Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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Rufus said:
Rog doesn't have to! It appears you've been duped for a long time now...all by your "freewill" choices.
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Is that all you can talk about.


Free will or not, scripture does not confirm that regeneration precedes faith, nor does it confirm individual, unique particular selection of some people created for salvation and others for damnation.

The End

#contextkillscalvinism
 
HeIsHere said:
Ignorance on full display by some.

The Obama reference is an interesting one for sure.

It is a well known historical fact that John Calvin and his supporters through the use of his influence created a type of theocracy in Geneva.

He, being a trained lawyer influenced the city leaders to bring about moral "Protestant" reform by implementing laws that aligned with his interpretation of scripture.

There were many who were burned at the stake under John Calvin's theocracy, mostly with regards to allegations of witchcraft.

My goodness he even policed how much clothing people were allowed to own and his fellow churchmen traveled the city doing inspections and people were thrown in jail for breaking the rules.
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This Calvin fellow sounds like a religious nutter to me.....:unsure:
 
ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
That carried over into the new world. An ancestor of mine was fined for cutting down a tree on his own property and covering his house in clapboard. He eventually had to flee Puritan controlled towns in Mass. and settled in what is now Rhode Island where it was more live and let live
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Yes that is very true, Calvin had laws against playing cards, gambling and dancing another thing that carried forward.

Mass. reminds me of the Salem witch trials... did a whole tour one year of the where they were jailed.
What a very sad story.
 
Rufus said:
It wasn't Calvin's tree! I came to believe the Five Doctrines of Grace honestly through the living Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
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You have nothing better than that?

Those who say Mary is the Mother of God, also claim they believe what they do, through the living Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
 
reneweddaybyday said:
Was Paul writing to born again believers in Philippians 1:29?





I didn't "dance all around" ... I explained my understanding of the passage.

Do you disagree with any of the points I brought up in Post 19,663 or Post 19,675?
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Yes Paul was speaking to believers. It hasn't been given to unbelievers to believe.

And it's not a matter of your posts being wrong; rather, they don't answer the questions I asked.
 
reneweddaybyday said:
again, Paul was speaking to born again believers ... so we're talking about folks who have already come to faith the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Phil 1:29, Paul speaks of those who suffer for Christ's sake and he tells the believers that God will supply all that is needed in order for the believer to stand and withstand in time of suffering. This is a great and precious promise to the believer.

I believe God strengthens faith within believers who suffer on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ. God works within to make perfect, establish, strengthen, settle the believer who is going through times of trial or suffering (1 Peter 5:10).

Do you believe God has to "give" faith to those to who are already born again?

There's a record in Acts 5 when the apostles were imprisoned and beaten because they taught in the temple ... when they were released, they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name (Acts 5:41) and they were daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ (Acts 5:42).

You think the apostles relied on their own strength/capability? No, God sustained them ... God strengthened their faith ... God caused them to rejoice in the midst of adversity.

That truth is revealed in Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake
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You have patience for sure. ;)
 
Rufus said:
Oh...you have a spirit alright---but what's it's spiritual status is only God knows.
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You are admitting something.

That you do not have the filling of the Holy Spirit.
Because God would make it knowable to you if you did.
 
Cameron143 said:
The timetable isn't given for when it is given. But once it is given, one would cease from stealing.
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the born again believer would "cease from stealing" when he or she puts off the old man and puts on the new man ...

Ephesians 4:20-32

20 But ye have not so learned Christ;

21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27 Neither give place to the devil.

28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

God has already given to each and every born again believer all that is necessary in order to not do that which God tells us not to do ... as well as do what God tells us to do ... it all comes down to where do you want to live your life? ... in the old? ... or in the new?
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GWH said:
You should read it some time, so you can better understand the roots of your religion
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See what a Humanism lover you are!? The inspired, infallible Word isn't sufficient to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ?
 
HeIsHere said:
Yes that is very true, Calvin had laws against playing cards, gambling and dancing another thing that carried forward.

Mass. reminds me of the Salem witch trials... did a whole tour one year of the where they were jailed.
What a very sad story.
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What I find ironic is the Mass. liberals looking down their noses at Christians while they try to micromanage every aspect of peoples' lives like the Puritans did
 
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