Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

[Magenta]

The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians ch 2 v 14

 

[Rufus]

Revelation 1:3.

The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple was certainly included in the judgments on Israel. In Matthew 21:43, Jesus speaks of the kingdom being taken from Israel. The destruction of the temple, which symbolized the presence of God with Israel, pictured the kingdom being taken.

And the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple occurred during the last half of Daniel's 70th Week, which accounts nicely for "half week" language in Rev 11:1-9, e.g. 42 months, 1,260 days, 3-1/2 days.

 

[Rufus]

Seriously delusional. Evil is on the ascendancy. The only way it gets stopped is for it to be completely destroyed. Then the lord will set up his kingdom on earth.

Are you suggesting, then, that the gates to the kingdom of God are not prevailing against Satan and his forces?

 

[Rufus]

err God has has a personal relationship with everyone in someway.

And thats because his will lives in the seed of man, but mans will lives in the flesh

How can God have this personal relationship "with everyone in someway" when there's a huge number of condemned that Christ never knew (Mat 7:23)?

 

[Rufus]

How could you have really made a choice if you didnt have free will. It wouldn't have even been a choice if there wasn't free will?
What I said wasn't missing the point. Choices prove free will.

Spoken like a true blue libertarian who believes man has the ability to make choices that conflict with his nature -- something that even God Himself cannot do! God's choices are restrained by his immutable holy nature. How can it be that man's choices are free from such restraints?

 

[Jordon]

How can God have this personal relationship "with everyone in someway" when there's a huge number of condemned that Christ never knew (Mat 7:23)?

he foreknows everybody's whole life is one way.

He holds every careless word a person ever speaks there made aware of.

Then there his active will of his word

Then there his active goad (prick to people's conscience.

Then there his active will of death and life in mans seed.

Then there the body off Christ all over the world.

Then there the traditions of Gods moral laws.

Then theres children which are not accountable to God whilst he nurtures them

Is that enough ?

 

[LightBearer316]

The model is adapting to being exposed as AI. It has used this exact same sentence in at least 3 posts.

You seem to be posting under multiple accounts aswell as using Ai.

 

[Rufus]

Better learn that the word evil to the ancients held more than one meaning.

I form the light, and create darkness: ​

I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." Isaiah 45:7​

​

Can God create sin?​

First, before I answer, define what you mean by "evil".

 

[Magenta]

How can God have this personal relationship "with everyone in someway"
when there's a huge number of condemned that Christ never knew (Mat 7:23)?

All souls belong to God and He is omniscient and knows all, but the knowing Jesus speaks
of is contextually intimate and refers to the personal relationship He has with any one person
through faith in His shed righteous blood. Also, Jesus is the One Who reveals the Father to people,
and they are the only ones who know the Father, and the Father likewise knows them this way. .

 

[Rufus]

And... you think we are in the Millennium already.
That Christ already returned.

You are not someone to have productive a dialogue with.

Does the millennium precede the Parousia at which time Christ will create the new heavens and new earth?

 

[Magenta]

Then why did the Father decree Judas' existence and Jesus choose him to be one of his disciples, fully knowing that Judas' end
was decreed in eternity, which is why Jesus said of Judas that it would have been better for his betrayer to not have been born?

According to the New Testament, Judas's actions, such as the betrayal of Jesus, the price of thirty pieces
of silver, and his subsequent death, are presented as fulfilling Old Testament prophecies. Key passages
often cited include Psalm 41 v 9 which says, "Even my close friend in whom I trusted... has lifted his heel
against me". Jesus quotes this passage in John 13 v 18, directly applying it to Judas's betrayal after sharing
the Last Supper with him. Also Zechariah 11 v 12-13, which prophesied the price of thirty pieces of silver
for the shepherd. Interesting to note here that 30 pieces of silver is the price of a dead man, as it was the
legally specified compensation for a dead slave in the Old Testament, signifying the low value placed on Jesus.

Directly paralleled in Matthew 26 v 15 also, when Judas agrees to betray Jesus for that amount. The same
Zechariah passage says the money should be thrown to the potter, a detail fulfilled in Matthew 27 v 3-7,
when Judas returns the money and it is used to buy a field for a potter. New Testament writers, such as
Peter in Acts 1 v 16, state that these events "had to be fulfilled" to show that the Scriptures were accurate
and that God was in control of all events, even the sinful acts of men. Yes, AI helped me compose this post.

AI has been assisting people to compose posts for many years.

 

[Rufus]

Oh dear sawdust dislikes my post. Which is good, their approval is what would worry me.

You should praise, bless and thank God that he does disapprove -- and consider his disapproval a grand compliment.

 

[Jordon]

Mocking spirit, eh?

Great answer?

"I know it's munch munch time again. " Book of Jordon 6:66

Why should we take you seriously?
When you refuse to take the Scripture you were given seriously?

It is only a game to you.

Waster of time.

Well.. At least I am learning more about human nature.

well it's normally what you and @Bible_Highlighter @HeIsHere @cv5 @ChristRoseFromTheDead amongst others.

You all serve up calvinist bashing everyday followed by shepherds delight, which because I'm a programme I now find it yummy to my tummy

 

[Jordon]

Again, you are not getting it. If Scripture says it is God's will for you to live holy, then He should also force you to do that, too.
So if belief is forced upon you, then so is obedience, too. But you ignore this point of logic because it does not fit your narrative.
You are not dealing with what Scripture says and the logical implications behind them.



....

your still kicking your goad just like your buddy @Genez

you two should get married as your both very queer at the way you both reject his word and his will.

Queer as in strange not queer as in gay.

So you both should marry

 

[Rufus]

So very flawed by assuming regeneration isn’t eternal (which it is)

and another flawed assumption is that.....

the biblical authors had two separate ways to describe the "new life" which is given to His people

one which causes faith and the other which is a result of faith—something the Bible NEVER explicitly or even implicitly teaches.

You guys go on and on about free will and a very poorly understood view of God's sovereignty, as a side show, when you have so many real exegetical errors which are never addressed.

So, Jesus doesn't have to do a supernatural work in anyone in order for them to know God?

 

[Jordon]

Again, you are not getting it. If Scripture says it is God's will for you to live holy, then He should also force you to do that, too.
So if belief is forced upon you, then so is obedience, too. But you ignore this point of logic because it does not fit your narrative.
You are not dealing with what Scripture says and the logical implications behind them.



....

if you see that the image God created you in was a seed to begin you'll be a good programme

Because God seeds of every kind all have his blue prints .

Then until his will in all of his seeds produce life by his will, will they only then become a good puppet,,

 

[Jordon]

Again, this does not prove Calvinism. Stephen when he was stoned by the Jews said to them that they always do resist the Holy Ghost.

Acts 7:51 (KJV):

“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”​

If you claim these Jews are unregenerate, then it would be pointless for the Holy Ghost to try and reach them (whereby they would resist Him). Thats the same idea with the goads pricking the conscience of Saul/Paul. It was not some scenario where man's ounce of free will was about to die before God totally mind wiped them to believe.

I mean, stop and think a moment. If God forces a person to believe, then why doesn't He make them His slave to obey Him?

1 Thessalonians 4:3–4 (KJV)

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:​

That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour.”​

1 Peter 1:15–16 (KJV)

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;​

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”​

According to the verses above, it is God's will for believers to live holy. In other words, the fact that believers can sometimes stumble on their road to being sanctified or living holy in this life shows that you are not a mindless puppet to God. You have free will to either obey God or to not obey Him. The same is true when you chose to believe in Jesus, who is God. Sure, you needed to be enabled or enlightened by God to see in order to believe but you were not forced against your will when it came time to believe; Otherwise, God would force you to obey Him, too. But of course, Calvinism is not consistent.




....

again you fail to see people kicking against his will

 

[BillyBob]

How is someone human and not have a human nature?

This is inane.

I agree. When they are born, slap them on the rear and they cry like a baby, a human baby!

 

[BillyBob]

God’s will is always done, none can interfere with it, make any alterations to it, or stop it, nor does the will of God require anyone’s permission or acceptance before it can take place. This would suggest a will superior to God’s will. A will that can effectively interfere with God’s will, that can stop it, that can force the Almighty God to make contingency plans, to refer to ‘plan B’, etc. If God wills it, none can stop it. “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?” (Dan. 4:35).
**MDB**

All FWers should learn to live with this truth

 

[Jordon]

God’s will is always done, none can interfere with it, make any alterations to it, or stop it, nor does the will of God require anyone’s permission or acceptance before it can take place. This would suggest a will superior to God’s will. A will that can effectively interfere with God’s will, that can stop it, that can force the Almighty God to make contingency plans, to refer to ‘plan B’, etc. If God wills it, none can stop it. “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?” (Dan. 4:35).
**MDB**

All FWers should learn to live with this truth

and to live with shepherds delight to