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To: buckeyesrule
John MacArthur is one of my favorite preachers. I just love this guy. I have a number of his teaching and preaching materials. He is doesn't harp on Calvinism too much and just preaches the Word. But I have to disagree with him on his idea of free will and God's love.

Whatever love is, love is not force. God does not predestine(force) people into heaven or hell. That would not be love in either case. People must chose heaven or hell for themselves.

If I were to put into a person's mind the ability to love me and the inability to reject me, I would be forcing them to love me. If I were to take away the ability of someone to love me, I would also be forcing that person. Furthermore, all the responsibility of who makes what decision would be mine. So how could I be upset at a person whom I did not give the ability to love me? God is not responsible for people's sin. People choose to remain in their lost state, not because God has not given them the ability to choose him, he has; but because they choose to reject God despite God's call to whoever wants him. It's all about personal motivation.

782 posted on 08/05/2005 10:10:25 PM PDT by LifeOrGoods? (God is not a God of fear, but of power, love and a sane mind.)
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To: LifeOrGoods?
Whatever love is, love is not force. God does not predestine(force) people into heaven or hell. That would not be love in either case. People must chose heaven or hell for themselves.

God does not FORCE the elect into heaven, He frees them to love and desire them

God does not FORCE the reprobate into hell, that is exactly what he freely chooses.

Most of us have been raised to worship at the altar of free will and choices

The fact is that all choices are made within a restricted set of circumstances

A man jumping off the empire state building can not exercise free will half way down.

Did you chose your sex? Did your chose your parents? Did you choose your country or city of birth? Did you chose your intelligence?

All of these things were predestined by your creator

He set up for you that parameters of the decisions and choices that will be available to you.

He could have had you born in India to Hindu parents in a low class. You never would have had an opportunity to go to school or to make the life choices you make today. You may never have heard the gospel to be saved.

Acts 17 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

All of our choices are governed by our preferences. Our preferences are part of that same creative process of the Father

Have you read the twin studies?

I read one that blew me away

Two brothers separated at birth. both had the same IQ, Both the same level of education, both loved firefighting (one was a professional and one a volunteer), both married women similar in appearance and both wives were named Jean. Both men had the same number of kids...and both drove red cars

Now these studies are done to show us the effects of genetics.

I know the designer of genetics. And His name is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He is the great "I AM"

God has designed each of us in such a way that we will have preferences that will lead us to certain choices.

Because of the fall men will never seek God

Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

In order for man to choose Christ he must have a preference for Christ. But the fall removed that preference. Man is spiritually dead.He can not choose life

Jhn 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Note here that Jesus says a man cannot SEE the kingdom of God. Man can not desire or choose what he can not see

So God gives those that are His a New heart

Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

God then gives us a heart that will desire Him.. A heart that can see Him and choose Him...

Our will was put in bondage in Eden. The will we have is the will of Adam. Only the new birth gives us a truly free will. The desire and the will to choose Christ

I find it so interesting that people resent the idea that God has foreordained our eternity. If our father so loved us to foreordain our present, how much more important is our eternity?

790 posted on 08/06/2005 9:24:24 AM PDT by RnMomof7 (Sola Scriptura,Sola Christus,Sola Gratia,Sola Fide,Soli Deo Gloria)
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