Can We Really Exercise Free Will?
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I fail to see the word Choose in Acts 16:31, as in you must perform a work. The only thing I see is that belief is necessary.
Red Herring. I never said faith was work OR meritorious. Faith is a gift that produces works.
That was a wonderful post @studier . Thank you for the detailed explanation.
The question I asked God's Word based upon the discussions I was reading about Acts16:31 was answered very succinctly in the language as I detailed. Belief precedes salvation and human will is involved in choosing to believe as commanded.
God's Word and Spirit gave the man what he and his household needed to choose to believe - the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
- 31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.
- 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. (Acts 16:31-32 NKJ)
It's really not that difficult.
Maybe you'd like to explain why Paul & Silas made it so simple for him and in language written clearly for us to understand that belief precedes salvation and not multiple salvations I think you were presenting.
While you're at it maybe you could present an informative response to the command to believe telling us the human will is involved in choosing to believe.
Please go back and read the comments about imperative commands and human will.
Then the discussion is about what is and is not works.
Okay you do not adhere to Reformed doctrine (aka tulip) understood.
Then you will agree completely with post #8991
Awesome!!
I think we should correct this. @Cameron143 has clearly and distinctly said he is Reformed. He just disavows being Calvinist.
Well....somebody posted a slew of his past comments and replies that inferred standard Calvinist dogma. If anyone can dredge them up it might be helpful in terms of clarification.
The ACTIVE voice of "believe.".......And "believing" is not work. You believe, I believe....there is no merit in our belief.
As in English, so also in Greek the standard form of the verb, whether intransitive or transitive, portrays the grammatical subject of the verb as performing the act....
https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/sites.wustl.edu/dist/8/2865/files/2020/10/undancgrkvc.pdf
And maybe you could tell us how the verses I provided are wrong.
Salvation precedes belief!
The Reformed movement/church has its roots in Calvinism.
Of course as in all "schools" of thought there are variations, however, I consider anyone who teaches unconditional election, which is presented using different words/terms is within the Calvinist teachings.
Unconditional election: belief that God has chosen people to save in advance and prepares their hearts to receive the gift of salvation; God offers this gift to people not based on their merit but as an act of undeserved grace.
https://www.rca.org/about/theology/
What you fail to see over and over and over again is that the unregenerated person will not and CANNOT submit to God. Scripture says so, and that is what we believe, not your fantasy of how a stony heart can grow the good fruit of faith when Jesus says it is impossible.
Romans 8 verse 7a, Galatians 5 verse 17, John 1 verse 5, John 14 verse 17 ~ The mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. The flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. Darkness does not comprehend the Light. The world cannot receive the Spirit of Truth, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.
I've pointed out to @Cameron143 more than a few times that his interpretations align with TULIP. I recall at least 3 of the letters/doctrines being presented in his interpretations. He doesn't want to be called a Calvinist, and he'd be the one to explain why, if he wills to.
John 3 verse 6, Romans 8 verse 7, Galatians 5 verse 17, 2 Timothy 3 verse 13, Romans 3 verse 18 ~ Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. The mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. The flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other. Evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 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.
There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. Romans 3 verses 11-12; Romans 8 verses 5-8; 2 Timothy 2 verses 25-26
There's not much reason to go further when you stand against what's clearly stated in Acts16:31-33?
I and others can and have discussed your presented Scriptures many times. I've offered many times to go through such verses one at a time in detail with anybody who will collaborate respectfully until we wring it out as precisely as we can. There are some interesting ones there for both sides of the argument. There are also some that will stand against you as does Acts16:31 that you will very likely just reject as you do that Scripture.
Keep an eye on what @cv5 is working on. I can already tell you that he's working on a very interesting word that provides a strong argument in context for an alternative translation.
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him." John 6 verse 44 The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 14 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans
When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord,
and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
You have been given dozens of verses which you stand against, reject, contradict, and outright deny.