Free will ? Is it always a choice

  • 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.

Fundaamental

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2023
3,289
421
83
#1
We here of stories of people going into a vegetated state for the rest of there life from being normal they loose the ability to communicate, some not being fully conscious, from illnesses like meningitis to the brain. And other illnesses

sometimes this happens from an early age.

Thoughts please
 

Karlon

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2023
2,701
1,235
113
#2
someone's penchant for self attention, backed with any characteristic, self punishment, self degradation, pity-party defense or offense & plain negativity can bring upon, psychosomatically, the vegetated state, non-coherence & any physical mental & spiritual sickness. yes, it can be a choice & the choice was a choice made coherently in full possession of faculties..
 

Fundaamental

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2023
3,289
421
83
#3
The concept of free is hard to define.

But it is somehing that is important to our social needs

But I wonder can free will be just down to freedom in a world controlled by rules.

For children who never get to choose Jesus because there conscience is no more, this is where I struggle to accept this belief
 

ThyKingdomComeSoon

Well-known member
Apr 1, 2023
974
596
93
#4
The concept of free is hard to define.

But it is somehing that is important to our social needs

But I wonder can free will be just down to freedom in a world controlled by rules.

For children who never get to choose Jesus because there conscience is no more, this is where I struggle to accept this belief
I believe they, the children sick people who lost their mental ability will have an opportunity later after the resurrection, I know that God in his infinite wisdom would not condemn the innocent. As for free will we have to make a choice, it is why we are here to choose the right path no matter what even if it means loosing one's life. This life is very short and not easy, we must strive to chose eternal life ;

Mat 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
Mat 7:14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Peace
 

TabinRivCA

Well-known member
Oct 23, 2018
13,229
10,764
113
#5
We here of stories of people going into a vegetated state for the rest of there life from being normal they loose the ability to communicate, some not being fully conscious, from illnesses like meningitis to the brain. And other illnesses

sometimes this happens from an early age.

Thoughts please
Jesus went around healing all diseases and the Word says 'believers shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover'' Mk 16:17-18. This would be an opportunity to show the Love/power of God to the world like in the NT days. All sickness' can be healed.
 

Fundaamental

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2023
3,289
421
83
#6
I believe they, the children sick people who lost their mental ability will have an opportunity later after the resurrection, I know that God in his infinite wisdom would not condemn the innocent. As for free will we have to make a choice, it is why we are here to choose the right path no matter what even if it means loosing one's life. This life is very short and not easy, we must strive to chose eternal life ;

Mat 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
Mat 7:14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Peace
in one hundred percent agreement 😊
 

Fundaamental

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2023
3,289
421
83
#7
I believe they, the children sick people who lost their mental ability will have an opportunity later after the resurrection, I know that God in his infinite wisdom would not condemn the innocent. As for free will we have to make a choice, it is why we are here to choose the right path no matter what even if it means loosing one's life. This life is very short and not easy, we must strive to chose eternal life ;

Mat 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
Mat 7:14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Peace
I have a agree in full,

But the choosing eternal life part is that down to free will or is that biblical that we can choose eternal life.

I agreed in full because when you said choose eternal life, I thought immediately associated that to choosing to Jesus to be your lord and saviour.

Is it not the case your free will changes after you choose Jesus
 

JohnRH

Junior Member
Mar 5, 2018
683
330
63
#8
Is it not the case your free will changes after you choose Jesus
The will (as a choosing mechanism) doesn't change, but the choice options that God submits to the will do change.
To the unsaved person: the choice options submitted to the will are to accept or to reject Jesus as your Savior.
To the saved person: those 2 choice options are no longer submitted to the will, but the will continues to function, choosing between whatever choice options are submitted to it.
 

Fundaamental

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2023
3,289
421
83
#9
The will (as a choosing mechanism) doesn't change, but the choice options that God submits to the will do change.
ok 👍 I will agree and its good that you recognise the change of will in terms of a choosing mechanism ,,,will be centred around staying with God.

But still the will has changed yes.

Would this mean your own free will you had befor your choice to choose christ Has changed.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,778
113
#10
We here of stories of people going into a vegetated state for the rest of there life from being normal they loose the ability to communicate, some not being fully conscious, from illnesses like meningitis to the brain. And other illnesses sometimes this happens from an early age. Thoughts please
How does this relate to "free will"? People do get sick and have physical disabilities which are caused by outside forces. Free will cannot prevent some of these things. So your title may need revision.
 

Fundaamental

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2023
3,289
421
83
#11
ok 👍 I will agree and its good that you recognise the change of will in terms of a choosing mechanism ,,,will be centred around staying with God.

But still the will has changed yes.

Would this mean your own free will you had befor your choice to choose christ Has changed.
because they where children when they became mentally unconscious to make decisions, befor the age of ten.

Which is the age of accountability,

From then they never recovered, but Somone said one thing and someone said another.

One said if the lord wanted to save them he could heal them.

And To another one said in the choice of innocent children they would be given a choice after they pass away from this world.

There's something wrong with both choices.

First choice is it fair to ask a young child to choose ?
Upon resurrection

Second choice many children in such state of loss of mind are not being healed. Is it fair to say they won't be saved.

What's the answer,
 

SomeDisciple

Well-known member
Jul 4, 2021
2,376
1,082
113
#12
For children who never get to choose Jesus because there conscience is no more, this is where I struggle to accept this belief
[2Cor4:3] If the gospel is hidden, it is to those who are lost (this actually being a mercy, because 'to whom much is given, much is required' therefore, there would be less punishment for those who never heard, then for those who heard and turned away).

However, I don't think this necessarily applies to some people who die young or people who go into a "vegative state". We might need someone to be physically conscious/alert in order to communicate and interact with them in a meaningful way- but God doesn't. We have little in the way of knowing about what is going on with people in altered states of consciousness. But we can be assured that God knows what he is doing, even if we don't understand what is going on.

But the choosing eternal life part is that down to free will or is that biblical that we can choose eternal life.
Yes, it's a choice. Calvinism et al. is wrong.

It really comes down to self-preservation, too: you will see the argument that "the carnal man would not choose to repent, because the wisdom of god is foolishness to them... blah, blah, blah" <<-- wrong. The carnal man knows self-preservation, and all someone needs to choose repentance is to know that if they don't repent, they will be utterly destroyed. The Holy Ghost was given to help people actually follow through with 'bearing fruits meet for repentance', but the choice to repent was always the person's choice.
 

SomeDisciple

Well-known member
Jul 4, 2021
2,376
1,082
113
#13
because they where children when they became mentally unconscious to make decisions, befor the age of ten.

Which is the age of accountability,
This is something made up by man, though: and not bible doctrine. This is about accountability to receive punishment by the law, and it doesn't have anything to do with whether or not someone is saved.
 

Fundaamental

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2023
3,289
421
83
#14
[2Cor4:3] If the gospel is hidden, it is to those who are lost (this actually being a mercy, because 'to whom much is given, much is required' therefore, there would be less punishment for those who never heard, then for those who heard and turned away).

However, I don't think this necessarily applies to some people who die young or people who go into a "vegative state". We might need someone to be physically conscious/alert in order to communicate and interact with them in a meaningful way- but God doesn't. We have little in the way of knowing about what is going on with people in altered states of consciousness. But we can be assured that God knows what he is doing, even if we don't understand what is going on.


Yes, it's a choice. Calvinism et al. is wrong.

It really comes down to self-preservation, too: you will see the argument that "the carnal man would not choose to repent, because the wisdom of god is foolishness to them... blah, blah, blah" <<-- wrong. The carnal man knows self-preservation, and all someone needs to choose repentance is to know that if they don't repent, they will be utterly destroyed. The Holy Ghost was given to help people actually follow through with 'bearing fruits meet for repentance', but the choice to repent was always the person's choice.
there may be something in this about us not truly knowing what is going on with the conscious.

There was a true story of a kid who had loss of conscious for ten years.

But when he came to he had been aware of all sorts that had happened in the ten years. The doctors couldn't explain it. He to had suffered meningitis of the brain.

Then he was healed.

But is he one of the lucky ones.
 

SomeDisciple

Well-known member
Jul 4, 2021
2,376
1,082
113
#15
there may be something in this about us not truly knowing what is going on with the conscious.

There was a true story of a kid who had loss of conscious for ten years.

But when he came to he had been aware of all sorts that had happened in the ten years. The doctors couldn't explain it. He to had suffered meningitis of the brain.

Then he was healed.

But is he one of the lucky ones.
A lot of scientists won't acknowledge that there is more to a person than the body; or that a "person" even exists outside of their waking consciousness.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dream-catcher/201111/knowledge-dreams

Psycology Today has a lot of junk articles; but this one is decent. This neurology professor goes into the possibility of people acquiring knowledge in REM/dream sleep.

I personally have experience that disproves (at least to me) that all dreams are merely subconscious junk-data being projected into our sensory receptors. I've listened to people in my dreams that have broader vocabulary than I do- and they use words that I don't know correctly in context. That would obviously not be possible if it was something that originated in the lower parts of my brain. There is way, way, WAY more going on in our brains than science can ever hope to understand.
 

Komentaja

Active member
Jul 29, 2022
450
235
43
#16
Jesus went around healing all diseases and the Word says 'believers shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover'' Mk 16:17-18. This would be an opportunity to show the Love/power of God to the world like in the NT days. All sickness' can be healed.
Is everyone a phony Christian or why isnt every Christian on earth in perfect health all the time? Why are there even sick people around.
 

JohnRH

Junior Member
Mar 5, 2018
683
330
63
#17
ok 👍 I will agree and its good that you recognise the change of will in terms of a choosing mechanism ,,,will be centred around staying with God.

But still the will has changed yes.

Would this mean your own free will you had befor your choice to choose christ Has changed.

No, I'm saying that the will never changes. The will (as a choosing mechanism) is part of our anthropological make-up from creation. It doesn't change before, during, or after an unregenerate becomes a regenerate. It doesn't change before, during, or after a person dies and goes to heaven or hell. During eternity-future, it still never changes. That's what I'm saying.

The choice-options that God submits TO this unchanging will, however, do change:
1. God submits the offer of salvation to this choosing mechanism.
2. The choosing mechanism chooses to accept the offer.
3. Then God withdraws the offer of salvation to this choosing mechanism, because there's no further need for it.
 

Fundaamental

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2023
3,289
421
83
#18
No, I'm saying that the will never changes. The will (as a choosing mechanism) is part of our anthropological make-up from creation. It doesn't change before, during, or after an unregenerate becomes a regenerate. It doesn't change before, during, or after a person dies and goes to heaven or hell. During eternity-future, it still never changes. That's what I'm saying.

The choice-options that God submits TO this unchanging will, however, do change:
1. God submits the offer of salvation to this choosing mechanism.
2. The choosing mechanism chooses to accept the offer.
3. Then God withdraws the offer of salvation to this choosing mechanism, because there's no further need for it.
On this note you could say the free will God gave as a choice has no will attached to it.

Would it be safe to conclude this.

shall we say do you recieve a new will.

A will is promise after death that is inherited that is for evermore, that no body can change, because the life that wrote the will, is eternal life not eternal death
 

JohnRH

Junior Member
Mar 5, 2018
683
330
63
#19
On this note you could say the free will God gave as a choice has no will attached to it.

Would it be safe to conclude this.

shall we say do you recieve a new will.

A will is promise after death that is inherited that is for evermore, that no body can change, because the life that wrote the will, is eternal life not eternal death
I'm not clear regarding the thread title and opening post. You describe a person going from normal mental capabilities and then loosing them. Are you asking if they still have a will?
 

Fundaamental

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2023
3,289
421
83
#20
I'm not clear regarding the thread title and opening post. You describe a person going from normal mental capabilities and then loosing them. Are you asking if they still have a will?
answer the previous question then I can answer