Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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"Free will" in the Bible? ~ Freedom is something believers are called to (Galatians 5 verse 13). We need Jesus to “set us free” (Galatians 5 verse 1). If Jesus has not freed us from the bondage of sin, then we are still slaves to sin (Romans 6 verses 6-7). Freedom is found in the presence of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3 verse 17). Only Jesus can give us true freedom (John 8 verse 36). Only through His lovingkindness can we truly make choices unfettered by a nature that is inherently hostile toward God.
 
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John 14 v 17a, Romans 8 v 6-9 ~ “Inability” in Bible. The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. Praise be to God for calling me out of the world.
 
That's funny Jesus told lots and lots of spiritually dead people to believe.

Must have been a case of offering false hope, that happens sometimes. NOT!
There were 3000 "spiritually dead" "natural men" who got saved on Pentecost. Then maybe another 5000 in Acts 4.

Broke out of the Reformed jailhouse did they? Good for them.
 
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That's funny Jesus told lots and lots of spiritually dead people to believe.

Must have been a case of offering false hope, that happens sometimes. NOT!
He's not alone. Preachers do the same thing every week. They are simply sharing truth. Sharing truth isn't about offering false hope. Surprised you wouldn't know that.
 
That's funny Jesus told lots and lots of spiritually dead people to believe.

Must have been a case of offering false hope, that happens sometimes. NOT!
Jesus also told people why they could not hear, but you say everyone hears.

He also told people that a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit.

And that with man, salvation was impossible.

And ALL who sin are slaves to sin.

I could go on.

But I have found that FWers do not really like to hear what Jesus said or what
Scripture really teaches if it does not fit into their vain self-exalting theology.


That is why they spend so much time rewriting what they don't like.

And when they are not busy doing that, they simply contradict and deny what is written.

Like you do.

Such as saying the gospel is not hid, and man is born able to do what Scripture says he cannot.
 
Jesus also told people why they could not hear, but you say everyone hears.

He also told people that a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit.

And that with man, salvation was impossible.

And ALL who sin are slaves to sin.

I could go on.

But I have found that FWers do not really like to hear what Jesus said or what
Scripture really teaches if it does not fit into their vain self-exalting theology.


That is why they spend so much time rewriting what they don't like.

And when they are not busy doing that, they simply contradict and deny what is written.

Like you do.

Such as saying the gospel is not hid, and man is born able to do what Scripture says he cannot.
On the contrary we understand and affirm what is written. Rather then trip over it and the land in the heresy weed patch.
 
Perhaps if you improve your reading comprehension you will find that I do.
Seeing as I understand how 3000 people were saved on Pentecost, I can say that my comprehension is doing just fine.

On the other hand, for the Reformed crew, 3000 people saved on Pentecost is a never-ending eniga, incomprehensible, paradoxical, seemingly impossible. Evidently an outrageous breach of every gilded credo and dogma the determinists ever fabricated.

People getting saved by the power of the gospel? Gate crashers! How dare they!
 
Sharing truth isn't about offering false hope.

Well, if you witness to a "non-elect" unbeliever......You most certainly are offering a false hope.


Unless you start your witness with, "Christ only died for the elect, so this Gospel may not apply to you...."
 
Seeing as I understand how 3000 people were saved on Pentecost, I can say that my comprehension is doing just fine.

On the other hand, for the Reformed crew, 3000 people saved on Pentecost is a never-ending eniga, incomprehensible, paradoxical, seemingly impossible. Evidently an outrageous breach of every gilded credo and dogma the determinists ever fabricated.

People getting saved by the power of the gospel? Gate crashers! How dare they!
You don't think reformed thinkers believe 3,000 people were saved on Pentecost?
 
Well, if you witness to a "non-elect" unbeliever......You most certainly are offering a false hope.


Unless you start your witness with, "Christ only died for the elect, so this Gospel may not apply to you...."
I share the gospel with those the Spirit leads me to. I'm sharing truth. Do you also believe Jesus offered false hope by sharing truth?
 
You don't think reformed thinkers believe 3,000 people were saved on Pentecost?
"understand HOW 3000 people were saved on Pentecost"

All of those Reformed thinkers thinking and none of them (or you) figured out HOW people were saved on Pentecost? Pity.
 
That's funny Jesus told lots and lots of spiritually dead people to believe.

Must have been a case of offering false hope, that happens sometimes. NOT!
The Bible doesn’t teach that man spiritually died. They begin with a construct that’s not there. In order to avoid what’s really there

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2:16-17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:4-6‬ ‭

They’ve broken the commandment and partaken of forbidden conflicting knowledge of good and evil .
“And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil…So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:22, 24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Look how things actually do change there’s never any mention of man having “ spiritually died “ or being seperated because they “were born wrong “


but biblically what happened to man when they transgressed as God commanded them not to do , and ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil ?

“Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil” and so man’s struggle with good and evil begins ….and tbier conflicted disposition begins…

“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?

But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Thier struggle against sin for thier living soul has began. We can see cain is not yet a “ slave to sin “ and he wasn’t “born dead to God “ or “ made unacceptable by his birth “ none of that’s evident at all none even fits of us hinted at.

but rather . He’s being instructed , as a man with freedom and choice himself ….he’s being warned of an adversary called sin who desires to have him, that he must overcome by doing what’s good and not doing what’s evil . Now that he is conflicted in his knowledge having transgressed.

cain isn’t “ a slave to sin “ already because he was born but sin has become a lurking , a clever and tempting enemy desiring to have dominion over him. he now must confront and overcome and rule over this lurking enemy “sin at his door.”

This has become mankinds position since Eden’s fall knowing good and evil ….this very thing he told cain

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?

But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door;

it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

“ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭10:34-35‬ ‭

“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


If I want to avoid that being true , I have to create a whole different thing. Like ……..“Man is born ….spiritually dead “ not capable of choosing between good and evil “ “ no one needs to repent or obey the lord well never be judged for our deeds and words “ “ nothing you choose or do can change anything it’s already pre determined “ if I believe those things then I have a reason to continually reject this

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:10-11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;

and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:28-29‬ ‭KJV‬‬

If I just create alternatives to believe, see I can just say well ^^^ that’s not true that won’t determine anything I’ll never be judged “the works of the cross “ “ the choosing of grace “ ect
 
“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 ‭2:2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

World to come, not this world. This world is to be destroyed. If He paid for its sins, then it couldn't be destroyed.

[Jhn 18:36 KJV] 36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

[Luk 18:30 KJV] 30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
 
Then your belief contradicts what how God himself characterized his own rescue misssion. What you're implying here is that God did a half-baked job of redeeming his people -- if that much! :rolleyes: Yet, the Exodus is characterized as work!
You're assuming that because of your lack of understanding.
 
It's easy. They were saved by grace, through faith, believing in Jesus.

Easy?
That is just repeating talking points you have memorized without having understanding.

Now, if you can tell us what grace does in saving us?
Then maybe you understand it after all.
 
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