IS THE HUMAN WILL FREE TO CHOOSE JESUS?
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Not as defined by the majority of Christianity.
Rather than "hell" being pointless eternal torment with no hope of escape, I believe it will be corrective and restorative. (the long-term plan)
How do we view a person positionally if they declare that Jesus Christ is Lord? Is that person lost or saved? Can a person even make such a declaration without the indwelling Spirit? (no they can't - see 1Co.12:3 below) What does the Bible tell us will happen eventually? See scriptures below. Note: "under the earth" (Phil.2:10 below) is a reference to the realm of the dead. (hades/sheol)
Philippians 2:10-11
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
1 Corinthians 12:3
Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says,
“Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14:9
For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that
he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
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- Jul 2, 2018
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As pertains to the topic, and in reference to my post above (#202), I believe our human will follows us into the afterlife. We know that Lucifer had a free will to choose to rebel against God. Was he alone in that ability? (doubtful) He also took a third of the angels with him. Most likely by their own free will.
I believe there will be a conditional opportunity to choose Jesus even then in the afterlife. But judgment will proceed such an opportunity. Every idle comment will be answered for. Thus the weeping and gnashing of teeth. Imagine having your full human history laid bare. Having every thought and intention examined and corrected.
Obviously, settling this issue on this side of the afterlife is preferred. The atonement applied to everyone. When and how it is received is another thing.
1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
1 John 2:2
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
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Disciple of Jesus
I don’t think being righteous means that one is perfect. For example:
"Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn't even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 18:10-14
In that the tax collector was counted righteous, because he had the right understanding, he knew he had done wrongly and regretted it.
But, this doesn’t mean I am righteous. I think in this case it is irrelevant am I righteous or not, because it doesn’t change what the Bible tells. Bible tells eternal life is for righteous, so one must be righteous to have eternal life, if we believe what the Bible tells.
Also, I don’t think “… in order to earn eternal life for us…” is really Biblical teaching, or how would you support that with the Bible?
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If that's true, who can be saved?
Romans 3:10
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
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- Oct 10, 2011
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God cannot know everything and free will truly exist, and that is your conundrum...
It is resolved in and with the true Trinity...
God Bless!
It is resolved in and with the true Trinity...
God Bless!
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Also you have to know what "hell" truly is also... and that those meant for it, were, or never really were meant to be or become truly conscious and/or self-aware, or truly "alive" in the first place ever... temporary programs/people meant for a temporary purpose living a temporary existence, involving those who are not or were never meant to only be only that, etc, like they (those others) are, etc...
These people, if they do experience if but for only a moment, a very fleeting moment of being or becoming truly conscious, or experiencing a very fleeting moment of true "self- awareness", or a moment of "true self-awareness", are like a man looking into a mirror and then walking away instantly forgetting what kind of person they were or are that was revealed or was shown to them in that mirror, etc, and walk away and instantly "forget" and go back to following the ways of the world, and being a part of it's collective temporary consciousness, and to being "only temporary constructs/programs/people" again, and never ever come to a full knowledge or understanding of the truth, and not and never were (or never were meant to be or become) truly "alive" in the first place, etc... They follow the prearranged program for them, belonging to the world, and never get or break free from it ever, and stay that way forever, or are only ever really meant for just here only ever, etc, at all ever, ect...
God Bless!
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Was tax collector righteous by faith or righteous by his works?
Do you have assurance you'll have eternal life?
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Only those who truly become self-aware and are predestined to remain that way, and not just continually forget, going back to the ways of the world and it's consciousness that is perishing, etc... anyway... only those who truly become self-aware and are predestined to remain that way, ever truly have, or are ever truly faced with an eternal life or death choice decision, but one which the true Father God already knows already yes, but, anyway, and, "the rest" are not... and never were, or really ever did, ever truly have that choice or decision to make... or even ever really ever had the ability even to make that or this choice or decision ever, etc... not ever being predestined by the true Father God with being faced with it or that ever, etc, (due to or contingent upon self-awareness and remaining that way, etc)... but/and "they" (the latter ones) were also predestined (just not for heaven) and all for them was already decided by the true Father God from before the founding or beginning of the world, or this world/reality/existence, "also", etc... His purposes for them are different from the rest of ours, etc... But He predestined, or does or always did predestine, both, etc...
It is really "too bad" that many of you don't truly know the Holy Spirit and who He is, and who He was, and who He is now, etc, after Christ, etc...
Just really too bad and so very sad... Seems that revelation or revealing can only come from the true Father God alone, and by someone who knows Him or that One also, etc...
God Bless!
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Free will is a perspective or point of view, and from the point of view from the One who always did always fully know all, there isn't any...
But from "others perspectives", like with possibly other members of the Trinity, and the Angels and such, especially in the past, there is or was...
Whether they still see it that way still "now" or not, I do not know, but they used to see us (and themselves) as having "choice", or having "a choice", or as making "choices", etc...
And like I said, whether they still see it that now still or not, I do not know...
God Bless!
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This is why we have so much, especially in the OT, where it seems like God the Spirit is almost begging us to choose differently, to choose rightly, but were we ever really capable of that or not, etc...?
That is the question...?
And are we or any of us now capable of that, etc...?
Like I said, that is the question...
The question that probably only the Father God alone fully knows or always knew always, etc...
God Bless!
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I am of the opinion that some few of us are, but all way too many of us are just "not", etc...
But that is just my opinion...
My take, my own point of view, etc...
God Bless!
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And are we "better than they"...? Not by any means, since such is all only by the true Father God's own predestining and "His own free will" or His own predestining or perspective or point of view, etc...
Some might even say we could possibly be even more cursed, etc...
Just depends, etc...
And depends not upon us, but Him and Him alone...
Does He not have the full and exclusive right to what He wants, and "whatever He wants", with (all of) His own things...?
God Bless!
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Neither of those. The Tax collector had righteous mind, which came visible in that he knew he has done wrongly and regretted it and was sorry. That also showed he was faithful to God in that he kept what God has said, even though he had not lived as he should have. The tax collector didn’t reject God and that means he was faithful to God, even though he had done things wrongly. Righteousness doesn’t come by what person does, because it is like right understanding. Person can get right understanding by hearing what Jesus said. And if person has that right understanding, he is faithful/loyal to God and it will come visible in actions.
I think this is irrelevant for the topic. What I am doesn’t change what the Bible teaches. And I think we should focus on the words of Jesus and God. And I think Jesus should be our role model, not me.
But if you really want to know, I don’t think I am righteous enough for eternal life. And it is not problem for me, I love truth and God even if I don’t get the eternal life. I know God is good and whatever He does, will be good.
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Disciple of Jesus
I have understood saved means person is saved from the judgment that comes because of sin. Every sinner could be saved form the judgment. But if person doesn’t repent and reject sin and become righteous, it is not useful. The forgiveness of sins, or saving, gives a new beginning. But if you after that return to sin, it is not useful. That is why I think Jesus said:
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you."
John 5:14
She said, "No one, Lord." Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more."
John 8:11
But I understand this can feel bad, especially if one has wrong idea of what sin means. Sin is basically the opposite of righteous. And righteous person lives because he is faithful/loyal to God. that I think means, righteous person does not reject God in any situation. It is possible that even righteous person does mistakes, but even then, he remains faithful to God and regrets and asks forgiveness. But asking forgiveness is not what makes one righteous. Asking forgiveness is only something that righteous person does, when he understands that he has done wrongly.
But the righteous will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.
Hebrews 10:38
For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
Pro. 24:16
It is good, if you feel bad, when you have done wrongly, it shows you have right understanding. And don’t worry, your wrong doings can be forgiven.
Also, I think it is important to understand, God’s law is in this:
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not give false testimony," "You shall not covet," [TR adds "You shall not give false testimony,"] and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 13:8-10
Everyone who understands that and agrees with it, I would call righteous, even if some times fails in doing that. But, that is just my opinion, I am not the one who is the right person to judge anyone.
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1) So do you exercise faith in Jesus at all?
2) Do you think God has chosen you from before the foundation of the world?
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Disciple of Jesus
I am not God and I can’t tell has God chosen me. And to me faithfulness to Jesus means that I keep his teachings. My goal is to tell people what Jesus taught and I want to live according to the teachings of Jesus. But have I been successful in that, I think that is something that God should tell.
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