Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

[Magenta]

All that says is through creation and conscience, man knows of the existence of God.
It doesn't say He goes to every individual and gives personal revelation of Himself.

Jesus told us who knows God, and how that comes about...

Of course one of our most vociferous FWers denies this Scriptural truth...

Matthew 11 verse 27 ~ All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.

 

[Magenta]

1 Corinthians 1 v 20-25 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

 

[Magenta]

Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Luke 5 v 31 The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19 v 10 For the Son of Man came to save the lost. Matthew 18 v 11 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Matthew 9 v 13b, Mark 2 v 17b I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. Ezekiel 34 v 16

 

[BillyBob]

Uh oh - legal language. Maybe we should form an ecclesiastical judiciary and fire up the 2 or 3 witnesses protocol for congregational discipline. I think it was @DeanM who said something on another thread about the relaxing power of the ignore feature.

Let's just make Rufus the official fact-checker!

 

[studier]

Let's just make Rufus the official fact-checker!

You are funny, I'll give you that!

 

[Genez]

Jesus will be standing in my place for me at the judgement. How about you?

You still have a lot to learn.... We all did. It is not something to be ashamed of.

I was not speaking of judgment, as seen with the unbeliever.

Your works will be judged by fire to see if what you operated with in your daily walk was truth, or false doctrine.

Here is what I speak of...

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ​

(foundation = salvation)​

​

If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, (sound doctrine)​

wood, hay or straw, (false doctrine) their work will be shown for what it is, because ​

the Day will bring it to light. ​

​

It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ​

If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ​

​

If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only ​

as one escaping through the flames.​

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

 

[DeanM]

This has been a great thread to pad my ignore list. Very mean spirited.

 

[Genez]

Let's just make Rufus the official fact-checker!

We do not need a Snopes here, please.

We need to become our own fact checker for those capable.

 

[NightTwister]

You still have a lot to learn.... We all did. It is not something to be ashamed of.

I was not speaking of judgment, as seen with the unbeliever.

Your works will be judged by fire to see if what you operated with in your daily walk was truth, or false doctrine.

Here is what I speak of...

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ​

(foundation = salvation)​

​

If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, (sound doctrine)​

wood, hay or straw, (false doctrine) their work will be shown for what it is, because ​

the Day will bring it to light. ​

​

It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ​

If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ​

​

If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only ​

as one escaping through the flames.​

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

I'm confident that my doctrine is sound. I'm also confident that I have used the gifts God have me for His purpose. You should worry more about yourself, especially your attitude towards your fellow Christians.

 

[Genez]

This has been a great thread to pad my ignore list. Very mean spirited.

It does get that way.
Seen it for years now wherever you find such a forum.

 

[Genez]

I'm confident that my doctrine is sound. I'm also confident that I have used the gifts God have me for His purpose. You should worry more about yourself, especially your attitude towards your fellow Christians.

Smear campaign 101.

 

[HeIsHere]

You still have a lot to learn.... We all did. It is not something to be ashamed of.

From the testimonies of those who have escaped/abandoned this system, it seems a lot of unlearning was also apart of the process.

 

[Cameron143]

Judgment for beginners:
Smear campaign when you judge.
Enlightenment when I judge.

 

[Magenta]

From the testimonies of those who have escaped/abandoned this system, it seems a lot of unlearning was also apart of the process.

Yes, all that unlearning of Scripture, so to learn to reject what is written in favour of self-exalting man-made ideas, how truly awful.

Colossians 2 v 8, Romans 16 v 18, Romans 10 v 2, Proverbs 19 v 2a ~ See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge. Zeal is no good without knowledge. They teach as doctrine the precepts of men.

 

[Magenta]

I'm confident that my doctrine is sound. I'm also confident that I have used the gifts God have me for His
purpose. You should worry more about yourself, especially your attitude towards your fellow Christians.

Some of those who have come and gone deny having been called out of the world, which means
they may not really be Christians. Even among those still here there are those whose very own
testimony informs us that they do not know God. And they also blaspheme Him. Another clue.
It reminds me of that saying: when people tell you who they are, listen to what they're saying.

 

[Rufus]

God agreed with the assessment that they could be like Him to know good and evil. Try again.

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil. And now,
lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...” Genesis 3:22

Not only that but our aspiring bible scholar got the the whole faith-obedience thing backwards! Why am I not surprised? Studier essentially said (to paraphrase) that there's no faith without obedience. That's interesting. Yet, Hebrews doesn't tell us that without obedience it's impossible to please God. But it does teach that without faith it's impossible to please Him (Heb 11:6).

But there's even more. Hebrews also teaches that the disobedient Hebrews were not able to enter God's rest (the Land) ultimately because of their lack of faith (Heb 3:19-4:2).

These FWers can't even get the fundamentals of the Christian Faith right, let alone Studier's so-called "advanced spiritual truth".

 

[Rufus]

I don't really know what to add. I absolutely agree that active volitional responsive belief actively receives God's Grace freely given. What's astounding to me is that He's given it in the first place [even if it's only to the humble.]

FTFY!

 

[Rufus]

any attempts to elevate the discussion from pablum is quickly quashed and re-routed back to familiar [to them] talking points ... no getting out of the basement ....

You FWers need to turn the volume up on your own broken record to increase your self-awareness leve. Most of the garbage you guys repeat ad nauseam isn't even fit for the manure pile!

 

[Rufus]

right ... those who do not suppress the truth in unrighteousness are the ones who receive the blessing.

Romans 1:

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 [Greek = katechō] 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 words "who hold" in vs 18 are translated from the Greek word katechō which means to suppress; restrain.

The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation ... those who do not suppress receive the promise ... because God's Word is life ... God's Word imparts life ... God's Word is power.

Those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness do not change God's Word from being life or imparting life or having power. The Word remains the same life-giving power ... those who suppress receive that which God's Word tells us is the consequence of having suppressed.





right ... God sends His faithful believers to preach the gospel ... God gave us His Word so we can read what He wants us to know about Him ... about the Lord Jesus Christ.





Ezekiel 36:26-27 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 does not state that the new heart is given before belief.

I agree that God creates the new heart within the born again one ... I believe this occurs the moment one believes the gospel as shown in Romans 1:16-17.

If someone suppresses the truth in unrighteousness, he or she will not receive the blessing ... he or she receives the consequence of having suppressed the truth. This truth goes all the way back to Gen 4 when God reached out to Cain and Cain rejected God. From the time of Genesis, God has continued, does continue, and will continue to reach out to all. Those who reject are without excuse. Those who do not reject receive the blessing.
.

Neither is the condition of faith stipulated in the passage! It is a UNILATERAL, unqualified promise, for your info!

 

[Rufus]

Which, others for some reason, can easily understand.

........

Brainwashed Birdies of a Feather "can easily understand".