Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

[reneweddaybyday]

But God the peace of God that the surpasses all understanding does that apply to surpassing your understanding of him.

The peace that surpasses our understanding ... the peace of God is not a cessation of conflict ... it is a serene harmony with God even in the midst of strife in this world and it is found only in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our understanding of Him ... whatever little, eensy weensy, teeny tiny, speck of understanding we have of God will never fully comprise Who He is ... What He is ... even in eternity we will never come to the end of understanding God. He is far greater than my understanding ... far greater than your understanding ... far greater than the collective understanding of all mankind put together. What He allows us to know of Himself is pure grace, mercy, lovingkindness from Him to us.

God surpases all feelings of unrest in the case of knowing God is giving you comfort

Am I to believe I can't understand an comprehend God is giving me comfort

the peace of God is not beyond our experiencing the peace of God which He works in our inward parts. but to understand it? no, it is beyond our understanding ... it far surpasses our ability to comprehend.
.

 

[Magenta]

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Since the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. from 1 Corinthians 1 verses 18-21 The natural man does not choose to believe that which he can neither receive nor comprehend, for it is foolishness to him.

 

[Magenta]

from Ephesians 4 verses 17-19 ~ Gentiles walk in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.

 

[Jordon]

The peace that surpasses our understanding ... the peace of God is not a cessation of conflict ... it is a serene harmony with God even in the midst of strife in this world and it is found only in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our understanding of Him ... whatever little, eensy weensy, teeny tiny, speck of understanding we have of God will never fully comprise Who He is ... What He is ... even in eternity we will never come to the end of understanding God. He is far greater than my understanding ... far greater than your understanding ... far greater than the collective understanding of all mankind put together. What He allows us to know of Himself is pure grace, mercy, lovingkindness from Him to us.





the peace of God is not beyond our experiencing the peace of God which He works in our inward parts. but to understand it? no, it is beyond our understanding ... it far surpasses our ability to comprehend.
.

so the peace of God suppressing all understanding also applies to also knowing he is comforting to you.

This is what I'm asking.

When we talk about the peace of God suppresses all understanding. Are we also to include we cant understand he's comforting us.

 

[Genez]

was that a kind gesture or was you suggesting cam is dominating ?

Because grace isn't a means by which a person can condem

Grace is commonly referred to as 'unmerited favor.'

Ironically, Paul tells us that grace is a real power. Power that causes us to merit favor with God by what grace produces in us.

 

[Jordon]

Grace is commonly referred to as 'unmerited favor.'

Ironically, Paul tells us that grace is a real power. Power that causes us to merit favor with God by what grace produces in us.

why would that be ironically ?

 

[Magenta]

From Romans 6:19-21 You used to offer your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness when you were slaves to sin. What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.

 

[Kroogz]

Who is "they"? Nobody?
Because the determinists' soteriology strictly FORBIDS this supposedly outrageous transgression of willful belief.
In fact, the Reformed view is that God cannot possibly accept anyone's faith, belief, trust, or anything of the sort, as it is a man-exalting "work", the very act of which invalidates and nullifies any erstwhile salvific benefit.

No, but a totally uninformed, abrupt mind-wipe is compulsory (devoid of informed consent or even perception), this being THE absolute necessary prerequisite for Calvinist-type salvation. They SLIGHTEST effort in seeking, the MEREST whispered asking, the utterly useless beating of the chest and cries of repentance MUST be rejected by God at all times and in all circumstances, as God is insulted by the "natural man's" heinous efforts.

You are not only over the target.....You destroyed the target.

BINGO.

 

[Jordon]

From Romans 6:19-21 You used to offer your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness when you were slaves to sin. What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.

this scripture is very important.

 

[BillyBob]

Define Irresistible Grace....

And, make sense of it when you do.

Irresistible Grace is... Wait a minute let me consider my words before responding. OK, I'm ready! Are you sure you really want to hear this? Please don't accuse me of giving anyone a lobotomy.
Ok..... Here I go...... Are you sure you want to hear this, because I'm only going to say this one time? Close you eyes. Are you really ready? You better sit down because this is really going to knock your socks off!
Irresistible Grace is an undeserved gift that cannot be refused, since you never requested it to begin with, and you never saw it coming.
You simply cannot refuse/resist such a gift, because your participation was in no way required. How could you possibly refuse/resist it, when you were unaware that it was about to happen. No one that I know was ever asked by God, do you want this gift that I am about to give to you.
It's also a gift that most humans will never have the pleasure of experiencing for themselves..........
It's also the best definition that I can come up with!

 

[Kroogz]

Who is "they"? Nobody?
Because the determinists' soteriology strictly FORBIDS this supposedly outrageous transgression of willful belief.
In fact, the Reformed view is that God cannot possibly accept anyone's faith, belief, trust, or anything of the sort, as it is a man-exalting "work", the very act of which invalidates and nullifies any erstwhile salvific benefit.

No, but a totally uninformed, abrupt mind-wipe is compulsory (devoid of informed consent or even perception), this being THE absolute necessary prerequisite for Calvinist-type salvation. They SLIGHTEST effort in seeking, the MEREST whispered asking, the utterly useless beating of the chest and cries of repentance MUST be rejected by God at all times and in all circumstances, as God is insulted by the "natural man's" heinous efforts.

Isn't it interesting that the majority of reformed/calvie/tulip folks TRY to sound like freewillers on the surface?........As if they know the truth, but suppress it?

Very few, preach their straight-up determinist views. They shroud it with a counterfeit of freewill.

 

[Jordon]

Grace is commonly referred to as 'unmerited favor.'

Ironically, Paul tells us that grace is a real power. Power that causes us to merit favor with God by what grace produces in us.

if I'm understanding you correctly you believe Paul's teaching to be open to interpretation ?

I'm not sure what you mean to be honest

 

[Jordon]

The word ironically can mean nobley but it can be used in the term of the irony of it what did you mean

 

[Genez]

One doesn't have to understand the outworking of salvation to be saved. They only have to believe.

As Jewish...
Having no Christian doctrinal understanding.
I simply believed when in college one afternoon.

I did not expect anything to happen to change me.
I had no idea what regeneration is.
I simply found myself wanting to believe after reading a tract that had been handed to me.

Not long after..I began having a series of dreams with the intensity of visions.
Still made no sense to me. I had no connection to having believed.
I was confounded by what I was shown and made able to understand....

If I had been brought up in a church I might have been looking for something to happen.
It all happened just the same.

Saved by grace.

 

[Magenta]

this scripture is very important.

They all are... but many get rejected, contradicted, outright denied, and rewritten by FWers.

 

[Magenta]

Don't know what @Magenta meant.

What did you not understand?.

 

[Jordon]

They all are... but many get rejected, contradicted, outright denied, and rewritten by FWers.

perseverance is key I guess

 

[Magenta]

if I'm understanding you correctly you believe Paul's teaching to be open to interpretation ?

I'm not sure what you mean to be honest

2 Peter 3 v 15-16 ~ Consider also that our Lord’s patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him. He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

 

[reneweddaybyday]

so the peace of God suppressing all understanding also applies to also knowing he is comforting to you.

not suppressing ... surpassing ... surpass means to go beyond ... to exceed ... the peace of God far exceeds our comprehension.

This peace surpasses all understanding ... we can't comprehend this peace ... when surrounded by care, anxiety, concern, we can still live with the serenity and peace of God in our soul. Can we understand this great promise? I believe we experience the peace of God yet do not understand exactly how God's peace works in us to guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This is what I'm asking.

When we talk about the peace of God suppresses all understanding. Are we also to include we cant understand he's comforting us.

we can experience the peace of God even though the peace of God is beyond our understanding. We can have peace in the midst of turmoil ... peace in the midst of conflict ... peace in the midst of any situation we face in this life.

As far as comfort ... here's one of my favorite sections of Scripture concerning comfort:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

God comforts us ... and we are able to comfort others with the same comfort God comforts us with. isn't that amazing ?! ... who doesn't need comfort in these times ? I thank God for the times I have been comforted by His faithful children ... I thank God for the times I am able to comfort others with the comfort God comforts me with ... God is so so good to us.
.

 

[Genez]

was that a kind gesture or was you suggesting cam is dominating ?

Because grace isn't a means by which a person can condem

Not Cam.

Someone here fits the bill though.
Not manifesting grace...