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there is nothing we can do that will surprise or amaze God

Agreed. I never claimed otherwise. That does not, however, negate our totally free will in our choice. He allows you to do and think and decide whatever you want to. That includes sinners seeking out God and the Gospel.

Jesus did not come for the elect--He came to earth for the sinners. He said so Himself. Yet He never forced anyone to make the choice for Him. Reference the rich young ruler. He knew the ruler would not make the correct choice--yet he never once screamed at him, called him satanic, or otherwise abused him. Was Jesus civil? Yes, he was. Was Jesus civil to sinners he knew would not make the correct choice? Yes, he was. Was he civil when rebuking teachers of the word when they were knowingly wrong? No, he wasn't.

Be careful how you rebuke fellow believers.

"Was he civil when rebuking teachers of the word when they were knowingly wrong? No, he wasn't."

Then, by your own admission, we have no basis for being civil to those who proclaim as gospel something that is not the Gospel.

There are plenty of false teachers here, and they need solid rebuke. Those who would minimize the devastation of the fall of man ("Dead? Heck no, you are just a little bit ill"), and maximize the authority of man ("God votes for you, the devil votes against you, and you cast the deciding vote") need stern rebuke.

Fellow believers can be wrong too Shadow:>)) We tend to think of the rebuke of Jesus to the Pharisees as correct based on what we know today about Jesus and about the error of the Pharisees teachings.......but walk back a bit and look at it through the eyes of a person in the crowd...Pharisees were respected holy men..leaders in the faith of Jesus. So Shadow he was not rebuking unbelievers..(for they would not hear anyway) He was rebuking the super believers the role models.. snakes and vipers..whitewashing dead mens tombs..( now who do you suppose they were:>)

Point to be made here shadow is you would not expect a legless man to run a marathon. The unregenerate can not "choose" Christ. They have the will given to them by Adam.That is the will that chose to run and hide from God...In order to choose to run TO God you need to be born again...

Every man does just as HE chooses..but like the legless man our choices are limited by our "natural born state.

Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. ..

Like Adam the natual man runs from God not to Him