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What does “Free Will” mean?

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The problem I see in your theology that does not in any way align with the Scriptures is that you are seeking to shift the blame to others as to why people sin. Even when you sin as a believer, you are not taking responsibility for it and you falsely assume Jesus is covering your sin (When He actually is not). For in order to God to cover future rebellion or sin done against Him, the Lord would have to agree with sin. But that is not possible because God is holy, just, and good. Ask yourself. Are there other responsibilities in your life that you are ignoring? Please do not answer this question. The answer is for yourself. There is a family member I know who always blamed everyone else for his problems instead of looking at himself and owning up that he is responsible. For usually I see the kind of belief you are proposing befitting for people who do not want to own up to their own problems. Maybe this is not the case for you, but you do appear to falsely think Jesus pays for future sin (When no such Scripture verse even remotely teaches such a thing). This is attempting to shift away responsibility and not to own up to anything.

In any event, I say these things not to wound you, but I say these things out of love so as to help you to see what the truth of God's Word says.
 
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"Free will" is a philosophical term. Quoting an ordinary dictionary is unhelpful, you need to quote something like this: Free Will (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

So if we do not have a free will choice, then how can we be judged if we are not really responsible for our own actions? That would be like a master who lightly smacks and yells at his dog (as a form of punishment) who has an uncontrollable pooping problem because it is sick. The dog cannot help but to poop, and yet the master is punishing the poor animal anyways. This is what Calvinism does. It punishes those who have no control but to be what they are. So this is why your theology fails and is totally illogical. Free will choice is what allows man to be responsible for his own sinful actions at a judgment. You take free will away, and you make either God responsible or something or someone else (Thereby shifting the blame to others or a thing so as not take responsibility for one's own sin).
 
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bling

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That's a strange theory. It seems to imply that God is in time.



Yes, but they must be compatibilist free will choices, not libertarian free will choices.
God is both in and outside of time.

No libertarian free will choice.
 
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Radagast

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So if we do not have a free will choice

Nobody is denying free will. It is the kind of free will that is being debated.

This is what Calvinism does.

You are misrepresenting Calvinism.

And how was your response at all relevant to what I'd said, anyway?

"Free will" is a philosophical term. Quoting an ordinary dictionary is unhelpful, you need to quote something like this: Free Will (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
 
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bling

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I would think God did have "ultimate free will", but is all the more glorious because God chooses to only do good.
 
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bling

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I agree, but you might add: Man's first objective is and has been always to obtain Godly type Love since God cannot program that Love into people without their permission.
 
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bling

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OK good verses.
 
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bling

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I have been all those soils at different times in my life. I feel God draws all mature adults until they reach the point they will never accept His pure charity as charity.
 
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Radagast

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Answer the questions will lead to my definition.

Well, no, actually.

There has been a lot written about free will over the centuries, and only a few self-consistent viewpoints are possible.

And most of your questions are meaningless, because they relate to a thing called "autonomous free will," which you refuse to define (and the ice-cream question I have already answered).
 
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bling

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Perhaps in the same way that I can predict with perfect accuracy that certain plot points will happen every time you play through a video game.
Playing a game is like choosing an ice-cream, which is not like denying Christ three and only three different time in one night.
 
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bling

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God does not need to play games with us "testing" us, but provides opportunities for us the help us fulfill our earthly objective.
 
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bling

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Sorry, I did poorly in English,
 
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bling

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OK
 
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bling

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Good,
 
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Maria Billingsley

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childeye 2

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I can appreciate your attention to the matter of taking responsibility rather than shifting blame upon others. This does happen, sometimes deliberately and sometimes mistakenly. Having said that, I still see vanity as the problem even in those incidents. And since you are forthright enough to speak the truth of your concerns for me in a loving manner, perhaps I can address them in this post.

The problem I see in your theology is that it does not in any way align with the Scriptures in that you are seeking to shift the blame to others as to why people sin.
I agree that we will not find any scripture saying to shift blame to someone else for what you do. But nor is their any scripture saying to have no understanding and show no mercy because no one is decieved.

You mentioned in another post about God being blamed for sin if we do not take ownership for sin. This indicates that you believe that someone ultimately must be blamed.

The theology I study and which is borne out through psycho-semantics, focuses on how it is possible for shortcomings to occur due to circumstantial causes that no one should be blamed for, and subsequently require that there be grace through faith. I further would add that with a little distrust, misunderstanding, and some do it to them before they do it to you, these shortcomings can escalate and even be turned into all out war. Particularly if their is a spiritual entity cunning enough who could turn a personal profit by playing each side against the middle. For we all struggle to understand how evil is happening in the creation if God the Creator is Perfect? Let's not forget that Satan is both the tempter and the accuser of whom he tempts. He therefore must be playing the ends against the middle.

So while it is necessary to admit that there is a level of complicity involved, that is not near as important as understanding why. Saying they did it because they have a free will is simply a sentiment that invents a justification to blame through a form of circular reasoning, (He meant to do it because he could have not). Such an abuse of semantics such as free will, does not inspire any understanding and mercy, because it subverts such gracious and faithful virtues into either hypocritically trying to shift blame, or naively enabling and even sanctioning sin. Hence there are the foundations of authoritarian and libertarian ideologies.

Therefore it is also irresponsible and shifting blame to not admit that Eve was beguiled into sinning by the serpent. I'm saying she was tricked by someone smarter than her, and you're talking as if she could have helped it. Again, let's not forget that Satan is not just the tempter but also the accuser of those whom he tempts. His entire demeanor is full of distrust, without any grace through faith, and only contempt for others through glorification of self. May the simple truth in Christ of Love others as our self rule in our reasoning.

So let us examine the Truth revealed in scripture. Adam and Eve both confessed what they had done. I study semantics and they say to me that it is not possible that they could have purposed to be complicit in choosing to do evil, even because they were tricked into believing they were somehow the victims of an injustice. Moreover, scripture does not say that Adam and Eve were shifting blame and the report of scripture does not include any correction from God to either one of them concerning this, Whose perfect will would have been remiss if that were the case.

So you need to ask yourself why you think people are not tricked into sinning, because such psycho-semantics in your thoughts and words indicate that you think sin is something you wish you could get to do. In other words you project in your judgment that no one needs to trick you into doing it, because you would volunteer. Of course, I believe that is not true and would intercede for you by testifying that you don't see this.

And this is how Satan is beguiling people through a free will theology, even though they are completely blind to His psychological manipulation. You're so focused on the disobedience as the problem and concerned with your own self image of taking responsibility, that you do not see that the real sin is accepting a hidden premise that God is a treacherous lying tyrant keeping good things from us. That is a slander of God that becomes repeated in the subconscious every time it is taught that Adam and Eve knew exactly what they were doing. The semantics show that where there is a rebellious spirit towards God, there is this same false and corrupt image of god.

That's right, Eve had to be tricked, even because God is not a treacherous lying tyrant. And if God were to punish people for believing that, or not allow such a thought, it would only serve to enforce that belief. Such is the cunning of Satan's schemes.

Hence the lesson to be learned from the incident is not: "admit you sinned and don't claim you were deceived or misled, and thereby you will be a stand up person taking responsibility with courage and honesty". Nor is it an authoritarian ideology of "do not disobey God because He will punish you".

The lesson is:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Ephes
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
ians 6:10-18


2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Romans 7:11,
For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

Romans 7:20
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Maybe this is not the case for you, but you do appear to falsely think Jesus pays for future sin (When no such Scripture verse even remotely teaches such a thing). This is attempting to shift away responsibility and not to own up to anything.
Let's examine what I said: Well I think if we are truly sorry for what wrongs we do, then we will seek to atone. Jesus said that one act of Love covers a multitude of sins, and those forgiven much do Love much.
The sentiment above is meant to express that we should atone for what we do wrong through acts of Love including forgiving others, if in fact we are sorry. There is no sentiment indicating shifting blame.

I do not think blaming is productive. Jesus paid for our sins to fulfill the requirement of the law and yet he did not deserve punishment. We must all seek to have the mind of Christ.

The above sentiment only points out that Jesus died a substitutionary death on our behalf according to the requirement of the law so that we may be set free from the bondage and born through the promise. In other words he was innocent of sin and yet he took the blame. For elsewhere it is said that he became sin so that we could become the righteousness of God. It does not imply that he pays for my sins since we are not under the law.
 
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