An Article on free will

[Johann]

Still does not imply ability.

QUESTION: [similar to several others]: While I was in a Baptist church I heard nothing but “whosoever will may come,” “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” “as many as received Him...”—all of this from man’s standpoint. I don’t remember any emphasis on the sovereignty of God, election, foreknowledge, predestination or the work of the Spirit drawing to salvation. When our Baptist pastor came under the teaching of some Presbyterians and began teaching these things, it caused a stir in our church. I asked, “God, which am I supposed to believe?”

I was helped greatly by Horatius Bonar’s God’s Way of Holiness and by Jonathan Edward’s view of the will. That man has been endowed with a free will by his Creator is undeniable. But what makes the will make its choices? According to Edwards...our choices are determined by what we think is the most desirable....

[But] the mind of the sinner never thinks God to be a good choice....So unless the Spirit of God moves upon the person and the mind is changed through the miracle of the new birth, our mind...will lead us away from God. Yes, Jesus invites us to come to Him (John:7:37
)...but who is it that wills to come? Only...the Father and the Holy Spirit [can] cause...the renewed sinner [to] embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. Even Jesus said, “No man can come to me unless the Father...draws him” (John:6:44
).

In view of this, the controversy between brothers in Christ...could be put to rest....I appreciate your stand for the truth [but] am grieved with the ongoing controversy over Calvinism and the free will of man.

RESPONSE: I respect your earnest concern. Bonar and Edwards were highly esteemed Christian leaders, but the Bible, not any man, is our authority.


You say that God gave us “free will”—but then you ask, “what makes the will make its choices?” If something or someone “makes the will make its choices,” free will is not free. You say that no one has a desire to come to Christ until they are regenerated and “the Father and the Holy Spirit...cause...the renewed sinner to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.” Surely you see the grave contradiction!


If Calvinism is true, God mocks the vast majority of mankind. He calls, “Come unto me,” to those who can’t respond because He doesn’t cause them to come.

Yet He will send them to the Lake of Fire for not coming, even though He could have caused them to come! The literally hundreds of times in the Bible that God calls men to repent and weeps over Israel through His prophets are a further mockery.

And He damns forever in the Lake of Fire for not believing the gospel those who can’t believe unless He regenerates them and gives them the faith—and yet He refuses to do so? Is this the “God” in whom you believe? I hope not.

Of course, God is sovereign and can do whatever He pleases, and we cannot complain. But He assures us that He loves the entire world (Jn:3:16
) and would “have all men to be saved” (1 Tm 2:4). Indeed, “God is love” (1 Jn:4:8
,16). But this Calvinist God damns multitudes He could save. The biblical God does all He can to bring all men to Himself, but each one must choose. Of Israel, He laments, “What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?” (Is 5:4). Jesus wept, “How often would I...and ye would not!” (Lk 13:34).


The word “freewill” appears 17 times in the Old Testament. Calvinists deny free will. They say that only those whom God causes to repent and believe the gospel will do so. Only after He has “regenerated” the sinner can God supposedly, by “irresistible grace,” give him faith to believe. But the Bible says, “Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely” (Rv 22:17).


Calvinism says we must be regenerated before God can cause us to believe.

The Bible says we are regenerated by believing the gospel: “being born again (‘regenerated’)...by the word of God...which by the gospel is preached...” (1 Pt 1:23-25). John writes, “that believing ye might have life [i.e., be regenerated] through his name” (Jn:20:31
). The Bible teaches a new birth through believing the gospel. Calvinism teaches that “regeneration” comes by an act of God before the sinner even believes the gospel. That is clearly not biblical.


This is not “hyper-Calvinism” but the Calvinism of “moderates” such as John MacArthur, R. C. Sproul, John Piper, D. James Kennedy, et al. They say that God loves all men—but has a “different love” toward those for whom Christ didn’t die and does not want in heaven and thus will not regenerate. That is hardly love, which is why we titled my book, What Love Is This? Have you read it? In it I deal with your question in depth. You would benefit from its thorough treatment of the subject.


Does God really want all mankind to be saved (as the Bible says) or just a select elect? Did Christ die for all (as the Bible says) or just for a select group? These are vital questions that deserve our attention. On our radio programs (Search the Scriptures Daily), all available on our website, and in our articles and Q&As of the past 20 years, you won’t find an undue emphasis on Calvinism.


You say I deal with Calvinism too much. Yet you complain that only Calvinists talk about the sovereignty of God, election, foreknowledge, predestination, or the work of the Spirit drawing to salvation. Must we remain silent in the face of false views that are presented on these important subjects? Everywhere I go, Christians tell me that Calvinism is causing confusion and division in increasing numbers of churches.


I appreciate your concern and often tell the staff that I prefer not to mention Calvinism—but we try to answer the questions we are asked. I have attempted to avoid direct reference to Calvinism unless absolutely necessary. Ironically, you have caused me to respond to these things once again.

I don’t remember any emphasis on the sovereignty of God, election, foreknowledge, predestination or the work of the Spirit...

QUESTION: [similar to several others]: While I was in a Baptist church I heard nothing but “whosoever will may come,” “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” “as many as received Him

www.thebereancall.org

J.

 

[Presby02]

QUESTION: [similar to several others]: While I was in a Baptist church I heard nothing but “whosoever will may come,” “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” “as many as received Him...”—all of this from man’s standpoint. I don’t remember any emphasis on the sovereignty of God, election, foreknowledge, predestination or the work of the Spirit drawing to salvation. When our Baptist pastor came under the teaching of some Presbyterians and began teaching these things, it caused a stir in our church. I asked, “God, which am I supposed to believe?”

I was helped greatly by Horatius Bonar’s God’s Way of Holiness and by Jonathan Edward’s view of the will. That man has been endowed with a free will by his Creator is undeniable. But what makes the will make its choices? According to Edwards...our choices are determined by what we think is the most desirable....

[But] the mind of the sinner never thinks God to be a good choice....So unless the Spirit of God moves upon the person and the mind is changed through the miracle of the new birth, our mind...will lead us away from God. Yes, Jesus invites us to come to Him (John:7:37
)...but who is it that wills to come? Only...the Father and the Holy Spirit [can] cause...the renewed sinner [to] embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. Even Jesus said, “No man can come to me unless the Father...draws him” (John:6:44
).

In view of this, the controversy between brothers in Christ...could be put to rest....I appreciate your stand for the truth [but] am grieved with the ongoing controversy over Calvinism and the free will of man.

RESPONSE: I respect your earnest concern. Bonar and Edwards were highly esteemed Christian leaders, but the Bible, not any man, is our authority.


You say that God gave us “free will”—but then you ask, “what makes the will make its choices?” If something or someone “makes the will make its choices,” free will is not free. You say that no one has a desire to come to Christ until they are regenerated and “the Father and the Holy Spirit...cause...the renewed sinner to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.” Surely you see the grave contradiction!


If Calvinism is true, God mocks the vast majority of mankind. He calls, “Come unto me,” to those who can’t respond because He doesn’t cause them to come.

Yet He will send them to the Lake of Fire for not coming, even though He could have caused them to come! The literally hundreds of times in the Bible that God calls men to repent and weeps over Israel through His prophets are a further mockery.

And He damns forever in the Lake of Fire for not believing the gospel those who can’t believe unless He regenerates them and gives them the faith—and yet He refuses to do so? Is this the “God” in whom you believe? I hope not.

Of course, God is sovereign and can do whatever He pleases, and we cannot complain. But He assures us that He loves the entire world (Jn:3:16
) and would “have all men to be saved” (1 Tm 2:4). Indeed, “God is love” (1 Jn:4:8
,16). But this Calvinist God damns multitudes He could save. The biblical God does all He can to bring all men to Himself, but each one must choose. Of Israel, He laments, “What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?” (Is 5:4). Jesus wept, “How often would I...and ye would not!” (Lk 13:34).


The word “freewill” appears 17 times in the Old Testament. Calvinists deny free will. They say that only those whom God causes to repent and believe the gospel will do so. Only after He has “regenerated” the sinner can God supposedly, by “irresistible grace,” give him faith to believe. But the Bible says, “Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely” (Rv 22:17).


Calvinism says we must be regenerated before God can cause us to believe.

The Bible says we are regenerated by believing the gospel: “being born again (‘regenerated’)...by the word of God...which by the gospel is preached...” (1 Pt 1:23-25). John writes, “that believing ye might have life [i.e., be regenerated] through his name” (Jn:20:31
). The Bible teaches a new birth through believing the gospel. Calvinism teaches that “regeneration” comes by an act of God before the sinner even believes the gospel. That is clearly not biblical.


This is not “hyper-Calvinism” but the Calvinism of “moderates” such as John MacArthur, R. C. Sproul, John Piper, D. James Kennedy, et al. They say that God loves all men—but has a “different love” toward those for whom Christ didn’t die and does not want in heaven and thus will not regenerate. That is hardly love, which is why we titled my book, What Love Is This? Have you read it? In it I deal with your question in depth. You would benefit from its thorough treatment of the subject.


Does God really want all mankind to be saved (as the Bible says) or just a select elect? Did Christ die for all (as the Bible says) or just for a select group? These are vital questions that deserve our attention. On our radio programs (Search the Scriptures Daily), all available on our website, and in our articles and Q&As of the past 20 years, you won’t find an undue emphasis on Calvinism.


You say I deal with Calvinism too much. Yet you complain that only Calvinists talk about the sovereignty of God, election, foreknowledge, predestination, or the work of the Spirit drawing to salvation. Must we remain silent in the face of false views that are presented on these important subjects? Everywhere I go, Christians tell me that Calvinism is causing confusion and division in increasing numbers of churches.


I appreciate your concern and often tell the staff that I prefer not to mention Calvinism—but we try to answer the questions we are asked. I have attempted to avoid direct reference to Calvinism unless absolutely necessary. Ironically, you have caused me to respond to these things once again.

I don’t remember any emphasis on the sovereignty of God, election, foreknowledge, predestination or the work of the Spirit...

QUESTION: [similar to several others]: While I was in a Baptist church I heard nothing but “whosoever will may come,” “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” “as many as received Him

www.thebereancall.org

J.

All this is great except meeting your burden of proof. When one is implored to make a choice we are to assume ability.

 

[Presby02]

Daily we make choices AND have the exousia to act on those choices-your point is moot.
J.

No one claims we don't make choices. The question here is ability to make choices. Is it to be assumed. That's the premise.

 

[Johann]

No one claims we don't make choices. The question here is ability to make choices. Is it to be assumed. That's the premise.

This was your choice-freewill to respond to me-WITH the excousia-it is NOT assumed, but a fact.
J.

 

[Presby02]

This was your choice-freewill to respond to me-WITH the excousia-it is NOT assumed, but a fact.
J.

Yup, and there is no reason to assume ability because I made a choice. Who said I could have chosen differently?

 

[civic]

Yup, and there is no reason to assume ability because I made a choice. Who said I could have chosen differently?

A choice always involves 2 options. God doesn't choose for us. God says choose this day who you will serve. We choose to obey God or sin.

Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster. I am commanding you to be loyal to the LORD, to live the way he has told you, and to obey his laws and teachings. You are about to cross the Jordan River and take the land that he is giving you. If you obey him, you will live and become successful and powerful” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16 CEV).

A lot of people have a big misunderstanding about God. They know God planned their existence and has a purpose for their lives. But they have the wrong idea that every detail of life is preplanned. They think they have no choice.

In fact, the Bible teaches the exact opposite. Yes, God has a plan and a purpose for your life, but it’s not automatic. You can miss it.

That’s because God won’t force you to enjoy the plan he has for you. He gives you the choice to accept or reject his salvation. He gives you the choice to obey or disobey his directions. He gives you the choice to follow or ignore the purpose for which you were created. Far too many people miss the purpose of their life because of their poor choices.

The Bible says repeatedly that God will not force you to do his will.

When Moses led the Jews out of Egypt and into the desert after 400 years of slavery, he told them about a land of milk and honey—a land of great, bountiful blessing—that God had promised them. It would be so different from their years of slavery.

But before they went into the Promised Land, God, through Moses, said to the people the same thing he says to you: “Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster. I am commanding you to be loyal to the Lord, to live the way he has told you, and to obey his laws and teachings. You are about to cross the Jordan River and take the land that he is giving you. If you obey him, you will live and become successful and powerful” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16 CEV).

God was giving them a choice. God wanted his people to enjoy the bounty of the Promised Land. But he didn’t make them accept it. The choice was theirs.

This is a picture of salvation—of coming out of slavery to sin into freedom in Christ. In order to enjoy life in the Promised Land, the Israelites had to choose to obey God. You, too, have to choose whether you’ll accept God’s salvation and the good things he’s planned for you.

God could have made you a puppet, but he didn’t. He gives you the ability to choose. If you choose poorly, that choice is your greatest curse. If you choose wisely, it’s your greatest blessing. Today God gives you a choice between life—choosing salvation and his path—or death. Which path will you choose? r.warren

hope this helps !!!

 

[Presby02]

A choice always involves 2 options. God doesn't choose for us. God says choose this day who you will serve. We choose to obey God or sin.

Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster. I am commanding you to be loyal to the LORD, to live the way he has told you, and to obey his laws and teachings. You are about to cross the Jordan River and take the land that he is giving you. If you obey him, you will live and become successful and powerful” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16 CEV).

A lot of people have a big misunderstanding about God. They know God planned their existence and has a purpose for their lives. But they have the wrong idea that every detail of life is preplanned. They think they have no choice.

In fact, the Bible teaches the exact opposite. Yes, God has a plan and a purpose for your life, but it’s not automatic. You can miss it.

That’s because God won’t force you to enjoy the plan he has for you. He gives you the choice to accept or reject his salvation. He gives you the choice to obey or disobey his directions. He gives you the choice to follow or ignore the purpose for which you were created. Far too many people miss the purpose of their life because of their poor choices.

The Bible says repeatedly that God will not force you to do his will.

When Moses led the Jews out of Egypt and into the desert after 400 years of slavery, he told them about a land of milk and honey—a land of great, bountiful blessing—that God had promised them. It would be so different from their years of slavery.

But before they went into the Promised Land, God, through Moses, said to the people the same thing he says to you: “Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster. I am commanding you to be loyal to the Lord, to live the way he has told you, and to obey his laws and teachings. You are about to cross the Jordan River and take the land that he is giving you. If you obey him, you will live and become successful and powerful” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16 CEV).

God was giving them a choice. God wanted his people to enjoy the bounty of the Promised Land. But he didn’t make them accept it. The choice was theirs.

This is a picture of salvation—of coming out of slavery to sin into freedom in Christ. In order to enjoy life in the Promised Land, the Israelites had to choose to obey God. You, too, have to choose whether you’ll accept God’s salvation and the good things he’s planned for you.

God could have made you a puppet, but he didn’t. He gives you the ability to choose. If you choose poorly, that choice is your greatest curse. If you choose wisely, it’s your greatest blessing. Today God gives you a choice between life—choosing salvation and his path—or death. Which path will you choose? r.warren

hope this helps !!!

None of this proves the premise that choice presumes ability.

Assuming you believe in God's omniscience, can you choose other than God foreknows your going to choice?

 

[civic]

None of this proves the premise that choice presumes ability.

Assuming you believe in God's omniscience, can you choose other than God foreknows your going to choice?

Omniscience and foreknowledge is not predestination or determinism. That would be conflating them. God knowing what I will decide to do is not the same as God determining what I will do.

 

[Johann]

None of this proves the premise that choice presumes ability.

Assuming you believe in God's omniscience, can you choose other than God foreknows your going to choice?

Human. In what has been said above, the freedom of man, as that of other moral
intelligences, has been assumed. The doctrine of human freedom, or of free will, the subject
of so much controversy, requires particular discussion.

Definition. By freedom of the will, in the proper sense, is meant the power of contrary
choice, i.e., the power of the mind to choose in some other direction than that in which the
choice is actually made.

See this-the EXCOUSIA-TO choose-

Theologically freedom refers especially to the power to choose
between good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness.

On the one hand, by those who
uphold this doctrine, it is asserted that man freely determines his own volitions; on the other,
by necessitarians, it is held that these volitions are determined by conditions, influences, and
circumstances with which they are connected as rigidly and powerfully as effects are
connected with causes in the material world.

Parties to Controversy.

Prominent among those who deny human freedom are
materialists.

This position is also the natural result of Dualism and Pantheism. That form of
Theism that fails to recognize the divine freedom finds no freedom in man.

The attitude of
Calvinistic theology upon this subject has been the occasion of much dispute and probably of
some misunderstanding. The extreme doctrines of foreordination, of unconditional election,
and of reprobation, held by Calvinists, as well as some of the terms by which they describe
man’s actual condition, have been claimed by Arminians to be logically equivalent to a denial
of man’s freedom.

And yet it may truly be said that Calvinism, generally speaking, has
steadfastly proclaimed the responsibility of man as a free moral agent. On the whole, belief in
the freedom of the will, properly interpreted, may be regarded as the unanimous, if not
always coherently spoken, belief of the Christian church.

Theological Interpretation. The doctrine of human freedom relates not only to man’s
original condition before the Fall but also to his present fallen condition, as that of bondage to
sin; and still further to the condition to which he is brought through redemption by Christ. (1)
Man was created in the image of God and accordingly was endowed with perfect moral
freedom. Sin resulted from the abuse of freedom (see Fall of Man; Sin).

(2) In consequence
of the sin of the first human pair mankind has inherited a depraved nature, so that while the
natural freedom of man is not lost in respect to many things, yet with respect to meeting the
requirements of the divine law, man is of himself in a state of complete moral inability (see
Rom. 7:19–24).

This is to be held in opposition to Pelagianism. (3) The actual condition of
mankind as morally fallen is, however, greatly modified by the grace of God that has come to
the race through redemption. Through regeneration and sanctification the bondage of sin is
completely destroyed, and thus believers become “free indeed.”

Arguments for Freedom. There are several arguments for freedom. (1) Appeal is made to
universal consciousness. The common experience of men is that while choosing one way they
feel that they might choose another.

(2) Freedom is essential to all moral responsibility. And
moral responsibility is one of the intuitions of the human mind.

(3) The denial of freedom
must logically lead to the denial of moral distinctions in human affairs.

(4) In addition to the
above, which are purely rational arguments, is the general force of Scripture teaching, which
uniformly represents man as invested with the power of choosing between right and wrong
and between sin and salvation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: J. E. Frame, Journal of Biblical Literature (1930), pp. 1–12.

J.

 

[Presby02]

Human. In what has been said above, the freedom of man, as that of other moral
intelligences, has been assumed. The doctrine of human freedom, or of free will, the subject
of so much controversy, requires particular discussion.

Definition. By freedom of the will, in the proper sense, is meant the power of contrary
choice, i.e., the power of the mind to choose in some other direction than that in which the
choice is actually made.

See this-the EXCOUSIA-TO choose-

Theologically freedom refers especially to the power to choose
between good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness.

On the one hand, by those who
uphold this doctrine, it is asserted that man freely determines his own volitions; on the other,
by necessitarians, it is held that these volitions are determined by conditions, influences, and
circumstances with which they are connected as rigidly and powerfully as effects are
connected with causes in the material world.

Parties to Controversy.

Prominent among those who deny human freedom are
materialists.

This position is also the natural result of Dualism and Pantheism. That form of
Theism that fails to recognize the divine freedom finds no freedom in man.

The attitude of
Calvinistic theology upon this subject has been the occasion of much dispute and probably of
some misunderstanding. The extreme doctrines of foreordination, of unconditional election,
and of reprobation, held by Calvinists, as well as some of the terms by which they describe
man’s actual condition, have been claimed by Arminians to be logically equivalent to a denial
of man’s freedom.

And yet it may truly be said that Calvinism, generally speaking, has
steadfastly proclaimed the responsibility of man as a free moral agent. On the whole, belief in
the freedom of the will, properly interpreted, may be regarded as the unanimous, if not
always coherently spoken, belief of the Christian church.

Theological Interpretation. The doctrine of human freedom relates not only to man’s
original condition before the Fall but also to his present fallen condition, as that of bondage to
sin; and still further to the condition to which he is brought through redemption by Christ. (1)
Man was created in the image of God and accordingly was endowed with perfect moral
freedom. Sin resulted from the abuse of freedom (see Fall of Man; Sin).

(2) In consequence
of the sin of the first human pair mankind has inherited a depraved nature, so that while the
natural freedom of man is not lost in respect to many things, yet with respect to meeting the
requirements of the divine law, man is of himself in a state of complete moral inability (see
Rom. 7:19–24).

This is to be held in opposition to Pelagianism. (3) The actual condition of
mankind as morally fallen is, however, greatly modified by the grace of God that has come to
the race through redemption. Through regeneration and sanctification the bondage of sin is
completely destroyed, and thus believers become “free indeed.”

Arguments for Freedom. There are several arguments for freedom. (1) Appeal is made to
universal consciousness. The common experience of men is that while choosing one way they
feel that they might choose another.

(2) Freedom is essential to all moral responsibility. And
moral responsibility is one of the intuitions of the human mind.

(3) The denial of freedom
must logically lead to the denial of moral distinctions in human affairs.

(4) In addition to the
above, which are purely rational arguments, is the general force of Scripture teaching, which
uniformly represents man as invested with the power of choosing between right and wrong
and between sin and salvation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: J. E. Frame, Journal of Biblical Literature (1930), pp. 1–12.

J.

None of this proves your premise. Choose implies ability. Especially moral choices.

 

[Presby02]

Omniscience and foreknowledge is not predestination or determinism. That would be conflating them. God knowing what I will decide to do is not the same as God determining what I will do.

That does not address my question. Can you choose other than how God foreknows your going to choose. We are not talking causation.

Basically, if a choice is foreknown for certain, can you choose otherwise?

 

[Johann]

None of this proves your premise. Choose implies ability. Especially moral choices.

Dogmatism is the norm-right in front of your eyes-unable to grasp. I just told you choice implies ability-exousia.
J.

 

[Presby02]

Dogmatism is the norm-right in front of your eyes-unable to grasp. I just told you choice implies ability-exousia.
J.

It's not about what you tell me, it's about what you can prove.

Choice implies ability. That's the, as of yet, unproven premise.

 

[Johann]

It's not about what you tell me, it's about what you can prove.

Choice implies ability. That's the, as of yet, unproven premise.

That's not me telling you-but what sayeth the Scriptures-you just said: Choice implies ability-and now you are back tracking-fumbling.

Yes, the Bible supports the notion that choice implies ability. Throughout the Scriptures, human beings are portrayed as having free will and the capacity to make choices based on their own volition. For example, Deuteronomy 30:15 states, "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws. Then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess"

. This passage illustrates that humans are given the option to choose between life and death, implying that they have the capability to make such choices.

Other verses that support the connection between choice and ability include:

Proverbs 1:29 – "Consider the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure."

Proverbs 3:5-6 – "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

James 1:13 – "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one."

In summary, the Bible presents humans as capable of making choices, thereby implying that they have the ability to exercise free will.

Not a premise-actual and factual-as it stands written.

J.

 

[Presby02]

That's not me telling you-but what sayeth the Scriptures-you just said: Choice implies ability-and now you are back tracking-fumbling.

Yes, the Bible supports the notion that choice implies ability. Throughout the Scriptures, human beings are portrayed as having free will and the capacity to make choices based on their own volition. For example, Deuteronomy 30:15 states, "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws. Then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess"

. This passage illustrates that humans are given the option to choose between life and death, implying that they have the capability to make such choices.

Other verses that support the connection between choice and ability include:

Proverbs 1:29 – "Consider the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure."

Proverbs 3:5-6 – "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

James 1:13 – "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one."

In summary, the Bible presents humans as capable of making choices, thereby implying that they have the ability to exercise free will.

Not a premise-actual and factual-as it stands written.

J.

No. You misunderstand. I do not say choice implies ability whether it's a physical or moral choice. That seems to be what your implying. If I misunderstood then please correct me.

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

Dogmatism is the norm-right in front of your eyes-unable to grasp. I just told you choice implies ability-exousia.
J.

Giving a choice implies ability, but it does not guarantee or prove ability.

God said to choose blessing or a curse. And God provided miraculous wonders to the people to demonstrate his power.

"4 Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear."

So they chose wrong and were cursed because they were not yet given a heart to understand, eyes to see nor ears to hear. They didn't have the ability to choose otherwise. As Deuteronomy says, that ability would come later.

 

[Johann]

Giving a choice implies ability, but it does not guarantee or prove ability.

God said to choose blessing or a curse. And God provided miraculous wonders to the people to demonstrate his power.

"4 Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear."

So they chose wrong and were cursed because they were not yet given a heart to understand, eyes to see nor ears to hear. They didn't have the ability to choose otherwise. As Deuteronomy says, that ability would come later.

And now the gospel is to Whomsoever.
J.

 

[brightfame52]

That does not address my question. Can you choose other than how God foreknows your going to choose. We are not talking causation.

Basically, if a choice is foreknown for certain, can you choose otherwise?

God foreknows a choice we will make because He predetermined it in the fist place Ex 4:21

21 And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

 

[praise_yeshua]

I was helped greatly by Horatius Bonar’s God’s Way of Holiness and by Jonathan Edward’s view of the will. That man has been endowed with a free will by his Creator is undeniable. But what makes the will make its choices? According to Edwards...our choices are determined by what we think is the most desirable....

Edwards is considered by most to be the most gifted American Theologian in history. He is certainly reasonable. However he is wrong.

Many human beings love others enough to give their lives for them. Police. Fireman. Husband. Wife. Military personnel that give their lives for our freedom.

They would much rather live. They only do so because they love others.

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

And now the gospel is to Whomsoever.
J.

For the millionth time, whosoever does not mean free will. It means "those who believe". If John 3:16 said "whosoever is 6 feet tall", could you decide of your own free will to become 6 feet tall?