Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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As most of what you think that’s another faulty point that’s not found anywhere in the Bible .

How 'bout in Natural Revelation (reality as we all know it)? Have you ever seen a physically dead person respond to sounds or sights?
 
Have you ever seen a crow flying in formation with geese?
Not that I re-caaawwwww...

John3-19-20-Psalm10-4s.png

John 3 verses 19-20 and from Psalm 10 verse 4 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of Light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. The wicked reviles the Lord
 
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We have the ability to love God more than those around us so I am not sure you are completely accurate.
Rufus said:
John's epistle was written primarily to JEWISH believers, (n)

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nope ... John wrote to born again believers. (y)

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Only a very determined determinist could fumble that pass.......:sneaky:
 
Not that I re-caaawwwww...

John3-19-20-Psalm10-4s.png

John 3 verses 19-20 and from Psalm 10 verse 4 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of Light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. The wicked reviles the Lord
All right! Perhaps it's time I quit for today. . . . . . .
 
As most of what you think that’s another faulty point that’s not found anywhere in the Bible .

Hmmm. Not found anywhere? Really?

[Eph 2:1, 5 KJV]
1 And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins; ...
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
 
Allow to revise the above for you:

We cannot change our essence because it's not in our power to do so.
Yet, we are commanded to change
Therefore, I must cry out to the only One who has the power to change me

Let's maintain some context.

You, as a Christian were being requested by @reneweddaybyday to stop something you're doing. Your determinist mind loop says you don't need to change because God is not changing you. And that same mind loop says you're humble having received grace. Several of us have requested of you similarly.

Now let's take your above revision and apply it to being an unbeliever since you're now talking about essence. I have on the surface no problem with your revision. It says that we recognize we need change before we are changed which is the opposite of determinism which says a man is changed before he cries out. But my non-determinist view says God by His Gospel and His Spirit brings some unbelievers to this point of crying out to Him for the change only He effects.

If we took your revision above, we might also apply it to the thing you've been wrongly harassing and misrepresenting me about - the leopard spots and the Ethiopian skin. We can't change such condition by ourselves, but until a certain point we can return to God for whom nothing is impossible. And this turning to Him is contained in the context of that Scripture, which I pointed out to you on more than one occasion.
 
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Lol, that's obvious that it's impossible that I could be able to reach that purity and level of love for my neighbors.
Yes, you have. It's an impersonal, unconditional love for mankind.

The reformed/calvie/tulip folks have not reached this love.

Equal privilege and equal opportunity for ALL. ALL.

He died for the whole world. You and I love each and every individual because we KNOW He died for them while yet sinners.
 
They have simply made an idol of "free will" no matter that the Bible does not teach it at all. Quite the contrary...

God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;

but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

For God does not show favoritism.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:6-11‬ ‭

But they had no choice he just pretended they did all along to make them all feel better …..

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey;

whether of sin unto death,

or of obedience unto righteousness?”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

some of you guys should start over at places like this and let what it says be true

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭12:13-14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

of course he’s going to judge what he made then do whether the good and evil against any pretend Will they thought they had lol what a bizarre diety this wacky doctrine creates
 
Several of us have requested of you similarly.
How many times has it been requested of FWers to stop using their freedom as a cover for evil?

To stop lying, and misrepresenting? And twisting Scripture beyond recognition?

Including directly to you...
 
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Yes, you have. It's an impersonal, unconditional love for mankind.

The reformed/calvie/tulip folks have not reached this love.

Equal privilege and equal opportunity for ALL. ALL.

He died for the whole world. You and I love each and every individual because we KNOW He died for them while yet sinners.
“He died for the whole world. You and I love each and every individual because we KNOW He died for them while yet sinners.”

amen and obviously repetetively stated in scripture . If your mind set begins as “ I’m one of the special chosen ones who God actually loves enough to die for “ ….it’s gonna be hard to accept that you’re just like everyone else .

If you believe you’re one of the chosen ones who can never “ lose your salvation “ no matter what you do …. It’s going to be hard to hear the true gospel god sent to all creation promising thier salvation no more for one than another .

If you think you you never have to answer for what you do and say … it’s going to be hard to accept the truth in the gospel about being judged according to what you do and say
 
How many times has it been requested of FWers to stop using their freedom as a cover for evil?

To stop lying, and misrepresenting? And twisting Scripture beyond recognition?

Including directly to you...
It’s all predetermined even this post I’m writing
 
“He died for the whole world. You and I love each and every individual because we KNOW He died for them while yet sinners.”

amen and obviously repetetively stated in scripture . If your mind set begins as “ I’m one of the special chosen ones who God actually loves enough to die for “ ….it’s gonna be hard to accept that you’re just like everyone else .

If you believe you’re one of the chosen ones who can never “ lose your salvation “ no matter what you do …. It’s going to be hard to hear the true gospel god sent to all creation promising thier salvation no more for one than another .

If you think you you never have to answer for what you do and say … it’s going to be hard to accept the truth in the gospel about being judged according to what you do and say

Were that to be true (which it isn't), then Jesus Christ could not be Savior. Do you, being a Christian, believe that He is?
 
@reneweddaybyday and anyone else who wants to chime in productively.

I think you once said you see a difference between belief and faith. As I recall, you were not the only one. Mind reminding me, correcting me, or pointing me to any Scripture you base this on? Short and simple is best for now. I'm looking at a few things and would like to compare.
 
If you believe you’re one of the chosen ones who can never “ lose your salvation “ no matter what you do

Good post brother. But this is where we disagree.

We face discipline, harsh discipline, possible blessings in time and eternal being taken from us, possible loss of rewards and reign and possible physical death......But never loss of eternal life.

We are born of imperishable seed.

We will never perish.

We have eternal life.

We will never, no not ever come into condemnation.

We are not our own and have been bought with a HUGE price.......See the irony here with the reformed/calvie/tulip folks?
 
How 'bout in Natural Revelation (reality as we all know it)? Have you ever seen a physically dead person respond to sounds or sights?
What’s this have to do with you imagining your own doctrine at every point or anything really ?

“Have you ever seen a physically dead person respond to sounds or sights?”

What are you talking about? Are y out back to how everyone’s born “ spiritually dead “ again ? I told you that’s not in the Bible . Man has always had a spirit and it’s never been dead .

“But there is a spirit in man: And the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭32:8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The spirit he gave mankind in the beginning is our connection to him and how god searches the innermost parts of mankind

The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, Searching all the inward parts of the belly.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20:27‬ ‭KJV‬‬

How many dead spirits are searching the insides of the person ?

You know what you won’t find ? A so for scripture saying man’s spirit is dead . You’ll just explain how man’s born spiritually dead ……you don’t have interest in learning from the Bible it seems like honestly more like you want to make sure no one else believes what it says either

Man being born spiritually dead is error. But you could always find that scripture saying “ man is spiritually dead “ and then correct me on that . Rather than just keep explaining error
 
Let's maintain some context.

You, as a Christian were being requested by @reneweddaybyday to stop something you're doing. Your determinist mind loop says you don't need to change because God is not changing you. And that same mind loop says you're humble having received grace. Several of us have requested of you similarly.

Now let's take your above revision and apply it to being an unbeliever since you're now talking about essence. I have on the surface no problem with your revision. It says that we recognize we need change before we are changed which is the opposite of determinism which says a man is changed before he cries out. But my non-determinist view says God by His Gospel and His Spirit brings some unbelievers to this point of crying out to Him for the change only He effects.

If we took your revision above, we might also apply it to the thing you've been wrongly harassing and misrepresenting me about - the leopard spots and the Ethiopian skin. We can't change such condition by ourselves, but until a certain point we can return to God for whom nothing is impossible. And this turning to Him is contained in the context of that Scripture, which I pointed out to you on more than one occasion.
Do you equate God bringing some unbelievers to the point of crying out to Him being bringing information alone to affect the change, or are there internal affects in the mind and heart also?