Featured Do We Have Free-Will?

Did Jesus save all sinners, since that is what he came to do?
If he didn't save all sinners then there are two options as to why.
First, he came only to save those the Father has given him, just as he said in John 10.
Second, sinners will power to reject Jesus thwarted Jesus attempt to save the world and Jesus just wasn't strong enough to do what he set out to do.

MissE, there is your option. Since you have free will, pick your option.

 

Wesley Briggman sez: "- - We have a self-will, but it is not without judgement. If it were indeed free, there would be no consequence."

Humbly beg to differ here!
Don't know the origin, but it is a fact - "You are free to choose; BUT, you are NOT free to choose the consequences of your choice."

With this being said, I am outta here, as this thread (for the most part) refuses to discuss the OP point of whether a person can refuse salvation BY HIS OWN CHOICE (NOT whether or not he can save himself), but instead is chasing rabbits all over the keyboard!!

 

"Miss E,

I answered this earlier but maybe it did not post...We have self will and everyone makes choices. We cannot escape our natures however which are bound by sin...see Jn 8.

110 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.



9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

 

"Miss E,

Men do not have a choice as they are haters and rebels against the true God, they are conceived dead in sin.

 

"Miss E,

More like two errors, then you are going to turn away from light and go back to the darkness you have been taught.

Jesus saved each and every sinner He came to save.
He saved ALL The Father gave to Him,,,,,no more, no less.Jn6:37-44

Not found in the bible, just on your post.

You might be taught to despise biblical teaching in that man centered free will gathering, but it is believed by every true Christian.

[QUOTE]your belief sinners don’t have freedom to choose to follow God is ridiculous[/QUOTE]

Jesus and the Apostles taught differently

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.


[QUOTE]and makes God out to be a dictator,[/QUOTE]

God is a merciful Sovereign, who "free will" people rebel against.

You can make up your own false gospel and run away, but it is not going to make your posted error turn into truth.

 

Your verses are proof that all can know God. That all can reject God, and then all can become reprobate. Each step after knowing is a choice. Only after being reprobate is one fully a slave to a sinful nature.

Of course God is sovereign. In God's total control, He allowed humans free will. He sealed them all, with the Holy Spirit from conception because God is Sovereign. And reformed theology cannot change God’s sovereign plan that allows all humans to have free will. It does not matter what they believe and how they indoctrinate others. Although they really break their own rules even trying to get people to think the same way they do. Really, if people do not have free will, they cannot change much of anything. Perhaps a flat tire? Of course that is nonsense. The whole reformed theology is nonsense.

 

To someone who has no understanding it would have to seem that way.
Your lack of understanding does not change the teaching of scripture.
All men do not have the Spirit.

 

Consider: In reality there are two men. 1 Cor 15:22,45 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.- The first man Adam and the last Adam. Heb 2:6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man (singular), that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man (singular), that thou visitest him?

Now before the foundation of the world the last Adam was foreordained to come into the world and, DIE.

If the first man Adam of his own free will been obedient to the law given him would there have been any reason for the last Adam?

Was the first man Adam, the living soul, going to sin and bring death to man, for the purpose of the last Adam, or not?

Where was Satan the devil before the first man Adam was created? Was the spiritual being called Satan the devil, the adversary of God before the first man Adam was created? Why was the first man Adam made a little lower than the angels?

I do not believe the first man Adan had free will. I believe he was a means to an end.

The destruction of the devil and his works.

 

Obviously! Being sealed by the Holy Spirit is not the same as exercising full authority in the Holy Spirit.

I am not the one with a false interpretation.

It is not about mankind having the Holy Spirit. It is about the Holy Spirit having all mankind. Is there a difference? Yes, because that is how Scripture portrays it. Not until the end of the harvest can men actually stand before God and state they do not want to be of God, thus God declares, "I never knew you." Reformed theology has it backwards. Because their interpretation states that God never knew them even before the world was created. But that is unbiblical. God is all knowing and can only not know, at the very end of this reality. You all want God to not know, even before reality even started.

 

Free will is not the key to destroying the Adversary known as Satan. Satan's deception and the false lie that free will does not exist is the destruction of mankind. Free will did not usher in or thwart God’s plan. Free will is God’s Plan.

God knew free will would already work just fine. BTW, Adam was the second Adam. Jesus Christ the Lamb was the first Adam. It was in the image of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, Adam was made.

Free will is the means to an end, yet some insist it does not exist. You could say all of creation is the means to an end. God is the beginning and the end, and everything in between is the means to get God’s perfect Will done.

 

Oh I should have never followed Christ if some preacher invited me,,, but now the HS?

 

How do you decide to trust Jesus, especially when your commitment is to being a sinner and your enjoyment is in sin? No I had this conversation with my brother for hours one day, he continued to argue the case and he was a Baptist pastor at the time...just believe he kept saying, just believe. I never did, not his easily believe system. Not until I encountered the Holy Spirit who convicted me... then I was saved.

 

To tell ya the truth, you alone can’t minister to them anyway... not without the presence of the Holy Spirit. You would just ramble on making no sence whatsoever to your target audience. Heck, they are just sinners and they are embroiled in it... possibly even enjoying it.

 

It's not a simple answer. It depends on what you mean by free-will.

 

Thank you for answering my question. I know some on these threads tend to post very long explanations so it’s easy to miss something.

I really would like to have a respectful conversation with you about this issue. Let’s do it.

You stated that you agree that God knows everything, even how much influence it takes to “nudge” someone to accept Christ.

However, you said it doesn’t matter how much influence God uses, a person can always reject the influence of God Holy Spirit.

To me, there are only two explanations for that. First, God doesn’t have the ability to exert enough influence to bring someone to Christ, or second, God choses not to exert enough influence to bring someone to Christ.

I believe God is all powerful. If He choses to bring someone to Christ, He is able.

So, if people are always able to resist Gods influence, then He must limit His influence, do you agree?

peace to you

 

Just saying that if you think that we Baptist Calvinists are messed up on this, our Presbyterian brethren are much more sticklers on this issue!