I'm not sure if this is a yes or a no? If God wishes us to have free will, I don't know how this trumps Him rather it would seem to be God's will that we do and that it's not an illusion.
In this sense, if it was God's will for us to have free will, then it would necessarily mean that God is surrendering a permanent part of His sovereignty and authority. He would be transferring authority to man, and thus allowing man to go against His wishes. Of course, this is only true if God cares which of His creations are saved. If God didn't care, then it would make much more sense to me if God actually did transfer this power. In any event, the verses I posted, and there are many others, do not lead to this conclusion. They show an all powerful God who does care and is in control, a God who decides for Himself whom He will save.
FK: "What conclusions do you come to in reading these scriptures?"
I see a nice parallel rhetorical construction of sin and righteousness. I see an exhortation to choose God as Lord and be truly free. I see it in conjunction with all scripture and in context of my personal experience of freedom in Christ.
Does this mean that you do not believe we are born as slaves to sin? Can a person do good in God's eyes before he has accepted Christ? None of the four passages I posted dealt with independent choice. The closest was Rom. 6:16, but that is immediately clarified in 17: "Thanks be to God ...". The choice was made by God, not us. And 18 does not say we have set ourselves free with our choice, it is God who set us free. ...... The quotes from Proverbs are categorical.
However, true humility is different from slavery.
How so? True humility is a commitment against service to one master in favor of service to another. IMO, true humility is also not possible from the individual apart from God. This is slavery to righteousness. God caused it and maintains it.
Of course. Some may not know the name or even have a wrong concept of what someone has told them of Christ, but still do good. Religious formation and theology can help, but they're not absolute requirements.
True humility is a commitment against service to one master in favor of service to another.
Humility is knowing one's true place. I don't get the paradign of servitude. Love, compassion, charity.. yes. Dying to self, loving others as ourself. Service in love, yes. Servitude? I don't get that God wants slaves. So I think we're on different pages here, though maybe not, maybe different phrasing or something else.