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Simple way that the bible teaches Free Will

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MB

Well-Known Member
Does the Bible say it's hypothetically possible for anyone to keep the law?

Your right, any dictionary will give a definition of choice except none them say they very word choice implies ability. That your presuming
They also do not imply disability.
MB
 

MB

Well-Known Member
That's my making point. Thanks. Simply having a choice does not imply ability nor disability.
The Bible says;
Rom_10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
It takes choice to call on His name.
MB
 

Iconoclast

Well-Known Member
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That argues against complete free will. I agree with you there. It does not argue against a limited free will which most Calvinist(the vast majority) acknowledge.
This sounds like a prisoner is able to walk around in his jail pod,or cell,but for some reason they do not give him the key.
No,I do not speculate on a middle ground because man can choose what kind of jam to put on his toast.
 

Reynolds

Well-Known Member
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This sounds like a prisoner is able to walk around in his jail pod,or cell,but for some reason they do not give him the key.
No,I do not speculate on a middle ground because man can choose what kind of jam to put on his toast.
You are acknowledging a free will.
 
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atpollard

Well-Known Member
You are acknowledging a free will.
A "free will" of sorts. The violent convicted murderer locked in his jail cell can choose to stand up and pace, or to lay on his cot, but whether he stands or lays down, his heart and mind and soul is still a prisoner to the same inner darkness that required him to be locked away for the protection of society. Nothing WITHIN him and no "free will decision" will change who and what he is ... a slave to sin and death.

GOD and only GOD has the power to "remove a heart of stone" and thereby transform the essence of who and what we are. Only the gift of God offers real freedom beyond the prison of our enslavement to sin and the world. So compare the freedom of a slave to sin to choose any unrighteousness that he desires, to the freedom of a new creation in Christ to live in Christ and please God ... is an "apples" to "oranges" comparison.
 

Iconoclast

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
You are acknowledging a free will.
No, not at all. Let me be clear Free will does not exist. If people want to try and use the term and invent a meaning for it they can, but I will not take part in that kind of philosophical musing.

Men have a will.
They can think.
They can choose things.
Not one of those things creates a "free will."
 

Reynolds

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
No, not at all. Let me be clear Free will does not exist. If people want to try and use the term and invent a meaning for it they can, but I will not take part in that kind of philosophical musing.

Men have a will.
They can think.
They can choose things.
Not one of those things creates a "free will."
It actually does. The question is "how free?".
 

Wesley Briggman

Well-Known Member
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Joshua 24:15
... choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD

Share the verse(s) saying God is obligated to honor mans' so called freewill.

[Mat 7:21-23 KJV] 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
 

Reformed1689

Well-Known Member
Only Hyper Calvinists admit what moderate Calvinists ignore.


Calvinism equals determinism

Determinism equals = Not free will.
No, it just depends on how you define free will. Those you call Calvinists define free will as the absolute ability to choose what one desires. Unfortunately, without intervention, nobody desires righteousness.
 

prophecy70

Active Member
No, it just depends on how you define free will. Those you call Calvinists define free will as the absolute ability to choose what one desires. Unfortunately, without intervention, nobody desires righteousness.

WCF 3:1-2
God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass:

If God ordains everything that comes to pass

Classic Calvinism entails determinism.

Are your desires determined?

Or do you believe human actions logically precede Gods foreknowledge?
 
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prophecy70

Active Member
That's my making point. Thanks. Simply having a choice does not imply ability nor disability.


You are completely ignoring the definition of the words.

If I tell you to fly around the room or walk, you can't make a choice.

Walk- Option 1
Fly- Is not an option because you do not have the ability to do that, therefor its not an alternative possibility, the actual definition of "option", flying around the room is an impossibility!

You can't make a choice with only one option.

Therefore both options HAVE to be possibilities, which means you need the ability to do both.

Its pretty simple.
 
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prophecy70

Active Member
Does the Bible say it's hypothetically possible for anyone to keep the law?

That is a category error, you can't make a choice to keep the law, that includes a countless number of choices throughout a persons life.

analogy:
Is it logically possible for you to flip heads on a coin every time 50 times a day throughout your whole life?

Will you do it?

NO.
 

Craig Hooker

New Member
That is a category error, you can't make a choice to keep the law, that includes a countless number of choices throughout a persons life.

analogy:
Is it logically possible for you to flip heads on a coin every time 50 times a day throughout your whole life?

Will you do it?

NO.
We're not talking about random chance of heads or tails. We're talking about moral choices one makes throughout their life. Morality is part of our human nature. According to you it is possible for a fallen human being to remain morally pure their whole life. We are morally obligated to keep God's law. So other than Christ, has any man ever chose to keep God's law perfectly? That is a choice one must make right?
 

Craig Hooker

New Member
You are completely ignoring the definition of the words.

If I tell you to fly around the room or walk, you can't make a choice.

Walk- Option 1
Fly- Is not an option because you do not have the ability to do that, therefor its not an alternative possibility, the actual definition of "option", flying around the room is an impossibility!

You can't make a choice with only one option.

Therefore both options HAVE to be possibilities, which means you need the ability to do both.

Its pretty simple.

Category error. We're not talking physical ability. Flying. We're talking our moral obligation to our creator.
 

prophecy70

Active Member
Category error. We're not talking physical ability. Flying. We're talking our moral obligation to our creator.

You said choice doesn't apply ability, its makes no difference what ability is in question. You need more than one option to make a choice, and option is a alternative possibility.

That means simply, you need the ability to preform each option, or it is not a choice.
 

prophecy70

Active Member
We're not talking about random chance of heads or tails. We're talking about moral choices one makes throughout their life. Morality is part of our human nature. According to you it is possible for a fallen human being to remain morally pure their whole life. We are morally obligated to keep God's law. So other than Christ, has any man ever chose to keep God's law perfectly? That is a choice one must make right?


you don't have any idea what a choice is.

The analogy wasn't about randomness, it was about the number of individual choices a person has to make in order to keep Gods law perfectly.

You can't CHOOSE to keep Gods law perfectly, its a total sum of a numerous number of individual choices.

Just like
You can't CHOOSE to not lie for the rest of your life, its not a choice.

But in in each circumstance that you presented with 2 options, you can either A. tell the truth or B. Lie.


The chances you will do only Option A for a lifetime is logically possible, but unlikely.
 

Craig Hooker

New Member
It doesn't imply ability. Christ says you do not come because you are not able. Is coming to Christ a choice? A command? Yet your not able to make that choice unless enabled by God.

Now I'm still waiting for my definition of choice that says choice implies ability.
 
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