1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Does God Have "Free Will"?

Discussion in 'Calvinism & Arminianism Debate' started by thatbrian, Feb 20, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2012
    Messages:
    52,624
    Likes Received:
    2,742
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Or make Himself become an Open Theist God.....
     
  2. thatbrian

    thatbrian Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2008
    Messages:
    2,686
    Likes Received:
    389
    Faith:
    Baptist
    So, an unregenerate man has the ability to live without sin. Is that right?
     
  3. utilyan

    utilyan Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2016
    Messages:
    5,149
    Likes Received:
    293
    God's sovereignty is so great he can institute any system he wants...........AS LONG AS ITS CALVINISM.

    Even God doesn't have a choice, God must kneel before Calvinism.
     
  4. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2012
    Messages:
    52,624
    Likes Received:
    2,742
    Faith:
    Baptist
    No, rather that God instituted that system....
     
  5. FollowTheWay

    FollowTheWay Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2013
    Messages:
    5,000
    Likes Received:
    210
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I think the foundational questions are:
    1. What is sin?
    answer - acting contrary to the will of God.

    2. What is truth?
    answer - what God defines it to be. If there is no all-powerful, all-knowing God there is no absolute truth.

    God acts according to His sovereign will. He alone has the ultimate form of free will. He also cannot sin because doing so would be acting against His own will.
    The truth is defined by God. Therefore He cannot lie.
     
  6. utilyan

    utilyan Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2016
    Messages:
    5,149
    Likes Received:
    293
    Cause you SAY SO, Just like you qualify yourself elect.

    God didn't tell you, Yeshua says so.
     
  7. Reformed

    Reformed Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2012
    Messages:
    4,960
    Likes Received:
    1,694
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Actually, that is not a bad definition. It is not only biblical, it is logically. Think about it for a moment. No orthodox Christian will say that God can sin. We know the ramifications if God ever sins. Why cannot God sin? The Bible says that God is holy. Holiness is inherent to His nature. Ergo, God cannot sin because His holy nature will not allow it. That is not a Monergist statement, it is simply an unassailable fact.

    God does not possess a free will in the way that we interpret the term. When we think of free will we usually juxtapose a decision we need to make against all available alternatives and make the decision that we believe is in our best interest. God does not need to do that. Eph. 1:11 says He works all things after the counsel of His own will. God does not need to consider all available options. God's will is perfect. He just acts according to His predetermined plan.
     
  8. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 14, 2001
    Messages:
    26,977
    Likes Received:
    2,537
    Faith:
    Baptist
    If God does not have free will no one does and free will is a fantasy.

    This is the end product of the theologies of man.

    Isaiah 55
    8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
    9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  9. thatbrian

    thatbrian Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2008
    Messages:
    2,686
    Likes Received:
    389
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I fully agree.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  10. JonShaff

    JonShaff Fellow Servant
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2015
    Messages:
    2,954
    Likes Received:
    425
    Faith:
    Baptist
    2 Timothy 2:23 But reject foolish and ignorant controversies, because you know they breed infighting.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  11. thatbrian

    thatbrian Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2008
    Messages:
    2,686
    Likes Received:
    389
    Faith:
    Baptist
    What is "infighting"? Should one get as angry as Paul at legalism, or should he put on his Mr Rogers cardigan? Should Baptists debate Presbyterians?
     
  12. JonShaff

    JonShaff Fellow Servant
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2015
    Messages:
    2,954
    Likes Received:
    425
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I'm just going to be frank. It's a stupid question. Does God have free will? What does that even mean. GOD IS GOD and you are not. HE does whatever He pleases. Stop putting Him under a microscope. Bow your knee to Him and Worship Him and He will privilege you with revelation of Himself. (I'm using "you" generally)
     
  13. JonShaff

    JonShaff Fellow Servant
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2015
    Messages:
    2,954
    Likes Received:
    425
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Infighting:


    : prolonged and often bitter dissension or rivalry among members of a group or organization
     
  14. thatbrian

    thatbrian Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2008
    Messages:
    2,686
    Likes Received:
    389
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I like frankness, so tell me, frankly, can God lie?
     
  15. JonShaff

    JonShaff Fellow Servant
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2015
    Messages:
    2,954
    Likes Received:
    425
    Faith:
    Baptist
    God cannot and does not desire to Lie.
     
  16. thatbrian

    thatbrian Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2008
    Messages:
    2,686
    Likes Received:
    389
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Thank you. I agree.

    Unregenerate men cannot and do not desire to please God.

    Neither have the "free will" that Arminians and Pelagians claim they do.
     
    #76 thatbrian, Feb 21, 2018
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2018
  17. JonShaff

    JonShaff Fellow Servant
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2015
    Messages:
    2,954
    Likes Received:
    425
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Ok?
     
  18. thatbrian

    thatbrian Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2008
    Messages:
    2,686
    Likes Received:
    389
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Remove the question mark, and we are all set.
     
  19. JonShaff

    JonShaff Fellow Servant
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2015
    Messages:
    2,954
    Likes Received:
    425
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Maybe I've heard free will too many times here lately, but that word is losing any type of meaning to me.
     
  20. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2010
    Messages:
    24,988
    Likes Received:
    2,268
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Once again, please explain why millions of unregenerate people baptize their infants, attend church, pray, take communion, etc. if they do not desire to please God. I'm not saying they are pleasing God, I am saying they desire to please God. Why aren't these people desiring to please God?

    Sent from my Pixel 2 XL
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
Loading...