IS THE WILL OF HUMANS CONTROLLED BY GOD?

[Kermos]

Self-willed people not only claim to be able to choose Jesus in opposition to Jesus's words of "you did not choose Me, but I chose you" (John 15:16) and "I chose you out of the world" (John 15:19), but they go from bad to worse by claiming that they have the power to snatch themselves out of Jesus' hands in their opposition to Jesus' words about His sheep "they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:28). We sheep of Jesus have assurance of secuirty in the Hand of God for Jesus, Lord and God (John 20:28) promises "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day" (John 6:39). Lord Jesus says "He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day" (John 12:48).

There is no level that a person can choose Lord Jesus because He said "you did not choose Me, but I chose you" (John 15:16) - Jesus, being God, did not provide any exception for choosing toward Jesus. Lord Jesus speaks to all believers in all time because He also said "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word" (John 17:20)! All these words of Jesus are at the same supper! All glory is God's! With man, salvation is impossible (Matthew 19:25-26)! All glory in the salvation of man is God's (John 15:5, Isaiah 42:8, Psalm 3:8)!

 

[Kermos]

Hi @renniks,

Phrase reduction can help with clarity, so now is the time to apply it to Philemon 1:14.

A. The phrase reduction outlined guidelines and steps:

1. maintain original sentence denotation for remaining phrases.

2. implement minimal sentence impact.

3. retain phrase "of your own free will".

4. eliminate phrase "by compulsion".

5. eliminate the conjunction "but" linking the phrases "by compulsion" and "of your own free will".

6. the conjunction "but" eliminatation requires the elimination of the "not" adjacent to "in effect".
​

B. For clarity sake, here is the resultant phrase reduction:

"but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would be, in effect, of your own free will" (Philemon 1:14).
​

C. Nonetheless, the actual scripture is:

"but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will" (Philemon 1:14).
​

This post binds with the the Apostle Paul wrote of "free will" as illusory in Philemon 1:14 post in this thread.

The "in effect"(NASB)/"as it were"(KJV) makes "by your own free will" the illusory element since "in effect"/"as it were" means "as if it were so".

TRUTH IS, PHILEMON 1:14 IS THE ONLY MENTION OF "FREE WILL" IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, AND THE MENTION BY THE APOSTLE PAUL IS ILLUSORY.

There is no level that a person can choose Lord Jesus because He said "you did not choose Me, but I chose you" (John 15:16) - Jesus, being God, did not provide any exception for choosing toward Jesus. Lord Jesus speaks to all believers in all time because He also said "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word" (John 17:20)! All these words of Jesus are at the same supper! All glory is God's! With man, salvation is impossible (Matthew 19:25-26)! All glory in the salvation of man is God's (John 15:5, Isaiah 42:8, Psalm 3:8)!