clearly and consistently teaches (1) man is free to do good or evil, that he is at liberty to do either, but (2) that he is able to do only evil because of his fallen condition. The will cannot escape the moral character out of which it comes. If the soul is entirely corrupt so that its knowledge and desire are defective and rotten, it follows that it will ever will to do that which is evil.

The ability to do good was lost with the fall of Adam. Now “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart are only evil” (Gen 6:5). He is able to do good only as he is regenerated in order that he may again possess the good heart and will and to do God’s good pleasure (Eph 2:1, John 3:3, Phil 2:13).

Yet his ability is not identical with that which Adam originally had. The regenerate man is not yet able to do God's will perfectly. He does truly delight in the will of God. He does persist in the way of righteousness. Sin cannot prevail in him as it formally did. But sin is present with him (Rom 7:21). The reason for this is that we are in the process of being made holy.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

This inability of man to please God prior to regeneration, is often referred to as having a heart of stone.

 

[Cameron143]

Oh right, regeneration does not involve any sanctification, the clean heart is not in any way cleaning or sanctifying!!

Regeneration is life. Taking out a heart of stone is necessary to believe from the heart. It's about salvation.

 

[Magenta]

Election – Seen as unconditional, based solely on God’s will, rather than conditional on human faith or response.

For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom
I have compassion.” So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.

It is God Who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose. Apart from Me you can do nothing. No word from God will ever fail. “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

 

[HeIsHere]

Well, I hear a lot of shrieking about the mass of incurably wicked, utterly depraved, stony hearted, born evil, wretched, devoid of the truth, slaves to sin, puppets of Satan humanity out there.

That list is nowhere near exhaustive BTW.

They sound more scary than scared if you ask me. A couple of posters in particular are epic in their incessant condemnations. Use the search tool and find out for yourself.

Its bizarre and disturbing man, it really is.

Very disturbing, according to them the only believer who has ever trusted IN Christ Jesus for the gift of salvation is NO ONE!!

For them Christ Jesus has determined the non elect to never believe the truth, that is ultimate destination/end point of this dogma.

 

[Magenta]

Titus 3 verses 4-5 ~ When the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

 

[Magenta]

Very disturbing, according to them the only believer who has ever trusted IN Christ Jesus for the gift of salvation is NO ONE!!

More of your lies.

 

[HeIsHere]

Regeneration is life. Taking out a heart of stone is necessary to believe from the heart. It's about salvation.

Regeneration is referred to as a washing, you are placing cleansing before justification.

(Titus 3:5) not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

 

[HeIsHere]

$$$$$$$....???

I have wondered this for a while for quite a few.
Stealth Calvinism is well documented by various churches across North America, churches breaking apart etc.,

There is even a video of MacArthur stating his slowly moved his congregation into the tenets of Calvinism.

 

[cv5]

Very disturbing, according to them the only believer who has ever trusted IN Christ Jesus for the gift of salvation is NO ONE!!

For them Christ Jesus has determined the non elect to never believe the truth, that is ultimate destination/end point of this dogma.

Jesus says trust Me.
The super-determinist says trust their Powerball system.

Mat 12:21
And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

 

[Magenta]

Regeneration is referred to as a washing, you are placing cleansing before justification.

(Titus 3:5) not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

You have the slave to sin and lover of darkness under the power and influence of Satan choosing to come into the light when Scripture says they will not, you have him deciding to believe what he hears as foolishness while opposed to the spiritual things of God toward Whom he is hostile. You have the flesh bringing forth fruit unto life, the bad tree producing good fruit, oh, you say faith is not a good thing! Your theology is senseless. Your idea of refutation is simply mocking what the Bible explicitly articulates, while agreeing with those who would rather blaspheme God than admit they were wrong. Oh, well, that does include you as well, so that part makes sense in a sick and twisted way that matches your thinking on these matters. You reject, contradict and outright deny a lot of Scripture.

 

[cv5]

You have the slave to sin and lover of darkness under the power and influence of Satan choosing to come into the light when Scripture says they will not, you have him deciding to believe what he hears as foolishness while opposed to the spiritual things of God toward Whom he is hostile. You have the flesh bringing forth fruit unto life, the bad tree producing good fruit, oh, you say faith is not a good thing! Your theology is senseless. Your idea of refutation is simply mocking what the Bible explicitly articulates, while agreeing with those who would rather blaspheme God than admit they were wrong. Oh, well, that does include you as well, so that part makes sense in a sick and twisted way that matches your thinking on these matters. You reject, contradict and deny a lot of Scripture.

"You have the slave to sin and lover of darkness under the power and influence of Satan...who would rather blaspheme God........sick and twisted "

Thar she blows!

 

[Kroogz]

There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. Romans 3 verses 11-12; Romans 8 verses 5-8; 2 Timothy 2 verses 25-26

Simple......So the Lord Jesus Christ came after mankind.

You are stuck on the man and cannot see Gods remedy.

He will draw all men to Himself. He will convict/convince the world.

Step out of your man box. It's too small for the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[Jordon]

How could it be a lie when God agreed?

Have a good night...

Genesis 2 verse 17

ty a bit of confusion on my part oops.

No matter, probably my racing mind, I've been racing way to much lately.

I'm happy with your answers you gave me earlier concerning can a man do good, all the rest I asked was just ideas, it's not something I truly know for sure.

I'm more than happy to fellowship in the future, with you and your friends knowing that all that is being said about you and your friends, I had to test the waters, which I now find all the accusations made about your faith to be false.

It's been a pleasure to have your acquaintance and share your wisdom and insight mam.

Good night.

 

[Magenta]

ty a bit of confusion on my part oops.

No matter, probably my racing mind, I've been racing way to much lately.

I'm happy with your answers you gave me earlier concerning can a man do good, all the rest I asked was just ideas, it's not something I truly know for sure.

I'm more than happy to fellowship in the future, with you and your friends knowing that all that is being said about you and your friends, I had to test the waters, which I now find all the accusations made about your faith to be false.

It's been a pleasure to have your acquaintance and share your wisdom and insight mam.

Good night.

Good night, Jordon, thank you again for your very kind words, sir, and it seems some of your answers came from things
your mother believed, obviously she had a very good influence on you in faith matters and I mean her no disrespect...

My own mother did not understand why I was going to get baptized at the age of 49.

She thought my infant baptism should suffice. So did my oldest brother.

Well, at least she saw me come to faith before she departed this world...

We count our blessings where we find them and thank God for all things.

 

[Cameron143]

Regeneration is referred to as a washing, you are placing cleansing before justification.

(Titus 3:5) not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Interesting verse you chose. It has God saving through His mercy and spiritual renewal by the Holy Spirit, and spiritual life through rebirth or regeneration without consideration for what the individual does. Hmmmmm. Sounds familiar. Wonder why you don't believe it.