Can We Really Exercise Free Will?
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The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand.” Isaiah 14 verse 24 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations. Psalm 33 verse 11 Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases. Psalm 115 verse 3 Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail. Proverbs 19 verse 21 In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will. Ephesians 1 verse 11 And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8 verses 28-30 For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 1 verses 4-5
You're an exasperating case. The very things you find fault with in others, you don't even realize you practice.
I don't make a practice of judging whether people on a website are saved or not. You can ask the question a number of different ways, but my answer is the same.
As I tried to explain earlier, I didn't agree with her statement or disagree with it. I put a friendly emoji acknowledging that she addressed my post. I usually use that emoji for that purpose if I don't intend to give a response. While I believe most people here understand the gospel, I don't believe most people understand the outworking of salvation. Neither do I believe understanding the outworking of salvation is necessary for someone to be saved.
At this point, I have explained my position. You can believe what I've shared or not. Grace and peace.
As long as you are a living soul, not even the devil can negate your existence, as much as he'd like to. In reaching out to know good and evil, Adam made it, inherently, necessary to choose between them. Hallelujah! God made the choice 'easier' for us in declaring Himself, to the world, to Be the Way, the Truth, and the Life!
that would be another suspicion.
I think it more about man's own free will undermining Gods sovereign will which needs addressing the most
And mans own free will that lives By the covenant of the jaw miss representing the will of the father.
That what matter the most.
The other things you mention are immature reasons for anyone of good maturity to get offended by.
But do you know anything about reconcilation
Jeremiah 17 verse 9 plus John 3 verses 19-20 ~ The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? This is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
This is my post to which you refer. Now declare if you will, what exactly you disagree with, if anything:
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 might as well confab with your confederate @Rufus , whereby you can ruminate over his postulates, all of which you likewise agree to:
Rufus said:
No, I did not believe "in the EVIDENCE".
********************************
I replied:
So lets get this straight:
You did not seek, knock, ask.
You did not repent.
You did not believe.
You did not enter the narrow gate.
You did not eat His flesh and drink His blood.
You did not drink the cup.
You did not enter the covenant.
Because none of these things are remotely possible for you nor for anyone else.
So God had no other choice and forced you to believe contrary to your own express will/desire/choices, which are always utterly depraved.
Do I have that right?
I mean we already did a similar Calvinist doctrinal checklist earlier, and all of the determinists concurred.
So I merely expanded upon it.
They is those who believe. Since lots of people believe, you misrepresented the truth.
Also, no one who is reformed denies volition. I've seen them acknowledging volition in their posts. Because you can't understand how the two things can be reconciled, you espouse your ignorance in your assertion that it isn't believed by those with a reformed bent.
Seeking, asking, and repentance are likewise acknowledged by those of the reformed faith. The difference they have with what you believe is the impetus for them. You believe they are the freewill choices of individuals. They believe they are the result of the activity of the Spirit.
So...what you say is false. That you can't understand the arguments of the reformed at this point and continue to misrepresent them is simply sad. Disagreeing is one thing, deliberate misrepresentation is altogether another.
I see... you take notes.
There are times when it is appropriate. Like I stated.
But, it is not appropriate when it is the same thing every single time.
are you disputing grace with Somone ?
Has someone or something offended you over grace
Coz For the life of me, I can't see why you should let anything offend you when it comes to grace. I mean you know how important grace is, yes
The idol of "free will" blinds so many to their error. Oh, yes, people are free to choose what colour of socks
to wear, whoop-de-do, eh? Has zero bearing on the eternal fate of one's soul, but they can feel good
about what they freely chose to eat for lunch while throwing over the truth of Scripture in favour of
their vain self-exalting false doctrine. They do have a problem though, because God hates idolatry.
1 Corinthians 3 v 19-21a, 1 Corinthians 1 v 19 ~ The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” Therefore, stop boasting in men. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
It is convenient that every time you do so it happens to be the right time to do so.
not offended by what tho, are you going to tell me what it is you find so offending towards your own freedom or not.
Or do i just have to keep pulling my hair out
I do not mean to exasperate anyone ... I just wanted clarification because of what I thought was the meaning ... appreciate your time in responding.
I looked up "outworking of salvation" and found that it is a tenet of the reformed theology.
AI defines "outworking of salvation" as follows:
It refers to the lifelong process by which a believer grows in holiness and lives in a way that reflects their new nature in Christ.
This outworking is not a way to earn salvation but is the necessary evidence and result of it. This distinction is crucial to understanding the Reformed view.
is that an accurate understanding? ... just asking so I can understand terms being used without causing undue exasperation..