Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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Rufus said:
To this very day, no one has given me as much as one judicial reason. They simplistically think that appealing to "God is love" is the catch-all answer. They evidently don't understand that all of God's attributes demand that He be just.
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This is odd since the only attribute of God said to be present in all His actions is righteousness...Psalm 145:17.
 
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Despite what the un-Biblical free will doctrine promoters put forth, the natural man does not have everything he needs in order to grow the good fruit of faith from the stony ground of his incurably wicked heart which is opposed to the things of God, and he cannot change himself, being a lover of darkness who suppresses the truth in unrighteousness as a slave to sin, being inherently hostile in his mind toward God, and blinded to the truth while under the power of the evil one. Those who promote the free will of the natural man reject a plethora of Biblical truths. Praise God if Jesus has set you free!
 
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Cameron143 said:
This is odd since the only attribute of God said to be present in all His actions is righteousness...Psalm 145:17.
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From Psalm 145 v 14-17 The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.
:)
 
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cv5 said:
I prefer to deal with sound biblically accurate doctrinal truth. With you anything goes.

Your OWN (you own them you yourself and not anyone else)"understanding", "practices" and "ideas" had better align with accurate doctrine BTW. There is no alternative.
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Again, odd way of saying...You're right.
 
reneweddaybyday said:
well, whatever occurred, God had to set in motion all that it took to get the point where He could create a new heart within.
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You mean God cannot "create a new heart within" ex nihilo? His creation is contingent upon something? And what would that be, specifically?
 
HeIsHere said:
Reformed doctrine is the ultimate gaslight.
Your last line captures the essence of this false system.
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There were plenty of Israelite Baal worshippers back in the day. What was their problem? Lack of evidence?

Or choosing a god that they found preferable? One that resonated with their disposition?
 
Magenta said:
As much as you want to stick your erroneous assumptions on me I still never said you did it intentionally.

You do seem determined to misunderstand so you can condemn me, though.

It is a pattern with you.
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I take you at your word that you "still never said [ I ] did it intentionally ... the reason I believe you were referring to my inadvertence was because you submitted your post 7 minutes after I submitted my post with the words erroneously omitted and there was no post submitted with that reference between my post and your post.

so it must be another inadvertence on my part ... a thousand apologies ...

hope/pray you have a blessed day.
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cv5 said:
There were plenty of Israelite Baal worshippers back in the day. What was their problem? Lack of evidence?

Or choosing a god that they found preferable? One that resonated with their disposition?
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Their depraved heart was their problem. They had NO heart for God; for God had not given them one!

Deut 29:4
4 But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.
NIV

And, yes, true understanding finds its ROOTS in the human heart (Ps 49:3; Prov 2:2).
 
cv5 said:
There are many posters around here that are a far more vulnerable target than even the most brainless scarecrow.
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You mean like posters who believe Adam was a superhero for sinning against God, or that Adam exercised faith, or that God loves his mortal enemy Satan who has NOTHING in Christ? Those kinds of posters?
 
Rufus said:
The reason the lost (natural man) considers the gospel to be foolishness is precisely because they DO NOT have any true understanding of it in their HEART.
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when someone preached to you ... when someone preached to me ... we did not consider it utter foolishness and reject the gospel as those God describes in 1 Cor 1:18.

At that point, God started working in our hearts to bring increase so that we went beyond simple understanding to a deeper comprehension (which is continuous and ongoing over the lifetime of the believer).

and to be honest, I think all of us ... you and me included ... have not even scratched the surface of the fullness of the gospel ... I just believe there is much, much more that can be understood in light of all the OC sacrifices and offerings ... maybe in eternity we will be able to fully comprehend (and it'll probably take that long – heh).

But this does not negate that fact that a "simple understanding" when the gospel is preached ... (planted ... and then watered many, many times) ... is all it takes for God to start working within to bring increase.
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Rufus said:
You mean God cannot "create a new heart within" ex nihilo? His creation is contingent upon something? And what would that be, specifically?
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sigh ... the new covenant ...

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
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reneweddaybyday said:
when someone preached to you ... when someone preached to me ... we did not consider it utter foolishness and reject the gospel as those God describes in 1 Cor 1:18.

At that point, God started working in our hearts to bring increase so that we went beyond simple understanding to a deeper comprehension (which is continuous and ongoing over the lifetime of the believer).

and to be honest, I think all of us ... you and me included ... have not even scratched the surface of the fullness of the gospel ... I just believe there is much, much more that can be understood in light of all the OC sacrifices and offerings ... maybe in eternity we will be able to fully comprehend (and it'll probably take that long – heh).

But this does not negate that fact that a "simple understanding" when the gospel is preached ... (planted ... and then watered many, many times) ... is all it takes for God to start working within to bring increase.
.
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That's because God efficaciously works in the hearts of all his elect. He graciously imparts to them the godly disposition of the Fear of the Lord and He circumcises their hearts. Both of these precious gifts are promised unilaterally by God to his covenant people -- of which the world in the distributive sense is NOT!
 
reneweddaybyday said:
sigh ... the new covenant ...

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
.
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Why are you sighing over the New Covenant? Did you sovereignly cut your own covenant with God?
 
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