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Well, "freely" and "really" are relative terms. When we Reformers make decisions we experience full freedom to make them and it is very real to us. It is the same experience for free will advocates (as I used to be one). Reformers, though, recognize the bigger picture and know that it is God who is in control of everything, and everything exists and is maintained by Him every second. That means that I will never be allowed to make a decision that thwarts the will of God. And given that God's all-controlling hand touches everything this also means that God's will is NOT that He abdicates His authority and "wills" to allow men to independently do whatever they want to do with "free will".

God's plan is immense and does not include the randomness of men's decisions. If God's plan did include such randomness it would be evidence that God does not care very much about His creation. So permitting the kind of free will that you seem to be would actually demonstrate an indifferent God rather than a loving one. A loving God takes no chances with those He loves, and does not shirk the responsibility commensurate with His act of creation.

So, while it may make us feel good as we type our original words in our posts, if we truly believe that our answers are "freely" chosen, that is, not under the control of God, then we must necessarily suppose that God does not care what our answers are. As believers we are wholly owned by God, bought with a price. Therefore to any extent an OMNIPOTENT God is not in active control of who He owns is also the extent to which God does not love who He owns.

Ah, Forest Keeper. Your post is sweet manna on the parched terrain of this thread. Bless you. Your comments confirm God's word and glorify His Son. Thank you.