Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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Sep 29, 2024
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Deductive would have been a better word than rational, since the inescapable conclusion of cv5's line
of thought, that Adam was an atheist, is clearly as delusional as much of the rest of what he proposed.
Can you post a link to that comment friend? i haven't seen it and that's worth seeing for sure.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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Can you post a link to that comment friend? i haven't seen it and that's worth seeing for sure.
It was yesterday morning, he claimed the only slaves to sin were those who choose to sin, he gave the fool who says in his heart, there is no God, as the example. Therefore nobody else who sins is a slave to sin, as if nobody else ever chooses to sin in his view, their sins must be called something else, perhaps oopsies is what I suggested, to highlight how ridiculous what he said was... ridiculous and completely anti-Biblical, the record front to back in the Bible is that man has an incurably wicked heart, he says no, heishere says no, so many, all these free willers, deny this Biblical fact, they will claim such universal axioms as there are none good do not mean what they say, we have been told that man is not such a bad guy after all, on and on their nonsense goes. That bad tree in their theology can produce good fruit. I have him on ignore, his level of dishonesty is off the charts, he lied to me for months on end about another matter, refusing to admit he had been in error, I have seen this behaviour from him since, also, honestly he would rather say God raped Mary than admit she was not asked as he erroneously claimed, he cannot even handle mild reproof, he goes right off the deep end with his wicked behaviour.
 
Oct 19, 2024
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Expecting delusional people to behave in a rational or sane manner may be asking a bit much, keep in mind. GWH is touted to being a pretty nice guy but I can only suppose that is by people who have not had him come against them with his repeated lies, misrepresentations, and false accusations... lies for which he then expects YOU to seek peace with him over. That is my experience with him, and in the midst of him claiming I should be seeking peace with him after he told a slew of lies about me and what I believe, he then repeated some of his lies. You never see all these people who claim to love peaceful interactions speaking up when such reprehensible behaviour is on display from one of their buddies. Nope. Silence rules the day, and they will continue to support their friends even when they say the most ridiculous things about what Scripture teaches.
Re "lies for which he then expects YOU to seek peace with him over": No, misunderstandings for which he asks forgiveness and seeks reconciliation regarding, but y'all ignore:

TOJ #36: Admit your faults as you forgive others theirs. [Matt. 6:12//LK 11:4a] The second part of this teaching echoes #14. Genuine saving Faith motivates loving forgiveness. Confession is the key to having a right relationship with God (1John 1:9), which is manifested by mercy (TOJ #148). {MK 11:25, MT 18:15-17}.

TOJ #148: Faith in/love for God is manifested by loving behavior toward people. [Matt. 25:31-46] The evidence of saving Faith is loving behavior. {JN 13:35, 15:12-13} It is the fruit of the Spirit {JN 15:4-8} (also see GL 5:22-23), rather than ability to work miracles (MT 24:24). This love is the basis for essential unity among all Christians {JN 15:17, 17:20-23}. Faith without love is counterfeit (JM 2:17). Satisfying GRFS is manifested by any type of personality (introverted, extroverted, etc.) as long as one is loving, but no good work merits salvation (EPH 2:8-9), because no one is perfect (PHP 3:12) except God (HB 5:7-9; TOJ #106).

TOJ #42: Temper reproof with love so you will not be judgmental. [Matt. 7:1-5//LK 6:37, 38b, 41-42] Jesus condemned hypocrisy (TOJ #134) or having a spiritual superiority complex (TOJ #31) more than any other sin (MT 23). However, he did not condemn repentant sinners (TOJ #53), and saints/Believers should be very careful that their explanation of divine wrath does not impugn God’s love as taught by Paul in Romans 5:5-10.

Jesus exemplified this teaching when He reproved the adulterous woman {John 8:11}. [Note that the NIV questions the reliability of MT 7:53-8:11, but the story certainly seems compatible with the character and TOJ.] As John 3:17 states, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world.” Note that this teaching does not mean saints should not be discerning or reproving (JN 7:24, 1CR 12:10, 2CR 13:6; cf. TOJ #101).

TOJ #100: Communicate! [Matt. 18:15-17a] Or in the words of Paul, speak the truth in love (EPH 4:15). This TOJ is closely related to the next one. Communication is the method for converting Sinners (RM 10:14) and for maturing saved sinners (HB 5:11-6:1). Note the four steps for resolving disagreements: talk privately, include a neutral third party to facilitate the discussion, enlist mature church representatives to act in lieu of a court, and then excommunicate the person who is acting like a pagan (TOJ #102).

TOJ #101: Watch yourself before rebuking fellow sinners. [Luke 17:3a] The location of this TOJ, found in the gospels only in Luke, seems to fit between the TOJ regarding communication and excommunication. Those who obey this command should first be sure they are obeying Jesus’ commands not to be judgmental (Matt. 7:3-5, TOJ #42) and to forgive (v.17:3b, TOJ #14), lest they become hypercritical and hypocritical. Paul also taught self-examination (2CR 13:5-8) and rebuking (in his “pastoral” epistles, 1TM 5:20, 2TM 4:2, TIT 2:15). The motive for a rebuke must be divine love (RV 3:19), so the words conveying reproof should be gentle or redemptive (GL 6:1).
 
Sep 29, 2024
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It was yesterday morning, he claimed the only slaves to sin were those who choose to sin, he gave the fool who says in his heart, there is no God, as the example. Therefore nobody else who sins is a slave to sin, as if nobody else ever chooses to sin in his view, their sins must be called something else, perhaps oopsies is what I suggested, to highlight how ridiculous what he said was... ridiculous and completely anti-Biblical, the record front to back in the Bible is that man has an incurably wicked heart, he says no, heishere says no, so many, all these free willers, deny this Biblical fact, they will claim such universal axioms as there are none good do not mean what they say, we have been told that man is not such a bad guy after all, on and on their nonsense goes. That bad tree in their theology can produce good fruit. I have him on ignore, his level of dishonesty is off the charts, he lied to me for months on end about another matter, refusing to admit he had been in error, I have seen this behaviour from him since, also, honestly he would rather say God raped Mary than admit she was not asked as he erroneously claimed, he cannot even handle mild reproof, he goes right off the deep end with his wicked behaviour.
Thanks sister, yesterday morn will make it easier. I do feel a bit sorry for them, we can stand on our own two feet but they need to gang up and bully people into agreeing with them. I feel sickened by it all but concerned for them at the same time, it's lovely knowing the Lord will end the evil when the time is right.
 
Oct 19, 2024
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Cheers Magenta, know you've been a victim of their malice too. As have so many others but they only get away with it, i hope, because people allow them too. They must be called out as the bullies they are.
No, she has been a major perpetrator of malice, as she just showed.
 
Sep 29, 2024
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Re "lies for which he then expects YOU to seek peace with him over": No, misunderstandings for which he asks forgiveness and seeks reconciliation regarding, but y'all ignore:

TOJ #36: Admit your faults as you forgive others theirs. [Matt. 6:12//LK 11:4a] The second part of this teaching echoes #14. Genuine saving Faith motivates loving forgiveness. Confession is the key to having a right relationship with God (1John 1:9), which is manifested by mercy (TOJ #148). {MK 11:25, MT 18:15-17}.

TOJ #148: Faith in/love for God is manifested by loving behavior toward people. [Matt. 25:31-46] The evidence of saving Faith is loving behavior. {JN 13:35, 15:12-13} It is the fruit of the Spirit {JN 15:4-8} (also see GL 5:22-23), rather than ability to work miracles (MT 24:24). This love is the basis for essential unity among all Christians {JN 15:17, 17:20-23}. Faith without love is counterfeit (JM 2:17). Satisfying GRFS is manifested by any type of personality (introverted, extroverted, etc.) as long as one is loving, but no good work merits salvation (EPH 2:8-9), because no one is perfect (PHP 3:12) except God (HB 5:7-9; TOJ #106).

TOJ #42: Temper reproof with love so you will not be judgmental. [Matt. 7:1-5//LK 6:37, 38b, 41-42] Jesus condemned hypocrisy (TOJ #134) or having a spiritual superiority complex (TOJ #31) more than any other sin (MT 23). However, he did not condemn repentant sinners (TOJ #53), and saints/Believers should be very careful that their explanation of divine wrath does not impugn God’s love as taught by Paul in Romans 5:5-10.

Jesus exemplified this teaching when He reproved the adulterous woman {John 8:11}. [Note that the NIV questions the reliability of MT 7:53-8:11, but the story certainly seems compatible with the character and TOJ.] As John 3:17 states, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world.” Note that this teaching does not mean saints should not be discerning or reproving (JN 7:24, 1CR 12:10, 2CR 13:6; cf. TOJ #101).

TOJ #100: Communicate! [Matt. 18:15-17a] Or in the words of Paul, speak the truth in love (EPH 4:15). This TOJ is closely related to the next one. Communication is the method for converting Sinners (RM 10:14) and for maturing saved sinners (HB 5:11-6:1). Note the four steps for resolving disagreements: talk privately, include a neutral third party to facilitate the discussion, enlist mature church representatives to act in lieu of a court, and then excommunicate the person who is acting like a pagan (TOJ #102).

TOJ #101: Watch yourself before rebuking fellow sinners. [Luke 17:3a] The location of this TOJ, found in the gospels only in Luke, seems to fit between the TOJ regarding communication and excommunication. Those who obey this command should first be sure they are obeying Jesus’ commands not to be judgmental (Matt. 7:3-5, TOJ #42) and to forgive (v.17:3b, TOJ #14), lest they become hypercritical and hypocritical. Paul also taught self-examination (2CR 13:5-8) and rebuking (in his “pastoral” epistles, 1TM 5:20, 2TM 4:2, TIT 2:15). The motive for a rebuke must be divine love (RV 3:19), so the words conveying reproof should be gentle or redemptive (GL 6:1).
What a self serving post, what you mean is you want to bully and control others, demand they forgive you, while you continue to bully and control them.
I actually feel concerned about you but you can't be allowed to harm others.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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The first man had one commandment of what NOT to do and he disobeyed, he was not deceived, he did it deliberately is the other option, that looks rather bad, God certainly was not pleased with it, and then that first man's first son killed his next born brother, that too looks pretty bad to me, also, but another will say, oh, man did not get bad until the flood. Eh? How bad does bad have to be before it is called bad? There are none good is repeated throughout the Bible but many essentially claim it is overstated, like cv5 yesterday saying only the fool chooses to sin, like nobody else has ever been caught in deliberate flagrant despicable sin! Just unbelievable what these people propose.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
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Glad you got my humor, but sad you think those three terms are not synonymous. Why do you think the third is antonymous?
They're not synonymous because even though God is a free moral agent, He cannot sin -- which means he cannot choose to sin since his choices are governed by his nature.
 
Oct 19, 2024
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They're not synonymous because even though God is a free moral agent, He cannot sin -- which means he cannot choose to sin since his choices are governed by his nature.
Saying "even though God is a free moral agent, He cannot sin" is problematic even semantically as well as Scripturally.
 
Sep 29, 2024
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They're not synonymous because even though God is a free moral agent, He cannot sin -- which means he cannot choose to sin since his choices are governed by his nature.
Irresistible comment to me, thought much about it myself. I too think saying he can't sin isn't right, i describe it as there being no wrong in him. He has pure free will.
 

studier

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2024
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The term "posse non peccare" refers to the ability not to sin, a concept rooted in Augustine's theology regarding human nature and sin.
 

Kroogz

Well-known member
Dec 5, 2023
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What a mess.

It is the fool that has said (chosen) in his heart (a choice made from the innermost being) that there is no God (that God shall not rule over him) is he that chooses to be a slave to sin, ultimately because he chose to serve evil and the evil one.

Furthermore Jesus is perfectly clear in saying that he who CHOOSES to sin is a slave to it.
@cv5
You have the picture lady all kinds of fired up with this truth!
 

studier

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2024
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@cv5
You have the picture lady all kinds of fired up with this truth!
Interesting how Truth does this.

For one thing these folks don't seem to understand the function of conscience in unsaved human beings. Next level of how the human will is intact to deal with this struggle in conscience. Next level of how God has established into all people knowledge about Himself. And more...

The battle rages within because He has not left Himself without witness to a corporate creature who freely chose against Him.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
65,229
33,217
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They're not synonymous because even though God is a free moral agent, He cannot sin -- which means he cannot choose to sin since his choices are governed by his nature.
This is the crux of the conversation, such as it is, for it is out of man's nature that he makes choices ... and the free will proponents assert that the wicked heart of the natural man is free to choose to believe that which he is not only opposed to, but that which he can neither receive/accept nor comprehend. They reject what Jesus said about it being impossible for a bad tree to bring forth good fruit. But they reject a whole slew of Scriptures from beginning to end of the Bible. All in favor of a doctrine that has zero support in the Bible, with not one verse articulating what they prefer over what is actually said. In fact they routinely contradict and deny what is explicitly stated.