Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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God's grace enables us to make the choice but He doesn't make the choice for us. You seemed to be saying before that He did make us believe? So which is? Does God make us believe or do we believe of our own volition when given enabling grace and presented with His truth?
The way I'm seeing it is people are decorating their own choice, way to much.

People make God choices by being made to believe first.
 
Donald Trump said (in the memorial of Charlie Kirk) :
"I hate my opponents !"

But what did Jesus say?

In Matthew 5:44 Jesus said: "Love your enemies".
And He also said:
"Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy. "

So on a scale of 0 to 10; who do you trust the most? Mr Trump or the Lord ?
 
[Luk 1:77 KJV] 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
@sawdust

Sorry, should have included these verses too

[Luk 1:77-79 KJV]
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
 
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We all agree that regeneration cannot and does not precede faith, because this doctrine is extreme and outside of traditional evangelical teachings.

That a person is wrong on the character of God can be due to indoctrination.

Wrong. I just posted these verses to sawdust which clearly demonstrate (if you take time to read and think about them) that salvation occurs first


[Luk 1:77-79 KJV]
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
 
Then how are they making choices if it is God making them believe? That's not a choice.
I believe again that people decorate there own choice way to much,

Gods knows a person heart, and by many accounts of the Bible God works in a persons heart to change there heart, instilling belief before they can choose accordingly the matters of God.

Belief in and on its self has to be grown, and belief just simply is not a choice,

You can have a choice to believe you will be the best at what you can do but it's not untill you actually get good at something, that you truly start to have inner belief, and by all accounts God built the Israelites hearts up in the desert in belief first, he installed full belief in there heart over time, before deciding which people believed the most by the belief he had been installing in there hearts, which by all accounts he did by examining with his tests he had put in there hearts, and then He decided which people believed in the covenant, he had made with them the most, and which people he would lead into the promised land, this is really why I believe how I do, which has nothing to do with reformed or Calvinism or anything else for that matter

Have a good day sawdust. 🙂
 
Please quote my entire posts. You also are dishonest. But please show me a verse that says being made alive or quickened requires the gospel.

Yes and you do the same when it comes to scripture, God would also appreciate not taking His words out of context!
 
Romans 1:16-19

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

the gospel is preached ... at which point it is no longer hidden.

those who believe the gospel of Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation, receive the benefit.

those who suppress the truth in unrightousness receive the consequence of suppressing the truth ... for God hath shewed it unto them

the words "hath shewed" are translated from the Greek word phaneroō which means illumine, make manifest (visible); (figuratively) make plain, in open view; to become apparent ("graspable") HELPS Word-studies.

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The gospel is hidden to them that are lost, it's plain as day 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
 
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again, brightfame52 ...

the first time the gospel was preached to you the gospel was not hidden ... the gospel was revealed to you. At that point, you either believed or suppressed the truth in unrighteousness. That was your doing.


Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

the unbeliever hears the gospel ... at which point it is not hidden.

the gospel does not "profit" the ones who do not believe ... those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness ... the ones who suppress the truth in unrighteousness remain unchanged.

the gospel "profits" the one who believes ... the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation ... the one who believes is born again at the time he or she believes the gospel of Christ.

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Again the Gospel is hid to them that are lost.
 
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Wrong. I just posted these verses to sawdust which clearly demonstrate (if you take time to read and think about them) that salvation occurs first

[Luk 1:77-79 KJV]
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
This was prophecy spoken of by Zacharias concerning the ministry of his son, John Baptist.

Luk 1:67-80

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.


John Baptist was to go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways ... John Baptist was the forerunner to Messiah.

John Baptist was to give knowledge of salvation ... it is Messiah Who gives salvation and remission of sins.

John Baptist pointed to the Dayspring from on high ... Messiah.

John Baptist taught God's Word ... it is God's word which gives light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet unto the way off peace.

John Baptist was faithful to his calling ...

Mathew 3:1-12

1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.


see also Luke chapter 3.

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The gospel is hidden to them that are lost, it's plain as day 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
nope ... when you heard the gospel preached, it was no longer "hidden" from you.

If a person believes when the gospel is preached to him or her ... because the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation, salvation is the result because God is faithful to His promise.

If a person does not believe when the gospel is preached to him or her ... it is because the gospel is a stumblingblock to some or foolishness to others (1 Cor 1:21-23) ... the gospel is no longer hidden from those who conclude the gospel is foolishness or those who stumble at the gospel.

You can claim all the livelong day that the god of this world is much more effective at hiding the gospel than God is in revealing the gospel ... but that does not change the fact that God is much more effective in revealing the gospel than the god of this world is at hiding the gospel.

there is no excuse come judgment day ... no one will be able to say anything was "hid" from him or her.

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This was prophecy spoken of by Zacharias concerning the ministry of his son, John Baptist.

Luk 1:67-80

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.


John Baptist was to go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways ... John Baptist was the forerunner to Messiah.

John Baptist was to give knowledge of salvation ... it is Messiah Who gives salvation and remission of sins.

John Baptist pointed to the Dayspring from on high ... Messiah.

John Baptist taught God's Word ... it is God's word which gives light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet unto the way off peace.

John Baptist was faithful to his calling ...

Mathew 3:1-12

1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.


see also Luke chapter 3.

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But will @rogerg admit his clueless blundering and atrociously sloppy use of Scripture?
I would think that this would be the first step to recovery would it not?
 
No regeneration (born from above>> saved) which NON Reformed bible scholars, agree includes within it positional sanctification and justification, cannot precede faith.
Please correct this statement. Everyone knows that you should never use [NON Reformed] and [bible scholar] in the same sentence! :rolleyes:
 
This was prophecy spoken of by Zacharias concerning the ministry of his son, John Baptist.

Read those verses again closely -it was speaking to John the Baptist but about Jesus Christ. John the Baptist didn't have his own people, Jesus did. The intent of those verses is clear, hence the:

[Luk 1:78 KJV] 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
 
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