Featured Do We Have Free-Will?

Your assertion is not from scripture. It is from your perceived experience. Your perceived experience is not reality.
I have shown you scripture. I have corrected your prooftexts, which you used out of context. I have shown you what God says. Now, you must either accept what the Bible teaches or you must dig your heels in and demand that your perception is more accurate than God's word.

Second, I believe you are a Christian. Not once have I ever stated that you aren't a Christian. I am stating, however, that you have a choice to make. You can either submit yourself under the Sovereign authority of God, or you can demand your free will to do whatever you want.

Again, choose you this day whom you will serve.

 

Indeed, he chose you before the foundation of the world. No matter how hard you fought against him, he chose you, and he will keep you.

 

I believe scripture quite clearly teaches we can choose to trust fully in Christ, or something less than that including complete rejection. Matthew 13 and the four soils, describes folks (soil #1) whose heart has been hardened by the practice of sin, such that they cannot even understand the gospel. They have lost their ability to choose. However, the other three soils, have the ability. The second soil likes the benefits (like fire insurance) but the price proves too hard, and they fall away when they must give up something. The third soil did a little better, but after accepting Christ, they still treasured the things of this world, and eventually those treasures (wealth, relationships, etc) choked out their faith. These two examples tell us people can seek God, but not all find God because they seek God improperly.

In the TULIP, the T stands for total spiritual inability so all Calvinists actually believe because of the Fall no one at any time ever seeks God, and is unable to choose to trust Christ.

 

The bible presents us a choice to please or displease God. His will can be understood thus in terms of things that please Him and displease Him.

Psalm 115:3 and Psalm 135:6 show God does what pleases Him

Ecclesiastes 8:3 shows kings also do all that pleases them.

The bible says the following please God:

To keep His commandments (1 John 3:22)

To suffer for Him (2 corinthians 2:16-17)

Spreading the Gospel (1 Thessalonians 2:4)

Pleasing God over men (Galatians 1:10)

Earnestly attempting to find Him (Hebrews 11:6)

Believing He exists (Hebrews 11:6)

Singing praise to God (Psalm 135:3 and 147:1)

Not being conformed to the world (Romans 12:1-2)

The words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart should be aimed to please Him (Psalm 19:14)

Those that fear Him (Psalm 147:10-11)

Those that hope in His steadfast love (Psalm 147:10-11)

Children obeying their parents (Colossians 3:20)

Giving thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Burnt offering (Exodus 29:18)

Sharing of what we have to others (Hebrews 13:16)

Giving the Kingdom to the saints (Luke 12:32)

Revealing Christ to Paul who was set apart and Called to his ministry to the Gentiles from before birth (Galatians 1:15)

When God smelled the burnt offering Noah gave Him (Genesis 8:20-22)

Preaching the folly of the Cross to save those that believe (1 Corinthians 1:21)

To pray that everyone has a peaceful, quiet, godfly, and dignified life (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

For widows to ask their parents for financial help (1 Timothy 5:4)

Keeping the faith (Hebrews 10:35-39)

Making Israel God’s possession (1 Samuel 12:22)

Israel when it is brought back from exile (Ezekiel 20:41)

The young son of Jeroboam (1 Kings 14:12-14)

God’s covenant with David that his kingdom be established forever (1 Chronicles 17:27)

God had pleasure in David before making him king over Israel (1 Chronicles 28:4)

Wisdom (Proverbs 3:17)

To do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God is more pleasing than sacrifice and burnt offering (Micah 6:6-8)

Hosea 10:10 shows God executes justice when it pleases Him to.

The temple of God (Haggai 1:8)


Adding to this are the following observations from scripture:

Hezekiah claims righteousness from his actions and is rewarded with longer life in Isaiah 38:1-8

Isaiah 5:7 compares Israel to a pleasant plant planted by God

Romans 8:8 shows in the context of Romans 8:1-11 that God is displeased with those who gratify their flesh instead of living by the Spirit of God in believers.

Hebrews 12:4-13 tells us God scourges and discipline His children, God is certainly pleased by this even if His children view it as painful.

Luke 10:21 and Matthew 11:25 show God is pleased to hide the truths Jesus teaches from the wise and learned to instead give them to humble servants

Mark 12:33 shows God is more pleased by love for God with all our being and love of neighbor than any burnt offerings or sacrifices.

Hosea 6 in context shows God desires mercy and the knowledge of God and He does not desire sacrifices or burnt offerings without such. This becomes more evident given Psalm 40:6. Psalm 50:7-15 shows God wants are vows to His commandments fulfilled and that we call upon Him in our day of trouble. Psalm 51:16-17 adds that God desires a contrite and broken spirit before sacrifice. Isaiah 1:10-20 exhorts us to do right, seek justice, correct the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead the case of the widow before burnt offering and sacrifice. Giving God praise and thanksgiving is better than burnt offerings and sacrifices. Jeremiah 6:19-20 shows God takes no pleasure in sacrifice and burnt offering if there is rejection of His Law and no attention paid to His Words.

When people turn from sin to live Ezekiel 18:23 and Ezekiel 33:11. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked or of anyone (Ezekiel 18:23, 32).

Isaiah 56:4 shows God rewards those that please Him.

Isaiah 42:21 shows God is pleased to have made His Law great and glorious.

1 Samuel 15:22 tells us obedience and attentiveness please God more than burnt offerings and sacrifices, which still please God

Proverbs 21:3 tells us to do the right thing and justice are more pleasing to God than sacrifice

Ephesians 5:2 tells us Jesus Christ was a pleasing offering to God

1 Thessalonians 4:1-5 show believers must learn to control their own actions.

Psalm 147:11 raises a question do we fear God and steadfastly love Him before regeneration?

Psalm 69:30-31 shows that we can praise God with song and thank Him to please Him. Did that act to please God require regeneration?

1 Kings 3:10 shows us Solomon does something of his own volition that pleases God.

Philippians 2:12-16 tells the Colossians to work out their salvation in fear and trembling doing good because it is God in them working in them to will and act for His pleasure. They are immediately told not to complain or argue while doing anything.

Psalm 149:4 tells us God takes pleasure in His people Israel

Hebrews 11:5-6 Enoch is commended for pleasing God, it is why he never saw death

Ephesians 5:8-10 tell us we must discern what is pleasing to God

John 8:29 tells us Jesus always does what pleases God

1 Thessalonians 4:1-3 tells us the apostles teach how to please God, it is to obey God’s commandments in sanctification, in the case of the Thesallonaians especially to abstain from sexual sin.

Colossians 1:9-10 tells us to seek God’s will to please Him with our walk

1 Chronicles 29:17 has a man claiming uprightness of his own heart and that God tests the heart and is pleased with uprightness. This also segues with 1 Thessalonians 2:4.

The scriptures are full of pleas to please God rather than displeasure Him with our actions. If it was impossible to choose to please God, then why the constant appeals?

 

I, like many Christians, draw the doctrine God wants all saved from the following verses.

Romans 11:32 NASB
32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

2 Peter 3:9 NASB
9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 NASB
3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the [c]knowledge of the truth.

Matthew 23:37 NASB
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

Ezekiel 18:23 NASB
Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “[k]rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?

Ezekiel 18:32 NASB
"For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live."

Ezekiel 33:11 NASB
"Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?'

 

Lastly, faith is credited as righteousness according to the bible. It is not a work to put faith in Jesus Christ according to the bible.

@Calminian did a good job explaining this:

Take a look at the following passages.
Gen. 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Rom. 4:2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.a 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Rom. 4:5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

Rom. 4:6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

Rom. 4:11.....So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

Rom. 4:21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

This is a strong theme in Paul's writings. God credits faith as righteousness. This seems to preclude the idea that faith as any merit whatsoever.
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If faith is predestined and cause by God, then answer me this.....

 

We all choose... the same wind that blows the ship onto the rocks also can blow it to safe harbor. In short, it is not the wind, it is the set of the sail.

 

You misunderstand the parable.

 

If by “free will” you mean a human will that is free from outside influence that effects our decisions then “no” there is no free will.

If by “free will” you mean a human will that is conscious of all outside influence and is able to consciously disregard those influences and make all decisions based solely on that human will, then “no” there is no free will.

I have answered you directly. There is no “free will”, only human will. I hope you will answer me directly as well.

You mentioned the work of Holy Spirit that helps us by “nudging us” to accept Christ.

Do you believe that God, Holy Spirit, knows exactly how much “nudging” it will take to bring someone to Christ? Yes or No, please.

Do you believe God, Holy Spirit, has the the ability to exert whatever effort it would take to “nudge” each of us to Christ? Yes or No, please.

If God, Holy Spirit, knows exactly how much “nudging” it takes to bring us to Christ and also has the ability to “nudge” us however much is needed to bring us to Christ, then wouldn’t it be cruel for God, Holy Spirit, to nudge someone just short of enough nudging to bring that person to accept Christ? Why would God, Holy Spirit, do that?

I mean, if God, Holy Spirit, decided to “nudge” someone to come to Christ, why not use enough influence to be successful?

peace to you

 

Choose to let the Spirit, who is God, help us to choose God?
I have to disagree.

We don't "let" Him do anything, my dear sister ( Daniel 4:35 ).
He either does or does not.
There are no halfway measures with Him.

He does not extend a hand to help us, as we were dead in trespasses and sins before He did so ( Ephesians 2 ).
Rather, ( to use an analogy ) He jumps in the water of our sin, swims out to us, and throws the life preserver around our unconscious bodies and drags us to shore.

That I wholeheartedly agree with ( John 1:13, James 1:18 ).


To answer your OP, yes I believe man has free will in the sense that we make choices everyday.
No I do not believe that, unassisted, mankind will ever come to Christ on our own and seek to be reconciled to Him.
Our love of sin and hatred of God is far too great for that to ever happen.

Those of us that have believed on His Son for the forgiveness of our sins have had a miracle happen to us, and it's called "being born again".
We are new creatures in Christ ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 ).

 

I almost hate to tell you this, but you did ask...
It's not a simple question with a simple answer, because every word of God must be brought to bear on it.

Do we as men have free will?
The short answer is yes.
But we'll need to define, biblically, what "free will" is.

Does man have the capacity to make independent "autonomous" choices ? YES.
Does man have the responsibility ( are we held responsible ) to believe on Christ? YES, or the Lord would not declare it a sin not to believe ( John 16:9 ).
Will sinful men choose to repent and believe on Christ due to our natural hard-heartedness and rebellious attitude towards God? NO.
Will mankind ever, apart from God opening our hearts so that we listen intently to His words ( Acts of the Apostles 16:14 ), believe His word, understand His word, and come to Him in faith? NO.

Some call this "inability", but I call it such a strong "will not" that it becomes a "cannot".
So..."inability" is a good short definition for it, I suppose, but it's more Scripturally complicated than that.

Why?

Romans 1:18-32.
Romans 3:10-18.
John 3:19-20.
Psalms 10:4.
Psalms 14:1-3.

and many others.

When He opens someone's heart ( the new birth ), God gives us a new "want to", which changes our hardened heart of stone to one of flesh ( Ezekiel 11:19, Ezekiel 36:26 ).
We now have the freed will to not only listen to His words with no compulsion ( and no automatic rejection of them, see 1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 2:14 ), we now believe them and begin to understand them despite being "dull of hearing" ( Hebrews 5:11 ).
That will has gone from being against Him, to now being towards Him.
God changes the hearts of men, which changes the seat of our affections.

We now willingly, as His children, place our faith and trust in Him and His Son as both our Saviour in the eternal sense, and our Saviour ( deliverer ) in the temporal or earthly sense...
When we hear the preaching of His word and hear of not only our vile condition before Him, but how much in trouble with Him we really are without Christ to save us from it.

 

"Free will" is an interesting, but ultimately unrealistic, concept in light of all that God's word has to say about us as sinners.
We hate God, we love sin, and we absolutely will not come to the Light, lest our deeds should be reproved.

This is what being born again cures...
The naturally hard heart and love of sin that we are born with ( Psalms 58:3 ).

So, is man's will according to Scripture, really "free", as in "free to choose to come to Christ on our own"?
No.

Our nature is corrupt, and our will is guided by that nature, which is to sin.
God must break through it by His power, or we are all gone.

 

That he did, dear sister.
John 6:37-44, John 6:64-65, John 17:2, Psalms 65:4, Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:3-13, Ephesians 2:10, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14.

Keep reading...
He has much to show you.

Stand fast in your trials and tribulations, knowing that He loves you and has prepared a place for you ( Matthew 25:34, John 14:2 ).

 

There is not a single verse in the entire bible that says we have free will unto salvation. None at all. You do have free will when it comes to normal everyday things such as what you will wear, eat.

You are correct that God chose you first, before the foundation of the world.

If you want to take credit for your own salvation, it implies that God didn't have anything to do with it. You did it all by yourself.

Martin Luther wrote a fairly short booked called The Bondage of the Will.

Here is an excerpt:

The comfort of knowing that salvation does not depend on "free-will"

I frankly confess that, for myself, even if it could be, I should not want "free-will" to be given to me, nor anything to be justify in my own hands to enable me to endeavor after salvation; not merely because in face of so many dangers, and adversities, and assaults of devils, I could not stand my ground and hold fast my "free-will" (for one devil is stronger than all men, and on these terms no man could be saved); but because, even were there no dangers, adversities, or devils, I should still be forced to labor with no guarantee of success, and to beat my fists at the air. If I lived and worked to all eternity, my conscience would never reach comfortable certainty as to how much it must do to satisfy God. Whatever work I had done, there would still be a nagging doubt as to whether it pleases God, or whether He required something more. The experience of all who seek righteousness by works proves that; and I learned it well enough myself over a period of many years, to my own great hurt. But now that God has taken my salvation out the control of my own will , and put it under the control of His, and promised to save me, not according to my working or running, but according to His own grace and mercy, I have the comfortable certainty that He is faithful and will not lie to me, and that He is also great and powerful, so that no devils or opposition can break Him or pluck me from Him. "No one," He says, "shall pluck them out of my hand, because my father which gave them me is greater than all" [John 10:28-29]. Thus it is that, if not all, yet some, indeed many, are saved; whereas, by the power of "free-will" none at all could be saved, but every one of us would perish. Furthermore, I have the comfortable certainty that I please God, not by reason of the merit of my works, but by reason of His merciful favor promised to me; so that, if I work too little, or badly, He does not impute it to me, but with fatherly compassion pardons me and makes me better. This is the glorying of all the saints in their God.

It is fundamentally necessary and healthy for Christians to acknowledge that God foreknows nothing uncertainly, but that He foresees, purposes, and does all things according to His own immutable, eternal and infallible will. This bombshell knocks "free-will" flat, and utterly shatters it; so that those who want to assert it must either deny my bombshell, or pretend not to notice it, or find some other way of dodging it.

Luther's Bondage of the Will

God Bless dear sister.

 

It doesn't, and that's the point.

That, my friend, is the wonderful and contrary-to-our- dull-minds-as- believers paradox that will probably never make sense, yet is true.

God both gives us the ability to believe ( Philippians 1:29 ), gives us the gift of faith ( Ephesians 2:8 ) and credits our faith in His Son's work on the cross as righteousness.
Thereby pointing everything back to His mercy and grace towards us as believers, and leaves us with nothing to stand on except that mercy and grace.

Titus 3:5-6.

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 

Those were Calminian's words that I supported. I must make that clear to give proper credit where it is due. That said, this is just going to go back to our constant back and forth. Rather than argue till Christ returns and tells us what is going on, I'm bowing out. I made my points using an enormous amount of scripture, and that is enough.

This constant back and forth with tons of scripture is why these debates were banished to the border territory of the Baptist Board found in the Calvinism vs Arminianism forum. I only drop in to make points using lots of scripture and then leave, since I am writing more for the lurkers than the Calvinists.

 

I want to flap my arms and fly.

I can't.

Therefore, I don't have free-will.