Free Will - A More Exhaustive Look

[The_Watchers_2017]

The Bible seems clear that it isn't about who it willing and who is not. But rather, it is about who has been Enabled to follow Him. Who has been Enabled to "choose." The Bible seems clear that we are Enabled to make the right "choice." So this ought to lead any rational person to conclude that we are, in fact, Enabled to "choose." And when a person has been Enabled to see the Light, they will naturally gravitate toward the light just as any Living Seed.

1 Timothy 1:12-13 NKJV - 12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting [me] into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did [it] ignorantly in unbelief."

When Paul said that he was Enabled, this IS what it means to obtain Mercy. Hence, Exodus 33:19.

Exodus 33:19 KJV - "And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy."

The ultimate Grace and Mercy is to receive Circumcision of Heart, the act of Christ that separates a person from the Sinful Nature and the Divine Nature.

2 Peter 1:4 KJV - "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

The Promise is the Promise of a Circumcised Heart. Notice the words Escape and Divine Nature.

This is the Mysterious, Eternal Plan of God that this thread is pointing to.

Come on folks . . . this is what the Bible is about! I beg of each of us to see these things!

if God only enabled some to accept Him and the rest to not be able to accept Him, then the Great White Throne Judgement is unfair and i serve a very unjust God! in fact, i would quit following God if i believed as such! what kind of God creates people specifically for a burning Eternity? a very unjust God is who!

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

it's because you were attempting to end the conversation before knowing we actually had similar views. i believe you thought i was against you. you then wanted to end the conversation. but i knew we were similar in thought. so i continued until you were made aware that our views were similar. me suggesting no one to continue discussion with you was based upon that if you felt they were disagreeing, you would shut them down. so why start something unless they are on the same page as you?

I hear what you're saying. But unless we have some form of face-to-face dialog, we're probably going to have to agree to disagree. I tried to explain the difference between what you were saying and the intention of this thread. I wasn't successful nor do I require that I be.

So, let's continue to down this road that we're on and keep working at the development of this concept. If you find paths of agreement, then you can be of tremendous benefit in discovering the Truth behind these matters. In no way do I believe that I am the "end all" of information on this matter, but instead quite the opposite. I have enough Fear of the Lord to recognize that I may be wrong . . . again . . . as I have been in the past.

Again, the purpose of this thread is to balance the plethora of passages that make it clear that people "choose" and those passages that make it clear that God often, if not always, makes the "choice." It is perplexing (to me) how so many disregard obvious and clear Scripture when in fact we are obligated to compare and reconcile them. For in by doing so, it is my contention that we will further come to know the Mysterious Plan of God as Paul describes it through Ephesians chapters 1 - 3. I would also contend that the more we understand the Mysterious Plan of God, the more we will come to know and understand the actual, True Gospel. Lastly, I would contend that until we can explain to another person this Mysterious Plan of God, then we can explain the actual, True Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

if God only enabled some to accept Him and the rest to not be able to accept Him, then the Great White Throne Judgement is unfair and i serve a very unjust God! in fact, i would quit following God if i believed as such! what kind of God creates people specifically for a burning Eternity? a very unjust God is who!

My recommendation (to all) would be to read the entire Bible in a timeline, chronological order and process the entire book through the following question:

Who is Israel?

Follow the path of Israel. Follow its many moments of corruption as they "prostituted" themselves with the Canaanites, Hittites, etc . . . all from the Seven Nations (and sub-Nations) who were clear abominations. Israel was consistently being corrupted, hence the True Vine of Christ was at stake. So who belongs to the Vine and who does not? Those who do not belong to this Vine do not belong to Him. These are the ones who are not foreknown. These are the ones who do not belong.

 

[ForestGreenCook]

Didn't the Lord have an Eternal Plan? Or, was the Eternal Plan overthrown by measly creations?

Ephesians 3:9-11 NLT - "I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. 10 God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord."

From the middle of the Plan? No, there was a Plan from the beginning.

God does not have "a plan". Our all knowing God purposes things, not plans them, if not show me the scriptures that tells us about God's plan.

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

God does not have "a plan". Our all knowing God purposes things, not plans them, if not show me the scriptures that tells us about God's plan.

You're joking . . . right?

 

[phil36]

God does not have "a plan". Our all knowing God purposes things, not plans them, if not show me the scriptures that tells us about God's plan.

Plan:
a set of decisions about how to do something

Purpose:

why you do something or why something exists.

(both from Cambridge dictionary)

We see both in scripture:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.- Jeremiah: 29:11

And

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28.

Have a great evening 👍

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Plan:
a set of decisions about how to do something

Purpose:

why you do something or why something exists.

(both from Cambridge dictionary)

We see both in scripture:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.- Jeremiah: 29:11

And

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28.

Have a great evening 👍

Yes, sir. This is from Day 229 of the timeline, chronological reading plan that is coming up soon.

Keep coming back . . . this is an amazing thread that is disclosing many things about Scripture that most people don't seem to be aware of. And . . . they are of utmost importance. Here are verses 10-14 that I will be covering:

Jeremiah 29:10-14 NLT - "This is what the LORD says: "You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the LORD. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land."

The word "wholeheartedly" is mentioned. The question that I will address and resolve is . . . how do we become "wholehearted" as was Caleb and Joshua?

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Today, we had to take a step back to Day 159 and 160 in the timeline, chronological reading plan, as I was shown Prov 16:9 that was worthy of cross-referencing . . . and subsequently found a couple of additional passages that has also slipped past my radar. Below is the second:

Proverbs 19:21 NLT – “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.”

Verse 21, here, essentially tells me that even if we did have “free will,” would it matter? If the Lord has a Plan and a Purpose for “your” life as He did for Saul, later to be named Paul, would the plans of Paul have carried any weight? So what would this mean for David when he wrote:

Psalm 139:16 ESV - "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

If this is True, and there is no reason to question the Truth of David’s belief, then what good would his plans be? David can make many plans, but the Lord’s Purpose [will] prevail. We know this because David stated that each moment was laid out before a single day had passed. So are we to say, “Well, David didn’t appear to have “free will,” but I do!”

If David and Isaiah held this belief of free will, could they have over-ridden the Plans of God? And if a person said, “Yes!” How is that possible if Proverbs 19:12 says that human plans are void because God’s Purpose [will] prevail? How could David claim that he had “free will” yet say that God had prepared each moment of his life before it began?

 

[Runningman]

Humans have free will and this one verse, among many, prove it.

Proverbs 16:9
9A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Once again, I had to revert back to Day 160 of the timeline, chronological reading plan, as the following passage had missed my “free will” radar.

Proverbs 20:24 NLT – “The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?”

Pick your translation, as they all say essentially the same thing. And what is the message being conveyed? Why try to figure “things” out if the Lord is in control? And isn’t this directly related to what Jesus taught regarding the concept of worrying?

Matthew 6:25-26 NIV - "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Why should we worry or feel fear if we can come to recognize that God directs our steps? Do we not Trust Him? Do we not believe that He directs the steps of His Children? And what does it mean if your life is filled with sin? Are you the ones who struggle with this concept of “free will”? Do you believe that you possess “free will” BECAUSE your life is filled with lust, sexual gratifications, alcohol and drug addiction, cursing, and hatred? Is this why you feel that you have “free will”?

Scripture is clear, which is that when a person has been set free of the captivity of the Devil, their lives contain less and less sin as time goes by, for those who are controlled by the Spirit will reflect the Glory of God more and more. What did I say? Controlled by the Spirit?

Romans 8:9 NLT – “But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)”

And this is what I just wrote above, which is that if we are not controlled by the Spirit, then we do not belong to Him, made evident by the short list of hardcore sins above. And those who are controlled by the Spirit, they will assuredly undergo a Spiritual Transformation as mentioned in Romans 12:2. So, have “you” been Transformed? Are you controlled by the Spirit SO THAT you will obey?

Ezekiel 36:26-27 NLT – “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

When we are controlled by the Spirit, it is because our Powerful, Almighty God has put within you a New Heart, a New Spirit, both of which make you tender and responsive towards the needs of others. When we are controlled by the Spirit, we are given these things SO THAT we will obey, meaning that unless we are controlled by the Spirit, we will NOT obey. If we could obey without being controlled by the Spirit, then all of this Biblical material is false, misleading, and an utter lie.

So, have you been given a new heart? Have you Transformed?

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Friends, when I began this project, I knew there would be over 100 examples of some of the more mind-boggling happenings in the Bible. The evidence seems to defy the idea of “free will,” so how could I avoid it? I was intentionally keeping track of these forms of verses . . . so you can imagine that as their total sum kept climbing, and climbing, they eventually become semi-established . . . However, I was more amazed that these ideas exist within the Bible. The below is a “big one”:

Isaiah 30:28 KJV – “And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.”

Wow. I mean . . . w . o . w.

But let’s let a couple of other translations offer their 2 cents.

Isaiah 30:28 CSB – “His breath is like an overflowing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction and to put a bridle on the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.”

Isaiah 30:28 NIV – “His breath is like a rushing torrent, rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction; he places in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray.”

God will lead people astray? Is that like a North-South directional idea that Isaiah is talking about? Or, is this about sin . . . doing, thinking, and feeling things that are the life that Satan would have of the Assyrians? But, of course, this passage is clearly lending credit to God for His taking responsibility for the bit in their collective mouths to lead them to the glamours physical life of lust, coveting specifically to be selfish and self-centered . . . to live corruption for personal advantages.

So what does it mean if the Lord did not place this “bridle” into the Assyrian’s minds? Would they have gone astray? Was the conveyance of this message from the Lord to Isaiah somehow incorrect? Of course, the Lord knew exactly what was going to happen, as he is the one who is following His own Eternal Plan . . . through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:9 NLT – “God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure.”

Ephesians 3:3, 9 NLT – “As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. ... 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.”

Ephesians 6:19 NLT – “And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.”

Colossians 2:2 NLT – “I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.”

Colossians 4:3 NLT – “Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.”

Revelation 10:7 NLT – “When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as he announced it to his servants the prophets.”

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

In my search for understanding the “Mysterious Plan of God,” I was astonished when I read the below set of passages in my chronological, timeline reading. In my meager opinion, these passages are perhaps in the top five to ten most important passages to know. These passages below show us the Omnipotent, all-Powerful God whom we are to Fear with Pure Reverence. And if we accept these below passages, they will force us to live in utter awe of our Powerful, Almighty God.

Isaiah 34:15-17 NIV – “The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate. Look in the scroll of the LORD and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together. He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure. They will possess it forever and dwell there from generation to generation.”

Some might say we should not take these passages at face value, meaning they are not literally about owls and falcons but represent something else. The problem with this thinking is that we [do] see the Lord controlling wildlife so that His Plan will be fulfilled.

Exodus 23:28-29 NLT – “I will send terror ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you.”

Above, the Plan of God is to leave those from the Seven Nations in place so that they will kill off the wild beasts to the degree that Israel would not be threatened by their vast numbers. If God had killed off the abominations of the Canaanites, Hittites, etc., all at the same time, Israel would have been literally devoured. Clearly, we see the Plan of God in full display.

Every parent would love to send their child to an out-of-state college, guaranteeing that they will arrive safely and successfully complete their courses. Unfortunately, no parent can make such a 100% guarantee that their child will not be involved in a deadly automobile accident along the way. Likewise, no parent can guarantee 100% that their children will pass their courses and obtain their collegiate degrees. But God the Father can undoubtedly make such claims and Promises. Isaiah 34:15-17 is the proof.

So how can our Powerful God guarantee that owls and falcons will be exactly where and when? There is only one way . . . God must control the weather to ensure their safety. God must control the collective minds of their predators. God must control their sources of food and water. God must sustain each beat of their hearts. He must maintain their health. And is this so difficult for the Lord? None at all, for the Lord can even ensure that each fiber of clothing shall not separate, thus “wearing out.”

Nehemiah 9:21 NKJV - "Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; They lacked nothing; Their clothes did not wear out And their feet did not swell.”

Isaiah 34:15-17 shows us that God is so Powerful that He alone can follow a pre-written Plan and guarantee that what is written will happen. So I must ask . . . where is the concept of “free will” in the Isaiah 35 passages above? Are we really so powerful that we, as individuals, do not have to follow the pre-written Plan of God?

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Day 205 of the timeline, chronological reading brings us another interesting story regarding the “free will” of the Assyrian king, Sennacherib. We are about to read how God puts a Spirit within king Sennacherib, which will tell him to return to his home territory. However, what this Spirit, who God sent, doesn’t say to the king, is that he will be killed by the sword and by his actual sons.

Isaiah 37:7 ESV – “Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”

If the Lord didn’t place this “Spirit” within the king, he wouldn’t have returned home. If the king hadn’t returned home, his own sons wouldn’t have killed him. If this were not True, then there would be no reason for the Lord to place this “Spirit” within him.

So, we clearly find that God placed a spirit within the king of Assyria who would take control over his brain and thoughts so that when he hears a specific word, he will return to his own country where the sword will cut him down. Where is the free will to choose between staying in camp and heading back to Nineveh? God, Himself is causing this scenario, so how is this fair to the king? The king is not given options by which to freely choose; thus, this “Spirit” is clearly controlling the king’s thinking and ideas.

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Day 28 of the timeline, chronological reading order, we find but another remarkable piece of Scripture. It is:

Isaiah 44:7 NLT - "Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future."

For God to explain the future of a people, this is to indicate that He, the Lord, by His Holy Will, will determine the future of these people. Clearly, and up to this point, we have seen the Lord possess total control over not only Israel, but also the minds of their enemies. The only way to determine the future of a person, or group of persons, is to control the things they say, do, and think.

Another knock on "free will." And there are so, so many more unbelievable texts to come.

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Day 208 of the timeline, chronological reading plan gives us three passages for review regarding this concept of “free will.” Also, we’re sticking with Isaiah chapter 44, as was the inspiration for yesterday’s post. Therefore, today’s post from chapter 44 is as follows:

Isaiah 44:24-26 NIV - “This is what the LORD says--your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense, who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’ of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’ and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them’ . . .”

Not only is God so Powerful that He can foil the signs of the false prophets and make fools of diviners, but God is far more capable than this. - God is capable of controlling our minds; our thoughts. For the Lord “overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense.” Do those people whose learning turned into nonsense by the Power and Will of the Lord) have free will to choose what He had done to them? Of course not, and if they had known what the Lord had done to them, wouldn’t they complain about how He had stripped them of their free right to learned knowledge? Shouldn’t they have the right to be upset that they were not allowed to choose what He, the Lord, had done to them?

Even greater and more specific to God’s Children, it is the Lord who [actually] carries out the words of His servants. What does this mean? First, it seems fair to say that God places words and ideas into the minds of His servants, and then by His Power alone, God causes those words to come not only to fruition, but He places them into action by controlling His servants (to do His Will). In other words, these “servants” are held captive by God to do His Will. Doesn’t that sound familiar regarding Satan and his servants?

2 Timothy 2:26 CSB – “Then they may come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”

We mentioned that David was referred to, by God, as His servant. How many of these servants did God have? Not many, but this is why David was uniquely Holy; this helps to explain why He is pure. Is not a servant’s life dictated by God?

Proverbs 16:9 NLT – “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Below is the third set of Scriptures from Day 208 of the timeline, chronological reading plan, where we once again find God in control of not only Israel but those who surround them. Here it is:

Isaiah 46:10-11 NLT – “Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. I will call a swift bird of prey from the east--a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding. I have said what I would do, and I will do it.”

Many think that God sees both the beginning and end of His creation. I don’t get that feeling as I read the Bible, but instead, I consistently read about the Plans of God. When I read the Bible, I am recognizing that God indeed does have an Eternal Plan that is in the process of being completed. The reason why God can tell the future of Israel (and every other Nation on earth) is that “Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.”

We don’t need to complicate the Bible with our own thoughts about this matter of “free will”, but instead, we can simply read the Bible and obtain clear answers. God is not an innocent bystander for what is taking place in this physical world, rather, our Powerful God is the orchestrator making all things happen according to the Scroll of the Lord (as we discovered in Isaiah chapter 34). God is active in our lives, causing things to happen in us, through us, and for us. How else would the Lord "call" a leader to do His bidding? Would that "leader" have done what the Lord called "him" to do if it were not for the calling of the Lord? Of course not, for we just read that it is God alone who determines the future, all based upon His Plan. Clearly, God took control over this "leader's" mind and thoughts and caused "him" to move according to the Will of the Lord and not from the will of "himself."

The Devil, however . . . for those who have not been separated from Satan’s influence, Satan is certainly using them, causing [them] to do and say things that suit his evil will. The problem is, is that these activities of the Devil that people employ are not for their benefit, but for their destruction. The pleasures of Satan are not for good, but for the destruction of individual people, which spreads to family and friends surrounding them.

While we may feel that we still hold elements of “free will”, it is important that we not take away the sense of responsibility that the Lord takes in this particular reading. God is telling us that He was in control during the days of Isaiah, but He is also in control right now. God WANTS us to recognize that He is taking responsibility for these events. God WANTS us to recognize that He is in control, and when this concept reaches our core, perhaps then we might possess True Fear of the Lord.

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

I have found a few more passages that force me to scroll back into the chronological, timeline of Scripture. So, I’m taking this thread back to Genesis chapter 3, which is Day 1 of the reading plan.

Genesis 3:15 NKJV – “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

No doubt, there are many interpretations behind this passage; much commentary has been written, sharing many ideas about the meaning behind it. But here, our area of focus will be on the phrase, “I will put . . .” The one thing we cannot miss here is that God takes responsibility for the enmity between Adam and Eve and their offspring. And, of course, if God takes responsibility for the hostility between the “two,” doesn’t this throw a wrench into the concept of “free will”? What if the Lord had not caused this hostility? Would it have existed? Would it exist today? This hatred between the two vines is expressed in Proverbs 29:27:

NLT - “The righteous despise the unjust; the wicked despise the godly.”

Is this hostility not a part of the Holy Curse? It certainly seems to be, as the text in Genesis speaks about those from Above and those from Below (who are fighting against one another, as demonstrated in John 8:23).

NLT – “Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not.”

The text is talking about the offspring of Eve (those that are Holy and Righteous before God) and the offspring of the Devil: John 08:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.” So the devil is being referenced as a father to all those who are evil, particularly those of the Seven Nations, called by God to be destroyed and wiped out (by Israel).

Therefore, this indicates that Satan will have his line, or vine of people (who have rejected God), while Eve will have her line and vine of God’s Holy Chosen people (as she carries the Seed of Christ).

Revelation 12:17 KJV – “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

To conclude, we see, straight from Day 1 of the timeline, chronological reading plan, that God takes responsibility for causing hostility and enmity between the “two.” And it is through the destruction of this hostility that we find the Purpose of Christ.

Ephesians 2:13-16 NET – “But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.”

Until the wall of hostility has been dealt with by Christ, the Curse which confuses will remain and any sense of “free will” is virtually impossible. As we see below, Curses are associated with confusion, a state of mind that is not free to think clearly and unencumbered.

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

We’re still out of the timeline, chronological order of the reading plan, as I found a verse from Day 128 below. But, as we will see, the NKJV has some interesting things to say about the Power of God and how He is able to control us according to [His] plan (and not ours).

Psalm 33:6-11 NKJV – “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.”

This set of passages not only causes issues for those who believe in “free will,” but these passages first and foremost focus on the Power of God. As I have said hundreds of times at this forum, recognizing God’s Power is the most important “thing” that we should know and understand as we study and organize His Holy Word. Until a person acknowledges the Raw, Almighty Power and control of God, no person can Truly Fear Him with complete Reverence. Therefore, even the text above says, “Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.”

There we have it. As some might charge, we are expected to be in awe of the Lord because of what He has done and, as Scripture states, what He [will] do. What is incredible are the final examples that demonstrate why we should be in awe of the Lord, and those examples are as follows:

• The plans of people are overridden. If human plans are overridden, then where is “free will”? And what are those plans overridden by? That leads us to point number 2.
• The counsel (guidance and direction) of God stands forever, meaning that the Plans of the Lord are in Holy Effect. Those Plans are executory, meaning that they are taking place . . . right . . . now.

Until today, the Plans of the Lord have been executed. But all future plans are in the process of being executed. God is making all things work together for His good purpose and will.

Ephesians 1:11 NKJV – “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will . . .”

It seems pretty clear that Paul, here in Ephesians 1:11, is fully explaining what king David (the likely author of Psalms 33:6-11) wrote above . . . which is that we humans might make our own plans, but because the Lord has a more Powerful Plan that cannot be thwarted, our plans are of no use or effect.

Further still, Isaiah 55:08 says: “For my Plans are not your plans, nor are my ways your ways.”

Perhaps the NKJV translation is wrong, but it does clearly state that God has Plans, and these Plans far outweigh any mere human plan. Our plans are made of no effect. And to further His point, the Lord tells us that His Counsel [is] the very Plan of God itself! Counsel, in this context, is another way of saying, “Here is what I, the Lord, am going to do. Here is what is to be done, whether it is in alignment with the plan or will of men or not.” The Plans of God’s Heart is the Counsel that He shares.

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Psalms chapter 119 is rather extensive regarding this concept of “free will.” But more, it seems to help put this concept into a balanced perspective. Below are many passages that reveal how David asks to be controlled in a surreal amount of ways (in just one chapter).

Psalm 119:5-6, 9-12, 18, 27, 29-30, 32-38, 49, 73, 116-117, 125, 133, 144

Prays that he would be controlled: - NKJV - 5 “Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes! 6 Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments.”

Prays that he would be controlled: - 9 “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. 12 Blessed [are] You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes.”

Prays that he would be Enabled: - 18 “Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.”

Prays that God would push His Wisdom onto David 27 “Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.”

Prays that God would control his tongue: - 29 “Remove from me the way of lying, And grant me Your law graciously. 30 I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.”

Prays extensively to be controlled and to be caused to understand: - 32 “I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart. 33 HE. Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. 35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness. 37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way. 38 Establish Your word to Your servant, Who is devoted to fearing You.”

Grateful to have been controlled: - 49 “Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.”

Acknowledges that he has been crafted by God and prays for additional Understanding: - 73 “Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.”

Prays to be controlled: - 116 “Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope. 117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually.”

Prays for Understanding: - 125 “I am Your servant; Give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies.”

Prays to be controlled: - 133 “Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me.”

Prays for Understanding: - 144 “The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; Give me understanding, and I shall live.”


Eight times, in chapter 119 alone, David asks for a source and sense of Understanding that he currently does not have. He specifically asks for an enlarged heart, which the visual of this request is a physical change. If David is asking for this additional Wisdom, wouldn’t this defy the obvious conclusion that he cannot learn this Wisdom on his own? Doesn’t this indicate that humans do not possess the "free will" to obtain certain Understanding, Knowledge, and Wisdom? Shouldn't all people have the right to all forms of Understanding, Knowledge, and Wisdom? Why, if a person is free to choose all thoughts and actions, why must one be like David and ask for what he doesn’t believe that he can obtain on his own? (Of course, David is making himself an example for us to follow, giving us the things that we need to pray for and ask about.)

What is more, look at how many times David asks to be controlled. He asks for the following:

• That his “ways be directed”
• That God would control his mind and not let it wander from His, the Lord’s, Commandments
• To control his tongue, to take away his “way of lying”
• He asks to be “caused to walk” in a certain way
• He asks that God would control (incline) his heart
• He asks that God would control his eyes from looking at worthless things
• He asks for something he cannot give himself . . . “revival”
• David gives responsibility to God for “causing” him to “Hope”
• Gives credit to God for creating and fashioning him (control)
• David asks to be controlled, which is to be “upheld” and “held up”
• He even asks that God would control his mind and not allow him to emotionally feel shame
• And again, he asks that his steps be controlled by the Lord.

Now yes, David does mention how he “chose”, such as in verses 30 and 173. But what we have found (in this chapter alone), is that David prays for two basic things. He prays that his mind would: begin to think in a new way, hence he asks that his eyes be opened, also asking for an enlarged heart, that he be given Understanding, and that he be established. But we should think about this for a second: If David could choose these things, why does he pray to have his mind changed by God? Why does he, over and over again, write about having the actions of his life controlled by the Lord? If David (who, like us) could choose to do these things based upon "free will" alone, then there is no reason to pray for Understanding nor would there be a reason for David to ask God to “cause” all of these wishful things to come True.

And what is more, we find that David actually gives credit to the Lord for causing him to be as he is, which includes “hope” as well as the fashioning of his entire life. The simple Truth is, is that we are not free to think a certain way until it is granted, nor are we free to act a certain way until the Lord grants the wish and subsequent change.

 

[TMS]

Love = free will.

If we serrender our will to God, to do His will, this is our choice.

If God takes away the blessings or blesses it is not forcing the will.

When Balaam seen the angel with the sword, Balaam choose to repent.

God could have let Moses go into the promised land, but no, God stopped him, and Moses died before crossing the Jordan.

When God enforces His judgments it is not the same as God forcing the will.

The God i serve lets me choose if i will serve Him or not.