Quote:

Originally Posted by Question

Can you choose to, for example stop telling your neighbor that another neighbor is a a stupid jerk?

The real question here being why don't those who believe themselves to have "free" will simply choose to do so then? Why not, if one has "free will", does one not simply choose to NOT be a donkey's hind end? (General question not personal one.) Put that free will money where that free will mouth lies.

Choose, then, will worshippers: choose to be decent instead of self-serving, self-exonerating jerkoff wastes of DNA and protoplasm. Choose to be kind instead of calloused or cruel. Choose compassion instead of indifference or dismissive hostility. Choose to live love toward someone you mysteriously cannot stand ON SIGHT even though they have never done anything to you (-- now what choice got involved in THOSE feelings, HMMM?)

No sinful behavior can be stopped on one's own steam, sorry. And in fact a relationship with Christ bes not some cheap carrot on the end of a behavioral-modification prison-camp stick called religion. Relationship with Him does change us in profound ways, but the flesh will remain the flesh until we gets new flesh. And Romans 7 makes it plain that sin resides in the flesh and in its members. That would indicate the entire physical construction of man, including the physical brain and the neurotransmitters flowing through it. And frankly, Christ bes less concerned with "perfecting" everyone's behavior and more concerned with perfection itself informing our behavior.

That perfection of which He spoke -- notably when He said "be ye therefore perfect" -- has to do with unconditional love whats no respector of persons whether they bes good or evil. Not just no discrimination against their gender, race, age, creed, etc. but no discrimination against them for being evil, either:

Matthew 5:43-48
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

The perfection lies not in the execution but in the intent of the heart. And that intent in its genuine, true, authentic, unfeigned form can only be placed there by a direct miracle of God Himself.

If we could at any time simply choose to unilaterally and unequivocally "stop sinning right now" ...

• we would not need a Saviour
• we would not need forgiveness
• He would not have spent such care on teaching us to forgive
• He would not have emphasized that we need to keep ON forgiving

There bes only ONE "free" will in all the universe: God's.