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To: HarleyD; Cronos

Free will as we have been discussing it does NOT require full knowledge. You make choices every day without full knowledge, but they are real choices with real consequences.

Nor is anyone on this thread suggesting that man sits there and envisions God. We are ALL saying God must reveal himself to us, and that he does so in varying degrees. But ALL men have enough for them to be responsible for their choice, for Paul says, “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.”

Joh 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

True words. No one seeks God, but God seeks us. The debate is if God seeks a few irresistibly, because he loves them, and irresistibly damns all the others, because he hates them, all to show off his power to his glory.

And Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.”

Also true words.


7,723 posted on 01/31/2010 2:32:22 PM PST by Mr Rogers (I loathe the ground he slithers on!)
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To: Mr Rogers; Cronos
Free will as we have been discussing it does NOT require full knowledge.

Sorry, but by definition free will must require full knowledge or it can't be free. You can't make a choice for heaven or hell based upon flawed information and still expect it to be "free" will.

We are ALL saying God must reveal himself to us, and that he does so in varying degrees.

God does not reveal himself to us in varying degrees. He has revealed Himself to everyone. It's just that everyone chooses to reject Him.

But ALL men have enough for them to be responsible for their choice,

Now we moved from God giving man faith (which seems to be rejected), God and man working together in partnership with faith, to men being responsible for their choice. See where this leads?

The debate is if God seeks a few irresistibly, because he loves them, and irresistibly damns all the others, because he hates them, all to show off his power to his glory.

God doesn't damn anyone. People are damned by their rebellion to God. The question is why God doesn't save everyone? No one knows except to say that we would not know mercy and grace if all we knew was justice.

Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.

Also true words.

7,748 posted on 01/31/2010 4:20:39 PM PST by HarleyD
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