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Does God Have "Free Will"?

Discussion in 'Calvinism & Arminianism Debate' started by thatbrian, Feb 20, 2018.

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  1. thatbrian

    thatbrian Well-Known Member
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    You don't even understand the implications of your theological position.
     
    #41 thatbrian, Feb 20, 2018
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  2. thatbrian

    thatbrian Well-Known Member
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    The free will that our theological opponents adhere to is "Libertarian Free Will". If they are correct, then God can do anything, which includes sin.
     
    #42 thatbrian, Feb 20, 2018
  3. loDebar

    loDebar Well-Known Member

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    How can lost people who always chose wrong ever
    'Sin is disobeying God.... so by definition ....
     
    #43 loDebar, Feb 20, 2018
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  4. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    Sure must be fun arguing with yourself--you'll always win, so that's an advantage.

    Sent from my Pixel 2 XL
     
    #44 InTheLight, Feb 20, 2018
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  5. rlvaughn

    rlvaughn Well-Known Member
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    God does whatever he pleases (Cf. Psalm 115:3; Psalm 135:6). Trying to attach to that a terminology that we use to describe (and debate about) a human characteristic only serves to could the truth.
     
    #45 rlvaughn, Feb 20, 2018
  6. thatbrian

    thatbrian Well-Known Member
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    Of course God does as He pleases, and sinful men do the same. Can God, or men, do as they don't please? In other words, can God sin, or can an unregenerate man recieve the things of the Spirit?
     
    #46 thatbrian, Feb 20, 2018
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2018
  7. thatbrian

    thatbrian Well-Known Member
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    Both man and God can act according to their natures. A holy God cannot lie, and an unregenerate man cannot please God.

    In KJV (to make some happy):1 Corinthians 2:14: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
     
    #47 thatbrian, Feb 21, 2018
  8. thatbrian

    thatbrian Well-Known Member
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    Most Evangelicals (although they would never use this term) believe that men have "Libertarian Free Will", which means, in the context of soteriology, that unregenerate men have the ability to act against their depraved nature.

    My assertion, in the OP, is that God does not have Libertarian Free Will, as He acts in accordance with His nature, and cannot do otherwise.
     
    #48 thatbrian, Feb 21, 2018
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2018
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  9. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    Whee! Building strawmen is fun!



    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
     
    #49 InTheLight, Feb 21, 2018
  10. rlvaughn

    rlvaughn Well-Known Member
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    God always does as he pleases. Man cannot always do as he pleases. There are restrictions placed by God, restrictions placed by others, and such like. Of course, I guess we can say that when a bigger guy has me down with my arm twisted behind my back forcing me to say "uncle," I might be pleased to say "uncle" rather than have my arm broken. But surely most of us can understand that God does as he pleases in a way that is unavailable to and incomprehensible by man.
     
    #50 rlvaughn, Feb 21, 2018
  11. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Excellent. He does what He pleases. And what pleases Him? Doing right. Holiness. Because of His nature. "Be Holy for I am Holy."
     
    #51 TCassidy, Feb 21, 2018
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  12. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
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    God is free to do what He pleases.

    Psalm 115:3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

    Did someone already quote this? :)

    Ah yes, #6.

    It's worth repeating.
     
    #52 HankD, Feb 21, 2018
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  13. rlvaughn

    rlvaughn Well-Known Member
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    Sorry to repost, but thatbrian's and TCassidy's quote of this turned up a couple of odd mistakes. [Odd looking, not odd that I made them! :) ] Maybe this will be better:

    God does whatever he pleases (Cf. Psalm 115:3; Psalm 135:6). Trying to attach to that truth some terminology (i.e., free will) that we use to describe (and debate about) a human characteristic only serves to cloud the truth.
     
    #53 rlvaughn, Feb 21, 2018
  14. utilyan

    utilyan Well-Known Member
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    Before they change the definition of stupid, I want to say the Calvinist definition of free will is stupid.
     
    #54 utilyan, Feb 21, 2018
  15. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    They've got a whole lexicon of definitions they must use for their theology to work. Apparently the definition of free will is "only being able to do what is in your nature to do."

    I looked up free will in the Calvinist dictionary and here is the entry:

    Free Will: Something that can’t exist because it would make God helpless if true.
     
    #55 InTheLight, Feb 21, 2018
  16. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    Let me give it a shot...

    Most Calvinists believe (though they will never admit it) that missions are a waste of time because God decided from eternity past who would be elect. Well, I think the Calvinists are wrong on this point. We are commanded to preach the gospel to all nations. I can't understand how they can be so wrong on something so basic!
     
    #56 InTheLight, Feb 21, 2018
  17. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
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    Every Systematic Theology has impossibilities.
     
    #57 HankD, Feb 21, 2018
  18. Reynolds

    Reynolds Well-Known Member
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    Funny but pointless question. He has free will. He can do anything He wants to do. He wants to follow the promises and covenants He made with man. God says He can't lie. Does that mean He does not have free will? You can play word games all day long. Word games are popular among Calvinists.
     
    #58 Reynolds, Feb 21, 2018
  19. JonC

    JonC Moderator
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    I think it's even more than that. When we speak of the will we too often think of it as something we possess and use. But Scripture very often presents it as descriptive of who we are. God will not sin because sin is the opposite of what God does - righteousness is descriptive of God. Man will sin because sin is descriptive of the human nature (we "miss the mark" and fall short of God's glory).
     
    #59 JonC, Feb 21, 2018
  20. loDebar

    loDebar Well-Known Member

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    If we have free will to sin, We have free will not to sin. That is free will. We cannot look past out choices to see the results, but God can.
     
    #60 loDebar, Feb 21, 2018
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