[HarleyD]

I am not sure of that - if man is totally depraved, how can he have free will?

That is precisely what Augustine struggled with and argued.

In the solution of this question I laboured indeed on behalf of the free choice of the human will, but God's grace overcame, and I could only reach that point where the apostle is perceived to have said with the most evident truth, 'For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou hast not received? Now, if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as if thou receivedst it not?' [1 Cor. 4.7.] And this the martyr Cyprian was also desirous of setting forth when he compressed the whole of it in that title: 'That we must boast in nothing, since nothing is our own.'"9 This is why I previously said that it was chiefly by this apostolic testimony that I myself had been convinced, when I thought otherwise concerning this matter; and this God revealed to me as I sought to solve this question when I was writing, as I said, to the Bishop Simplicianus. This testimony, therefore, of the apostle, when for the sake of repressing man's conceit he said, "For what hast thou which thou hast not received?" [1 Cor. 4.7.] does not allow any believer to say, I have faith which I received not. All the arrogance of this answer is absolutely repressed by these apostolic words. Moreover, it cannot even be said, "Although I have not a perfected faith, yet I have its beginning, whereby I first of all believed in Christ." Because here also is answered: "But what hast thou that thou hast not received? Now, if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as if thou receivedst it not?" Augustine-A Treatise on Predestination

God has to change the corrupt nature. We must be born again. And if God changes the nature to make a choice between heaven or hell what do you think a person would choose?

Augustine had it right. He hadn't reached a point of understanding "free will" but he knew it was not true. There is nothing that we have that we did not received-including our faith.

Blessings

[jo kus]

God has to change the corrupt nature. We must be born again. And if God changes the nature to make a choice between heaven or hell what do you think a person would choose?

Agree. Our nature is wounded and corrupt - but not utterly depraved. Otherwise, Jesus wouldn't have take on our nature - Jesus and evil cannot co-exist. And regarding hell or heaven, wouldn't it be a "hell" to force someone into heaven against their will? Some people, no matter what you do for them, will not accept your offer of love. I have experienced this in life, and it is true in the supernatural world, as well. Satan saw God's love, but rejected it. We agree that Satan was/is more intelligent then we are, correct? For God to offer Himself in Love to us, He is taking a huge risk that we will reject Him. For Him to call it love, we MUST have a free choice to accept or reject. And God foreknows this choice - but it is His will not to force us.

Augustine had it right. He hadn't reached a point of understanding "free will" but he knew it was not true. There is nothing that we have that we did not received-including our faith.

yes, there is nothing we have that is not a gift - BUT - we see this as a gift that we can use or not. When we give a gift to our child, they can use it or not. If they don't accept our gift, we become disappointed, but we don't force them to accept it - that is not love. As you probably know, love means the giving of our selves, our egos, everything, to the other (and God does this perfectly). God rains His gifts on all, good and evil alike, Jesus told us. The parable of the sower and the seed is a good example of how God spreads His gifts on us - BUT some do not accept it...

Brother in Christ