I'm starting to understand!

Does your bible really read "book of life" in Ps.69:28?

"book of the living." [KJV]&[NKJV]

Yes, there are more than one. (Rev.20:12)

mike

 

What about those who are hardened by God...those given a 'spirit of stupor, eyes so they can not see and hears so they can not hear'? Is that too by their will? I think not, which is exacly why Paul anticipate the arguement by asking. "Then why will he still blame us, for who resists his will?"

Scott, the point you are missing is that we are not born hardened, we become hardened only after we hear, see, and understand the things of God and deny them. Once we do that then we become self hardened and if God so chooses he can judicialy harden us in that state of rebellion in order to accomplish a purpose through our disobience.

But you do say something of ability. You use verses like John 6 to say Christ must "enable" us as a proof text that without a special inward working of the Holy Spirit we would be unable.

Truth is that the Israelites were unable. John 12 clearly says they could not believe, see, hear or understand. That is about ability.