Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
There was no "hedge protection" given to Adam (whatever you mean this phrase). And, yes, Adam was a type of Satan. Stay tuned...
well it clear that God did not want Adam to live in a fallen condition forever by vanishing him from the garden because God mentioned he put a flaming sword around the tree to stop him living forever.

So if it is case God didnt want Adam to live in a fallen condition forever why wouldn't he put a hedge of protection over him whilst he saved him.

Why let him live as long as 930 years to in a fallen condition ?

Why let him still be married to eve and give blessings to his children ? .
Then there the love God shows for all children born with a fallen nature.
I believe it's down to the fact that Satan stole mankinds innocence.

We can't forget that big fact, that scripture says are battle is not against flesh and blood but the spiritual wickedness in high places
 
Paul said Christians should not exercise their freedom to revert to believing salvation is via obeying the law (Gal. 5:1-4),
nor should they use their freedom to indulge the flesh but rather to serve one another in love or walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:13-18).
Those who don't love God commit sins including sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, etc. (Gal. 5:19-21), whereas those who are
led by the Spirit exhibit love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, etc. (Gal. 5:22-23).
yes I see your a law giver then. And a works for salvation type.

Enough said
 
Which clearly contradicts scripture. If what you say is true, God cannot possibly save anyone by grace since grace by definition is unmerited, undeserved favor. To speak of His grace and indebtedness to mankind in one breath is an oxymoron.

Many believe Mary is the mother of God.....
You know that, I'm sure. Why? Because Catholics were told she is the mother of God.
They will keep repeating what they were told without questioning it.

As far as Grace goes?
Perhaps it might be better to find a more accurate definition.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest
on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

According to what Paul tells us?
Grace is God's enabling power to function as God desires us to!


Grace is power to make the helpless believer to be made able to function in a manner that does merit God's favor!

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.
No, I worked harder than all of themyet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." 1 Corinthians 15:10​


God's grace is enabling power.
Enabling power to get us to function in a way that God approves of!
Its to make us become enabled and positioned to merit His favor!!!!!!!!!!!


grace and peace.....
 
Godhateswickedpeople.png

God hates wicked people. “The LORD tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” (Psalm 11 v 5) He hates wicked people and detests their ways (Proverbs 1 v 9), their thoughts (Proverbs 15 v 26), their worship (Proverbs 15 v 8), their actions (Proverbs 6 v 16-19), all who do wrong/workers of iniquity (Psalm 5 v 5). He destroys those who tell lies and abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit (Psalm 5 v 6). He singles out as a special object of His hatred the blasphemous deeds of the Nicolaitans, those who seduced God’s people with idolatry and sexual immorality. “Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” (Revelation 2 v 6)
 
Agree. Nor are we empowered to separate the tares from the wheat. Not our business.

These hateful tirades and brutal blanket accusations must stop.
Some live for it.
Disagree or post something another disagrees with and the grace facade evaporates and shows us they are hate filled.

But......if anything they seem to be getting worse as time progresses.
Only if we encourage them. Some have allies who jump in and act badly toward the sand issue the initiator.brought forth.
 
Only if we encourage them. Some have allies who jump in and act badly toward the sand issue the initiator.brought forth.
You being the initiator with your hateful false accusations which you refuse to repent of, just heaping more lies on your lies.

Shameful.
 
well it clear that God did not want Adam to live in a fallen condition forever by vanishing him from the garden because God mentioned he put a flaming sword around the tree to stop him living forever.

So if it is case God didnt want Adam to live in a fallen condition forever why wouldn't he put a hedge of protection over him whilst he saved him.

Why let him live as long as 930 years to in a fallen condition ?

Why let him still be married to eve and give blessings to his children ? .
Then there the love God shows for all children born with a fallen nature.
I believe it's down to the fact that Satan stole mankinds innocence.

We can't forget that big fact, that scripture says are battle is not against flesh and blood but the spiritual wickedness in high places
"I believe it's down to the fact that Satan stole mankinds innocence."

You are getting warm.....
Satan was found guilty at the trial. God is not mistaken.
 
Hah...someone here actually gets it! God's nature will permit him to love only that which is GOOD! And since man, by his nature, is not Good, then it's not possible to love anyone with an evil heart, which is the fountainhead of all evil. I submit that this is one of the big reasons why scripture explicitly teaches us what kind of people God loves (the righteous, God-fearers, lovers of God, lovers of His Son) -- and it ain't sinners! God's love in scripture is always qualified.
People are born sinners. Romans 9:18.
1 Corinthians 2.
And Jesus who tells us,only those God calls,shows mercy through his grace,can understand the Gospel and be redeemed.
 
"I believe it's down to the fact that Satan stole mankinds innocence."

You are getting warm.....
Satan was found guilty at the trial. God is not mistaken.
cv5 ive always believed that because it's what my mum believed but Adam still willfully accepted satans offering.
Adam was guilty too

Your not right about everything so i hope you accept the truth one day that man needs God's will to live, I've learned enough about many people faiths here now, I think I don't have anymore to learn anymore, so look after yourself.

I may come back I don't know. But highly unlikely
 
1 Corinthians 2.
And Jesus who tells us,only those God calls,shows mercy through his grace,can understand the Gospel and be redeemed.
Certain free willers deny this. They claim the gospel is not hid, everyone hears, anyone can choose to believe what they hear as foolishness, and we have also even been told divine intervention is not required, even though Scripture plainly states that nobody can come to God unless God draws them and that those given to Jesus by God will come, and God is only known by those to whom Jesus chooses to reveal Him. Many of them constantly contradict and deny what Scripture plainly explicitly articulates. They also butcher certain verses to make them say what they want and rewrite others to suit their vain self-exalting false doctrine. Pointing out the truth to them is met with much hatred. They may even say, show me where I am adding to what Scripture says, but when you do they double down and getting them to admit to their error is like pulling teeth.
 
well it clear that God did not want Adam to live in a fallen condition forever by vanishing him from the garden because God mentioned he put a flaming sword around the tree to stop him living forever.

So if it is case God didnt want Adam to live in a fallen condition forever why wouldn't he put a hedge of protection over him whilst he saved him.

Why let him live as long as 930 years to in a fallen condition ?

Why let him still be married to eve and give blessings to his children ? .
Then there the love God shows for all children born with a fallen nature.
I believe it's down to the fact that Satan stole mankinds innocence.

We can't forget that big fact, that scripture says are battle is not against flesh and blood but the spiritual wickedness in high places

Then you would believe wrong. Rom 5 makes it abundantly clear on who bears the guilt, the blame and the shame for humanity's deplorable condition. And Satan ain't the person mentioned in the chapter.

God let Adam live in order to fulfill his own creation mandate -- a big part thereof was to populate the world. God kept Eve with Adam because He joined them together and she was an integral part of that plan. I don't see any "hedge of protection" in the post-Fall narrative. What you should try to understand is that God set in stone his eternal redemptive plan for humanity in eternity, and all the Lord did was proceed to implement that eternal plan by working through this wicked world.
 
People are born sinners. Romans 9:18.
1 Corinthians 2.
And Jesus who tells us,only those God calls,shows mercy through his grace,can understand the Gospel and be redeemed.

And who ever God calls He did so because he loved them in eternity! Love is what motivates God to save anyone by Grace.
 
Many believe Mary is the mother of God.....
You know that, I'm sure. Why? Because Catholics were told she is the mother of God.
They will keep repeating what they were told without questioning it.

As far as Grace goes?
Perhaps it might be better to find a more accurate definition.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest
on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

According to what Paul tells us?
Grace is God's enabling power to function as God desires us to!


Grace is power to make the helpless believer to be made able to function in a manner that does merit God's favor!

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.
No, I worked harder than all of themyet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." 1 Corinthians 15:10​


God's grace is enabling power.
Enabling power to get us to function in a way that God approves of!
Its to make us become enabled and positioned to merit His favor!!!!!!!!!!!


grace and peace.....

Grace has multiple definitions. It's also unmerited favor! I know in your heart that you believe deep down into its core that all mankind deserves God's grace because somehow or another God owes mankind his favor but that belief conflicts severely with the definition of "grace".

Biblical Definition:

https://www.blbclassic.org/lang/lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G5485&t=KJV

Secular Definition:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/grace
 
  • Like
Reactions: Doll
1-Corinthians1-20-25.png

1 Corinthians 1 v 20-25 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cv5 and Cameron143
and what of those he made for the day of destruction. Or doesn't call?

God cannot love what is evil; for His love is moral in nature. And God cannot do anything contrary to his immutably holy, righteous and good nature.

Secondly, there are numerous explicit biblical texts that qualify God's love.

Thirdly, God's love is conditional in nature. Again, clear, explicit texts teach this.

Fourthly, there are several explicit passages that teach that God hates, loathes, despises, etc. sinners.
 
He just wants something over simplified and controversial, because he loves to argue and fight.

And YOU must love it when I'm in full "gangsta" mode. How many times have you put me on iggy.....AND OFF iggy? :rolleyes:
 
Grace has multiple definitions. It's also unmerited favor! I know in your heart that you believe deep down into its core that all mankind deserves God's grace because somehow or another God owes mankind his favor but that belief conflicts severely with the definition of "grace".

You just like to lie.
It gives you sense of bravery and power.


  1. of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
Merciful kindness is just that... "Merciful kindness. "

Merciful kindness can accompany grace.

Grace is grace!