Hi Bookends,
My desire is to find only the Truth. It is not an issue per say, it is more of knowing the correct understanding of the relationship between a converting sinner and God.
If it were said that God places the contrite heart into someone so that he may convert, then we would have to take into consideration all the 'whosoevers' found in the New Testament. Meaning: if it were us who come to God with a contrite heart, then God is worshipped willingly. On the other hand, if it were God who had placed the contrite heart into someone, then what does that say of a human? Are we so evil that we cannot even regret being a sinner?
Then we are led to wonder, "why is it so important to know the difference?" From my pondering, it is safe to say that we cannot come to God with split eyesight. A sinner has to take his eyes off from his present lord, the darkness which his eyes are upon, and place them upon the Light singley. We all understand that we cannot have two masters, otherwise we face the consequences of such.
This leds me back to the process of a sinner receiving salvation. Does a sinner, from his heart, by the conviction of the Spirit, convert from their sins themselves and thus, God is freely chosen? Or is a sinner so helpless in their stuggle to be released from their present lord, that the Spirit uses His Godly authority to convert (turn around) the contrite sinner so that he faces the Light? If this last question is true, then who is to say that the sinner really wanted to be converted? Then we are forced to ask if that sinner will continue to sin under the implication that he is so weak towards temptation, that if the Spirit does not come and do a miracleous work, that he will fall to temptation, and thus he, the sinner, is not at fault for turning his eyes away. This can only conclude the matter to say that one can choose when to hearken to the Spirit and the times that he does not is only because he is so weak to even listen to what the Spirit is saying as opposed to what the flesh is saying.
When we continue to ponder, we are led to think upon whether we can willfully continue in sin as long as we ask for forgiveness. But if one is whole-heartly remorsed from his sin, would he continue in it or be willing to suffer in the flesh so that he can overcome sin? etc...............
So, I guess it is an issue, an issue of understanding Truth. Does a heart really have to be contrite or can we fool God into thinking we are sorry so that we can continue upon our past (?) lord's path of living to the flesh or must we really die to the flesh so that we can live to the spirit......
It seems my fingers are in a typing mode, sorry