First of all, thanks for your response. It would be helpful if you could explain to me what it is you think I don't understand. It's a waste of time to make blank assertions where I have to guess why you think that.
I've responded to most all of your posts; I do have other things I need to do so my time is limited. It takes a long time for me to write a post and deal with all the miscommunication. There are a few questions that I have not answered just because they proceed into futile directions of discourse and are more or less not asking the right questions.
I can't speak for
@Clare73. But speaking for myself, yes, I have a problem with the philosophical definition of free will: Here is why: I testify to God The Father and to His Son, His Christ Jesus, and to the Holy Spirit of Truth.
In that capacity, I am pointing out how the pragmatics of scripture shows that if we acknowledge God as Truth, and His Christ as the living Word, then in the moral/immoral context of good and evil, speaking of ‘choosing God’ reduces Him to a mere option. This is a false premise, because God is not an alternative among moral immoral choices, but the power in the soul that does what is right without deliberation. The language of “choosing God” misrepresents His nature.
“I’ve understood for a long time that what people call ‘free will’ doesn’t capture the truth of Scripture. God’s Spirit is the power that makes righteousness possible, not human choice. I see this confirmed again and again in passages like John 1:13 and Philippians 2:13.”
John 1:12–13 – “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the power to become children of God,
who were born,
not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Romans 9:16 –
“So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”
Philippians 2:13 – “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
Hebrews 13:20–21 – “Now may the God of peace… equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight.”
James 1:18 – “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
Galatians 2:20 – “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
Romans 8:10–11 – “If Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He… will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Galatians 5:22–23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
John 14:16–17 –
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper… even the Spirit of truth… You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
2 Corinthians 3:17–18 –
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom… we are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
I truly appreciate your candor above, and you've earned a measure of respect from me for saying "I'm guessing you had this argument before, and
you don't want to admit you are wrong". Now listen carefully so that you intend to understand me as you would want to be understood.
I didn't choose to give you respect, which is why I say
you earned it.
I couldn't choose to not admit you have earned respect without being a liar. I don't have a choice in all honesty before God, because you are being honest and truth is a power. I have to respect that
a good brother will tell me when they think I'm wrong because they care about me,
I respect that.
It doesn't mean you're correct. So, in respect of your honesty please don't get defensive about what I am about to say, and please evaluate my words on a factual basis according to scripture:
You did NOT slander me because you said, "
I'm guessing". But this thought about me --> "You don't want to admit your wrong" is the devil talking in your mind. Devil=accuser slanderer.
Devil= accuser/slanderer.
Slander is when you hear, believe, and spread bad things about others without proof. I said you did NOT slander me, so I'm just pointing out that a consistent form of wickedness that manifests in scripture is WANTING TO BELIEVE BAD THINGS ABOUT OTHERS.
In the carnal mind, entertaining slander causes a person to feel lifted up in themselves through the sense that they are looking down upon others. If you don't see that what I am saying ABOUT SLANDER is true according to scripture, then you won't see how the devil is first and foremost, as the father of lies, an accuser/slanderer in scripture. Bottom-line: If you end up believing this about me ->"
you don't want to admit you are wrong", you will have a different spirit living in you, then if you believe, "
Maybe he knows something I don't see". Which spirit do you think is grace through faith and which one is slander?
