Free will? really?

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Bookends

Bookends

Senior Member
#41
Aug 28, 2012
4,225
99
48
#41
Bookends said:
We don't have free will when comes to certain things, No free will to be born, No free will not to die, No free will who we will marry (it takes two), No free will to not to sleep..etc. etc. Thus we don't have a free will as God has a free will. But when it comes to life's choices we have a free will, what shall I eat, when I will sleep, who I don't want to marry, what car to buy, and I know the Calvinist don't like this, but a free will to choose whom you will serve, the Lord or your own desires. Like EG said, if you didn't have this, it would render love meaningless, and everything else as well.

I think here is an example of what you seek:
Genesis 4
[SUP]6 [/SUP]So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? [SUP]7[/SUP]If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

Therefore we should say we have "limited free will."
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I'd like to add, once we come to Christ, our will is no longer ours in the sense that we can do anything we want, but His who redeems us. Those who are saved are saved unto good works.
Eph. 2:10
For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.
 
Bookends

Bookends

Senior Member
#42
Aug 28, 2012
4,225
99
48
#42


Predetermined fate, if you win, he's yous; if I win, he's mine.

 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#43
#43
phil36 said:
Now here is something to think about... are you free to do contrary to what you are?
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We do it every day, As a believer, I chose to trust God contrary to my flesh. But there are still times i chose my flesh contrary to who I am in Christ.
 
A

Abiding

Guest
#44
#44
jimmydiggs said:
It does. Jesus + Me, because I "have to let jesus save me". It takes my action and his. The power of salvation rests with the chooser, doesn't it...
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drives ya crazy doesnt it....How dare such a powerful God allow a mere man to exercise
his will. Thing is i find it plain stupid to think in this man "saves" himself. Its such an old and boring
slam. and i mean "boring"
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#45
#45
jimmydiggs said:
Free willites create two saviors.
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Non freewillites create no savior. You can;t save someone you do not give the opportunity to chose to be saved. If you only save those you chose before time, they were allways saved to begin with, thus there was in reality no salvation. Just a silly game.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#46
#46
Bookends said:
We don't have free will when comes to certain things, No free will to be born, No free will not to die, No free will who we will marry (it takes two), No free will to not to sleep..etc. etc. Thus we don't have a free will as God has a free will. But when it comes to life's choices we have a free will, what shall I eat, when I will sleep, who I don't want to marry, what car to buy, and I know the Calvinist don't like this, but a free will to choose whom you will serve, the Lord or your own desires. Like EG said, if you didn't have this, it would render love meaningless, and everything else as well.

I think here is an example of what you seek:
Genesis 4
[SUP]6 [/SUP]So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? [SUP]7[/SUP]If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

Therefore we should say we have "limited free will."
Click to expand...
you must spread some reputation around before giving it to bookends again
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#47
#47
jimmydiggs said:
It does. Jesus + Me, because I "have to let jesus save me". It takes my action and his. The power of salvation rests with the chooser, doesn't it...
Click to expand...
Nope it rests with the savior. He has to chose based on his will.

What is his will? Who ever believes in him (vs those who chose to reject him) shall have eternal life.

His will, his honor and his glory.
 
B

BeanieD

Guest
#48
#48
The Bible doesn't actually use the words "free will" but it is spoken many times all the way through. We are the ones who make the choice yes or no. That is free will. God doesn't want a bunch of robots, so he gives us the choice to follow or not.
 
J

johnj208

Guest
#49
#49
honestly there is no such thing as free will, the only one that truly has free will is God.
 
J

johnj208

Guest
#50
#50
We are all under the influence of something at each point in time that determines the choices we make
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#51
#51
johnj208 said:
honestly there is no such thing as free will, the only one that truly has free will is God.
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So God just made a bunch of people (actually most of mankind, since only a few will enter the narrow gate) just to burn in hell. I guess he gets off on that sort of stuff??

Wow. How people think they glorify God by saying stuff like this is beyond me!

And if we do not have free will, how can we enter the narrow gate??
 
J

johnj208

Guest
#52
#52
The thing is there are certain points in time in our lives when we are more open to the word of God than others that is why it is important for the saved christian to get the word out and be there for those who due to the circumstances of their life are ready to hear it
 
J

johnj208

Guest
#53
#53
there were times in my life you due to the circumstances, youth, money, bars, girls, no trouble, etc you couldn't have told me nothing. My parents tried to tell me the path I was leading was only trouble but my circumstances dictated my actions, it was only when trouble started and the right person came along with the WORD was I ready to hear. Faith comes by hearing, hearing comes by the word of god
 
J

johnj208

Guest
#55
#55
Truly not everyone will be saved before Christ's return but I believe we will have another shot were the circumstances clearly are not in our favor and the WORD is there to be heard, just my opinion
 
J

johnj208

Guest
#56
#56
We are all influenced by our up bringing by our genetics by our circumstances if I was smart enough and knew everything about you and the world I could predict with 100% accuracy what you would do next but only God can do that unless maybe a super computer comes along some day which I doubt LOL
 
J

johnj208

Guest
#57
#57
I believe we need to get the WORD out by what ever means possible. Power of example is truly inspiring. Glorify God not ourselves not out of fear but out of LOVE for our fellow man. Once we have had a taste of the fruits of the spirit we desire to pass that on to our fellow man.
 
J

johnj208

Guest
#58
#58
I worry about doctrines, denominations, etc. I feel they can hinder a person. There is only one mediator between us and God and that is Jesus through his WORD. Give your friend a bible explain to him how to pray and read it. Let him with the help of the holy spirit understand it. Humans are fallible. I fear people standing between the WORD and God with their HUMAN interpretations. Get out of the way let the bible speak for itself. Again just my opinion.
 
B

BeanieD

Guest
#59
#59
I totaly agree with johnj208 on this. Doctrines and denominations totaly get confusing. The word of God is not meant to be confusing. When the gospel was first preached and learned from God, it was simple. People had NO theology, NO denomination, NO doctrine. It was made to understand when we have the heart of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Made simple for ordinary people. Like us
 
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eternally-gratefull

Guest
#60
#60
phil36 said:
So what is your nature..?
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My nature is to sin. The new nature given to me is to follow God. As paul said, they war inside me.
 
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