The Reality of Free Will

[childeye 2]

The ability to make a choice is free will. Adam by his own free will violated GODS command to not eat the forbidden fruit. If we humans were created in GODS image and GOD has free will then humans do too. This image cannot be flesh and blood because GOD is not flesh and blood, GOD is spirit and all humans have a spirit and GOD wants the spirits of just men made perfect. Our human spirit is our mind, sometimes called the heart, and all of our intelligence, memories and experiences are of the mind, the human spirit. Job 8:32 The breath of life is the spirit in us that animates the fleshly body to be a soul. When Adam disobeyed GOD then sin entered the world, it did not exist prior to that time. Satan then acquired the dominion GOD had given to Adam previously and now is the god of this world. Christ took that dominion back but has not yet returned to claim it. The human condition of sin, our sinful nature, is not how GOD originally created the first humans, it was acquired by disobeying GOD. Whoever you render yourself a servant to obey is who you will obey and humanity has obeyed their father the Devil and does his works. Our human spirits were defiled. Jesus confirmed this by saying, Mark 7:15-23 what part of us is saved in the day of the Lord Jesus ? 1 Corinthians 5:5 It is our spirits, the spirits of just human beings that are made perfect. Hebrews 12:23 This spiritual defilement can only be healed by the blood of Christ. We partake of the divine nature, the nature of GODS love, and over our lives come out of sin and into righteousness. This process begins at conversion but is completed in the day Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6

The ability to make a choice is not a desire. In scripture, the will means desire/want/intent.

 

[Fervent]

If someone must say, "I would, but then he would," his will is not free.

Sure it is, he has just chosen the limits of consequences he is willing to face. He still freely wills whether or not to engage in the activity.

 

[CoreyD]

The Bible says Adam was not deceived.
Thus Adam acted on his own free will.

Where is the noun, and does this mean you are finished with the discussion and want to spend the remainder of time arguing about a word?
It's better to address the question of whether or not God gave man free will.

 

[CLEEB]

Where is the noun, and does this mean you are finished with the discussion and want to spend the remainder of time arguing about a word?
It's better to address the question of whether or not God gave man free will.

Does GOD force salvation on anyone ? Hebrews 10:26 to willingly, willfully sin after being converted there is no more sacrifice for sins. This describes a person who with knowledge of the truth blasphemes the Holy Spirit , there is no forgiveness. Mark 3:29 This concept of human free will was demonstrated in the free will offering Exodus 35:5 Exodus 25:2-7 this concept was continued in the new covenant, 2 Corinthians 9:7 2 Corinthians 8:3-5 2 Corinthians 8:8 Unless you had a shotgun wedding you married your wife willingly because you truly loved her. In a similar sense we love GOD and our neighbor. True love is given willingly, freely otherwise it is not true. You can’t command anyone to love you they must love you because they want to. Matthew 22:37 GOD IS love, GOD loves us willingly and freely and we are to love HIM back in the same way as well as our neighbor. If true love can’t be understood then free will can’t either

 

[CLEEB]

The Bible is filled with direct commands and choices, which only make sense if the recipient is capable of selecting between alternatives.

"I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life...'

Scripture proves a choice between two trees in Eden. A choice under the law to choose life and live. A choice to count the cost of answering GODS call, again one of life or death. Perhaps this is why many are called but few are chosen. Without free will how would GOD judge us righteously ? Are we condemned to death for reasons we had no part in ? Even though GOD is omniscient this means HE knows all things but HE has not caused all things. Did GOD force Lucifer to rebel ? Did HE force Adam to sin ? Or is it that HE just knew in advance all these things and made them all work together for good in the end ? The father of lies and sin isn’t GOD, it’s Satan . In order for humanity to choose between good and evil the presence of both is required and in this Satan is but a tool GOD uses. In eternity GOD knew before HE created the angels that a third of them would sin against HIM and it would be their free will choice to do so. GOD permitted this angelic sin knowing HE could use these fallen angels in HIS work to make human beings a joint heir with HIS son of all things HE created. GOD has in eternity known all HIS saints even having their names in the Lambs book of life from the foundation of the world. This HE could do because HE knew who would genuinely repent and submit to HIS will and those who would not. GOD has known the free will choices of humanity but did not make them for humanity. GOD planned out HIS salvation with all this in HIS mind. It is extremely important to GOD that we have free will because HE wants us to love HIM with it.

 

[CLEEB]

That is precisely what Paul states:

Adam was not the one deceived, it was the woman who was deceived (1 Tim 2:14).
Adam chose to sin with her.

Because Adam wasn’t deceived and Eve was is proof of free will because if there was no free will their response would have been the same. It shows a difference in wills between Adam and Eve. Why is it so difficult to see that both Adam and Eve did not acquire the knowledge of good and evil until Adam ate the forbidden fruit ? In order to sin you must have the knowledge of good and evil and do the evil instead of the good. James 4:17 Adams sin was unique because it determined the course of humanity our sins do not. Today every man dies for his own sin. Adam and Eve at their creation were not innocent of sin because they were righteous but because they were ignorant.

 

[David Lamb]

Because Adam wasn’t deceived and Eve was is proof of free will because if there was no free will their response would have been the same. It shows a difference in wills between Adam and Eve. Why is it so difficult to see that both Adam and Eve did not acquire the knowledge of good and evil until Adam ate the forbidden fruit ? In order to sin you must have the knowledge of good and evil and do the evil instead of the good. James 4:17 Adams sin was unique because it determined the course of humanity our sins do not. Today every man dies for his own sin. Adam and Eve at their creation were not innocent of sin because they were righteous but because they were ignorant.

But Eve being deceived was before the Fall. Our state by nature since the Fall has been slavery/bondage to sin. That is why we need the Saviour to grant us freedom:

“34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (Joh 8:34-36 NKJV)