Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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Does your Church teach amillennialism?
our church doesn't belief of a pre trib rapture where believers will be removed ,

But we believe he will return and there will be a new heaven and earth.
They dont talk much about the return of Christ it's not central to there teachings but my pastor believes everything will all be done on the final day

Here's what they believe only

https://urc.org.uk/who-we-are/what-we-believe/

As for the your other question, I don't know, but I could find out
 
Pastor... Always appears in masculine gender.

On the other hand... A good deaconess can serve tables as well as any male.
Not the same function as the genuine pastor has.
A pastor's wife can minister to her husband's congregation, if so gifted.
But she can not assume authority over the males like only a good pastor will be able to.

.....

Me thinks you do not agree with Jesus' concept of authority per Matt 20:26 (cf. 1Pet. 5:1-3), which indicates spiritual leadership is servanthood rather than dictatorial authority.

Neither do you have a "one flesh" understanding of marriage, which implies that the wife of a pastor would ipso facto be a pastoress and the wives of deacons would be deaconesses, because it seems likely that God would want husband and wife to share the same ministry, as in the case of Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:26).

Neither do you give enough consideration to the fact that Paul did not want freedom in Christ to offend the paternal pagan culture
(Tit. 2:5&8) and thereby inhibit the gospel (1Cor. 9:12 & 19-23, 10:23-33, 11:1-16). Thus, he was concerned that church leaders have a good reputation with outsiders, which would also apply to regular Christians, though perhaps to a lesser extent. His statement in 1Cor. 14:34-35 may be due to cultural mores rather than to moral behavior (cf. 1Tim. 2:11-12).

Paul’s description of the husband as the “head” of his wife (1Cor. 11:3) does not negate such joint/shared ministry, when understood in the context of 1Cor. 12:12-27. Christ as the head of His body loves/serves every toe (Matt. 20:28), who has an important function enabling the body to walk.
 
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.​
We have a benevolent God. The reformed/calvie/tulip god is arguably worse than malevolent.
 
Yes and the new revelation to me on this thread, that the "elect" were/are/will be created especially to be chosen, that how they explain away the lack of stated criteria in scripture for "selection."

Very good point regarding the Pharisees, very good point indeed.
The Calvinists have lost it regarding the accurate meaning of "election".

Predominantly, election is a condition of privilege, given at a point in REAL TIME (our time).
An "ancillary imputation" carrying with it the POTENTIAL and OPPORTUNITY for service and subsequent blessing.
This opportunity includes the privilege of SUFFERING for His sake, so noted in Phil 1:29 and elsewhere.

For example, God's elect servant Israel failed to seize the OPPORTUNITY to enter the promised land. Because they faithlessly CHOSE to be disobedient, they failed to apprehend the subsequent promised blessings.
The next generation faithfully CHOSE obedience, they were delivered the victory, and pressed INTO the promised land (a type of the resurrection-victory, so noted by the 12 stones on the bank of the Jordan). Potential for blessing then was realized, privilege fulfilled.

And yes, the only One elected from before the foundation of the world.....is Christ Himself.
 
Neither do you have a "one flesh" understanding of marriage, which implies that the wife of a pastor would ipso facto be a pastoress and the wives of deacons would be deaconesses, because it seems likely that God would want husband and wife to share the same ministry, as in the case of Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:26).
The plural of anecdote is not data. This verse in no way even suggests "pastoresses" nor "deaconesses."
 
Right. Glad you figured out who the Comforter is -- and also the Helper. It's the THIRD PERSON of the Godhead. Congratulations.
actually ... I'm glad I was able to FTFY! here, here, here, so you now finally understand one role of the Comforter ... Who is the Holy Spirit ... Holy Spirit works within the believer to draw unbelievers to Christ.




Rufus said:
And I have stated NUMEROUS times what YOU FWers mean when you use the term "freewill". You believe that fallen mankind has some intrinsic power to make moral/spiritual choices that are contrary to its immutable evil nature to which man's mind, soul and heart are in bondage/imprisoned, thereby ascribing to sinners a power that even God himself doesn't have.
please provide the post submitted by me wherein I have ascribed "to sinners a power that even God Himself doesn't have".

I have continuously stated that God reaches out to mankind first ... that God's Word is life ... that God's Word spoken by God's faithful believers to the unbeliever is either believed or the unbeliever suppresses the truth in unrighteousness. If the unbeliever believes the truth, God gives increase to him or her ... if the unbeliever suppresses the truth in unrighteousness, he or she will receive the consequence of having suppressed the truth.




Rufus said:
Got it now? Why don't copy and paste this paragraph into file somewhere for future reference? Maybe we'll all get blessed and you won't have to ask a fourth time.
I said I asked you three times. I have asked others to define the term "FWer" or "freewiller" when referring to members of the body of Christ ... all the definitions (including yours) do not apply to me. So when you (or others) refer to me as "FWer" or "freewiller" ... you (and others) err.

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Ephesians 1:4

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Yep. More dumbed down Calvinist flashcard isolated one-verse dogma meant to deceive.

This verse has been de-Calvinized already dozens of times. Simply by framing the passage in context.

Relentless rinse and repeat is standardized Reformed malpractice. They desperately need to keep the hustle going.

1Ki 12:31
And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

1Ki 13:33
After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.
 
The thing is Rufus has shunned me many times for for no good reason, and now he just has me on ignore,

After trying to speak with several times, he hasn't answered, so when I way the whole thing up, and look back at how he shunned me, and the action he has took now, I think he's mean, and I don't think he has his will under control, so there you have my reason, I've made my mind up now about him now ,
at the end of the day, just remember to let go of the stuff that is not true. we run into all kinds of stuff in our daily lives and we are instructed to cast all our cares to God. He will take them from us and apply His healing balm to our hurting hearts.

We hold a great treasure in these earthen vessels. Some share of the great treasure God has placed within us and some do not, sad to say.




Jordon said:
Where as with you I've made my mind up, your a nice person

If I was you I would ignore him he will only continue to hurt you
I don't have anyone on ignore and Rufus cannot hurt me ... he only hurts himself in his behavior toward and treatment of other members of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Jesus said salvation is of the Jews, but no favoritism?
John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

the word "of" is translated from the Greek word ek which means out from. The Lord Jesus Christ was born of a Jewish woman ... from the tribe of Judah. Salvation is "from" the Jews.

Here's a verse with the same word (ek) that might give better understanding of the meaning of the word ek:

Matthew 2:6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of (Greek = ek) thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

The Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem means "house of bread" ... the Lord Jesus Christ is the bread of life :cool: ... I love God's Word!!!

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I opened a Christmas present early! Guess what I got?
new duds!!! ... looking sharp, BillyBob!




BillyBob said:
Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!
Hope/pray you have a blessed time with family and friends. Praise God for His wonderful Gift to mankind.

1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

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Yeah...but in your world, God ineffectually "reaches out to mankind first" to become their potential Savior. After someone believes, His grace/power then suddenly becomes efficacious to many FWers during the sanctification and glorification aspects of God's salvation. After all, God would never initially impose his will upon grown up, mature, self-reliant, self-sufficient, self-sustaining adults, would he?
what you claim I believe does not equal what I believe.

fyi ... there is no salvation in any other ... the unbelief of some does not negate the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior.

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All of us were in Adam and, therefore, participated in his sin as our Federal Head. Adam's sin is imputed to ALL humanity in the distributive sense
not true that "all of us" "participated in Adam's sin" or that "Adam's sin is imputed to ALL humanity".

Deu 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

What was passed upon all men was death ... because all have sinned:

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned

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Ephesians 1:4

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

This is for believers only. Before the foundation of the world, He chose that believers(the Church) will be "in Him" and be "Holy and without blame before Him in love."

Acts 16:31~~The moment an unbeliever believes......they become a part of this predesigned plan.

Simple.
 
Yep. More dumbed down Calvinist flashcard isolated one-verse dogma meant to deceive.

This verse has been de-Calvinized already dozens of times. Simply by framing the passage in context.

Relentless rinse and repeat is standardized Reformed malpractice. They desperately need to keep the hustle going.

1Ki 12:31
And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

1Ki 13:33
After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.
Are you claiming that you are a priest of the high places?