Featured Free will makes God appear impotent.

Well, I truly do not know why a person would refuse to come to Jesus, in my mind that is the most foolish thing a person could do.

But Jesus said people love darkness, they love their sin and this is why they do not come to him.

Jhn 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Does Jesus say these persons CANNOT come to the light Willis? Yes or No??

The word "rather" in verse 19 implies these persons had a choice. They could have come to the light, but they chose not to.

But it does not say they were UNABLE to come to the light as you falsely teach.

 

Willis, now you are acting like another annoying poster who asks the same questions over, and over, and over again.

You know the answer, Jesus gave the answer, they love to do evil, therefore they hate the light, because light exposes their evil.

Those who love truth and want to do truth come to Jesus.

This is the age old battle between good and evil, between love of God and love of self. People choose sides. Some choose God and to do good, many more choose to do evil and please self.

Some folks believe there will be a judgment, and that good will be rewarded, and that evil will be punished and so choose good.

Others believe that only the here and now exists, and all that is worthwhile is to please oneself, and personal gain NOW, because there is nothing after death.

What this all proves is that free will does exist, and men have a choice of whether they will serve and obey God, or serve and obey self.

 

That's not what Isaiah said;

Isa 58:2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

This verse says the very opposite of what you just said.

 

The word men isn't in the original of John 12:32. But this each and every business is so silly. Even if someone is of the mentality that everybody who has every lived will be drawn to Christ --how could those who have died before Christ be dawn? How could those in Hell be drawn? Logical questions that demand that the verse does not mean each and every person who has ever lived.

Now we're back to John 6. In this case verse 44. And of course you are denying the obvious again. All the drawn ones --every single one of them -- are the very same individuals that were given by the Father to Jesus back in verse 37. The people have not changed. The Father draws certain ones. And all of these are then given to the Son. Every single one of the drawn and given will come to Jesus. There is not a scintilla of doubt about it. As I have said --no one drops out. Nobody falls beneath the cracks.

And speaking of giving, look at John 17:2 :

"For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him."

All of the given ones will not be lost --all of them will be raised up at the laast day. See verses 39, 30 and 44.

No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws them. And all of them will be raised on the last day. It is certain. Notice "No one can can come." They don't have the ability whatsoever to come to Jesus on their own. The Father has to enable them to come to Jesus. See verse 65 :

"This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them."

It is very evident indeed that you are denying the plain word of God.

You will be called to account for denying the very plain words of Scripture winman.

 

The Lord revealed Himself to the nation of Israel alone in the Old Testament. He let the other nations alone. They went their own way. No one did any seeking of God.

 

There are many instances of men seeking God in the scriptures.

2 Chr 26:3 Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.
4 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.
5 And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

King Uzziah sought God.

Calvinism takes a single verse in Romans 3:11 and tries to teach Total Inability, when it does not teach that at all. Paul was quoting Psa 14:2 which was speaking of "fools" and not all men. Fools do not seek God, but not all men are fools. The same Psalm speaks of "the righteous" and the poor who trust in God.

You can pull a verse out of context and make it say anything. Doesn't make it truth.

 

I wonder who has more weight with the body of Christ, you or John Gill ? As Cassius Clay once said of Leon Spinks, Leon who ? so in closing, James Who ?

 

We teach that unless/until God moves first to allow us to seek Him out, no one will be able to come unto Him to get saved, as they will need God to reveal Himself to them beforehand!

 

So is that an admission that you care more about doctrinal comfort than you do sound biblical teaching?

Sure sounds like it

 

I don't know of anyone who believes differently, so why do you CONSTANTLY imply folks believe this?

Do you still beat your wife?

 

I read in Matthew Henrys commentary what he said about this same scripture and his was along the same line as John Gill. I think I will line up with these learned men of God rather than with James Who.

 

Or you could search the scriptures. But I guess that would be asking too much.

Good job. You're in good company

 

In post 201 I stated my own beliefs of the scripture before I had read either commentary. Both John Gill and Matthew Henry just happened to believe the same thing I do. James you are the first person I have ever heard of that said money was the interpretation of that scripture.

 

Ok, so now you have a task ahead of you...

Investigate. Search. Study. Don't take my word or Gill's word on blind faith. Treat everybody with the same suspicion, even if they agree with everything you've ever believed.

Start with Gill's comments on verse 5. Why did he start out saying exactly what I said, then he made an abrupt change?

Believe me, I know it's uncomfortable. I've been there.

 

You still beieve sinners by their own accord will seek after the Lord though, correct?

 

I recall a story about Jonah that would refute this notion.