This is rather confusing.......
IS this about God's permissive will or man's free will?
If God doesn't permit man to choose sin, this means He's WILLING them to do it?
If there's no free will, then this scripture is a lie.
Joshua 24:15 (KJV) 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.
IF there's no free will, we have actually chosen NOTHING in our lives, sinner or christian. We are merely puppets on God's grand stage of life.
This also means that all the hateful arguing on the Bible Discussion Forum is all God's doing 'cuz after all, WE CAN'T CHOOSE ANYTHING.
I just can't believe you can blame God for all your bad decisions, sins, etc..... sounds like such a irresponsible cop out.....
Since no one chose or didn't choose Christ, I guess the next thing you'll come up with is nobody's really going to Hell..... or God is so bad He's sending people there out of His own "good" pleasure.
My position is much simpler..... someone doesn't know God's Word. To me it's inconceivable that a loving, just God would force some into Heaven & others into Hell.
Why bother with faithfulness & obedience when it's all a setup? Oops, I forgot..... we can't choose to sit on our backsides.[/QUOTE
Man has the ability to 'choose within his/her will', carnal fallen will --free will to choose those things within his her fallen/carnal will not pleasing to God according to the
Carnal mind which is at
war with God , that WILL outside the
Sovereign Will of God, these moved by the
spirit of disobedience as they move according to the prince of the power of the air... and those
Chosen in God, Pulled out of that fallen' Will they were once in bondage to whilst Satan blinded their minds, and Given a new mind that is to be renewed and Regenerated in the Spirit,
born Again, Righteousness Imputed and Justified thru
Faith in the Work of the Tree, Christ Crucified. If you are His, you will no longer live your lives according to the will and lusts of other men, and the lusts of the world. in the world but Set Apart, unto Him...
Only TWO wills on this planet, the will of the one who leads the children of disobedience and the will of the Father, as He directs His children In His Will for their lives... Those In Christ, will make choices and will be led to make choices by His Word and the Help of the Paraclete, as He instructs and strenthens the Believer thru Faith in the Promises of God. The carnal man still spirutally dead in trespasses and sins, will continue to make choices 'within ' that fallen will that is contrary to God, still at war with God, living in UN BELIEF... Its God who draws the sinner in, He removes the blinders that satan has blinded the mind with, the scales persay, and Shows the Convert the Cross, and the Great Love He showed there unto the sinnner. His goodness or the revelation of His goodness, brining the sinner to genunine repentance, because it Was Authored and Powered by God Himself.. this NULLIFIES, the modern day belief system that man can come to God on his/her own power and 'believe'.. he/she cant Unless God intervenes, He is Not obligated to Save ANYBODY, BUT HE DID AND HE does, because He is Gracious and Merciful.. God doesnt need man to make it or survive......... noooo.. too many today are made to believe that, thats the ol corrupter playing on your pride, the ol serpent,
God Saves today Because His Is Gracious and Merciful, He showed this at the Tree, by allowing His Son to be murdered, for the Appeasement of Sin, Wrath placed on Christ for the sinner...
God created Man because He was Good, not because He needed man to 'hold Him up' because God may not be able to do it on His own.. lolz... that is the attitude with many today as they 'claim ' His name, yet walk in darkness....
which Will? only 2 wills on this planet, the serpent, corrupts the simplicity of Christ, by wowing the crowds with his illumination which perverts, twists the truth and restrains, those who are Truly Entering into the Kingdom of God, Simple Gospel, Simple Message Christ Crucified!
those religious elite in Jesus's Day, they were the Sons of Abraham, Moses's Disciples, they were confident, they were in the will of God, what did Jesus tell them? brood of Vipers, whited washed tombs, unable to Escape the Damnation of Gehenna fire, looking fine on the outside, but within full of corruption and dead mens bones. these thinking they were doing the 'will' of God.. yet were in darkness, if thats the Case, then
How Great is that Darkness..
Christ Saves, Christ Redeems, Christ Gives Wisdom , Christ Sanctifies His Own People thru His Word, Salvation, its about Him! not man in his/her free will trying to Hold up a God who couldnt get it done nor was able, thats a man made 'god'.. the Eternal is Not like that, nor does He tolerate that presumptuousness!