Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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No. I fear he would request that I would be burned at the stake, just like Servetus was in 1533.
Don't know about that but I believe magenta studied that to see if was true and I don't think it's what Calvin wanted.

Can't see it as he taught people to have compassion for people
 
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Here's the deal. This is why people do not want to believe that they are wrong doctrinally and theologically. One, they don't want to believe that they're not saved, because most of these people believe they are. So if they admit that they are believing something that is false doctrine, they would have to admit that they're actually lost and were never saved.

Number two, the reason why they don't want to believe that is because they may have had dear friends or loved ones to die believing the false doctrine that they believe.

Number Three, if they admit that what they believe is false and is essential to cast it away, then that means they would feel like they're condemning their family or friends who believed in what they now know as false doctrine.

Number four, maybe they've had a dear and good friend to teach them, and they take everything that he or she says as the truth. And yet, their teacher says that Calvinism is true, so that would mean that everything that they've been taught by whoever, was not teaching the truth and was teaching falsely. They don't want to think or admit that they've been duped, that they've been conned, that they've been lied to.

And lastly, it is the fact that people are blinded by pride, misplaced loyalty, emotion and fear.

These are the plainest and simplest reasons right there.
 
Here's the deal. This is why people do not want to believe that they are wrong doctrinally and theologically. One, they don't want to believe that they're not saved, because most of these people believe they are. So if they admit that they are believing something that is false doctrine, they would have to admit that they're actually lost and were never saved.

Number two, the reason why they don't want to believe that is because they may have had dear friends or loved ones to die believing the false doctrine that they believe.

Number Three, if they admit that what they believe is false and is essential to cast it away, then that means they would feel like they're condemning their family or friends who believed in what they now know as false doctrine.

Number four, maybe they've had a dear and good friend to teach them, and they take everything that he or she says as the truth. And yet, their teacher says that Calvinism is true, so that would mean that everything that they've been taught by whoever, was not teaching the truth and was teaching falsely. They don't want to think or admit that they've been duped, that they've been conned, that they've been lied to.

And lastly, it is the fact that people are blinded by pride, misplaced loyalty, emotion and fear.

These are the plainest and simplest reasons right there.
ok thanks buddy your post needs careful deliberation.

Would you mind if I take it to the lord
 
Romans 1 - 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise!f Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. 31 They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless.

32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.
 
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Romans 1 - 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise!f Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. 31 They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless.

32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.

@Magenta : Good one, sister.
 
So are you saying there are saved people not written in the book of life? If they are not allowed to reign with Christ where do they go then? If you are saved go to heaven but not reign with Christ how is that possible?



All believers TITLES begin with being written in the book.
The word 'name' and "title" were interchangeable to the Greek-speaking people in that day.

Here is an example of what I just said.



On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:16
Note!

It says, "he has this name written? Right?
But, that is a title, not an actual name.

We will not have our actual names blotted out who fail to mature in Christ.
Instead?
It will be our 'title' blotted out that we would have been knighted with by the Lord,
if we had persevered in growing in grace and knowledge to full maturity in Christ.

In Christ.... grace and peace.
 
I read it in balance with other verses.
Only the elect become true believers.
And you did not get what I said. God changes the heart and mind of those He saves, and the Spirit makes them into new people. They will manifest Christian attributes as they become edified and learn over time, but no one does so either immediately or perfectly. In any event, they have already been saved by God's grace alone so their salvation is not at stake nor dependent upon themselves, neither can any part of salvation be denied to them. As saved, their desire becomes conformance to that which they've received edification in because it gives them joy to do so, not because of the law's demands - they are not under law but under grace. The Spirit indwells and moves within them to do God's will, but that comes only from salvation, not before. The unsaved on the other hand, try to justify themselves before God by the keeping of law which cannot succeed but only brings God's wrath upon them; that is, if the heart has not first been changed by God, nothing else matters.

[Jhn 13:15-17 KJV]
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Overcomers break free from endlessly regurgitating bogus Calvinist dogma and come to realize Biblical truth. And likewise realize the beauty of it and the sinister origin and nature of the counterfeit.

That being said, deepest condolences for your sad predicament....đŸ¥²