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I Believe In Free Will

Discussion in 'Calvinism & Arminianism Debate' started by tyndale1946, Sep 28, 2018.

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  1. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Of course it is. Romans 8:2 says the lost man is in bondage ("bondage" means "not free"), you say he is not in bondage but free.

    I have free choice. It is my will that is in bondage, not my choices.

    I am.

    Adam loved Eve more than he loved God.

    "Free will" is the denial of Romans 8:2.
     
  2. loDebar

    loDebar Well-Known Member

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    Free will exits without knowledge of scripture

    Not why Adam sinned but how can one sin unless exercising free choices
    Did God make Satan sin? no. He had free will
     
  3. loDebar

    loDebar Well-Known Member

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    Yes, this is a major conflict for a Calvinist, If it is God's choice who is to be saved, it had to be God's choice who would sin. The real purpose behind Calvinism is to blame God for those who are saved and those who are not and for sin in the first place..
     
  4. loDebar

    loDebar Well-Known Member

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    Do heavenly beings have free will?
     
  5. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Everybody exercises free choices.

    No, and to suggest such is blasphemy.

    ALL have sinned.

    That is not only a lie but it is also blasphemy.
     
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  6. loDebar

    loDebar Well-Known Member

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    It is not my position that you call blasphemy but any, every, Calvinist's. They might not realize the extent of election

    If everybody exercisers free choices , how is this not Free Will?

    Do those of Heaven have free will
     
  7. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Do not prevaricate about what "Calvinists" believe. Don't do it again.

    How many more times do I have to explain it to you? Everybody makes choices every day. The bondage of the will has nothing to do with our making choices every day.

    My dad gave me some good advice about 65 or 70 years ago. "If you don't know what you are talking about it is a good time to stop talking."

    If you don't understand the difference between "free will" and "making choices" you are in way over your head and ought to find an easier subject to discuss.
     
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  8. loDebar

    loDebar Well-Known Member

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    Well go point by point [Personal attack edited].

    you say everyday makes choices, is that not free will?

    Are they forced to make those choices?

    If I am bound, how are theses choices mine?
     
  9. loDebar

    loDebar Well-Known Member

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    free will,
    the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion

    what is your definition, ?
     
  10. loDebar

    loDebar Well-Known Member

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    pre·var·i·cate speak or act in an evasive way.'

    you know I got to look up big words

    I am not being evasive, if one believes in election, then one cannot believe in free will. AND must believe in the non elect go to hell , not on their own, but at God's choice. It follows if there is no free will, the hell bound who had no choice anyway.
    so if one believes in election, then it is all God's fault.
     
  11. loDebar

    loDebar Well-Known Member

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    The Christian Army is a voluntary organization. We get "volunteered" after we enlist, not before
     
  12. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    No.

    No.

    You made them.
     
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  13. Aaron

    Aaron Member
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    1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

    Romans 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
     
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  14. Rockson

    Rockson Active Member

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    Well hold on now. Great verse above but the way you would use it would be to say you who are a good tree, (as you would call it) you cannot sin. And yet you do sin. I'd hope that you're not going to claim you're sinless perfection. That scripture above is only a absolute reality as you choose to remain In Him.

    When you get out of faith and walk by sight you'll sin. Thus Matt 7: can't be giving an absolute portrayal of the nature of man every moment 24/7. Even false prophets as spoke of in Matt 7 doesn't mean in any part of their lives they can't do good things. They might provide well for their families and do many good things. It's not saying people are evil in any absolute sense of the word, or better put it can't be used to demonstrate absolute depravity.
     
  15. Benjamin

    Benjamin Well-Known Member
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    Aside from the self-serving and question begging claim from the opposition which demands all must be in agreement with THE definition of “free will” or they “ought to find an easier subject to discuss” rhetorical ploy to attempt to dominate the discussion… It is better to start at the beginning for one to truly understand free will/human volition, which calls for the recognition of the God given attribute of sense, reason and intellect which by divine design facilitates human volition.

    In order for the Calvinist to force fit his doctrines of determinism necessary to uphold the systematic construct of TULIP some will commonly attempt to redefine the term for their opposition in order to avoid being taken to the mat on the meaning being upheld as “human volition” which logically is unavoidably mutually exclusive to their necessary doctrines of determinism on which the TULIP must stand. Starting with their TULIP’s Total Depravity true human volition would be impossible to logically uphold causing a host of problems, such as the lack of human responsibility before judgment and attributing evil to God leading to theological fatalism so it seems they would rather avoid that argument by contriving a definition of “free will” which avoids the “human volition” which is the non-Calvinists’ actual position on “free will” by which they maintain that man has the responsibility to believe under the Divine Providential Sovereignty of Godly influences to guide them which every man genuinely has the ability to know, understand and respond to WITHOUT an excuse! Romans 1:19-20.

    Rom 1:19-20 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

    Contrary to the Determinists’ doctrines of Total Inability was not subjected unto man in the fall of the garden leaving him without the human volition to respond or not to God’s Divine persuasions. In fact, as per the instructions God gave to man he must now, being fallen and destined to sin, make another choice:

    Free will:

    (Gen 2:16) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (Gen 2:17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

    Consequences, still involve free will:

    (Gen 3:22) And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:


    This “free will”, which will be defined as “human volition”, because THAT is the meaning of the term by which the non-Calvinists’ stands to support his theology, has never been taken away. God did not recreate man to not have free will after the fall, but what happened is man gained the attribute of knowledge of good and evil condemning him to failure in sin. Now of his own free will man must use his God given attributes of sense, reason and intellect which by divine design in creation facilitated human volition again, freely put away his pride of having knowledge of good and evil, accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Master and believe in love of truth of God to receive the gift of His grace. I pity the poor souls who claim they had no choice as an excuse not to freely respond to God’s calling and/or would teach other so.

    Onward from the garden we see free will/human volition throughout the Bible:

    2Pe 3:9) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

    (1Co 10:13) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

    (Jos 24:15) And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

    (Mar 8:34) And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

    (Pro 16:9) A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

    (Rev 3:20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

    (Rom 13:2) Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

    (Gal 5:16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Gal 5:17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

    (Isa 55:6) Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (Isa 55:7) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

    (Deu 30:19) I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deu 30:20) That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

    (Eze 18:30) Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. (Eze 18:31) Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Eze 18:32) For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

    All of these verses uphold MY meaning of “free will” while refuting the Determinists’ doctrines of Total Inability which are contrary to MY non-Calvinist theology and these verse demonstrate that all genuinely have that ability of which we speak to respond to God as per His influences, an ability that is DEFINED as free will/human volition by us according to our meaning when we use it! …oh, and of course one of my favorite verses:

    (Rom 10:9) If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

    Note: You is used 4 times in this verse. You'll be surprised by how much "you" there is in a book that supposedly says that we can do nothing.
     
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  16. Benjamin

    Benjamin Well-Known Member
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    That book must be getting thick by now! ;)
     
  17. Benjamin

    Benjamin Well-Known Member
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    Bondage to Christ overcomes the bondage of sin, that is the actual point.

    Rom 7:14-25 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. (15) For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. (16) If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. (17) Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (18) For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (19) For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (20) Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (21) I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. (22) For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: (23) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
     
  18. Benjamin

    Benjamin Well-Known Member
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    You might want to add "pre-determined" in front of that "election'. :)
     
  19. robycop3

    robycop3 Well-Known Member
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    Obviously, I have arminian leanings, and here's more proof from GOD'S WORD of free will:

    2 Thess. 2: 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

    Now, if those people couldn't make their own choices, why will God send strong delusion upon them, so they won't believe?

    That's all on this subject from me. No one's gonna change his/her mind, one way or the other. This thread belongs in the "Calvinism/Arminianism" sub-forum.
     
  20. loDebar

    loDebar Well-Known Member

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    Please explain the difference between your free choice and free will.

    Something does not follow
     
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