Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

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brightfame52 said:
You dont know what you talking about, rogerg has been given some understanding.
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I know what I'm talking about ... I know what you and rogerg are talking about ... those posting in this thread know that both you and rogerg remove verses from Scripture in order to align Scripture to your dogma (then give yourselves thumbs up ... which indicates your complete disregard for what the Author of Scripture has written).

you are to align your dogma to Scripture and where you are in error, let go of the error.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

.
 
DavidLamb said:
I don't think we disagree. I didn't know forgiveness until I believed, even though it was accomplished at the cross. After all, Paul tells the Ephesian Christians that they had been "dead in trespasses and sins" before they were given new life by God. I assure you I do not believe Arminianism. Thanks, and God bless you. Also sorry for not writing as clearly as I should have done before.
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You were saved when you believed, but you were regenerated prior to this. Ezekiel 36:26-27 explains how. When God comes to an individual, He gives them a new heart and spirit, and places His Spirit within the individual. This is what causes the individual to walk in His statutes and keep His judgements. It is God's work is us that leads us to believe. This is the grace that leads to salvation through faith.
 
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Cameron143 said:
You were saved when you believed, but you were regenerated prior to this. Ezekiel 36:26-27 explains how. When God comes to an individual, He gives them a new heart and spirit, and places His Spirit within the individual. This is what causes the individual to walk in His statutes and keep His judgements. It is God's work is us that leads us to believe. This is the grace that leads to salvation through faith.
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Not supported by scripture.

God does not place His Holy Spirit in a human heart which has not met His condition of faith in Him.
 
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DavidLamb said:
I know from your previous posts that you disagree with the doctrines of grace that I believe the bible teaches. As I find and base my beliefs on God's word, I am not going to disagree with them.
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If you agree with tulipism, you don't base your beliefs on GW.
As for my belief regarding grace, it is this:

The normative way of stating the requirement for obtaining God's grace per the NT is “Accept Christ Jesus as Lord” (as in 2CR 4:5 & CL 2:6). Another way is “Saving faith is loving Jesus as Messiah and Lord.” The main points of Christian orthodoxy implicit in this statement can be explained or elaborated as follows:

  1. There is a/one all-loving and just Lord or God (DT 6:4, JN 3:16, 2THS 1:6), who is both able (2TM 1:12) and willing (1TM 2:3-4, EZK 33:11) to provide all morally accountable human beings salvation or heaven—a wonderful life full of love, joy and peace forever.
  2. Human beings are selfish or sinful (RM 3:23, 2TM 3:2-4, CL 3:5), miserable (GL 5:19-21), and hopeless (EPH 2:12) or hell-bound at the judgment (MT 23:33 & 25:46) when they reject God’s salvation (JN 3:18, RM 2:5-11).
  3. Jesus is God’s Messiah/Christ and incarnate Son, the way that God has chosen (JN 3:16, ACTS 16:30-31, PHP 2:9-11) of providing salvation by means of his atoning death on the cross for the payment of the penalty for the sins of humanity (RM 3:22-25 & 5:9-11), followed by his resurrection to reign in heaven (1CR 15:14-28).
  4. Thus, every person who hears the NT Gospel needs to repent and accept God’s justification in Jesus as Christ/Messiah the Lord or Supreme Commander (LK 2:11, JN 14:6, ACTS 16:31), which means trying to obey His commandment to love one another (MT 22:37-40, JN 13:35, RM 13:9)—forever (MT 10:22, PS 113:2).
  5. Then God’s Holy Spirit will establish a saving relationship with those who freely accept Him (RV 3:20) that will eventually achieve heaven when by means of persevering in learning Truth/God’s Word/sanctification everyone cooperates fully with His will (JN 14:6, 17&26, RM 8:6-17, GL 6:7-9, EPH 1:13-14, HB 10:36, 12:1, JM 1:2-4).
 
sawdust said:
I disagree. It's His resurrection that saves us which is why He died for all, but only those who believe He rose from the dead, are saved. God keeps His word to save whoever believes.

1 Corinthians 15:17
And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
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1 Co 15:17 is saying that Christ's resurrection was a demonstration of the efficacy of His sacrifice - that by the Father's acceptance of His sacrifice, that He resurrected Christ, and by that resurrection, we can know that we are no longer in sin.

No, Christ did not die for all; He died only for His elect.

[Mat 20:28 KJV] 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
[Mar 10:45 KJV] 45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
[1Pe 1:2-3 KJV]
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

[1Pe 2:24 KJV] 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Do you understand the concept of a Savior (singular)? For a Savior to actually be THE Savior, He alone must be the one to do the saving in its fullness with no contribution from anyone else being either possible or permitted, otherwise, He would not, could not, be the Savior. Yet the Bible clearly, beyond dispute, tells us that Jesus, and Jesus alone, is the Savior
 
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HeIsHere said:
Not supported by scripture.

God does not place His Holy Spirit in a human heart which has not met His condition of faith in Him.
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I just gave you the passage. Show me from Ezekiel 36:26-27 where it says faith is necessary for God to give an individual a new heart or spirit, or to be given His Spirit.

Tell me from the passage what causes individuals to walk in His statutes and keep His judgements.

Is the command to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ a statute of God? How does the passage say this is accomplished?
 
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Cameron143 said:
I just gave you the passage. Show me from Ezekiel 36:26-27 where it says faith is necessary for God to give an individual a new heart or spirit, or to be given His Spirit.

Tell me from the passage what causes individuals to walk in His statutes and keep His judgements.

Is the command to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ a statute of God? How does the passage say this is accomplished?
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Ezekiel 36:26-27 is a generalization, much like John 3:16 and certainly does not prove predestination or irresistible grace.
 
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The moment the heart has changed from stone to flesh is when you understand you are lost without God.
 
Cameron143 said:
You were saved when you believed, but you were regenerated prior to this. Ezekiel 36:26-27 explains how. When God comes to an individual, He gives them a new heart and spirit, and places His Spirit within the individual. This is what causes the individual to walk in His statutes and keep His judgements. It is God's work is us that leads us to believe. This is the grace that leads to salvation through faith.
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Yes, I agree. Thanks.
 
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I like th
Aussie52 said:
Jesus 'death does not save anyone. The Bible teaches that His atonement makes salvation provisional, repentance and faith by the individual make salvation actual.
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I like the point the judgment .without judgement no one is saved.many miss That draw All judgement unto Himself. But for me with his righteous judgement I see the love Gift from All Jesus did! I mean All.The best part To have The comforter .I am His and He is mine from All Jesus Did .The offer Will of The Anointed my will anoining received in His blood love ..........know judged already By only trust His Word
 
HeIsHere said:
And the NT is where we go to understand it more fully.
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Sure, but we don't ignore what it teaches. The passage clearly delineates the activity of God in the salvation of His people.

You cling to a false understanding of the new covenant. The old covenant is between God and man. Naturally, this comes with stipulations for man to fulfill the covenant. The new covenant is between God the Father and God the Son. All the stipulations of the covenant were fulfilled by Christ. There are no stipulations in the covenant that man must fulfill. Man is simply the beneficiary of what Christ has done. Christ having fulfilled those stipulations to God the Father's satisfaction, is free to grant the benefits He has secured.
 
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