Do we have free will to choose to believe and follow God?

[Yeshua1]

Please how does anything you have written here disagree with anything provided in the OP? Yep it doesn't. It is God's Word not mine that says mankind has a free will to believe and follow God's Word or not to believe and follow God's Word. Choose you this day who you will serve...[/QUOT Devil before he saved us, do you believe that?E]
Jesus stated that we are all born under the Kingdom of Satan and were children of the Devil before he saved us, do you believe that?If yes, then how is it that those at war against God suddenly will themselves to love Him?

 

[Yeshua1]

Can God be evil?

No, as not in His nature, as He is "limited" to do only what His attributes and Nature permits!

 

[3rdAngel]

Devil before he saved us, do you believe that? Jesus stated that we are all born under the Kingdom of Satan and were children of the Devil before he saved us, do you believe that?If yes, then how is it that those at war against God suddenly will themselves to love Him?

No one wills themselves to love God. We love God as we believe and follow His Word. God's Word is the power of creation through the Spirit in all those who believe *GALATIANS 5:16.

 

[3rdAngel]

But sinners cannot stop being sinners just as a cat cannot stop being a cat. Unless God makes us into a new creation.

Sinners can stop being sinners if they believe God's Word *JOHN 3:15-21; 1 JOHN 3:3-10; 1 JOHN 5:4; JOHN 8:31-36; JOHN 3:3-8.

 

[3rdAngel]

We have sin natures, and as such, there are certain things that we will not desire nor want to do on our own, like obeying God and coming to Christ!

Faith (believing) in God's Word is the start and the end in being born again to walk in newness of life *JOHN 3:3-8; JOHN 3:15-21; 1 JOHN 3:3-10; ROMANS 8:1-4; GALATIANS 5:16; 1 JOHN 5:4 to change the sin nature into God's nature.

 

[1689Dave]

Sinners can stop being sinners if they believe God's Word *JOHN 3:15-21; 1 JOHN 3:3-10; 1 JOHN 5:4; JOHN 8:31-36; JOHN 3:3-8.

They cannot believe. Faith is a fruit of the Holy Spirit they must have before they can believe. They hate God and will only fabricate an idol from scripture. believing it it, calling it Jesus.

 

[3rdAngel]

They cannot believe. Faith is a fruit of the Holy Spirit they must have before they can believe. They hate God and will only fabricate an idol from scripture. believing it it, calling it Jesus.

Your confused. According to God's Word anyone can believe God's Word. If they have God's Word because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God *ROMANS 10:17. Faith (believing) in God's Word is the start and the end in being born again to walk in newness of life *JOHN 3:3-8; JOHN 3:15-21; 1 JOHN 3:3-10; ROMANS 8:1-4; GALATIANS 5:16; 1 JOHN 5:4 to change the sin nature into God's nature.

Hope this helps

 

[37818]

Of course we are not God but all those who believe and follow God's Word are His Children *1 JOHN 3:3-10. Mankind was made and created in His image *GENESIS 1:26. Being created in God's image we have free will to choose to believe and follow God's Word or not to believe and follow what God says. There are both rewards and consequences for what we choose to do.

God bless

This is an interesting thread. God made us in His image, so we would be intelligent, understand language and be creative. But it was this desire to be more like God which brought about the fall of the human race to have a sinful nature. ". . . For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. . . ." -- Genesis 3:5. ". . . And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: . . ." -- Genesis 3:22.

Now it is the affect of that knowledge of evil on the human mind which causes our sinful nature. And so our being self willed is not free to be sinless. God made us good and to be self willed beings. But not being infinitely good as God is, the knowledge of evil causes thoughs which lead to sin, and by that knowledge of good we are self condemned (1 John 3:20; Matthew 12:34-36).

". . .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? . . ." -- Romans 6:16.

We do not have a free will were we do not sin (1 John 1:8-10 - 1 John 2:1).

 

[Yeshua1]

No one wills themselves to love God. We love God as we believe and follow His Word. God's Word is the power of creation through the Spirit in all those who believe *GALATIANS 5:16.

We believe in Him due to God Himself drawing us to Jesus, and enabling us to believe!

 

[Yeshua1]

This is an interesting thread. God made us in His image, so we would be intelligent, understand language and be creative. But it was this desire to be more like God which brought about the fall of the human race to have a sinful nature. ". . . For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. . . ." -- Genesis 3:5. ". . . And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: . . ." -- Genesis 3:22.

Now it is the affect of that knowledge of evil on the human mind which causes our sinful nature. And so our being self willed is not free to be sinless. God made us good and to be self willed beings. But not being infinitely good as God is, the knowledge of evil causes thoughs which lead to sin, and by that knowledge of good we are self condemned (1 John 3:20; Matthew 12:34-36).

". . .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? . . ." -- Romans 6:16.

We do not have a free will were we do not sin (1 John 1:8-10 - 1 John 2:1).

We no longer have that real free will Adam had before the Fall!

 

[1689Dave]

Your confused. According to God's Word anyone can believe God's Word. If they have God's Word because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God *ROMANS 10:17. Faith (believing) in God's Word is the start and the end in being born again to walk in newness of life *JOHN 3:3-8; JOHN 3:15-21; 1 JOHN 3:3-10; ROMANS 8:1-4; GALATIANS 5:16; 1 JOHN 5:4 to change the sin nature into God's nature.

Hope this helps

“Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,” Luke 24:45 (NASB95)

 

[3rdAngel]

This is an interesting thread. God made us in His image, so we would be intelligent, understand language and be creative. But it was this desire to be more like God which brought about the fall of the human race to have a sinful nature. ". . . For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. . . ." -- Genesis 3:5. ". . . And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: . . ." -- Genesis 3:22.

Now it is the affect of that knowledge of evil on the human mind which causes our sinful nature. And so our being self willed is not free to be sinless. God made us good and to be self willed beings. But not being infinitely good as God is, the knowledge of evil causes thoughs which lead to sin, and by that knowledge of good we are self condemned (1 John 3:20; Matthew 12:34-36).

". . .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? . . ." -- Romans 6:16.

We do not have a free will were we do not sin (1 John 1:8-10 - 1 John 2:1).

Hi 37818, you bring out some good points in this post and it is true that without JESUS we can do nothing at all but sin. The GOOD NEWS of the Gospel (Word of God) is that we have a Savior that can save us from our sins *JOHN 8:31-36. This is conditional on believing God's Word which we can choose to believe or not believe *JOHN 3:15-21. It is the believing in what God says that allows God to work in us to will and to do of His own good pleasure *PHILIPPIANS 2:13; PHILIPPIANS 4:13. We are saved by God's GRACE through faithFAITH (Believing God's Word) and not of ourselves it is a gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast *EPHESIANS 2:8-9. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

God bless

 

[3rdAngel]

We believe in Him due to God Himself drawing us to Jesus, and enabling us to believe!

Yes even our faith comes from God through His Word *ROMANS 10:17. Thank you for agreeing with me.

 

[1689Dave]

Hi 37818, you bring out some good points in this post and it is true that without JESUS we can do nothing at all but sin. The GOOD NEWS of the Gospel (Word of God) is that we have a Savior that can save us from our sins *JOHN 8:31-36. This is conditional on believing God's Word which we can choose to believe or not believe *JOHN 3:15-21. It is the believing in what God says that allows God to work in us to will and to do of His own good pleasure *PHILIPPIANS 2:13; PHILIPPIANS 4:13. We are saved by God's GRACE through faithFAITH (Believing God's Word) and not of ourselves it is a gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast *EPHESIANS 2:8-9. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

God bless

You are turning the gospel into law and grace into works. The good news is that God has saved any who can believe. If you must choose to believe, it is because you don't believe.

 

[3rdAngel]

“Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,” Luke 24:45 (NASB95)

Indeed. We cannot understand God's Word without His Spirit just the same as we cannot walk in the Word so we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (sin) *GALATIANS 5:16

 

[3rdAngel]

You are turning the gospel into law and grace into works. The good news is that God has saved any who can believe. If you must choose to believe, it is because you don't believe.

Your post makes no sense and has no truth in it. "Once Saved Always Savaed" is a false Gospel and one that is not biblical and is the first lie proclaimed in the Garden of Eden to EVE *GENESIS 3:1-5 where it was told EVE she can break God's commandments and not surely die. The result here was that Adam and Eve choose to not believe and follow God's Word in order to believe and follow the words of the devil bringing death upon all mankind.

 

[1689Dave]

Your post makes no sense. "Once Saved Always Savaed" is a false Gospel and one that is not biblical and the lie first proclaimed in the Garden of Eden to EVE *GENESIS 3:1-5 where it was told EVE she can break God's commandments and not surely die.

“No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9 (NASB95)

 

[3rdAngel]

“No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9 (NASB95)

Indeed and this is the parable the SEED IS THE WORD OF GOD *LUKE 8:11. The victory that overcomes the world is our faith (believing) in God's Word *1 JOHN 5:4

 

[1689Dave]

Indeed and this is the parable the SEED IS THE WORD OF GOD *LUKE 8:11. The victory that overcomes the world is our faith (believing) in God's Word *1 JOHN 5:4

Faith is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.


“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” Galatians 5:22 (KJV 1900)

 

[1689Dave]

You have 3 choices.

1) God alone saves people. = God gets all the glory.

2) People save themselves with God's help. = you get the glory and split the rest with God.

3) People save themselves. = you get all the glory.

Only one is true. And the other 2 present a false gospel and a false Christ.