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To: Dr. Eckleburg
Where is "free will" taught in the Bible?

Anywhere that man is told to choose between good and evil. Anytime man is told to repent. Anytime man is given the commandments and told to obey them. In each case, the presumption is made that an individual is ABLE to choose to do them or not. Thus, we have free will to choose or not choose to make God's Graces effective within us.

Regards

2,583 posted on 02/13/2006 4:26:35 AM PST by jo kus
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To: jo kus; HarleyD; Forest Keeper
In each case, the presumption is made that an individual is ABLE to choose to do them or not. Thus, we have free will to choose or not choose to make God's Graces effective within us.

That "presumption" of yours is contraindicated over and over in Scripture.

"What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." -- Romans 3:9-12

You continue to deny Scripture by asserting that man can "choose" to act righteously in any way unless and until God turns his dead heart into a grateful recipient of His grace.

This is solely God's call, determined by Him from before the foundation of the world.

Or else we make ourselves into mini-gods who seek to become the final arbiters of our salvation by our "agreeing" to be saved.

"But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." -- 1 Corinthians 2:10-14

Fallen man will never "choose" the things of God because they are spiritually discerned and dead men cannot "choose" to live.

Like Lazarus, we must be born again, by His will alone.

Does God know if you will sit with Him in heaven? Or is this unknown to God?

2,591 posted on 02/13/2006 10:00:19 AM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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