Seen this on another thread. Iraneus sums it all up pretty well
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Here’s what Iranaeus had to say on this very subject in His writing Adversus Haereses written in 170AD. Book 4 Chapter 37
1. This expression [of our Lord], How often would I have gathered your children together, and you would not,
Matthew 23:37 set forth the ancient law of
human liberty, because God made man a free [agent] from the beginning, possessing his own power, even as he does his own
soul, to
obey the behests (
ad utendum sententia) of God voluntarily, and not by compulsion of
God. For there is no coercion with
God, but a good will [towards us] is present with Him continually. And therefore does He give good counsel to all. And in man, as well as in
angels, He has placed the power of choice (for
angels are rational beings), so that those who had yielded
obedience might
justlypossess what is
good, given indeed by
God, but preserved by themselves. On the other hand, they who have not
obeyed shall, with
justice, be not found in possession of the
good, and shall receive condign punishment: for God did kindly bestow on them what was
good; but they themselves did not diligently keep it, nor deem it something precious, but poured contempt upon His super-eminent goodness. Rejecting therefore the
good, and as it were spuing it out, they shall all deservedly incur the just judgment of
God, which also the
Apostle Paul testifies in his Epistle to the Romans, where he says, But do you despise the riches of His goodness, and patience, and long-suffering, being
ignorantthat the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and impenitent heart, you store to yourself
wrath against the day of
wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of
God.But
glory and
honour, he says, to every one that does good. God therefore has given that which is
good, as the apostle tells us in this Epistle, and they who work it shall receive
gloryand
honour, because they have done that which is
good when they had it in their power not to do it; but those who do it not shall receive the just judgment of
God, because they did not work good when they had it in their power so to do.
2. But if some had been made by nature bad, and others good, these latter would not be deserving of praise for being good, for such were they created; nor would the former be reprehensible, for thus they were made [originally]. But since all
men are of the same nature, able both to hold fast and to do what is
good; and, on the other hand, having also the power to cast it from them and not to do it — some do
justly receive praise even among
menwho are under the control of good
laws(and much more from God), and obtain deserved testimony of their choice of good in general, and of persevering therein; but the others are blamed, and receive a
justcondemnation, because of their rejection of what is fair and good. And therefore the
prophets used to exhort men to what was
good, to act
justly and to work righteousness, as I have so largely demonstrated, because it is in our power so to do, and because by excessive negligence we might become forgetful, and thus stand in need of that good counsel which the good God has given us to
know by means of the
prophets.
3. For this reason the Lord also said, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
deeds, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 And, Take heed to yourselves, lest perchance your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and
drunkenness, and worldly cares.
Luke 21:34 And, Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning, and you like men that wait for their Lord, when He returns from the wedding, that when He comes and knocks, they may open to Him. Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when He comes, shall find so doing.
Luke 12:35-36 And again, The servant who
knows his Lord's will, and does it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luke 12:47 And, Why call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luke 6:46And again, But if the servant say in his heart, The Lord delays, and begin to beat his fellow-servants, and to eat, and drink, and to be drunken, his Lord will come in a day on which he does not expect Him, and shall cut him in sunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites.
Luke 12:45-46;
Matthew 24:48-51All such passages demonstrate the independent will of
man, and at the same time the counsel which
God conveys to him, by which He exhorts us to submit ourselves to Him, and seeks to turn us away from [the
sin of] unbelief against Him, without, however, in any way coercing us.
4. No
doubt, if any one is unwilling to follow the
Gospel itself, it is in his power [to reject it], but it is not expedient. For it is in man's power to disobey
God, and to forfeit what is
good; but [such conduct] brings no small amount of injury and mischief. And on this account
Paul says, All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient;
1 Corinthians 6:12 referring both to the liberty of
man, in which respect all things are lawful, God exercising no compulsion in regard to him; and [by the expression] not expedient pointing out that we should not use our liberty as a cloak of maliciousness,
1 Peter 2:16 for this is not expedient. And again he says, Speak every man
truth with his neighbour.
Ephesians 4:25 And, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor scurrility, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks.
Ephesians 4:29 And, For you were sometimes darkness, but now are you light in the Lord; walk honestly as children of the light, not in rioting and
drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in
anger and jealousy. And such were some of you; but you have been washed, but you have been sanctified in the name of our Lord.
1 Corinthians 6:11 If then it were not in our power to do or not to do these things, what reason had the apostle, and much more the Lord Himself, to give us counsel to do some things, and to abstain from others? But because man is possessed of
free will from the beginning, and God is possessed of
free will, in whose likeness man was created, advice is always given to him to keep fast the
good, which thing is done by means of
obedience to
God.
5. And not merely in works, but also in
faith, has God preserved the
will of man free and under his own control, saying, According to your
faithbe it unto you;
Matthew 9:29 thus showing that there is a
faith specially belonging to
man, since he has an opinion specially his own. And again, All things are possible to him that
believes;
Mark 9:23 and, Go your way; and as you have
believed, so be it done unto you.
Matthew 8:13 Now all such expressions demonstrate that man is in his own power with respect to
faith. And for this reason, he that
believes in Him has
eternal life while he who
believes not the Son has not
eternal life, but the
wrath of God shall remain upon him.
John 3:36In the same manner therefore the Lord, both showing His own goodness, and indicating that man is in his own
free will and his own power, said to Jerusalem, How often have I wished to gather your children together, as a hen [gathers] her chickens under her wings, and you would not! Wherefore your house shall be left unto you desolate.
Matthew 23:37-38
CHURCH FATHERS: Against Heresies, IV.37 (St. Irenaeus) "