Free Will

[Selah7]

I just finished reading a passionate (for me) sermon by Spurgeon called:

Repentance after Conversion​

(No. 2419)

INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD'S DAY, JUNE 30, 1895.

DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON LORD'S-DAY EVENING, JUNE 12, 1887.



"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." Psalm 51:17.

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I tried linking it but it didn’t work. Sorry, Rev.

 

[brightfame52]

The Scriptures declare that by nature we are carnally minded and do mind the things of the flesh, that the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, and that they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8:5-8

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

So we by nature dont have a free will.

 

[brightfame52]

Show me one verse where the Holy Spirit gives someone faith .

Faith is a fruit of the Spirit Gal 5:22 and 2 Thess 2:13

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

 

[fastfredy0]

So we by nature dont have a free will.

You need to define FREE WILL before you can state it is non-existent. (There is numerous definitions out there)

 

[civic]

The Scriptures declare that by nature we are carnally minded and do mind the things of the flesh, that the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, and that they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8:5-8

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

So we by nature dont have a free will.

And believers are called carnal as well by the same author Paul.

So how does that work for you ?

 

[David1701]

And believers are called carnal as well by the same author Paul.

So how does that work for you ?

Paul used a simile ("as to carnal", in verse 1), then a metaphor ("you are still carnal" - a stronger figure of speech, in verses 3 and 4). This a comparison, because some of their behaviour was like that of carnal people (i.e. unregenerate people who are without the Holy Spirit) and, therefore, wholly inappropriate for Christians.

1 Cor. 3:1-4 (EMTV)
1 And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
2 I gave you milk to drink, and not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, neither are you now yet able;
3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal, and walking according to human principles?
4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?

 

[Carbon]

Paul used a simile ("as to carnal", in verse 1), then a metaphor ("you are still carnal" - a stronger figure of speech, in verses 3 and 4). This a comparison, because some of their behaviour was like that of carnal people (i.e. unregenerate people who are without the Holy Spirit) and, therefore, wholly inappropriate for Christians.

1 Cor. 3:1-4 (EMTV)
1 And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
2 I gave you milk to drink, and not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, neither are you now yet able;
3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal, and walking according to human principles?
4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?

Amen!

 

[ReverendRV]

You need to define FREE WILL before you can state it is non-existent. (There is numerous definitions out there)

Contra Causal Libertarian Free Will versus Con Causal Subordinate Bound Will; or a third Will somewhere in between the two..

 

[brightfame52]

And believers are called carnal as well by the same author Paul.

So how does that work for you ?

Believers have Two principles at work, that which they have by nature, which is carnal, and that which is Spiritual by nrew birth which is overcoming, but the unregenerate has only one principle of operation, the carnal flesh.

 

[DialecticSkeptic]

I'm late to the party, and I didn't read all 25 pages.

I do not believe the natural man can choose Christ.

Indeed, he cannot—because his will is not free, but rather enslaved to sin. And he, himself, is not even alive, but rather dead. The unregenerate do not have a free will, they have an enslaved will. And it is only in Christ that anyone is freed. Only the Son can set you free; and when he does, you will be free indeed (John 8:34-36). To pretend there is any freedom outside of Christ is to deny the witness of Scripture.

 

[Ritajanice]

I'm late to the party, and I didn't read all 25 pages.



Indeed, he cannot—because his will is not free, but rather enslaved to sin. And he, himself, is not even alive, but rather dead. The unregenerate do not have a free will, they have an enslaved will. And it is only in Christ that anyone is freed. Only the Son can set you free; and when he does, you will be free indeed (John 8:34-36). To pretend there is any freedom outside of Christ is to deny the witness of Scripture.

This I can relate to...my question has always been, how can we freely choose God, if we don’t even know who he is?

I was regenerated/ birthed in the Spirit, then I had that faith to know God is who he says he is, he revealed himself to me through the Holy Spirit....in other words he testified with my spirit that I am his child/ spoke to my spirit...

We are in the righteousness of Christ when we become Born Again.

I know I have much to learn, I don’t worry about not knowing a lot about scripture..I know 100% that I’m born again......I rest in the Holy Spirit, he is the one who opens up scripture to me, as and when it suits him, that’s my belief anyway....I have a very simple faith.....it’s not complicated whatsoever.

I have learnt also that Pride and Ego, is a great hindrance in our growth, again the Holy Spirit got me to the place of what that means.

When it’s all about “ Self”....where’s the profit in that....to die to self daily is what I understand now...I pray everyday that the Holy Spirit humbles me to be more like Jesus.....

Just my thoughts.

 

[CrazyCalvinistUncle]

They had the technology to record Spurgeon but decided not to do so. Whooops!

Did they? Now that is a loss.

 

[CrazyCalvinistUncle]

Well John and Isaiah "wet their pants" when they met him and I am not exactly in His top 10 list like these guys ... these guys were TERRIFIED! (IMO)

John: Rev 1:17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid.
John, Peter and James: Matt. 17:5 “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased and delighted! Listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
Job 42:5-6 "I [Job] have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth Thee: Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes"
Isaiah 6:5 "Then said I [Isaiah], Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips:... for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts"
Paul: Acts 3:4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice [from heaven] saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting and oppressing Me?”
Daniel 10:8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my normal appearance turned to a deathly pale, and I grew weak and faint [with fright].

So I am going to be miserable (IMO), until I hear something like the following ...
Daniel 10:11 So he said to me, “O Daniel, you highly regarded and greatly beloved man"

Heck, John the Baptist wasn't worthy to undue His sandals so a HUG would be extraordinary.

I need a righteousness imputation booster when I die *hesitant giggle* "Me in you and you in Me" *gulp*

Well...then I guess the Lord wants us all to wet our pants. I'll have a towel ready then.

 

[David1701]

I'm late to the party, and I didn't read all 25 pages.



Indeed, he cannot—because his will is not free, but rather enslaved to sin. And he, himself, is not even alive, but rather dead. The unregenerate do not have a free will, they have an enslaved will. And it is only in Christ that anyone is freed. Only the Son can set you free; and when he does, you will be free indeed (John 8:34-36). To pretend there is any freedom outside of Christ is to deny the witness of Scripture.

Amen; however, the freedom is not the freedom of "libertarian free will"; rather, it is the freedom from slavery to sin, and transference to slavery to righteousness. We have been redeemed from the slave-market of sin and now have a new owner - the Lord Jesus Christ!

 

[Arial]

Amen; however, the freedom is not the freedom of "libertarian free will"; rather, it is the freedom from slavery to sin, and transference to slavery to righteousness. We have been redeemed from the slave-market of sin and now have a new owner - the Lord Jesus Christ!

And the reason we are no longer slaves to sin is because it has lost its power to condemn us by Jesus taking the just penalty of those sin upon Himself on the cross, and defeating both the power of sin and it resultant death by rising from the dead and ascending back to the Father as our High Priest. We are freed from the curse of the law. Gal 3:13.

 

[Ritajanice]

I am a Born Again...I am neither Calvinist or Arminian......yet, many times I have been accused of being a Calvinist.

We can only be free from death, if God has birthed us in the Spirit....much more to it than that...God drawing us to Jesus, repentance, Godly sorrow,etc,etc..

◄ 1 John 3:9 ►

Context Crossref Comment Greek Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. New Living Translation Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. English Standard Version No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. Berean Standard Bible Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

 

[David1701]

And the reason we are no longer slaves to sin is because it has lost its power to condemn us by Jesus taking the just penalty of those sin upon Himself on the cross, and defeating both the power of sin and it resultant death by rising from the dead and ascending back to the Father as our High Priest. We are freed from the curse of the law. Gal 3:13.

We are not only freed from condemnation, but also from slavery to sinful desires and deeds.

 

[Behold]

@Behold If you will, please post just one verse or passage of scripture that uses the word “foreknowledge“ other than in reference to election. Thank you.

Acts 2:23 is not about "election".

Keep in mind that noone is pre-destined to be saved or lost.
However, the foreknowledge of God, already knows who will be saved, or not., before they are born.

FORE- Knowing, is not causing.
Its just Knowing... as in "fore- knowledge" or the Knowledge of all things be-fore they happen.
THat's God's foreknowledge.
The bible has foreknowledge also, ... "prophecy".

 

[Behold]

foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,

The verse says that the fore-knowledge of God knew who would be saved, and that there is a pre-destined conforming that happens to everyone who is born again.

They are not pre-destined to be SAVED, as a false theology rewrites the verse, but it says they who are fore-known by God, to become born again, .... have a pre-destined outcome that happens to all who are born again.

"CONFORMED, into the IMAGE of His Son".

That is what is "pre-destined"........not their salvation, as a false theology teaches.

 

[KatarinaVonBora]

The verse says that the fore-knowledge of God knew who would be saved, and that there is a pre-destined conforming that happens to everyone who is born again.

They are not pre-destined to be SAVED, as a false theology rewrites the verse, but it says they who are fore-known by God, to become born again, .... have a pre-destined outcome that happens to all who are born again.

"CONFORMED, into the IMAGE of His Son".

That is what is "pre-destined"........not their salvation, as a false theology teaches.

Are you seriously calling the Apostle Paul guilty of false teaching?

Ephesians 1

To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.