Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
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Seems that the freewill debate is ongoing, and it appears that it will never end.
Never ending because men are free to believe what they want to believe, perhaps?
 

TMS

Senior Member
Mar 21, 2015
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Australia
They HATE hearing "God gets ALL glory for everything", they HATE it. This is what is a travesty to me.
No... you need to change your thinking....

People that don't agree with calvanists do not hate hearing that God gets the glory for everything... that is a presumption.

I agree with you that God is Almighty and all glory belongs to Him,
I agree that all good comes from Him.
I agree that God has all power and can force or control everything.
But the God I worship is different to your god in that my God does not force us to love Him.
The problem with your god is that I can't give him glory voluntarily. I can't praise his name voluntarily. Your god puts it in me so your god is praising himself.

But the glory and praise that I give to my God is a free response that comes from knowing God's love.

We agree that God GETS all the glory for everything, but we do not agree on why.

I'm not trying to divide. I'm just explaining why we disagree.

Psa 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
 

GWH

Groovy
Oct 19, 2024
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It's complex for sure and don't think anyone can claim to have an authoritative definition of it. Definitely enjoy exploring such things with others but view it as a fun learning experience for all participants, not a competition.
Yes, i can agree God can make choices for us if he wants too. Also think he might call us if we think something very close to his heart, His love and mercy are as great as his power and righteousness.
Yes volition is a complex issue, and yes, no one can claim to have the infallible explanation.

Yes, God can make choices for souls, and He can make choices against them.

His love and mercy are aspects of His righteousness, whereas His power includes the ability to create volition so that no soul can claim God is unjust for not providing an opportunity to seek, believe and be saved.

A word that seems to be missing in the discussion is "(ir)resistible", as in "every soul has environmental and experiential influences, but evil is not irresistible." On the other hand, "God's grace and calling are resistible, because souls are neither coerced nor robots."
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,997
665
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No... you need to change your thinking....

People that don't agree with calvanists do not hate hearing that God gets the glory for everything... that is a presumption.

I agree with you that God is Almighty and all glory belongs to Him,
I agree that all good comes from Him.
I agree that God has all power and can force or control everything.
But the God I worship is different to your god in that my God does not force us to love Him.
The problem with your god is that I can't give him glory voluntarily. I can't praise his name voluntarily. Your god puts it in me so your god is praising himself.

But the glory and praise that I give to my God is a free response that comes from knowing God's love.

We agree that God GETS all the glory for everything, but we do not agree on why.

I'm not trying to divide. I'm just explaining why we disagree.

Psa 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
Well said...
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,997
665
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Sloppy thinking...
T'is worse than a man who has been drinking...
Not knowing his left, nor knowing, his right.
He will argue with you!
Not even knowing what's true.
Because simply contradicting you...
Is his delight!

:oops:
 

SonJudgment

Well-known member
Jun 25, 2024
1,162
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You know nothing about how Jews protect ancient manuscripts from outsiders.
If you can't even stand by the forgery I certainly can't. I guess I'm just going to have keep Moses and the certified canon then.

Huh? You don't even seem to understand what volition is or how it works. You can't make decisions without information. She freely chose to be deceived. There was no "spell" associated with the serpent's lie.



Congratulations, a legend in your own lunchbox. ;):ROFL:



It's the way we are created mate, in God's image and likeness. He has given to us limited self determination within ourselves just as He has absolute determination within Himself. Grace is what enables us to stand free and make our own determination when information (the Gospel) is presented. We do not determine our own salvation, we determine whether we will believe or we will not believe. We do the believing, it is God who does the saving.

John 8:32
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Well, all except our volition of course. That is never allowed to be free. God forbid man should ever be allowed to make their own response to the Gospel. :rolleyes:
She didn't freely choose, she was taken captive in her own mind by the influence of the serpent. Eve didn't eat of her freewill to be a rebel, she ate because of what the serpent told her to cause her to think it would make her wise. She's still guilty of course for believing the serpent over God, but the ultimate fault isn't really on her, but rather on the serpent.

Well this is amazing, you have gone from freewill to limited volition to God's determination all in one post. Indeed there is only freedom in the truth which is part of God's will and there is nothing outside of God's will and destiny will never be altered. Do God's will and live forever, oppose God's will and die and suffer, all are bound into the will of God and destiny will never be altered. You're starting to come around to my line of thinking, though you might not want to admit it, but you're getting very close. I might have to start sharing from my lunchbox with you.

1 John 2:17

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
 

sawdust

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2024
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Australia
She didn't freely choose, she was taken captive in her own mind by the influence of the serpent.
Show me the evidence for that statement.

All you are saying is "the devil made me do it". I like to see you try flying that one by the Lord on the day of evaluation.

Well this is amazing, you have gone from freewill to limited volition to God's determination all in one post.
Freedom demands limitation otherwise you have chaos. Even God's freedom is limited. There is always restraint and restriction in freedom. It is called authority.

You're starting to come around to my line of thinking, though you might not want to admit it, but you're getting very close.
Hardly, you're barely grounded in reality. Keep you're lunch, I'm not interested in whatever you're supping on. ;) :)
 

SonJudgment

Well-known member
Jun 25, 2024
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Show me the evidence for that statement.

All you are saying is "the devil made me do it". I like to see you try flying that one by the Lord on the day of evaluation.



Freedom demands limitation otherwise you have chaos. Even God's freedom is limited. There is always restraint and restriction in freedom. It is called authority.



Hardly, you're barely grounded in reality. Keep you're lunch, I'm not interested in whatever you're supping on. ;):)

Genesis 3:13-14

Aw you were so close then took a hard left turn, no God is not limited at all.

Lol well it's dinnertime anyways.
 

lrs68

Active member
Dec 30, 2024
641
197
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If you can't even stand by the forgery I certainly can't. I guess I'm just going to have keep Moses and the certified canon then.
I am referencing the manuscripts written in Hebrew only. I'm not referring to the 18th century version.
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,997
665
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Genesis 3:13-14

Aw you were so close then took a hard left turn, no God is not limited at all.

Lol well it's dinnertime anyways.
You are cajoling.

Not convincing.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
62,584
31,440
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John 8:43, 47, Acts 13:48, Romans 8:8 ~ John 8:43 “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.” John 8:47 “Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. Romans 8:8 Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
62,584
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But the glory and praise that I give to my God is a free response that comes from knowing God's love.
Deuteronomy 30:6~ The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. :)
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,997
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Well it's a good thing then that I'm not trying to convince you.

Well,,, you got your game to play, and to try to keep perfecting.

But, it will never fill the emptiness like gaining and securing sound doctrine does.

Some get into working their "free will ploy" for their entire lives. Wasted.
 

SonJudgment

Well-known member
Jun 25, 2024
1,162
573
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Well,,, you got your game to play, and to try to keep perfecting.

But, it will never fill the emptiness like gaining and securing sound doctrine does.

Some get into working their "free will ploy" for their entire lives. Wasted.
No game, just replying to the replies of the replies.

Good thing then for me that I will not be so moved from sound doctrine so easily by futile and really rather poor and weak attempts to do so.

Indeed the error of freewill is a total scam that will never prevail over the will of God.
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,997
665
113
No game, just replying to the replies of the replies.

Good thing then for me that I will not be so moved from sound doctrine so easily by futile and really rather poor and weak attempts to do so.

Indeed the error of freewill is a total scam that will never prevail over the will of God.

You are free to believe what you do....

And... I am free of your error.

(irony)
 
Feb 12, 2025
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This is an interesting topic of discussion for sure. One question comes up in my mind. That is, OK if we do not have free will then why did God create it or grant us the ability to make choices based off of our free will? For example, back when I first met my lovely wife I just stopped dead in my tracks! I knew that I knew she was THE one for me. Of my own free will, I pursued her. I prayed a LOT over her and I chose of my own free will to make her my bride. I have the Lord Jesus to thank for creating His lovely daughter and I love her dearly. So how is it in ALL of that did I not have free will?
 
Oct 19, 2024
2,955
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This is an interesting topic of discussion for sure. One question comes up in my mind. That is, OK if we do not have free will then why did God create it or grant us the ability to make choices based off of our free will? For example, back when I first met my lovely wife I just stopped dead in my tracks! I knew that I knew she was THE one for me. Of my own free will, I pursued her. I prayed a LOT over her and I chose of my own free will to make her my bride. I have the Lord Jesus to thank for creating His lovely daughter and I love her dearly. So how is it in ALL of that did I not have free will?
Yes, free or able to cooperate with God's will. My experience with regard to my wife is similar.
 

lrs68

Active member
Dec 30, 2024
641
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Which one? There's six of them that were forged by the Pharisees, all of which are thousands of years after the actual lost book of Jasher.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sefer_haYashar
Pharisees did not exist in the time of Joshua and David and it was written before them. Pharisees began after the revolt 150 years before Jesus arrived. You clearly have no idea what you are talking about.