Can We Really Exercise Free Will?
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I think of an unregenerate as spiritually "rendered invalid," an old man only awaiting the culmination of the end of life and complete destruction so, while yet alive, 'living it up' all that (s)he can. And so, likewise, the flesh of a regenerate' is rendered invalid in that it is dead in Christ, and they are new (spiritual) creations awaiting the putting on the incorruptible (will it be new flesh? after the pattern of the resurrected Christ?).
So, although not functioning even close to full potential capacity, however miniscule, an invalid may still have some degree of influence.
The unbeliever is seen and counted as being dead by God.
He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead,
but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:59-60
And, those dead will die physically.
That ends up being called the second death.
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.
The lake of fire is the second death." Revelation 20:14
grace and peace ........
FTFY" is an initialism for "fixed that for you." It's commonly used online, particularly on forums and social media, to indicate that someone has made a correction or improvement to a previous statement.
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Ephesians 2 v 1-3, 1 Peter 4 v 3b ~ You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.... living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.
exactly. think of that “mankind is born spiritually dead and separated from god yet” ……he’s been speaking to mankind and making covenants with them since creation choosing faithful people from among them …… think of it they’re separated from god and spiritually dead but he’s fellowshipping with them and telling them “ I’ve set life and death before you choose life so you will live “ and “ if you don’t repent you will sorely perish “ but they’re “ spiritually dead “ to him already and have no choice between life and death like he’s telling them they do
twilight zone was a good show maybe my favorite to watch when it was going on
Sometimes it causes a lot of cuts and scrapes also even if not intended depending on how carefully it is wielded when sharpening the iron against the other
tell that to the walking dead who face the second death.
I'm not sure if you agreed with some of the posters in this thread who keep yammering about the dead not being able to hear the gospel ? if so, now you're saying they are "living" ? apologies if you were not one of those who claimed that about unbelievers who most definitely can hear the gospel ... even the ones who reject the gospel and hear and understand ... that they think the gospel is foolishness does not equal them not understanding to gospel.
as has been explained ... after he was healed of his blindness, he claimed Jesus was a prophet (John 9:17) ... a man of God who does God's will (John 9:31).Rufus said:
Jesus sought out the man after He heard the man had been cast out. Once Jesus revealed that He was the Son of God, the man worshipped Him (John 9:35-38).
so it was not just the healing of his blindness that cause him to confess and worship Christ. It was the Lord Jesus Christ revealing to him that He was the Son of God.
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Yeah but you didn't emphasize it is the work of regeneration, new birth but i did because its important, no unregenerate person has godly repentance.Yeah, I said it was the work of the Holy Spirit so ... don't know what you're arguing against.
2 Corinthians 7 v 10 ~ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
If I may ask one question first. Is death only physical? When Jesus said "let the dead bury the dead" what did He mean?
Oops that was actually two questions.
Forgive me.
Forgiven.
Of course, your questions are on target, but what does "spiritually dead" mean and include or not include?
Reading these threads, does the phrase mean something different to different traditions?
Why does someone from a certain tradition think they're telling others some great alternate tradition punishing truth by proof-texting and telling us Paul says you were dead in trespasses and sins?
The issue for me comes about in reading all the input in these posts.
We have not only the corpse complete inability being demanded from a dichotomy theology saying the Spirit needs to make alive our corpse soul/spirit before we can believe.
We have another dichotomy system with a dead or non-functional spirit (not soul) saying the Spirit essentially takes the place of the dead or non-functional human spirit so we can believe (which is not far from the dichotomy of the corpse soul/spirit)
Then we have trichotomy with the human spirit still intact and functional essentially saying we have all we need to believe the grace provisioned content God provides and draws us to.
We have all three of these different views talking about being '"spiritually dead".
So, is the human spirit alive or dead? What happened at the fall?
I think it was @Pilgrimshope who listed Scriptures that very much seem to speak of the existence of a functional(?) human spirit.
If it's alive or functional in any way, then should we be saying we're spiritually dead which everybody seems to be using?
If "spiritually dead" means dead but not physically dead, then what is dead or what does Paul mean we were dead?
There is another seemingly more Biblically accurate phrasing we use often to parallel or explain the "spiritually dead" construct. When Paul speaks of being dead in trespasses and sins, what is he drawing on and what does he mean (your question back to you)?
I'm not picking on you BTW, just answering questions with more questions and open posting for anyone who cares to read?
We are all way more traditionalized than any of us sufficiently understand. We're using made up phrases and made-up words which are all open to opinion and abuse and we're arguing about words that are not even in the Bible. Few are just explaining the Text.
John 14 v 17a, Romans 8 v 6-9 ~ “Inability” in Bible The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. Praise be to God for calling me out of the world.
Flesh serves the law of sin. For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other. Nothing good lives in my flesh. Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one! The flesh brings forth fruit unto death. Romans 7 v 25, Galatians 5 v 17, Romans 7 v 18, Proverbs 20 v 9, Job 14 v 4, Romans 7 v 5 (Romans 8 v 13 and James 1 v 15)
Twilight Zone indeed!
One good thing about sitting in the pews of our "choice" is that we don't partake in this confused mess which is theology and christendom even though we may be learning error constantly if we're even learning anything.
Then we come to these threads and essentially tell each other, 'Well my pastor says'. which is straight out of 1Cor3 instruction against fleshly infancy.
Thanks for bringing in the "separated from God" concept. I wonder if this is all that the made up and abused "spiritually phrase dead" means?
Ephesians 2 v 4-7 ~ Because of His great love for us, God, Who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
You mean Jesus told him the Gospel and he believed?