Featured Do We Have Free-Will?

The Bible tells us that we, by nature, are in rebellion toward God. We choose our prison of sin.
The Bible also tells us that when we are dead in our trespasses and sins, we have no capacity to choose freedom in Christ. Dead people cannot choose.
Instead, God must choose to give us life and give us faith to believe. It is only after God's work that the Christian has the capacity to choose how we will obey our King.
Where you seem to stumble is in thinking you had the capacity to choose God while you were still dead.

 

Yet another false assertion without support from scripture. The "T" in the TULIP is as bogus as a Three Dollar Bill.
The "gift of faith" is yet another false assertion without support from scripture. The "I" of the TULIP is as bogus as a Three dollar bill.

 

God choose out for Himself a people group from lost humanity, in order to redeem them and show off His mercy and Grace!

I did not deserve salvation, but did deserve to be Hell bound!

 

Each point in TULIP can be found and supported in the scriptures!

 

Its just that you are discussing this theological point mainly here with Calvinistic Baptists!

 

It is very hard even for Christians to understand that in the ultimate sense salvation from start to finish is of the Lord!

 

The problem is that the term free-will does not occur in the Bible. That means that there is no background for the term in the Bible where you can point and say that my version of free-will is wrong. The term is made-up and ends up meaning whatever a person wants it to mean within a very broad range. I've heard another "Calvinist" mention that there is free-will, but his free-will is different from your free-will and everyone ends up arguing into thin-air and getting nowhere.

I don't believe anyone will get anywhere using such vague terms as "free-will".

For example here, Miss E here truly thinks that the "Calvinists" she is arguing with thinks that everyone is a robot. I don't think she's trying to set up a straw man, but she is! For starters, she hasn't realized that she is most likely talking to those who believe in Compatibilism - not Calvinism.

Compatibilism believes one acts according to one's nature. Some compare it to a horse being attached to a stagecoach. In one case, the stagecoach driver is a sin nature and in the other case it is a spirit nature. Are the horses robots? Are the horses forced? Both of the answers are no. Of course, it isn't a perfect analogy so please don't try to make it into one.

So, those who believe in Compatibilism do believe we make choices. We make those choices, including to have faith in God, based on the nature God have chosen for us. So, those who believe in compatibilism would say that of course we make choices free from apparent compulsion, but those choices have been made based on the nature God has given us.

Now there are variations of Compatibilism, but one isn't going to find out what they are by using vague terms such as "free-will".

 

timtofly,

There are many verses;
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

God determines all things with infinite wisdom and controls every molecule in the universe.
Man is not sovereign God is.
You are an example of the man-centered carnal philosophy I speak of.

This is not supported by scripture at all.

Particular redemption is the biblical teaching.That would be a thread all by itself.

This is the language of false teaching of man-centered theology, in fact it is in direct opposition to scripture.

This is foolish posting, not based in scripture, but you are welcome to express your feelings.

Foolish posting...

 

We are the more mellow group. you would really like having the Presbyterian reformed gang up on you on this!

 

A servant (slave) does not have freewill. God bless His children who obey Him and disciplines those who don't.
We have a self-will, but it is not without judgement. If it were indeed free, there would be no consequence.

[Rom 6:16 KJV] 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

[2Pe 2:19 KJV] 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

Jas 4:13 ESV - Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"--
Jas 4:14 ESV - yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
Jas 4:15 ESV - Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."
Jas 4:16 ESV - As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

First expression of self-will by a created being:
[Isa 14:12-15 KJV] 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Free-Will - A Slave
Free-Will - A Slave
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon Dec 2, 1855Scripture: John 5:40Sermon No. 52From: New Park Street Pulpit Volume 1

"It has already been proved beyond all controversy that free-will is nonsense. Freedom cannot belong to will any more than ponderability can belong to electricity. They are altogether different things. Free agency we may believe in, but free-will is simply ridiculous"


MARTIN LUTHER: ON THE BONDAGE OF THE WILL;
TO THE VENERABLE MISTER ERASMUS OF ROTTERDAM, 1525.
Full text of "Martin Luther on the bondage of the will : to the venerable mister Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1525"
Excerpts from the above document
"An evident proof this, that Freewill is a downright lie"
"The truth, however, is, that God has never given Freewill (if by Freewill is meant an uncontrolled will) to any creature."
"Freewill is not a matter of the Spirit, or of Christ, but a mere human affair"
"Freewill, by its own strength, cannot but fall ; and has no power, save to commit sin"
"Freewill is nothing but Satan s captive packhorse, which cannot have freedom, unless the devil be first of all cast out by the finger of God."

 

You struggle with the fact that all these verses are directed to the chosen people of God. They are not for those who are dead in their trespasses and sins. They are not for those who are not the chosen people.

I have provided many passages. I suspect you didn't read them.

 

Is the all universal for the whole world or is the all limited to all who believe?

2 Corinthians 5:13-21 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The context shows that the word "all" in this passage is referring to all who believe, not all the entire world.