Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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Tell me how it is that millions of people throughout history never even heard of Jesus, but all treated with equal opportunity.
Do you believe there has been at least a single time in the history of the world where all the people (however many people) heard or knew about the God of the Bible in some capacity?
 
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Romans 2:15 does not say the gentiles have the law written on their hearts. The verse is talking about the work of the law.

Romans 2:14-15 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another)

I believe all mankind has the work of the law written in the heart ... which is basically the conscience. I believe this is how mankind can know good and evil (Gen 3:22). That the conscience is so easily overridden by deceitful lusts is the problem.

Agree that having the work of the law written in the heart in an unsaved person means they are still dead in their trespasses and sins.

Once a person is born again, God starts writing His law upon the heart of the believer. the more of God's Word we know, the more He writes in our hearts and in our minds (Heb 10:16).

.
I disagree that someone not saved has the law written on their hearts. After all, having the law written on one's heart is the new covenant promise to God's people.
 
No. This is real life with eternal consequences.

The Lord Jesus Christ died for ALL and eternal life is freely offered to all......On a level playing field.


Acts 16:31.....Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.

Your 7 kids have equal opportunity and equal privilege at His salvation........And you NEED to tell them this truth. Not the skubala you have been smearing here.
How is there equal opportunity when some never hear the gospel?
 
No. This is real life with eternal consequences.

The Lord Jesus Christ died for ALL and eternal life is freely offered to all......On a level playing field.


Acts 16:31.....Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.

Your 7 kids have equal opportunity and equal privilege at His salvation........And you NEED to tell them this truth. Not the skubala you have been smearing here.
Do you have children?
 
Did I post a "like" icon on it? No.

It seems you struggle with taking words at face value.
What's a cookie ?

Look if you can't even admit that huh means you don't like something do you think i should take your rhetoric serious.
 
We definitely cannot close the gap.
IMO, concerning your detailed questions, @Genez has the best explanation.

We are all offered the choice of believing in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life( I believe at all times, anywhere and everywhere.) And His Grace Separates our flesh and soul to make an informed and unbiased CHOICE.

2 Cor 6:2
For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Heb 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Genez gets a bad rap, he is one of the most spiritually mature Christian I have seen on any forum.......That doesn't mean "nice." That means he has Bible doctrine in his soul and applies it.
 
The law never saved anyone. The new testament promise is found in Ezekiel 36:26-27. We find that a new heart is given and the Spirit which enable those so endowed to walk in His statutes and keep His judgments.
Ezekiel36-27.png

Ezekiel 36 v 27 I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
 
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What's a cookie ?
A biscuit. A small reward.

Look if you can't even admit that huh means you don't like something do you think i should take your rhetoric serious.
Firstly, my comment, "Huh" was to another person's post, not yours.

Secondly, it neither implies liking or disliking. It expresses the need for further clarity, relevance, or both.
 
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IMO, concerning your detailed questions, @Genez has the best explanation.

We are all offered the choice of believing in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life( I believe at all times, anywhere and everywhere.) And His Grace Separates our flesh and soul to make an informed and unbiased CHOICE.

2 Cor 6:2
For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Heb 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Genez gets a bad rap, he is one of the most spiritually mature Christian I have seen on any forum.......That doesn't mean "nice." That means he has Bible doctrine in his soul and applies it.
My questions were more rhetorical than anything, but I appreciate you taking time out of your day to reply. I was mainly pointing out the inconsistency with Calvinism with them.

The longer I have discussed with Calvinists, the more I’m convinced the Bible is true and Calvinism is false.
 
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I agree with reneweddaybyday.
Please use the "REPLY" button quoting the post to which you are replying. Either that or provide a whole lot more context so your posts don't seem completely out of sync with the ongoing conversation.
 
My questions were more rhetorical than anything, but I appreciate you taking time out of your day to reply. I was mainly pointing out the inconsistency with Calvinism with them.

The longer I have discussed with Calvinists, the more I’m convinced the Bible is true and Calvinism is false.
John 3:16........It starts right here.

The Lord Jesus Christ died for all. The calvies will get virtually EVERYTHING wrong by denying this vital truth.
 
Considerable is a good choice of words,

Has it it been considered that the whole earth was once the garden of eden 🙂

You gotta wait until the Second Coming before you see that! The new earth will indeed be the pristine, perfect Garden.

Gen 2:8 seems to preclude the possibility that the Garden that God planted only in the East would have filled the entire earth.

Also, since God drove Adam out of the Garden, then how could that Garden have filled the entire earth? Where would A&E have gone once they were driven out of the entire garden-earth!?

Finally, it doesn't appear that there was very much vegetation life on the earth, according to Gen 2:5, for the Lord had not sent rain on the earth, plus no one was taking care of the earth. Yet, the situation was very different in the Garden that was filled with vegetation (Gen 2:9). Adam was initially tasked with working the Garden and taking care of it (Gen 2:15).
 
They must be saved. The carnal man is not subject to the law and cannot be according Romans 8:7.
Romans8-6-7s.png

Romans 8 v 6-7 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.
 
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Just contemplating here, but when the word implies God has predestined someone to something bad is that not figurative speech for the lords will not being active in there hearts.

No, it is not! God decreed (or wrote, if you will) the entire redemptive history of the human race in eternity -- before time began.

Besides, what bad thing did Jesus do? Or when or how did Jesus not do his Father's perfect will 24/7/365?

As the Lord's ambassadors and servants, we should always pray that the Holy Spirit will sanctify our imaginations before attempting to understand any given passage.
 
John 3:16........It starts right here.

The Lord Jesus Christ died for all. The calvies will get virtually EVERYTHING wrong by denying this vital truth.
I remember when I was in the 8th or 9th grade, I was asked by another student do I believe Jesus died for all people or just some people. I simply said “John 3:16”. The student was taking a sip of his soft drink as I said that and shook his head in agreement, somewhat smacking the lunch table a couple of times as if his hand was a gavel lol. Had no idea how anyone could believe differently due to John 3:16. Decades later, I now know that was a question derived from Calvinism. You have to be taught to believe it doesn’t mean that.
 
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We are all born with Free Will: God gave us free will, to see if we will trust in Him, or not.

That ship sailed a long time ago when the Federal Head of the human race blew his assignment. Adam's will was truly free FROM evil internal influences, such as the sin nature. But since then all his progeny come into this world spiritually dead and in darkness, and under the power of sin, the devil and the world.
 
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I remember when I was in the 8th or 9th grade, I was asked by another student do I believe Jesus died for all people or just some people. I simply said “John 3:16”. The student was taking a sip of his soft drink as I said that and shook his head in agreement, somewhat smacking the lunch table a couple of times as if his hand was a gavel lol. Had no idea how anyone could believe differently due to John 3:16. Decades later, I now know that was a question derived from Calvinism. You have to be taught to believe it doesn’t mean that.

It doesn't mean it. Besides, the Gr. term "kosmos" (for world) has at leat 8 or 9 different definitions. How convenient that so many people zero in on just one of them.

How Jews would have understood Jn 3:16 is that God so loved the "nations" -- the nations of which Abraham was destined to become the father of. "World" then should be understood in the sense of Abraham's descendants which of course are dispersed all throughout the world.
 
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