Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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Look at Verse 2 closer.

2 He prayed to Adonai, “Now, Adonai, didn’t I say this would happen, when I was still in my own country? That’s why I tried to get away to Tarshish ahead of time! I knew you were a God who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in grace, and that you relent from inflicting punishment.

The way Jonah describes God in Verse 2 completely opposes the Reformed viewpoint concerning God chooses who goes to Hell.

A God that relents from inflicting punishment is not sending people to Hell for His Sovereignty and Glory.
Johna was angry for God sparing the wicked,

Which is abusing Gods sovereignty yes I agree very much.

Thankyou brother 😊
 
Mr. Genez, sir, (and by extension all other FWers are welcomed to jump in) your favorite "gangsta" iggy persona is here with a huge theological question for you re your recent comments about God's grace and how it's is often associated with divine power -- a view that I'm in agreement with, along with additional definitions of "grace" as well. But first let's look at a passage that forms the basis to this big, important question.

Eph 1:15-23
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints
, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
ESV

According to this passage, the grace/power that God has bestowed upon Christ's Body (elect) is the very same power that God exerted upon the the Body's Head when God raised Him up from his tomb. To any critical thinker here the problem that FWT and its categorical rejection of the Doctrine of Irresistible Grace would soon become very obvious. If the Head really did physically rise up from the dead by the very same power that God exerts on behalf His Body, then how is it possible that there's no efficacy in that grace/power for the Body of Christ? FWers unwittingly commit intellectual and theological hari-kari when they deny the efficacy of God's grace! For if His grace/power is not the ultimate determinant for salvation for the Body due to lack of efficacy, then Jesus could not have been raised from the dead by that very same power! By FWers denying the efficacy of God's saving power to His saints, they tacitly deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! And can any denier of Christ's resurrection be saved!?

So...Mr. Genez, and all you other FWers, here's your Mission Impossible if you dare accept it: Get busy to find a creative way out of this logical and theological dilemma. Put your sweat shirts and pants and workout vigorously so that you can perform great feats of mental gymnastics.
 
Still living rent free in your head. I must have a palatial estate by now.
Speaking of "rent free", why don't you rent (for free) Chronisters lectures and actually learn what the Bible actually says?

Until then you determinists will persist to continue on a forever losing streak of your own making. Too bad so sad.
 
The raising of Jonah was a "type".......:sneaky:

I am not arguing over that aspect.

Jesus said... "I am the resurrection."

Jesus is the only one at present who has been resurrected.


Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.
The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.

Some here might need to know that.
Many have yet to understand the difference between resurrection and resuscitation.

grace and peace .........
 
Mr. Genez, sir, (and by extension all other FWers are welcomed to jump in) your favorite "gangsta" iggy persona is here with a huge theological question for you re your recent comments about God's grace and how it's is often associated with divine power -- a view that I'm in agreement with, along with additional definitions of "grace" as well. But first let's look at a passage that forms the basis to this big, important question.

Eph 1:15-23
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints
, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
ESV

According to this passage, the grace/power that God has bestowed upon Christ's Body (elect) is the very same power that God exerted upon the the Body's Head when God raised Him up from his tomb. To any critical thinker here the problem that FWT and its categorical rejection of the Doctrine of Irresistible Grace would soon become very obvious. If the Head really did physically rise up from the dead by the very same power that God exerts on behalf His Body, then how is it possible that there's no efficacy in that grace/power for the Body of Christ? FWers unwittingly commit intellectual and theological hari-kari when they deny the efficacy of God's grace! For if His grace/power is not the ultimate determinant for salvation for the Body due to lack of efficacy, then Jesus could not have been raised from the dead by that very same power! By FWers denying the efficacy of God's saving power to His saints, they tacitly deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! And can any denier of Christ's resurrection be saved!?

So...Mr. Genez, and all you other FWers, here's your Mission Impossible if you dare accept it: Get busy to find a creative way out of this logical and theological dilemma. Put your sweat shirts and pants and workout vigorously so that you can perform great feats of mental gymnastics.

Drop the Free Will garbage.

You do not understand it, and as a result keep throwing us in a garbage can each time you use the term.
 
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That just took it out of the over simplified phase. Interesting.

But?

Looks like he was swallowed alive.

Jonah 2:1-7

1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.

2 He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit.

7 “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.
But the Hebrew and passed down to generations preached that Jonah physically died and was dead in the fish. I tend to believe that sentiment based upon the Numerical Values of the specific words that the Holy Ghost inspired to be said and that Jonah personally conveyed. It's not a life or death scenario based upon how one believes this passage of Scripture to mean but I prefer the Hebrew meaning.
 
But the Hebrew and passed down to generations preached that Jonah physically died and was dead in the fish. I tend to believe that sentiment based upon the Numerical Values of the specific words that the Holy Ghost inspired to be said and that Jonah personally conveyed. It's not a life or death scenario based upon how one believes this passage of Scripture to mean but I prefer the Hebrew meaning.

That is an assumed Hebrew meaning.

Look at what they assume about Isaiah 53 for example.
Again... amongst Jews, it is a "preferred" meaning.

But, wrong.
 
Johna was angry for God sparing the wicked,

Which is abusing Gods sovereignty yes I agree very much.

Thankyou brother 😊
Nice Twist and I agree with the comical anecdotal view.

But Jonah does give us a more truer and clearer understanding of who God is so we're able to compare that to any idea presented.
 
That is an assumed Hebrew meaning.

Look at what they assume about Isaiah 53 for example.
Again... amongst Jews, it is a "preferred" meaning.

But, wrong.
They ignored Isaiah 53 so different concepts here.
 
Nice Twist and I agree with the comical anecdotal view.

But Jonah does give us a more truer and clearer understanding of who God is so we're able to compare that to any idea presented.
Nope it wasn't a twist it was true
 
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I am not arguing over that aspect.

Jesus said... "I am the resurrection."

Jesus is the only one at present who has been resurrected.


Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.
The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.

Some here might need to know that.
Many have yet to understand the difference between resurrection and resuscitation.

grace and peace .........
Let's call it a "raising". Like Lazarus. Jonah was raised (to service) and died again. Needs (and needed) no explanation it's obviously not the resurrection to eternal life.
 
Speaking of "rent free", why don't you rent (for free) Chronisters lectures and actually learn what the Bible actually says?

Until then you determinists will persist to continue on a forever losing streak of your own making. Too bad so sad.
Growing more palatial by the moment.
 
Let's call it a "raising". Like Lazarus. Jonah died again. Needs (and needed) no explanation it's obvious.

You'd be surprised.

I mentioned that to a Catholic priest, and it was new to him.

Many do not know that being raised from the dead that took place after Jesus was resurrected all died later on.
They were not resurrected. That will happen in the Rapture.

Just define it and understand what one is saying....
 
I want you to realize that you need to find a good teacher if you are ever going to advance out of the cocoon you are now in.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

I do get slack for that.

But, it's true!
Well if your the bear who can handle the stings, you need to be aware
I want you to realize that you need to find a good teacher if you are ever going to advance out of the cocoon you are now in.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6​

I do get slack for that.

But, it's true!
well when you stare up a hornets nest, that's what happens
 
Was Jonah dead first, then inside the fish?

Jonah 2:1

From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.
 
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You'd be surprised.

I mentioned that to a Catholic priest, and it was new to him.

Many do not know that being raised from the dead that took place after Jesus was resurrected all died later on.
They were not resurrected. That will happen in the Rapture.

Just define it and understand what one is saying....
Sure. But Jonah died later. I thought a lengthy explanation unnecessary.

But yea....."raising" is a much better fit for Jonah.
 
Drop the Free Will garbage.

You do not understand it, and as a result keep throwing us in a garbage can each time you use the term.

Oh...since when aren't you a believer in man's libertarian-style freewill that can outperform God's freewill any day of the week? Would you prefer to be called an Arminian or a Pelagian instead? :coffee:
 
Oh...since when aren't you a believer in man's libertarian-style freewill that can outperform God's freewill any day of the week? Would you prefer to be called an Arminian or a Pelagian instead? :coffee:

You have got a label-fetish.

You freely choose to believe what you do, don't you?