BLASPHEMY!!!
Well, now I got that out of my system.
Repeat after me, there is no free will. There is only God's will and there is man's will. You are either doing God's will like obeying the commandments, or you are doing man's will like disobeying the commandments. (Yes Alamo-Girl, yours was one of the few posts I was able to read.)
Free will implies that you, on your own volition, can do something God would appreciate-some godly. Hence, you can save yourself by repenting. The scriptures teaches us that until we are saved we are bound by man's will. We simply do not have a desire to do the will of God. The Son must set us free from this predicament. He gives to us a new heart and spirit to allow us to have a desire to do God's will even though we are, by nature, wanting to do man's will.
Christians can do God's will by being guided and submissive to the Holy Spirit as Christ was. In this case we will be obedient to all the laws as Christ was. If we were completely submissive to being led by the Holy Spirit to do God's will, we WOULD fulfill all the laws and commandments. But this is God's will-NOT OUR FREE WILL. We don't have this capacity to be led by the Spirit 24/7 so we are still bound to do man's will from time to time. But over time this diminishes but never goes away. I'd like to emphasized that our Lord Jesus Christ was perfectly submissive to the will of God throughout His life. Where was His free will?
On the other hand Christians can do man's will. These are times when we are led by our lust and fleshy desires. God, being gracious and merciful, uses His "rod and His staff to guide us" to do His will and not the will of our flesh.
Free will implies before you are a Christian, you are totally capable of being obedient to God. This is not supported in scripture. Furthermore, after you become a Christian free will implies that YOU still are capable of doing something to please God. This is not the case either since we rest on the complete work of our Lord Jesus.
As far as what is blasphemy against the Spirit, I have yet to find a commentator that has given a clear definition. However, I would suggest probably the closest thing that comes to blasphemy is in Daniel 5 with the case of King Belshazzar. As you recall, the King held a great orgy and brought out the sacred vessels of the temple to degrade in their orgy. That was the end of King Belshazzar as he saw the handwriting on the wall. Did King B "freely" choose to blasphemy? No. He let his (man's) will go to extreme in cursing God. God doesn't tolerate it.
I'm also reminded of the case in 2 Kings 2 where Elisha was being made fun of by a bunch of children and he prayed to God. God sent two bears who devoured forty-two of the boys. God doesn't tolerate the insolence of men (or children).
All non-Christians can do is stiffle man's will such as the Philistines who decided it was better to send the ark of the covenant back with a sin offering then keep it in the house of Dagon (after God smashed their idol and inflicted them with tumors). We simply can't do godly things with man's will but we can be respectful. What pushes God over the edge, I'm not sure but I don't wish to find out. BTW-scripture tells us Christians can make God very unhappy so that He'll take them home. You might recall at one point God was ready to kill Moses.
I hate anecdotal evidence but several years ago a radio station want to do a raunchy skit. Two people decided that they would have sex in St. Patrick Cathedral and broadcast it over the air. This got them both arrested and when they went to arrange the guy, they found that he had died of a heart attack at the age of 32 and being in good health. You simply don't mess with God.
I am constantly amazed by how many folks exercise their God-given gift of free will to deny that very thing.
Sorry, Harley, but you do NOT get to define what others believe.
“There is only God’s will and there is man’s will.”
If God commands you to repent, and you do, you are doing God’s will.
“The scriptures teaches us that until we are saved we are bound by man’s will. We simply do not have a desire to do the will of God. The Son must set us free from this predicament.”
Hmmm...what does scripture teach? Let’s read!
“And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” - Romans 10
“But they have not all obeyed the gospel.” So some have? Obeyed the Gospel? But that suggests we respond to God.
“For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”” - Romans 10
Did God mean For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in [me] will not be put to shame”, or did He mean “Everyone I give belief to will not be put to shame.”
You see, God COULD have inspired Paul to write it YOUR way...but he didn’t. Or are we back to God having a public will, that men be saved, and a private ‘secret’ will, that they be damned?
“18In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead ( since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” - Romans 4
Look again...does it say God gave belief to Abram? “In hope he believed against hope...He did not weaken in faith...No distrust made him waver...he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” Sure seems to be a lot of action verbs in there, with Abram ‘doing’ it.
Blasphemy! How dare Paul insult the sovereignty of God!
“6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” - Rom 5 Paul blasphemes again, suggesting we were WEAK. Everyone knows we were DEAD. Why, the Apostle Paul taught that!
“6Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? “ - Romans 6
We present ourselves? To obedience? BLASPHEMY!!! Paul meant God compels us to obedience. Paul just used the wrong words.
“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” - 1 Thess 2
YOU received the word of God...YOU accepted it. But they were dead. They could neither receive nor accept!
If God did as you say, either God is a liar, or God had scripture written in a misleading manner. He could very easily have said, “saved by grace thru election”, and we wouldn’t have this discussion. He could have said, “For God so loved the elect”, but it says “world”. He could have said, ‘Whosoever I call to believe”, but he left it at “whosoever believes”.
FWIW: whosoever = “whoever; whatever person”...” individually a) each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything”...translated in the AV — all 748, all things 170, every 117, all men 41, whosoever 31, everyone 28, whole 12, all manner of 11, every man 11
Either God lies - which IS blasphemy - or God is somewhat less selective than you make Him out to be.
“Repeat after me, there is no free will. There is only God’s will”
God is independent; he doesn’t actually need us or anything else in creation for anything.
God is unchangeable in his being, attributes, purposes, and promises.
God knows everything; in one simple and eternal act, he fully knows himself and all actual and possible things.
God all-wise; he always chooses the best possible goals and the best possible means to meet those goals
God is the final standard of good; all he is and does is good and worthy of approval. There is no higher standard of goodness than God’s own character and his approval of whatever is consistent with that character. In his goodness, God is love; he eternally gives himself for the good of others but he is that good.
God is holy; he is separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honor.
God is righteous and just, he must treat people as they deserve. Therefore, he must punish that which is against him, that is, sin
God continually “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11). God’s will is the ultimate reason for everything that happens. It is the way God approves and determines to bring about every action necessary for the existence of and activity of himself and all his creation. God’s will is how he chooses to do what he does and doesn’t do.
God is omnipotent. He is all powerful. He is able to do all his holy will.
Col. 1:13-19, I was struck by the sovereignty and preeminence of God, Christ Jesus while doing research for a course I am teaching in Romans. From an early church hymn we learn that Jesus is God. He created all things, including man and is still creating the human spirit every time a child is conceived. He sustains that child throughout his life, and He creates everything that influences that child whether it be in heaven, in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers. Everything that happens to and for that child is according to the purpose and plan of God for Jesus and tangentially for the child, but that is a far removed secondary goal, since King Jesus, the Lord, is to have the preeminence in all things.
Now I've gone and done it. Thankfully the LORD has me in His hand.
As far as what is blasphemy against the Spirit, I have yet to find a commentator that has given a clear definition.
I haven't been able to figure this out yet either.
Amen!
We are saved by Christ's righteousness and not our own.