An Article on free will

[TomL]

My Leader Jesus Christ means exactly what he says when he says "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29)!

You may quote your Leader John Calvin's words "People who infer from this passage that faith is God’s gift are mistaken, for Christ does not show here what God produces in us, but what God wants and requires from us" with your exaggeratedly large font carrying your leader's message to emphasize your free-willian philosophy support structure as intentionally frequent as you already have committed yourself to quoting him, but you remain quoting falsehood. Your John Calvin is a stranger to me (John 10:5).

Your foundation is the shifting sand of "the truest way of working the work of God is that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (TomL 6:29).

You are proven wrong about your "faith is a work of man" doctrine because Lord Jesus Christ conveys "by grace you are saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8) and "faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).

As a blessed Christian in the solid foundation in Christ, I believe in Lord Jesus Christ, and I follow the Way (John 14:6), who is the Truth (John 14:6), and God has me here proclaiming Christian doctrine. Lord Jesus Christ is Life (John 14:6)!

Yes, The work that God accepts is faith

Acts 16:31 (NASB95) — 31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

John 20:31 (NASB95) — 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

John 3:36 (NASB95) — 36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

John 3:14–16 (NASB95) — 14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

which is why scripture tells men to believe

The work that God requires as even your fellow Calvinists below affirm

John Calvin: “People who infer from this passage that faith is God’s gift are mistaken, for Christ does not show here what God produces in us, but what God wants and requires from us.” (The Crossway Classic Commentaries: John; Crossway Books; Wheaton, IL; 1994, p.393)

And another

This is the work of God. This is the thing that will be acceptable to God, or which you are to do in order to be saved. Jesus did not tell them they had nothing to do, or that they were to sit down and wait, but that there was a work to perform, and that was a duty that was imperative. It was to believe on the Messiah. This is the work which sinners are to do; and doing this they will be saved, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth, Ro. 10:4.11 Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament: Luke & John (ed. Robert Frew; London: Blackie & Son, 1884–1885), 244.



As well as others who are not Calvinists

Believe. Faith is put as a moral act or work. The work of God is to believe. Faith includes all the works which God requires. The Jews’ question contemplates numerous works. Jesus’ answer directs them to one work. Canon Westcott justly observes that “this simple formula contains the complete solution of the relation of faith and works.”11 Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (vol. 2; New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 148–149.



The meaning is not,—that faith is wrought in us by God, is the work of God; but that the truest way of working the work of God is to believe on Him whom He hath sent.11 Henry Alford, Alford’s Greek Testament: An Exegetical and Critical Commentary (vol. 1; Grand Rapids, MI: Guardian Press, 1976), 761.

Unlike you their exegesis is based on the context.

 

[TomL]

False. How does a will determine for itself??

It does when it is free

 

[TomL]

@TomL



Believing is a command, so it applies to the regenerated elect, the Sheep. Its not a command to the unregenerate reprobate, and they are in the flesh and cannot please God nor obey Gods command.

Sorry no believing is a command that God requires before one is made alive

John 5:24 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

John 20:31 (KJV)
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

John 5:40 (KJV)
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Acts 11:18 (KJV)
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

John 6:57 (KJV)
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

Regeneration makes one a child of God. Born of God -

One is made a child of God through faith

John 1:12 (KJV)
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Galatians 3:26 (KJV)
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

John 12:36 (KJV)
36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

Regeneration is a spiritual resurrection.



We are raised spiritually through faith

Colossians 2:12 (KJV)
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

One is born again(regenerated) through faith in gospel

James 1:18 (KJV)
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

1 Peter 1:23 (KJV)
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1 Corinthians 4:15 (KJV)
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.


Regeneration is the mechanism of salvation

Titus 3:5 (KJV)
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Ephesians 2:5 (KJV)
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved

it is through faith we are saved

EPH 2:8 (KJV)
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

.

Regeneration is preceded by remission of sin

Colossians 2:13 (KJV)
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

which requires both faith and repentance

Acts 10:43 (KJV)
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Luke 24:47 (KJV)
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

 

[TomL]

There is no problem, they which are in the flesh cannot please God Rom 8:8 can't obey God Rom 8:7

Obey the law. The text does not state man cannot believe.

And that claim is disproven by scripture.

John 12:40 (KJV 1900) — 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

God blinded men to prevent their belief. Why would God blind someone who had no ability to see?



Why prevent from believing those who had no capacity for belief

Luke notes had men not grown hardened, they could have believed

Acts 28:27 (KJV 1900) — 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.


Unregenerate men are shown to receive the word with joy and believe

Luke 8:13 (KJV 1900) — 13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

 

[Red Baker]

@MTMattie @Jim @civic @GodsGrace @synergy @brightfame52 @Kermos

@Jim
And it was Gods predestinating decree and purpose for Adam to make that sinful choice, from Gods decree standpoint, Adam had no other choice but to make that sinful choice of disobedience.

I must respectfully disagree with this saying.

Adam was not created sinful but upright after God's image with spiritual wisdom, knowledge and understanding, being upright, free of indwelling sin, or a body of sin and death~Adam had a perfect opportunity to not sin, living in a beautiful garden with a beautiful wife (most likely the most beautiful that ever lived coming from the hand of God, to be his help meet, etc.; what more could have God done for him than what He did? Only one thing~to secured him in that state which he did not do, and neither was he under obligation to do so, He did everything else needed for Adam to not sin. Without question, Adam had a free will choice not to sin, but did so by his own free will.

Adam's sin proved one of many great truths, one being, God alone is immutable and cannot sin, neither even have a desire to do so, being an infinite holy and pure God that He is. But, there was one to come from the seed of the woman, that would be both God and man, being made in the likeness of sinful flesh, for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, which body secured eternal life for God's elect that were given to him of his father! They shall called his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Selah.

 

[Red Baker]

@MTMattie @Jim @civic @GodsGrace @synergy @brightfame52 @Kermos @TomL

Sorry no believing is a command that God requires before one is made alive

Tom, you misapplied every scripture in your post that you used. You are like a broken record, you just repeat you post over and over again even after you have been shown that you are wrong. I can take time and prove it, just I'll never be able to prove it to you or anyone that desires your support to help them in their error. It is a fruitless battle.

 

[Red Baker]

@MTMattie @Jim @civic @GodsGrace @synergy @brightfame52 @Kermos @TomL

Sorry, I don't understand the point you are trying to make. We are not saved by works, we don't stay saved by works, Works are not a witness of salvation.

Jim, that was my point~our works are indeed an evidence that we are born of God, what other evidence are there for us to know? He does not speak to us in an audible voice, or by growing messages on trees for us to pick off and read, etc.

Jim, characteristic of true faith is that it “worketh by love” (Gal. 5:6). It is not inactive, but energetic and show itself by love for others. (James 2) That faith which is “of the operation of God” (Col. 2:12) is a mighty principle of power, diffusing spiritual energy to all the faculties of the soul and enlisting them in the service of God. Faith is a principle of life, by which the Christian lives unto God; a principle of motion, by which he walks to heaven along the highway of holiness; a principle of strength, by which he opposes the flesh, the world, and the Devil.

“Faith in the heart of a Christian is like the salt that was thrown into the corrupt fountain, that made the naughty waters good and the barren land fruitful. Hence it is that there followeth an alteration of life and conversation, and so bringeth forth fruit accordingly: ‘A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good fruit’; which treasure is faith” (John Bunyan in Christian Behaviour).

Where a saving faith is rooted in the heart it grows up and spreads itself in all the branches of obedience, and is filled with the fruits of righteousness. It makes its possessor act for God, and thereby evidences that it is a living thing and not merely a lifeless theory. Even a newborn infant, though it cannot walk and work as a grown man, breathes and cries, moves and sucks, and thereby shows it is alive. So with the one who has been born again; there is a breathing unto God, a crying after Him, a moving toward Him, a clinging to Him. But the infant does not long remain a babe; there is growth, increasing strength, enlarged activity. Nor does the Christian remain stationary: he goes “from strength to strength” (Psalm 84:7).

Jim, observe carefully, faith not only “worketh” but it “worketh by LOVE.” It is at this point that the “works” of the Christian differ from those of the mere religionist.

“The papist works that he may merit heaven. The Pharisee works that he may be applauded, that he may be seen of men, that he may have a good esteem with them. The slave works lest he should be beaten, lest he should be damned. The formalist works that he may stop the mouth of conscience, that will be accusing him, if he does nothing. The ordinary professor works because it is a shame to do nothing where so much is professed. But the true believer works because he loves. This is the principal, if not the only, motive that sets him a-work. If there were no other motive within or without him, yet would he be working for God, acting for Christ, because he loves Him; it is like fire in his bones” (David Clarkson).

In closing:

We are not saved by works, we don't stay saved by works

Jim, of all people you know, that I know that our works have nothing to do with us obtaining eternal life, yet, without works, one profession is no more than what the devils had who trembled around Christ, during his days upon the earth.

 

[Presby02]

It does when it is free

So it is determined then, just not by God?

 

[TomL]

So it is determined then, just not by God?

Determined by self - that makes it free for self

 

[Red Baker]

@MTMattie @Jim @civic @GodsGrace @synergy @brightfame52 @Kermos @TomL

The very idea of original sin is a slap in the face of God. It makes God the cause of all sin - PERIOD.

Jim, you should know better than to say what you are saying.

God created Adam and Eve and then said these words:

Genesis 1:31​

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

God said all was very good, not just good, but very good. Man's sin is his own undoing, God did everything needed to place our first parents in a world to provide for them every opportunity to not sin. Adam's disobedience was his own choosing to do so, even with his eyes open, unlike Eve who was deceived by the serpent.

Adam's sin brought condemnation and death to his posterity that would come from his loins who were there when he sinned! Just as Levi paid
tithes in Abraham, by being in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

Hebrews 7:9,10​

“And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.”

If you reject this then you reject scriptures, not me.

Romans 5:12​

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

1st Corinthians 15:22​

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

You reason of rejecting original sin is that you are reasoning outside of the scriptures, when you should be standing upon the testimony of the scriptures in order to be sound in the faith.

 

[TomL]

@MTMattie @Jim @civic @GodsGrace @synergy @brightfame52 @Kermos @TomL

Tom, you misapplied every scripture in your post that you used. You are like a broken record, you just repeat you post over and over again even after you have been shown that you are wrong. I can take time and prove it, just I'll never be able to prove it to you or anyone that desires your support to help them in their error. It is a fruitless battle.

Sorry no one has shown anything to be wrong. You guys have not even attempted to address those verses

believing is a command that God requires before one is made alive

John 5:24 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

John 20:31 (KJV)
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

John 5:40 (KJV)
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Acts 11:18 (KJV)
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

John 6:57 (KJV)
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

Regeneration makes one a child of God. Born of God -

One is made a child of God through faith

John 1:12 (KJV)
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Galatians 3:26 (KJV)
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

John 12:36 (KJV)
36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

Regeneration is a spiritual resurrection.



We are raised spiritually through faith

Colossians 2:12 (KJV)
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

One is born again(regenerated) through faith in gospel

James 1:18 (KJV)
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

1 Peter 1:23 (KJV)
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1 Corinthians 4:15 (KJV)
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.


Regeneration is the mechanism of salvation

Titus 3:5 (KJV)
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Ephesians 2:5 (KJV)
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved

it is through faith we are saved

EPH 2:8 (KJV)
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

.

Regeneration is preceded by remission of sin

Colossians 2:13 (KJV)
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

which requires both faith and repentance

Acts 10:43 (KJV)
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Luke 24:47 (KJV)
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

 

[TomL]

@MTMattie @Jim @civic @GodsGrace @synergy @brightfame52 @Kermos @TomL

Jim, you should know better than to say what you are saying.

God created Adam and Eve and then said these words:

Genesis 1:31​

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

God said all was very good, not just good, but very good. Man's sin is his own undoing, God did everything needed to place our first parents in a world to provide for them every opportunity to not sin. Adam's disobedience was his own choosing to do so, even with his eyes open, unlike Eve who was deceived by the serpent.

Adam's sin brought condemnation and death to his posterity that would come from his loins who were there when he sinned! Just as Levi paid
tithes in Abraham, by being in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

Hebrews 7:9,10​

“And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.”

If you reject this then you reject scriptures, not me.

Romans 5:12​

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

1st Corinthians 15:22​

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

You reason of rejecting original sin is that you are reasoning outside of the scriptures, when you should be standing upon the testimony of the scriptures in order to be sound in the faith.

Yet in your theology, everything that happened had been determined by God.

 

[Presby02]

Determined by self - that makes it free for self

What about your self DETERMINES your will?

 

[TomL]

My Leader Jesus Christ means exactly what he says when he says "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29)!

You may quote your Leader John Calvin's words "People who infer from this passage that faith is God’s gift are mistaken, for Christ does not show here what God produces in us, but what God wants and requires from us" with your exaggeratedly large font carrying your leader's message to emphasize your free-willian philosophy support structure as intentionally frequent as you already have committed yourself to quoting him, but you remain quoting falsehood. Your John Calvin is a stranger to me (John 10:5).

Your foundation is the shifting sand of "the truest way of working the work of God is that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (TomL 6:29).

You are proven wrong about your "faith is a work of man" doctrine because Lord Jesus Christ conveys "by grace you are saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8) and "faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).

As a blessed Christian in the solid foundation in Christ, I believe in Lord Jesus Christ, and I follow the Way (John 14:6), who is the Truth (John 14:6), and God has me here proclaiming Christian doctrine. Lord Jesus Christ is Life (John 14:6)!

Um the text does not state faith is a gift and You cannot prove one assumption with another assumption

But they commonly misintepret this text, and restrict the word ‘gift’ to faith alone. But Paul is only repeating his earlier statement in other words. He does not mean that faith is the gift of God, but that salvation is given to us by God … " (from, Calvin’s Commentaries 4:145

And that not of yourselves. That is, salvation does not proceed from yourselves. The word rendered that—τοῦτο—is in the neuter gender, and the word faith—πίστις—is in the feminine. The word “that,” therefore, does not refer particularly to faith, as being the gift of God, but to the salvation by grace of which he had been speaking. This is the interpretation of the passage which is the most obvious, and which is now generally conceded to be the true one; see Bloomfield1

1 Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament: Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians (ed. Robert Frew; London: Blackie & Son, 1884–1885), 42.

οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων. Here the thought reverts to the main idea, the gift of salvation11 J. O. F. Murray, ed., The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians (Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1914), 40.

In the Bible there is no clear and dogmatic statement that saving faith is a gift of God. On the other hand, the Bible clearly states the way in which faith is obtained: Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:17). The Scriptures speak of saving faith as thy faith (Luke 7:50), his faith (Rom. 4:5), and their faith (Matt. 9:2); but never as the faith of God.


The Gift is salvation (Eternal life) confirmed

Romans 6:23 (NASB95) — 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The possibilities for faith

1 Something man must do in response to revelation
2 A gift man can refuse
3 A gift man cannot refuse; thus it is infused in him.

The third is your position

To have faith, to believe is something commanded of men throughout the scripture. Having faith is commended by Christ, while the lack of it or having but little faith is castigated. This is quite inconsistent with a theology that holds as does yours.

 

[TomL]

What about your self DETERMINES your will?

Your mind, emotions, and desires.

 

[Red Baker]

@MTMattie @Jim @civic @GodsGrace @synergy @brightfame52 @Kermos @TomL

Sorry no one has shown anything to be wrong. You guys have not even attempted to address those verses

Tom, you should be sorry, for you are not being honest, or, you could be losing your memory, because I dealt with most of these scriptures back last year with you, more than once, btw.

Maybe I'll have some time later today, if so, then I will again ~ not that it will convert you to the truth, that's outside of my power, but it will leave you without an excuse.

I have heard of "hardshell (Primitive) Baptist" and have known some, but the other side have their hardshell followers as well, and I have seen them, and there's not much difference between the two of them.

 

[Red Baker]

@MTMattie @Jim @civic @GodsGrace @synergy @brightfame52 @Kermos @TomL

Um the text does not state faith is a gift and You cannot prove one assumption with another assumption

But they commonly misintepret this text, and restrict the word ‘gift’ to faith alone. But Paul is only repeating his earlier statement in other words. He does not mean that faith is the gift of God, but that salvation is given to us by God … " (from, Calvin’s Commentaries 4:145

And that not of yourselves. That is, salvation does not proceed from yourselves. The word rendered that—τοῦτο—is in the neuter gender, and the word faith—πίστις—is in the feminine. The word “that,” therefore, does not refer particularly to faith, as being the gift of God, but to the salvation by grace of which he had been speaking. This is the interpretation of the passage which is the most obvious, and which is now generally conceded to be the true one; see Bloomfield1

Tom, it is not easy to tell when you are speaking for yourself and when you are quoting Calvin, Barnes , etc. But, be as it may be....

Here is a direct quote from Calvin from Philippians 1:28,29: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/calvin/philippians/1.htm

"And that from God. This is restricted to the last clause, that a taste of the grace of God may allay the bitterness of the cross. No one will naturally perceive the cross a token or evidence of salvation, for they are things that are contrary in appearance. Hence Paul calls the attention of the Philippians to another consideration -- that God by his blessing turns into an occasion of welfare things that might otherwise seem to render us miserable. He proves it from this, that the endurance of the cross is the gift of God. Now it is certain, that all the gifts of God are salutary to us. To you, says he, it is given, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for him. Hence even the sufferings themselves are evidences of the grace of God; and, since it is so, you have from this source a token of salvation. Oh, if this persuasion were effectually inwrought in our minds -- that persecutions [87] are to be reckoned among God's benefits, what progress would be made in the doctrine of piety! [88] And yet, what is more certain, than that it is the highest honor that is conferred upon us by Divine grace, that we suffer for his name either reproach, or imprisonment, or miseries, or tortures, or even death, for in that case he adorns us with his marks of distinction. [89] But more will be found that will rather bid God retire with gifts of that nature, than embrace with alacrity the cross when it is presented to them. Alas, then, for our stupidity! [90]

29. To believe. He wisely conjoins faith with the cross by an inseparable connection, that the Philippians may know that they have been called to the faith of Christ on this condition -- that they endure persecutions on his account, as though he had said that their adoption can no more be separated from the cross, than Christ can be torn asunder from himself. Here Paul clearly testifies, that faith, as well as constancy in enduring persecutions, [91] is an unmerited gift of God. And certainly the knowledge of God is a wisdom that is too high for our attaining it by our own acuteness, and our weakness shews itself in daily instances in our own experience, when God withdraws his hand for a little while. That he may intimate the more distinctly that both are unmerited, he says expressly -- for Christ's sake, or at least that they are given to us on the ground of Christ's grace; by which he excludes every idea of merit.

This passage is also at variance with the doctrine of the schoolmen, in maintaining that gifts of grace latterly conferred are rewards of our merit, on the ground of our having made a right use of those which had been previously bestowed. I do not deny, indeed, that God rewards the right use of his gifts of grace by bestowing grace more largely upon us, provided only you do not place merit, as they do, in opposition to his unmerited liberality and the merit of Christ."

Highlighted area's are mine~(RB)

 

[Red Baker]

@MTMattie @Jim @civic @GodsGrace @synergy @brightfame52 @Kermos @TomL

Yet in your theology, everything that happened had been determined by God.

Then Tom, you do not listen very well, or you have not read enough of what I have posted, to truthfully judge properly what I do believe and teach.

God in His infinite knowledge and wisdom can take the deeds of evil men and make them work to accomplish his eternal purposes that he purposed within Himself.

• Examples: Joseph's Story (Genesis 50:20): Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, an act of evil, but God used it to save his family and bring about a great blessing.
  
  Listen to holy Joseph:
  
  Genesis 50:20
  
  “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”
  
  Jesus' Crucifixion: The crucifixion, an act of evil and injustice, was used by God to provide salvation for his people.
  

  Acts 2:23​

  “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:”
• 
  
• I have more if you would like to discuss these things with me.
  

 

[Kermos]

The very existence of the Word of God declares that man was imparted free-will. There would be absolutely no reason for or basis of the Word of God if He had not imparted free-will to man.

Wrong!

The Word of God declares the existence of God and the Majesty of God and the Sovereignty of God.

If you believe the Word of God, then you would proclaim the Word of God is not subordinate to man.

The conditional if-then statement above illuminates your fruit, and this is a similar concept to that which we were corresponding about Cain in (Genesis 4:8).

We can find you subordinating God in the words "so Christ must profit me with salvation" within your free-willian belief that you buy your way into heaven with your natural fleshly free-will faith payment in your "apart from Christ, I chose to believe in Christ so Christ must profit me with salvation", yet the Christ of us Christians declares "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5) and "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God" (John 3:3) and “you did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16) and “I chose you out of the world” (John 15:19, includes salvation) and “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (John 6:29) and “It is the Spirit who gives Life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and are Life” (John 6:63), so you believe falsehood (2 Peter 2:1, 2 Peter 2:9-10).

No Word of God states man was imparted free-will, so free-will is a conjured concept of the traditions of men (Matthew 15:9).

In Truth (John 14:6), the Almighty God is Sovereign (Genesis 1:1) in man's salvation and affairs of man (Daniel 4:34-35)! PRAISE JESUS!!!

 

[Presby02]

Your mind, emotions, and desires.

Did you choose your mind? Desires or emotions?