Gods will vs mans free will

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Rufus

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#121
Feb 17, 2024
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#121
Kroogz said:
God paid for that expensive car. And He made it available to ALL. That is His grace and mercy revealed to ALL. We are limited in our choices......But He put out His Gospel to ALL. In this day and age, who hasn't heard of His Gospel? Man is free to accept it or reject it.
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But the problem is is that unregenerate sons of men are children of wrath by nature (Eph 2:3) and are darkness themselves (Eph 5:8), so their sin nature will not permit them to make the right choice. The outward call of the gospel is one thing; but the inner call (by the Holy Spirit) is something else altogether. Apart from the Spirit applying the call of the gospel to the human heart, no man would be saved. Man is helpless and powerless (Rom 5:6) and is in dire need of rescuing (Gal 1:3-5; Col 1:13).
 
Cameron143

Cameron143

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Mar 1, 2022
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#122
Rufus said:
Yes...we want to do all things for his glory -- but the question that needs to be asked to determine if any given choice we make would be to his glory should be based on the two greatest commandments. I don't think God is going to think of me less for choosing to wear one color of socks over another; or for that matter that my neighbor would perceive that I don't love him because of the color of socks I'm wearing.

Since Jesus wasn't very concerned about his disciples eating with dirty hands, which would y seem to carry weightier moral-spiritual implications, e.g. keeping God's temple (our bodies) free from food contamination since even our bodies are not our own, then I have to think how much less the color socks we wear.

In fact, what I just wrote above brought to mind the Conscientious Objector letter I wrote a few years ago (but never had to formally present) during the height of the covid "pandemic" madness which to me was a genuine life issue -- an issue whereby my choice would either glorify God or not glorify him. The crux to my objection was not along the usual lines of fetus cell material in the drugs, but on something even more fundamental: God owns me! All of me! And God has given me stewardship over my own body. He did not give stewardship to any third party, e.g. any government/civil entity. Therefore, since the government doesn't own anything in this world, how much less has it any right to tell me what I must or shouldn't put into my body? That is between my Creator and myself. And if others feel threatened by my personal health decision to not inject experimental drugs into my body, then the onus should be on them to take whatever additional measures of protection they deem necessary to further ensure their personal safety.
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The 2 commandments are tools to focus on God. In focusing on God, every deliberation then can be done for His glory. Your sock color isn't important or the cleanliness of your hands. These are outward, and mean nothing if they are separated from an inward reality. And this is the crux of the matter: what is going on in the heart that makes an outward act an act of worship or merely a drawing near to God when the heart remains far from Him.
 
R

Rufus

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#123
Feb 17, 2024
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#123
Cameron143 said:
The 2 commandments are tools to focus on God. In focusing on God, every deliberation then can be done for His glory. Your sock color isn't important or the cleanliness of your hands. These are outward, and mean nothing if they are separated from an inward reality. And this is the crux of the matter: what is going on in the heart that makes an outward act an act of worship or merely a drawing near to God when the heart remains far from Him.
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But that's the point, Cam: What precisely makes the color of my socks a spiritual-moral-heart issue? I keep an insulated cup of cold water on my night table next to my bed so that when I feel thirsty at night, I can take a sip. But if I'm understanding you correctly, I shouldn't be doing that unless I first do a "heart check" -- to check on my motives for taking a few sips? Should I pray first before taking a drink? I just don't see sock colors or quenching my thirst in the middle of the night as moral-spiritual-heart issues. If they truly are, then that should be stated somewhere in scripture, I would think.
 
Cameron143

Cameron143

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#124
Mar 1, 2022
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#124
Rufus said:
But that's the point, Cam: What precisely makes the color of my socks a spiritual-moral-heart issue? I keep an insulated cup of cold water on my night table next to my bed so that when I feel thirsty at night, I can take a sip. But if I'm understanding you correctly, I shouldn't be doing that unless I first do a "heart check" -- to check on my motives for taking a few sips? Should I pray first before taking a drink? I just don't see sock colors or quenching my thirst in the middle of the night as moral-spiritual-heart issues. If they truly are, then that should be stated somewhere in scripture, I would think.
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It is...1 Corinthians 10:31...Whether therefore you eat, or DRINK, or WHATSOEVER YE DO, do ALL to the glory of God. Pretty much covers everything.
 
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