Can We Really Exercise Free Will?
- Thread starter LifelongLearner
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To fall for the lie that man is not spiritually dead, is to agree with Satan that man would not die upon eating the forbidden fruit. It is to side with Satan and call God a liar in the matter of spiritual death.
Dead means dead. It does not mean wounded, it does no mean disabled, it means dead and without life!
There is not a single verse in ALL of Scripture where the word die—or any of its directly related forms such as death, dying, etc.—means anything other than death. NOT ONCE does die ever refer to a mere state of temporary sickness, of being unwell, or of a non-fatal injury, which would imply some hope of recovery within a man’s reach, which is the baseless, indefensible definition given by pseudo-Christian, who hold to the doctrine of man’s free will.
Only when a man is made alive again to God by His Holy Spirit, and given the gift of Faith to believe God's Gospel can a man be said to be spiritually alive unto God.
**MDB**
Dead means dead. It does not mean wounded, it does no mean disabled, it means dead and without life!
There is not a single verse in ALL of Scripture where the word die—or any of its directly related forms such as death, dying, etc.—means anything other than death. NOT ONCE does die ever refer to a mere state of temporary sickness, of being unwell, or of a non-fatal injury, which would imply some hope of recovery within a man’s reach, which is the baseless, indefensible definition given by pseudo-Christian, who hold to the doctrine of man’s free will.
Only when a man is made alive again to God by His Holy Spirit, and given the gift of Faith to believe God's Gospel can a man be said to be spiritually alive unto God.
**MDB**
people will be people I suppose we disagree and then go at each others throats and people refuse to admit they might be wrong in their beliefs and oh yeah throw the term calvanist around like hot cakes. Is this what the church founders had in mind I wonder?
But yeah I just wish we could all agree to disagree and leave it at that
Hebrews 11:32-33 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions
I'll stick with what God says about Gideon in Hebrews ... written long after Gideon's walk on this earth ended ... God has the final say in the matter ...
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I am so thankful I did not have a mouthful when I read this ... still chuckling ...
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But I am not much of one for mincing words although I do sometimes try to soften what I'm saying, and believe me, there is much I could say if I really let loose but I do hold my tongue a lot, though I do not want to give way to the liars and make it look like I am agreeing with lies so there is that... I mean Paul didn't do it and Jesus didn't do it either so why should I? Always someone comes along who has really no idea what the thread is about like Edward the other day thinking it's about the fact that you can have soup or fries with lunch (not what he said just giving you the idea of what he thinks it is about him and many others like him) ... well that means we have free will to him. that is not the conversation at all ... and you came to understand it on a deeper level yourself ... so that keeps needing to be elucidated for people ... and another thing here is that the OP wanted to allow the thread to die and I suggested she stop posting in it and then other people would stop posting but for some reason people kept posting and I myself did not post here for many months and then I see the thread was still going strong and got involved in it again however many months ago that was, and that has been the inspiration for quite a few of my more recent panels... so this seems to be a very hot topic and largely I think many people are unaware of the fact that the discussion is about who comes to believe and how they come to believe and not whether or not man has a volition because obviously he does.
Sorry for the wrong emoji on your free Willy comment I'm on my phone and I accidentally pushed the wrong one and then it sort of automatically navigated away from the page and I had to find my way back..
No worries Magenta I know you and you do not put up with heresy and I know you could be much more harsh as well but choose not to and I respect you for that. I am not like you I do not speak harshly because my role is to be the kind and gentle spirit the voice of reason if possible but I do not have it in me to be bold and blunt towards others it just isn't in my nature but someone has to and if not you then I don't know who else would be qualified for it.
Blain, honestly that is very kind of you to say, and if you knew me 20 years ago and in my life from my late teens in through my 30s and 40s before I became a believer you would not know I was the same person because I was afraid to speak up and I could not speak my truth if my life depended on it, and you know what? I found that my life did depend on it. In the meantime I almost died multiple times and God rescued me from a number of situations and saved me from others that I realized later it was His doing... and so these people whose who mock and scoff at the idea of God revealing Himself to people and saying it's not required when Scripture says it does? Well you know what I think of those people...
And truly I just don't think I will ever get used the idea of seeing these free willers make so many remarks that fly in the face of what Scripture actually says, how often they contradict and outright deny what is written ... it is mind-boggling.
I have found that often times our weaknesses are also our greatest strengths, I myself know that I have no issues speaking my heart but I am still timid and shy and cannot stand asking for help as you probably know already but on the other hand I go out of my way to help others and some have said I would amke a good leader. given my timid and shy nature I find this to be absolutely insane but that is often times how God works in us we may be timid and shy before Christ but then he makes us strong and bold when he is working in us.
my understanding is that the believer is to minister ... we merely plant and/or water ... God gives increase when the person believes what is planted/watered.
1 Corinthians 3:5-6 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
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Signing up represents believing there is actually a swim party as advertised and arm floaties represents salvation from drowning.I know what you have said is true wisdom because it went way over my head
And determination relates to the topic of (pre)determination, or predestination, and will power speaks toward the irony of unwillers.
You need a break from this thread magenta,
Have a nice little rest, put your feet up and Keep your chin up love.
This thread will still be here ranting on in few days.
I can't stand this thread any longer so I'll be bowing out, take care of your feelings and guard that kind heart of yours.
You've done your best but there's just no way to break through, as haters will be haters love, there pulling you down bit by bit, all your doing is fueling there fire.
I can't bare to witness this, I would love to stay and help out but I just can't put up with this thread any longer.
Take care
Everyone knows that Gideon is regaled among the heroes of faith of Hebrews 11.
So it looks like another strikeout for you eh @Cameron143 ?
You might want to read Genesis 15:8 while you are at it genius.