Can We Really Exercise Free Will?
- Thread starter LifelongLearner
- Start date
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
You need better logical fallacies to serve you. Please tell me how many of these questions you answer "Yes" to.
What Say You? ~ When Scripture says there are none good, does it mean some are good? When Scripture says we all fall short, does it mean there are some who meet God's standards? When Scripture says, "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..." Does it mean the natural man can understand the spiritual things of God? Does it mean he really can understand the gospel message even though it is heard as foolishness to him as Scriptures say? Is the natural man gifted with wisdom even though he has no fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom? Will the lover of darkness come into the light even though Scripture says he will not, because he suppresses the truth of God in unrighteousness and is actually defined as darkness itself, hates the light, and is a slave to sin, blinded to the truth and captive to the will of the devil, which many define as being free? Is the heart of the natural man, the stony ground which needs to be replaced, fit for receiving and growing the Seed of God's Word into faith? Will that incurably wicked heart choose of its own accord to believe? Will that bad tree bring forth the good fruit of faith even though Jesus said it was not possible?
B
Believer08
Guest
I hope you have a great night, MagenPuppeta
Daniel 4 verse 35~ All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ Isaiah 14 verse 24~ The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand.” Psalm 139 verse 16~ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Proverbs 16 verse 9~ In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 19 verse 21~ Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.
Thank you, Unbeliever. You too! It is always a good day when I stand for the Truth of God's revealed written Word.
B
Believer08
Guest
You can call them logical fallacies, but that doesn’t change the truth about what a consistent Calvinist believes. Not having free will = robots/puppets.You need better logical fallacies to serve you. Please tell me how many of these questions you answer "Yes" to.
What Say You? ~ When Scripture says there are none good, does it mean some are good? When Scripture says we all fall short, does it mean there are some who meet God's standards? When Scripture says, "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..." Does it mean the natural man can understand the spiritual things of God? Does it mean he really can understand the gospel message even though it is heard as foolishness to him as Scriptures say? Is the natural man gifted with wisdom even though he has no fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom? Will the lover of darkness come into the light even though Scripture says he will not, because he suppresses the truth of God in unrighteousness and is actually defined as darkness itself, hates the light, and is a slave to sin, blinded to the truth and captive to the will of the devil, which many define as being free? Is the heart of the natural man, the stony ground which needs to be replaced, fit for receiving and growing the Seed of God's Word into faith? Will that incurably wicked heart choose of its own accord to believe? Will that bad tree bring forth the good fruit of faith even though Jesus said it was not possible?
Not having free will is what the Bible teaches. It is free willers who believe that being
taken captive to do the will of the devil equates to man having a will that is free. But
I guess they really cannot see what nonsense they push because they just keep pushing it.
Praise God if Jesus has set you free!
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!
B
Believer08
Guest
The Bible does not teach we are robots or puppets. It tells us to choose and come, etc etc. You are wrong. But hey, if you feel better being a puppet on strings, then ok. I hope someday you’ll be able to cut the strings off, but I guess you’d have to wait and see if you were predestined for that by God.
B
Believer08
Guest
Nor did I say it did. You present a logical fallacy. Please get your act together.
I hope you come to believe what the Bible does say some day.
Man is a slave to sin and lover of darkness refusing to come into the light. His will cannot change that.
Man chooses according to his nature. You ascribe to the natural man
what is only possible of the spiritual man. Please learn the difference.
Scripture is not wrong. I have provided many Scriptures. You just don't like them. That is a you problem.
I have to wonder if they recognise that there was resistance amongst unbelievers, by what means was God making Himself known to them if not by grace? Apart from all that can be said about grace, there is an element of God's kindness and mercy at work in the revelation for He is under no compulsion to make Himself known. He does so because that is who He is, just and kind.
B
Believer08
Guest
No. The problem I have (and what I don’t like) is your Calvinistic understanding of the Scriptures. The problem is not the scriptures. The problem is your understanding .
B
Believer08
Guest
Magenta said:
Nor did I say it did.
me: Yes, you did. The moment you said the Bible teaches we have no free will. When is the last time you saw a puppet/robot with free will?
Nor did I say it did.
me: Yes, you did. The moment you said the Bible teaches we have no free will. When is the last time you saw a puppet/robot with free will?
Eh, the problem is your understanding of my understanding. I believe what the Bible says. You do not.
O
OLDBUTNEW
Guest
Of course we can exercise free will: For example, we can chose to become a Christian, or not to become a Christian.