IS THE WILL OF HUMANS CONTROLLED BY GOD?
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There is a difference between God declaring what He know will happen, vs. Calvinism's understanding on God whereby He declares all things are to be decreed to take place by His highest form of will (both good and bad). Acts of the Apostles 2:23 talks about the foreknowledge of God. This means having future knowledge. Nothing here about how God forced men to do evil or good.
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Free Will in the Bible:
#1. Joshua 24:15 KJV -
"Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve"
#2. Matthew 11:28 KJV -
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
#3. John 7:17 KJV -
"If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God."
#4. John 7:37 KJV -
"If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink."
#5. Acts 2:38 KJV -
"Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized"
#6. Acts 3:19 KJV -
"Repent therefore and be converted"
#7. Acts 16:31 KJV -
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved"
#8. Acts 17:30 KJV -
"but now commands all men everywhere to repent"
#9. Revelation 22:17 KJV -
"Whoever wills, let him take the water of life freely."
#10. Genesis 4:7 KJV -
"If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."
#11. Revelation 22:17 KJ2
"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
#12. Luke 13:34 NLT -
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me.
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ICONO'CLAST
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Exactly there are no versus there because the Bible nowhere speaks of man having a free will you you're given vs no one is saying man doesn't choose and no one is not saying that man doesn't believe
what we're saying is there's no one not one verse that says man has a free will Jesus told those in John 8 that their Will was bound by sin
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timothyu
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Most animals reason. That is free will. Man's reason/will is tainted by self awareness which none of the other critters have. That self awareness is what gives us the knowledge of good and evil which is misused by mankind. Hence our will is bound by sin and sin is self determining what is good and evil.
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Kermos
God is the Potter, and we are the clay.
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The passage written by Paul in Romans chapter nine serves multiple purposes; specifically, the progression of the chapter is very clear, and here it is:
A - The early part of God's plan revealed.
B - Individual salvation completely dependent on God with NO work by man in salvation.
C - The grafting of the Gentiles into Israel, but Paul does not out leave individual salvation.
D - The final sentence of the chapter returning to individual salvation "HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED" (Romans 9:33).
When Paul wrote of "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" (Romans 9:13) there Paul is about the actual individuals, that is Jacob and Esau the inheritance of whom became known as Edom. I can write "heritage" for Esau because this all refers back to Malachi 1:2-3 where the Word of God states:
2 "I have loved you," says the LORD. But you say, "How have You loved us?" "[Was] not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the LORD. "Yet I have loved Jacob;
3 but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and [appointed] his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness."
Thus, the Word of God focuses on the individuals of Jacob and Esau then moves on to the the inheritance rapidly.
In both Romans 9:13 and Malachi 1:2 the name Jacob is used - not the newer name of Israel but the first name of Jacob because this refers to the individuals in this instance.
While Paul writes of Israel and Gentiles in Romans 9:30-33, that does not negate that Paul wrote of individual salvation in Romans 9:11-23 becuase Paul starts off the passage about the twins, the individuals, with these words "for though [the twins] were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to [His] choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls" (Romans 9:11).
Of individuals, Paul writes "it [does] not [depend] on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy" (Romans 9:16).
Carnal man rejects God with the cry "Why did you make me like this" just as Paul wrote in Romans 9:20.
Behold the passage about individual salvation that Paul wrote "who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And [He did so] to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory" (Romans 9:20-23).
Paul writes of some individuals with "vessels of wrath prepared for destruction" (Romans 9:22).
Paul writes of some individuals with "vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory" (Romans 9:23).
God is the Potter, and we are the clay (Romans 9:20-23, Isaiah 64:8).
As a result, Paul agrees with Lord Jesus that claimed free will choice toward Jesus is rebellion against God for the Word of God says "you did not choose Me, but I chose you" (John 15:16).
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Kermos
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EXAMINING JOSHUA 24:15
Joshua tells the Israelites to choose between two error doctrines/false gods (Joshua 24:15).
You left MUCH SCRIPTURE out of your citation which results in twisted and distorted scripture. Joshua NEVER states that the people can choose the One True God - Joshua only presents the people with two choices false gods on one side of the river or the other false gods. Here is the entire quote "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).
There is no free will choosing toward Jesus in Joshua 24:15.
EXAMINING MATTHEW 11:28
"Come to Me" is a command (Matthew 11:28).
A command does not convey ability.
Jesus expresses ability in with "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me" (John 6:37).
God, at God's discretion, imparts ability into we believers to follow God's commands.
You cannot do what is pleasing to God (Romans 8:8) such as obey God's commands (John 6:37, Matthew 11:28) unless God chooses you (John 15:16) - not you choosing God!
There is no free will choosing toward Jesus in Matthew 11:28.
EXAMINING JOHN 7:17
The Greek word thele translates to the English "desires"; therefore, the English word "willing" in the KJV misrepresents the meaning of Lord Jesus' words.
Jesus did not say "choose" as in "choose to do His will", no, He said "desire".
Jesus said "If anyone desires to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or [whether] I speak from Myself" (John 7:17).
Jesus said "apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5); therefore, the "desire" mentioned in John 7:17 is fruit of being in Jesus.
There is no free will choosing toward Jesus in John 7:17.
EXAMINING JOHN 7:37
You left MUCH SCRIPTURE out of your citation which results in twisted and distorted scripture, again.
The Apostle John's words where he wrote of Lord Jesus' words about the Living Water of God with the immersion of us believers about the Spirit of God: "Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, "From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water."' But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive" (John 7:37-39).
That "If anyone is thirsty" is a conditional logic statement, so it does not convey ability apart from the working of God.
A person receives the Holy Spirit by God causing us believers to be born from above, that is, born again.
Jesus clearly expouses this with "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
There is no free will choosing toward Jesus in John 7:37.
EXAMINING ACTS 2:38
"Peter [said] to them, 'Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.'" (Acts 2:38-39, this was Peter's response after the people who were pierced to the heart by Peter's proclamation inquired "Brethren, what shall we do?" in Acts 2:14-37)
Peter issued the command "think differently from now on" (repent) and the command "be immersed in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins".
Repentance is the work of God in us believers, behold these scriptures:
BIBLE CITATION: For the sorrow that is according to [the will] [of] God produces a repentance without regret, [leading] to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10).
The Apostle Paul did not write "sorrow that is according to your free will" - no he did NOT - the Apostle Paul ascribed to God that which is rightly God's - Godly sorrow leading to repentance to salvation!
BIBLE CITATION: Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? (Romans 2:4).
Notice that rebuke of people that despise repentance being from God!
BIBLE CITATION: When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life." (Acts 11:18)
See that God grants repentance.
BIBLE CITATION: I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:9-10)
BIBLE CITATION: with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, (2 Timothy 2:25)
God grants repentance; therefore, repentance is not a work conjured up by man nor by man's "free choice".
Repent is not a work of man. Repent is the work of God in man.
There is no free will choosing toward Jesus in Acts 2:38.
EXAMINING ACTS 3:19
Acts 3:19 is like Acts 2:38 for it's mention of "repent", so see the exegisis of Acts 2:38 above.
Conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit. Conversion is not a work of man.
There is no free will choosing toward Jesus in Acts 3:19.
EXAMINING ACTS 16:31
They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." (Acts 16:31)
Lord Jesus tells us where the "Believe" in "Believe in the Lord Jesus" comes. for Lord Jesus says "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29).
The very "believe" in Acts 16:31 is reference to the "work of God" in us believers. Faith/belief is the work of God, not of man (John 6:29, Ephesians 2:8-10).
There is no free will choosing toward Jesus in Acts 16:31.
EXAMINING ACTS 17:30
"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all [people] everywhere should repent" (Acts 17:30).
A command does not convey ability.
There is no free will choosing toward Jesus in Acts 17:30.
EXAMINING REVELATION 22:17
ho thelon labeto hydor zoes dorean (Greek Revelation 22:17)
the desiring receive water of-life gratuitously (English word for word from Greek Revelation 22:17)
let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost (NASB Revelation 22:17)
Grammatical constructs:
- ho is the direct object which translates to English as "the" which is not an indirect object.
- thelon is a verb.
- labeto a form of lambano both being a verb which carries not only "receive" but also "to be siezed by"
- the Greek word "hos" which translates to English as "who" is absent.
- the Greek word "pas" which translates to English as "every" is absent.
The word "ho"/"the" negates the possibility for the word whosoever whatsoever, for example "the whosoever" fails as nonsensical grammatically. There is NO "whosoever" in the passage of Revelation 22:17, in point of fact, this sounds much more like a promise with "the desiring receive water of-life gratuitously" (English word for word from Greek Revelation 22:17)!
Behold, "whosoever" is not there implicitly nor explictly. Free willers try to use "whosoever" as a promiscuos and permissive word.
In reality, the NASB translation is very close with "let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost" (Revelation 22:17) for which two Greek words translate to English as "the one who wishes" or "the one desiring" or "the one wanting" or "the desiring" or "the wanting", that context of Revelation 22:17 is attraction; moreover, when the Apostle John's words in Revelation 22:17 are taken in accord with Lord Jesus' words of "apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5) thus there is no promiscuos and permissive sense, so a person cannot "desire" the water of life without the Lord Jesus!
Regardless, this is NOT about salvation since a person cannot "choose" Lord Jesus because Lord Jesus said "you did not choose Me, but I chose you" (John 15:16), so "the desiring" mentioned in Revelation 22:17 are already chosen/elect by Lord Jesus.
There is no free will choosing toward Jesus in Revelation 22:17.
EXAMINING GENESIS 4:7
A practical example from Scripture is the account of Cain and Abel.
"Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not [your countenance] be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:6-7)
God did not say that Cain "could" do anything.
The conditional logic statement does not indicate ability for Cain, rather the conditional logic statement indicates an action.
We know that Cain's action was to "not do well" because it is written "Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him" (Genesis 4:8).
Action. Not choice. Not decision. But action is written.
There is no free will choosing toward Jesus in Genesis 4:7.
EXAMINING LUKE 13:34
Here are the recorded words of Lord Jesus by Luke, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [the city] that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen [gathers] her brood under her wings, and you would not [have it]!" (Luke 13:34).
The Apostle Matthew 23:37 also recorded Jesus' words about "the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings", and here is the unadulterated words of Jesus the Lord:
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." (Matthew 23:37)
In Matthew 23:37, the Lord Jesus said "you were unwilling"; moreover, He did not say "you had the willpower to gather your children but you chose not to gather your children". It does not follow that the verse can be read as the people of Jerusalem had the free will/choice to have their children gathered together; therefore, Matthew 23:37 does not support freewill/choice/human agency. In the self same verse, Lord Jesus said that they fought against Him, so to speak, as opposed to fighting for Him - recall the Apostle Matthew recorded the Lord Jesus saying "He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters." (Matthew 12:28). They were in bondage to captivity of the world for Lord Jesus said "you were unwilling". A person can only be saved by the intervention of the Almighty God named the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is to His glory.
There is no free will choosing toward Jesus in Luke 13:34 nor Matthew 23:37.
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The great wind, fish to swallow, fish to vomit, gourd, worm, east wind to dry up the hours were all predetermined by God. How do you say the text doesn't support predeterminism?
It is not written Jonah freely chose to refuse to go to Nineveh. So you read into the text as well.
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Romans 9:33 "As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed".
Romans 9 is written to the NT church and is all about faith in Christ the Rock of offence.
Perhaps Arminius taught you wrongly.
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This question is about God's foreknowledge.
Does God foreknow a person's sin from His eternity past?
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If God does not desire the death of the one who refuses to believe, what is the need to harden his heart?
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Romans 9:29 "And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha".
The seed or the remnant were the predestined elect of God.
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When God prevents a person from sinning & not prevents another from sinning, it is simply evident that He has predetermined the other to sin to fulfil His eternal plan.
Bible never says God prevented only Abimelech from sinning. That is your false assumption.
Now, if you had no knowledge of good and evil inherited from Eve in Eden, you simply cannot differentiate between sinful & good acts.
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"You" is different from "jerusalem (Jewish leaders)". "You" is not "jerusalem". Let it sink in deep in you.
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Romans 9 :29 "And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha".
Does "seed" refer to all the Israelites?
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1 Peter 1:18-20 doesn't say God foreknew redemption. It rather says He predetermined redemption.
Why are you digressing from predeterminism to foreknowledge when the verse doesn't talk about foreknowledge?
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If God controls human will to fulfil His plan how could everyone repent & believe?
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If humans have a will which is free, is there assurance it will agree with God's will & is there assurance of God's plan being fulfilled?
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