"Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds." Matthew 16:24-27
"τοτε ο ιησους ειπεν τοις μαθηταις αυτου ει τις θελει οπισω μου ελθειν απαρνησασθω εαυτον και αρατω τον σταυρον αυτου και ακολουθειτω μοι ος γαρ αν θελη την ψυχην αυτου σωσαι απολεσει αυτην ος δ αν απολεση την ψυχην αυτου ενεκεν εμου ευρησει αυτην τι γαρ ωφελειται ανθρωπος εαν τον κοσμον ολον κερδηση την δε ψυχην αυτου ζημιωθη η τι δωσει ανθρωπος ανταλλαγμα της ψυχης αυτου μελλει γαρ ο υιος του ανθρωπου ερχεσθαι εν τη δοξη του πατρος αυτου μετα των αγγελων αυτου και τοτε αποδωσει εκαστω κατα την πραξιν αυτου. " (Matthew 16:24-27). Textus Receptus.
The word life in verse 25 is the Greek ψυχην, transliterated psychén, and translated life. The word soul in verse 26 are the Greek words ψυχην and ψυχης, as in, “κερδηση την δε ψυχην αυτου ζημιωθη η τι δωσει ανθρωπος ανταλλαγμα της ψυχης αυτου μελλει.” Transliterated psychén and psychés respectively. They are both translated soul.
Exploring the precept of wishing or choosing
The Greek says, thelei (θέλω Lexical and θελει manuscript) for
wishes (choosing) and means to will or to desire something. This primarily speaks about a reasonable desire to do something that is right. In context of this thread it speaks about a proper response to the gospel itself, and qualifies or proves what follows on from saving faith. The godly desire to follow Christ, while sound in itself is conditional on denying oneself. This is not boulomai (βούλομαι), a determined will to follow Christ. Nor is it zeloo (ζηλόω), to have zeal to follow Christ. Neither is it, speudo (σπεύδω), to earnestly desire to follow Christ. Nor yet, aiteo (αἰτέω), to ask to follow Christ. It is a simple injunction of the Lord to take account of the true cost of discipleship and the only basis for obedience.
“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honour him.” (John 12:25-26),
It is out of that meaning where this issue of
choosing or
choice mistakenly arises when utilising the Scripture to claim that new birth or believing the Gospel is a matter of choosing Christ.
However, the real issue is not whether anyone has a choice or else a volitional will to take up their cross and follow Christ - it is whether the soul in verse 25 Gk ψυχην and ψυχης transliterated psychén and psychés respectively - are speaking about new birth. To know that one would also have to parse the Greek from the account of the Lord with Nicodemus where new birth is spoken of.
Whereas, verse 27 clearly defines the
saving or else the
loosing of the soul as a matter of rewards. In a similar way John 12:25-26 tells us that loving ones own life (soul) or hating ones own life (soul) is defined in being honoured by the Father. Loving ones soul will be met with dishonour and hating ones soul will be met with being honoured. If you can say that the free gift of life will end in your being honoured by the Father - then you are also saying that you are worthy of the death of His Son. That is a blasphemy.
So whilst I see that some brethren are keen to tell others that their doctrine is blasphemous because they refuse the precept that being born again is not a matter of choosing Christ - but rather a matter of being chosen in Christ - the Greek scriptures do not support that former claim at all - only the latter. As far as I can discern
@Evmur has made that case from the very title of the thread and held to it in his explanations throughout. He even goes as far as to define what salvation means in its true meaning of spirit, soul and body. And seeing that it is the spirit that is born of the Spirit and the body is saved in the twinkling of an eye at the Lord's return else in the first resurrection - then the only matter has to do with the soul. Therein lies your choice.
