Featured No such thing as "free will"

Free Will = Free Loose = Jesus is not The Savior.

 

ASV Philemon 1:14, ". . . but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be as of necessity, but of free will. . . ."

 

I have free will but after I am saved... Until then I am in bondage and here is a little light reading to tell you all about it... Brother Glen

https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/luther/Bondage of the Will - Martin Luther.pdf

 

You are close to the truth here but you don't go far enough.

 

What does this have to do with the topic?

 

How do you equate Free will with Jesus is not the Saviour?

 

I’ve been meditating on this issue of late (is it an early sign of my pending senility?)
I recently purchased a few books on the subject.

The Providence of God (Contours of Christian Theology Series) by Paul Helm (1994) Impressive introduction to the doctrine of preservation and with a thought provoking few chapters on its application

What About Free Will: Reconciling Our Choices with God’s Sovereignty, by Scott Christensen (2016)

Freedom and Sin: Evil in a World Created by God, by Ross McCullough (due out in July 2022)

The final two promote a form of compatibilism, which is a very reasonable solution.

“Many of the theological disputes of almost any day, including ours, involve around compatibilism—that is, the view that God‘s sovereignty on the one hand and human freedom and responsibility on the other are mutually compatible. Veer too much to one side and it is difficult to avoid fatalism (a mechanical form of determinism) and, apparently, the destruction of meaningful human responsibility. Veer too much to the other side and it is difficult to avoid serious loss of confidence in God‘s sovereignty and goodness: the future laid out in Scripture seems assured only to the extent that the statistical probabilities make room for it. In the west during the last two centuries, these theological issues have often been associated with the name of Calvin on the one hand and with the names of Arminius and Wesley on the other. Each side has been known to dismiss the other with considerable zeal and enthusiasm.”​

Scott Christensen. What About Free Will, reconciling our choices with God’s sovereignty. P&R Publishing Company, Phillipsburg, NJ.
…from the Preface by D.A. Carson, ix.​

Rob

 

I think this whole free will debate is a bit of a canard.
You offer me the choice of tea or coffee; do I have free will to take either? Or is my will conditioned by the fact that I prefer the taste of coffee?
John 3:19. "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.' They freely choose darkness because they prefer it. Why do they prefer it? Because they have wicked, unbelieving hearts. 'Because although hey knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened' (Romans 1:21). 'So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God' (Romans 8:8). They may not kill or steal; they may be faithful to their wives - we all know unbelievers who live outwardly respectable lives - but they cannot please God.

 

God took the ultimate risk: He gave us free will, and in doing so, took the risk that we would reject Him; that our choice would result in eternal separation from Him.
Creatures that are free to love must be free to choose.
God's love and gift of freedom are genuine - so genuine that they include the power to choose evil and, if we wish, to freely send ourselves to Hell.
Kenneth Miller, in Finding Darwin's God [pp. 285-291]

 

There is no rogue molecule of which God is unaware. This must be our first truth.

That being said, the concept of "dependent sovereign" may be held in relation to God and man.

God has given man authority over parts of His creation. In doing so God gives a parameter of space in which we can make decisions that are conditionally free in as much as they remain within His absolute Sovereign will.
Indigenous nations in the US fall under the title of dependent sovereign nations. They have freedom, but only in so much as the US Government allows them to choose.

The idea of an unfettered, unchecked, anarcho will that acts outside of God's authority is never, ever found in the Bible. Anyone who would hold such a position would be denying the authority of God over His own creation.

 

Like this:

 

To those who believe in free will (absolute), what do you think it means to be a slave to sin?

 

So lets see if I am understanding you correctly on this Martin? Your saying that since none can please God then none will be saved which means that literally, there will be no one in heaven.
"They freely choose darkness because they prefer it. Why do they prefer it? Because they have wicked, unbelieving hearts." "but they cannot please God" Your words Martin.

How do you deal with scripture such as these:
Rom 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Rom 10:13 For "WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED."
Rom 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Eph 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here we see that man can hear and understand the word of truth, the gospel, they can call out to God and confess faith in Christ Jesus because they have believed the message and they are saved by the grace of God and receive the gift of eternal life.

So while man has a nature that is bent toward sin the bible is clear that we still have the ability to hear and believe the gospel message unto salvation.

 

Just a typical dumb answer, I actually expected a better answer from you but then again.

 

Mark 10:26-27. 'And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."'

I don't know what you mean. I don't 'deal with them.' I believe them absolutely, preach from them and assure those who hear me that if they will repent and trust in Christ they will be saved. Why would you think that I have any problem with them?

But they cannot and do not contradict the verses I quoted in post #9. Unless God graciously opens the hearts of my unsaved hearers, they will not believe; they will exercise their free will in rejecting the message because they have wicked, unbelieving hearts. But when the Holy Spirit works in them, giving them a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26), then they will freely and willingly come to Christ. 'Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power' (Psalms 110:3).

[/QUOTE]

 

[/QUOTE]

Martin I am not saying that the verses that I posted contradict what you posted. The bible does not do that. What I ma saying is that man has a real free will. Even what you write shows that you believe man has a free will. “They freely choose darkness because they prefer it.” But you miss the point that they could have chosen otherwise. When Rom 1:20 tells us we are without excuse then this also indicates that we have the ability to choose otherwise. If they could not choose otherwise then they do then they would have an excuse.


You say you believe and preach the verses I posted and you assure those who hear them will repent and trust in Christ and they will be saved. So your trusting in the Holy Spirit to convict them Joh 16.8-9 through the gospel message Rom 1.16. The people have to exercise their free will.


God does not ask men to behave in order to be saved, we can not earn salvation by our good deeds, but to believe. It is because of our faith in Christ Jesus that God saves the sinner.
1Ti 4:10 ...we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

 

I'm not sure I fully understand you.
Paul does want to force his brother Philemon, toward a specific action but want him to give him a choice.
Paul encourages Philemon to weight the various options...make a choice.
Paul even lays out the possibilities.
______________

ἑκούσιος -ου, ὁ; ( hekousios ), adj. of free will; voluntary .
Hebrew equivalent: נְדָבָה
Adjective Usage
1. voluntary † — done by choice (not forced or compelled).
Sense Antonym: unwilling . See also ἑκών .

Phm 14 κατὰ ἑκούσιον·
according to [your own] free will​

Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020).​

_______________
Paul realizes that not given the choice, Philemon would loose personal responsibility and no one would benefit (vs.20).

Rob