God choose us and made us willing and able to do those things.
created by God, so he intended evil, and sin, and makes things that are good and holy,
and everything is just puppets on a string.
What I see is God created a universe with a potential to change, adjust, grow and choose.
Like a farmer planting seeds, He is not dictating how things turn out but letting them
develop, and then He will judge, reject that which fails, and accepts that which is pleasing.
In the discussion with Job about justification, God does not say He made Job the way he
was, rather God was proud he was a righteous man on earth and set him up as an example
of what righteousness was.
So the choice God gives us is a real choice, balanced with real love.
Where in scripture other than John the Baptist, was a man born who did not choose his way?
Where is there a parable, where the participants are not choosing their responses?
Jesus promises us strength, guidance, growth, if we walk in His ways, call out to Him and
believe in Him, but this is an exercising of faith and love.
When I fell in love with my wife, it was a mixture of our desires and choices freely given.
God uses similar language with Him and His people. Why is this so hard to accept?
Is it such a poor self image, when your Lord has more confidence in you than you have
yourself?