[SnakeDoctor]

“Free” in this case simply means the ability to choose a path — for instance, whether you are a slave to sin, or a slave to righteousness. Salvation is a gift that must be accepted by choice.

SnakeDoc

[HarleyD]

And are you saying that YOU have the ability to choose a path of a righteous life or a sinful life? This is not what the scriptures teaches. It tells us that God must bring us to repentance. God must give us the wisdom from above. God must give us faith to accept Him. God must fill us with His Spirit so that we may walk with Him.

Now if we have been brought to repentance, given wisdom of the knowledge of Christ, acknowledge that He has given us our faith and filled us with His Spirit; what is it exactly that we do?

I'll tell you, in testimony after testimony I hear, it is always, “God spoke to my heart though [fill in the blank] and I asked Him in.” It is ALWAYS God initiated the action. I have yet to hear one testimony that says, “I just decided that God exists and I wanted to follow Him then I read the scriptures and found I was correct.”