Author	Thread: I Don't Want Free Will
dljrn04 View Profile History	I Don't Want Free Will Posted : 5 Aug, 2012 06:57 AM "I frankly confess that, for myself, even if it could be, I should not want "free-will" to be given me, nor anything to be left in my own hands to enable me to endeavour after salvation; not merely because in face of so many dangers, and adversities and assaults of devils, I could not stand my ground ; but because even were there no dangers. I should still be forced to labour with no guarantee of success.� But now that God has taken my salvation out of the control of my own will, and put it under the control of His, and promised to save me, not according to my working or running, but according to His own grace and mercy, I have the comfortable certainty that He is faithful and will not lie to me, and that He is also great and powerful, so that no devils or opposition can break Him or pluck me from Him. Furthermore, I have the comfortable certainty that I please God, not by reason of the merit of my works, but by reason of His merciful favour promised to me; so that, if I work too little, or badly, He does not impute it to me, but with fatherly compassion pardons me and makes me better. This is the glorying of all the saints in their God." - Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will (Grand Rapids: Revell, 1957), 313-314. Post Reply
View Profile History	I Don't Want Free Will Posted : 5 Aug, 2012 07:53 PM "For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion" (Rom. 9:15). Post Reply
teach_ib View Profile History	I Don't Want Free Will Posted : 5 Aug, 2012 07:57 PM Philippians 4:13�I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Post Reply
View Profile History	I Don't Want Free Will Posted : 5 Aug, 2012 08:01 PM " Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. " 10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias Both verses are true but they have nothing to do with the topic at hand. Post Reply
View Profile History	I Don't Want Free Will Posted : 5 Aug, 2012 08:06 PM WHAT CAUSED EVE TO SIN WILLINGLY? Did Eve herself think that she "freely" willed to sin WITHOUT A CAUSE? "And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that you have done? And the woman said [Yes, just what did �the woman say?� Did she say that she "freely willed" to commit this sin? Did she say it was her and all her and nothing but her that did this? Or did she say�], The SERPENT BEGUILED ME� [and BECAUSE the serpent beguiled or deceived her, we now have a CAUSE], and I did eat" (Gen. 3:13). And what did God have to save about all this blame casting on Eve�s part? Did God say something like this: "Oh really, Eve? Yah right, go ahead, try and blame it on THE SERPENT! No, Eve, you �FREELY� willed by your own �FREE MORAL AGENCY� which I gave to you and which is free from ALL CAUSALITY AND BLAME CASTING, to do this thing ON YOUR OWN." Is that what God said? Let�s read it: "And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because YOU HAVE DONE THIS, you are cursed above all cattle�" (Verse 14). There it is. God�s Own answer. But will we accept God�s answer? For most, probably not. Post Reply
teach_ib View Profile History	I Don't Want Free Will Posted : 5 Aug, 2012 08:14 PM It's clear that Eve and Adam were punished for their choices in the garden. The curses meted out on them are passed to every human... Eve made excuses as did Adam...the 'woman made me eat'...really? Post Reply
teach_ib View Profile History	I Don't Want Free Will Posted : 5 Aug, 2012 08:16 PM OP: "'...I could not stand my ground ; but because even were there no dangers. I should still be forced to labour with no guarantee of success'" The beauty of Salvation is that we don't have to do it through our own strength... Philippians 4:13�I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Post Reply
View Profile History	I Don't Want Free Will Posted : 5 Aug, 2012 08:20 PM WHAT CAUSED ADAM TO SIN WILLINGLY? How about Adam? Does he fair any better than his wife? Did Adam eat the forbidden fruit and sin by his OWN �FREE� WILL? Or do the Scriptures tell us that he too was CAUSED to have his will do what he did? "And the man said, THE WOMAN whom You gave to be with me, SHE GAVE ME OF THE TREE, and I did eat" (Ver. 12). And again, did God say something like" "Oh sure, Adam, blame it on your WIFE! You know that you �freely� without any outside cause whatsoever, decided on your own to eat the fruit." Is that what God intonated to Adam? Let�s read it: "And unto Adam He said, Because [�because��here is the real CAUSE] YOU HAVE HEARKENED UNTO THE VOICE OF YOUR WIFE, and have eaten of the tree �" (Ver. 17). Does anyone see here where God says, "Because you have hearkened unto the voice of our OWN �FREE� WILL, and have eaten of the true�?" Well? No, before Adam "willed" (and NOT FREELY), but willed to eat of this fruit, his heart was influenced to do something that it already had all the potential in the world of doing. Namely, disobeying His God and Maker. And what was that? HIS WIFE�S VOICE. And at THAT point in the process, Adam began to "will" this act, and his mind formulated the actual physical action of doing the eating. You see, Adam was willing to die for his new bride, just as Jesus was willing to die for His bride, the church. God doesn�t even hint that Adam did what he did "freely." God Himself admits that the CAUSE was "the VOICE OF YOUR WIFE." Post Reply
View Profile History	I Don't Want Free Will Posted : 5 Aug, 2012 08:25 PM "OP: "'...I could not stand my ground ; but because even were there no dangers. I should still be forced to labour with no guarantee of success'"" Since you are now challenging Martin Luther and he is not here to defend himself, my suggestion to you is to read the entire thesis that he wrote on the subject as referenced in the OP. Post Reply
teach_ib View Profile History	I Don't Want Free Will Posted : 5 Aug, 2012 08:26 PM God gave Adam the ability and responsibility to choose. Eve convinced him to eat the forbidden fruit, but it was Adam's choice. Eve could not MAKE him eat it anymore than the serpent made Eve to eat it. Post Reply
teach_ib View Profile History	I Don't Want Free Will Posted : 5 Aug, 2012 08:28 PM Bob wrote: "Since you are now challenging Martin Luther and he is not here to defend himself, my suggestion to you is to read the entire thesis that he wrote on the subject as referenced in the OP." Me: since the OP chose a passage for the thread, I will address the passage she posted. By her posting the passage, she either believes what she posted or she does not. The OP is the topic of discussion on this thread... Post Reply

First

<< Previous  10

Page : 1 2 3 4 5

Next  10 >>

Last