Reply to Winman
Well, that's simply untrue. No need to put comments like that in here.
This is not "free will" No one teaches that people cannot make choices. No one teaches that people cannot volunteer for something without being forced to do something.
Jesus said we are a slave to sin.
of course. just like "any man of you" or "whosoever" believe will be saved.
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General Reply
I think it may be good to define what is meant by the term "free will." Does it mean we are free to choose anything we want? Does it mean we can choose anything, regardless of desires? If you mean the former, then I agree. If you mean the latter, then no.
We are free to choose anything we want. What's wrong with the natural man is that his "wanter" is busted. His desires are not desires for Christ, but for his own.
First, you misrepresent what Jesus actually said.
Jn 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Jesus did not say that we sin because we are slaves to sin, he said the exact opposite, that when we sin we become the slaves of sin. This is very different.
Tell me, is anyone born with a cigarette in their mouth? Are they born addicted to cigarettes and this causes them to smoke? Nonsense! It is when a man chooses to start smoking that he becomes addicted to it.
The same with alcohol, is any man born with a bottle of Vodka in his hand? Of course not. But when a man freely chooses to drink, he can then become addicted and a slave of alcohol.
Your error results from listening to false doctrine and not studying scripture carefully to see what it truly says.