Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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BillyBob said:
The chosen man is dragged, drawn, pulled, to God by God. The sheep that has been found by the shepherd does not jump into its master’s arms after having been coaxed to do so, but is picked up by the shepherd and carried back to its proper place (see Lk. 15:5).
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God does not drag us, as certain Calvinists profess.
Nor, does God pull us into salvation

Jeremiah 31:3
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The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:​
​
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;​
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." ​
​
​
Sad to see how Calvinists impugn and deny beauty of God.​
​
​
 
sawdust said:
Interesting. We all saw what the "we are the chosen" concept did to the antagonistic Pharisees.

Doesn't matter how many times we correct their misunderstanding of what we say, they simply turn around and call us liars and refuse to believe they got it wrong.

I'm thankful the Lord will sort out the mess on The Day. :)
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So, God didn't sovereignly choose Israel to be his covenant people?
 
Genez said:
God does not drag us, as certain Calvinists profess.
Nor, does God pull us into salvation

Jeremiah 31:3
​
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:​
​
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;​
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." ​
​
​
Sad to see how Calvinists impugn and deny beauty of God.​
​
​
Click to expand...

But God does graciously draw his people by His love that is in Christ which He pours into their hearts. And in your dark, satanaic, man-exalting universe, this is an evil thing God does for his children? :rolleyes:
 
sawdust said:
So you've finally worked out being chosen is for the purpose of serving and not salvation. Good to hear.
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It was always man's duty to faithfully serve God! If memory serves, the Last Adam came into this world to also faithfully SERVE His Father in Love. Does mankind have a different and higher calling in this life? If so, what is this higher calling or duty?
 
Rufus said:
It was always man's duty to faithfully serve God! If memory serves, the Last Adam came into this world to also faithfully SERVE His Father in Love. Does mankind have a different and higher calling in this life? If so, what is this higher calling or duty?
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So he doesn't need to be chosen then, his calling is innate.
 
Rufus said:
But God does graciously draw his people by His love that is in Christ which He pours into their hearts. And in your dark, satanaic, man-exalting universe, this is an evil thing God does for his children? :rolleyes:
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Which is what he said not the dragging and pulling like your cohort said and you ignored. :)
 
Rufus said:
But God does graciously draw his people by His love that is in Christ which He pours into their hearts. And in your dark, satanaic, man-exalting universe, this is an evil thing God does for his children? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

This place must be therapeutic for you...

As a Catharsis for all your pent-up self-hatred that you project onto others.

What you do is a sign that you really feel inferior to others.

Why is that?
 
BillyBob said:
Jacob Arminius, the founder of what is known as, Arminianism, taught, "The lost sinner needs the Spirit’s assistance, but he does not have to be regenerated (made alive) by the Spirit before he can believe, for faith is man’s act and precedes the new birth". Clearly, Arminius, and those who follow his teachings, did not and do not believe that a man prior to salvation is dead in sins. They are all part of a cult that denies the spiritual death of mankind, for in believing that a man does not need to be made alive by God, they agree with Satan when he said to Eve she would not surely die if she ate of the forbidden fruit, because they say we are not truely dead.
**MDB**
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They're only mostly dead.
 
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Genez said:
This place must be therapeutic for you...

As a Catharsis for all your pent-up self-hatred that you project onto others.

What you do is a sign that you really feel inferior to others.

Why is that?
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So, now you're a pseudo, wanna-be psychologist, too, Mr. Lover of the Word?
 
sawdust said:
Which is what he said not the dragging and pulling like your cohort said and you ignored. :)
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Take it up with my "cohort". Just remember, though: Agape Love comes only in and through Christ. God only helps the children of Abraham.
 
sawdust said:
So he doesn't need to be chosen then, his calling is innate.
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Of course, he has to be chosen. God only effectually calls those He foreknew in eternity. Even Christ was chosen and called! Since this is the case with the Head, how could it be any different for His Body? But I do appreciate you publicly parading your gross ignorance of the holy scriptures.
 
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Genez said:
God does not drag us, as certain Calvinists profess.
Nor, does God pull us into salvation

Jeremiah 31:3
​
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:​
​
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;​
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." ​
​
​
Sad to see how Calvinists impugn and deny beauty of God.​
​
​
Click to expand...
You argue, and then issue a post which agrees with what I claimed. We are drawn, we do not come of our own free will!
And yes it is done in loving kindness. . . . .
 
Rufus said:
Of course, he has to be chosen. God only effectually calls those He foreknew in eternity. Even Christ was chosen and called! Since this is the case with the Head, how could it be any different for His Body? But I do appreciate you publicly parading your gross ignorance of the holy scriptures.
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Yes, chosen for a purpose, not chosen for salvation. The foreknown are saved, they did need to be chosen to be saved again.
 
BillyBob said:
You argue, and then issue a post which agrees with what I claimed. We are drawn, we do not come of our own free will!
And yes it is done in loving kindness. . . . .
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But we do come of our own free will because God ensures own will is free otherwise we are not being drawn, we are being dragged against our will.
 
sawdust said:
But we do come of our own free will because God ensures own will is free otherwise we are not being drawn, we are being dragged against our will.
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Our will has nothing to do with it!
Where in scripture does it say that we are saved by our will? It doesn't. It says we are saved by the GRACE of God!.
 
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