Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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When are you going to admit that an unregenerated person without the indwelling Holy Spirit of God is a natural man who can neither receive nor comprehend the Spiritual things of God as Scripture plainly states? Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. When will you stop denying that the gospel is a spiritual matter containing some of the deep things of God? Free willers love to deny that. When are you going to deal with the fact that men have been taken captive to do the will of the devil, which tosses your fantasy of free will out of existence? That the whole world is blinded, that not all are called? I ask you about these things and you REFUSE to deal with them while pretending you want to discuss Scripture. And your contradiction that salvation is available to all, oh, then you say, but not these people because they never had their names written in the Book of Life.

Magenta, there's no way they can admit to the truth of 1 Co 2 because should they do so, it would tear their whole belief system apart at the seams. They must therefore fight tooth-and-nail against it no matter what- it's a matter of their doctrinal survival. I've noticed they do the same in many other places in the Bible too, notably, with Eph 1 & 2.
 
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To clarify...

Many fail to differentiate between religion and spiritual Christianity.
Especially when the religion is manifested in a way that God approves.


Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans
and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27
.

Yes, my point was that the word "religion" is not an incorrect word to use.
Some in Christianity seem to think that the word "religion" is bad when it is actually used in the most influential and standard English translation that existed for hundreds of years (i.e., the KJV).

Here is a snapshot of the Beza 1598 Greek that underlies the KJV's word "religion:"

Beza.jpg

Θρησκεία

Transliteration: thrēskeia
Literal meaning: religion, worship-practice, outward religious service


Source:
https://archive.org/details/1598-beza-greek-latin-nt/page/n1047/mode/2up


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Magenta, there's no way they can admit to the truth of 1 Co 2 because should they do so, it would tear their whole belief system apart at the seams. They must therefore fight tooth-and-nail against it no matter what- it's a matter of their doctrinal survival. I've noticed they do the same in many other places in the Bible too, notably, with Eph 1 & 2.
That is so true. The twisting and denying, even that one going on about how the natural man is only mentioned once in Scripture, the lies they tell are never ending! First comes the natural, then the Spiritual, Christianity 101 teaches that man MUST be born again to escape the second death... being born again is the transition from natural to spiritual, having God's Holy Spirit indwell us, raising us to new life in Christ... the natural man is God's enemy but they want to believe he does not exist or that he is simply a carnal Christian as if no man is ever not indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God Who gives understanding so one can be moved to faith. That person without the Spirit of God does not belong to God, Scripture explicitly articulates that. There is a clear distinction made between the natural man and the spiritual man but they are blind to it, ascribing to the former what is only true of the latter.

Job38-36-Job32-8-Job12-13s.png

Job 38 v 36 - Job 32 v 8 - Job 12 v 13 Who has put wisdom in the heart or given understanding to the mind? There is a spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
 
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Magenta, there's no way they can admit to the truth of 1 Co 2 because should they do so, it would tear their whole belief system apart at the seams. They must therefore fight tooth-and-nail against it no matter what- it's a matter of their doctrinal survival. I've noticed they do the same in many other places in the Bible too, notably, with Eph 1 & 2.

That would be incorrect, many, many, many verses affirm that TULIP is wrong.

Those who know TULIP, is a false system use a variety of verses.

Calvinists are known for cherry picking verses so there is that.
 
That would be incorrect, many, many, many verses affirm that TULIP is wrong.

Those who know TULIP, is a false system use a variety of verses.

Calvinists are known for cherry picking verses so there is that.

1 Co 2 stands very well on its own. You just can't allow yourself to accept what it clearly teaches.
 
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I'm on keto too. Rarely go off, maybe once every two weeks or so.
High protein (a lot of red meat and whey protein), veggies and nuts. And tons of the best organic coffee :LOL:

Nice! I am happy to hear that. (y)

I lost a lot of weight, but put a little back on during pumpkin season (October).
But I am back on track. The cheese and meat snacks (salami / cheese) packs are a really great affordable option at Aldi's.
I get the Macadamia nuts and mixed stir fry veggies in bulk at Costco.

As for coffee:
My current favorite is "Community Coffee."
4 scoops with a bottle of water in my Mr. Coffee machine along with heated up creamer on the stove top is perfect (along with 4 packets of my whole-earth sweetener).

You said:
A few days off and deleterious effects become quite obvious.
Frankly, older people who are in good health can benefit from keto.

Yes, indeed. I would encourage them to make sure they eat plenty of fiber.
Fiber powder, and guacamole, avocados to be regular.



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Calvinists are known for cherry picking verses so there is that.
Bible believing folks accept what the Bible says, which includes the fact that Jesus and Paul both taught
on man's innate inability, a fact you deny deny deny. You have zero verses articulating your pet idol of free
will. Instead you contradict and deny a plethora of verses. You love believing a bad tree can bring forth good
fruit, that the flesh can please God even though Scripture says otherwise => Jesus said it was impossible.


Doesn't matter to you. You have some new age belief that people have
evolved. According to you they don't even need God to come to believe.
 
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Do you believe Jesus saves those who ultimately choose to believe false doctrine?
Can’t answer your question without knowing what you believe to be false doctrine. Instead of sending me a video, you could have just told me what you believe is false doctrine, because what you consider false doctrine others might not, which is why I have asked for your definition
 
You are not the first and will not be the last, this has presented soooooo many times by so many people on many different threads about Calvinism beliefs.
It is not possible to have a rational conversation, follow context with people who are indoctrinated.

In such cases, prayer and shining the love of Christ towards them is the way then.



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One has to accept that they do not have the capacity to get it.

They have a echo chamber here, but as you know when it comes to formal debates and other places of dialogue, they pretty much lose over and over again.

They say the same things over and over again.

Their "system" does not stand up to scholarship, hermeneutics, context and scrutiny.

I agree. Some battles must take on a different approach or tactic in order to defend the truth of the Scriptures.



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Can’t answer your question without knowing what you believe to be false doctrine. Instead of sending me a video, you could have just told me what you believe is false doctrine, because what you consider false doctrine others might not, which is why I have asked for your definition
You are the one held accountable for what you believe.

Do you believe Jesus saves those who ultimately choose to believe false doctrine?