Some will say, that God has never given equal chances to people in the world. What of all those who have never heard about Jesus, did God give them an equal chance? But the reality is God is more powerful than we imagine. Throughout scripture God has communicated to His people using dreams and visions, it is not unreasonable to assume He would reach the unreachable using such methods. This is what he appears to do. We see this in the book Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World? God does send dreams and visions to those who are for the most part unreachable. Although the Bible is still important in the salvation process in most of these cases, it is not unreasonable to suggest an American Indian, or Aztec who does not have the Bible, could receive enough revelation directly from God to be saved.
Well, while I agreed that there are some circumstances in which God has communicated to those who never heard the gospel from humans there is no creditable data to support your hypothesis. These would be exceptions to the rule. There is no scripture to support you. I don't believe missionaries going into areas that never heard the gospel find people saying, "Well God spoke to me a couple months ago and I already know of Christ".
I guess you could make a different speculation like ... all those the died having never heard of Christ go to purgatory (or whatever name you want to assign) and there they hear the gospel and are giving a opportunity to exercise "Free Will".
By the way... if you are writing about Free Will it is critical to define the term; preferably at the beginning of the book. I scanned you document and did not find a definition. I am aware of three definitions so you haven't identified the crux of the matter. Given this is a Christian book about Free Will you should give scripture references where God speak of Free Will (there are none save Free Will offering and I think the NASB may use the term in the N.T. To be candid with your readers you might mention Free Will is a human construct that is not found in the Bible save possibly by ambiguous inference.
Tom Doyle brings us amazing insight with his new book Dreams and Visions. Through his many years of serving on the front lines in the Middle East and North Africa, he has compiled these recent and genuine accounts of how the one true God is getting his message of love to a people
I am such this is anecdotal though true evidence. If the gospel is spread 100% of the time by God to those who never heard it from men then there such be AMPLE EVIDENCE that everyone has had that experience.
It just makes the point that God does not favor the wealthy.
Well that is my point. The supposed Free Will of the wealthy has been affected by God this contradicts the concept of Free Will (I say this noting you have not defined Free Will so maybe you have a definition that would account for this.
Re: People religious choices are clearly influence by their parents
All this shows is that people copy what they see:
... and that is my point. People are influenced by others and therefore their will is Not Free. (again, you have not defined Free Will... the usual definition is
"The power of making choices that are neither determined by natural causality nor predestined by fate or divine will." I assume this is your definition; if so the emperical data shows the definition to contradict the facts.
My definition is simple because it need not be complex. But what would you like to see, I will try to do it.
Define Free Will .... We all know it is the ability to do what you want to do but what is the FREE in FREE WILL; what is your will FREE from? God? Others? Life Circumstances like hearing the gospel?
How do those dying from abortions exercise Free Will? Does God take away our Free Will when we are saved? Does God take away our Free Will after we die?
Again, scripture references would be nice ... and don't use verses that don't indicate the cause of a person making a "free will" choice like:
John 7:17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. (there is no statement as to who controls this decision; God or man or one's parents or ... )
But I Have no problem with that statement, God does appear to have a plan for mankind, but I see it as flexible, adjusting to man's choices.
Well, there are verses saying God is not flexible/influenced by men:
Job 35:7 “If you are righteous, what do you give God, Or what does He receive from your hand? 8 “Your
wickedness affects only a man such as you, And your righteousness affects only a son of man [but it cannot affect God, who is sovereign]” Free Will (the self determined actions of men) gives God something causing him to put you In Christ
Job 41:11 Who has first given to Me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heavens is Mine. You can that we independently come to faith in God and should be repayed
Daniel 4:35 “All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing.
You contend we have significance/value in which God is not the source (deism)
Proverbs 19:21 Many plans are in a man’s mind, But it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand (be carried out).
Psalm 15:3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.
You contend God does what men please at times.
I could go on and on.
Re: the bible speaks of being born again and adopted .. .analogies showing the object (man) is incapable of being the cause
Not really a strong argument.
Agreed ... interesting coincidences perhaps. Just like the analogy of being born spiritually death and therefore impossible to respond to God ... or
Matthew 7:18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit." ... which would contradict Free Will .. .or the potter and the clay analogy...maybe just coincidence.
re: I could list a 100 verses saying man is incapable (no one seeks God)
I would like to see the 100.
Hey, who's writing the book, you or me ....*giggle*
I guess I exaggerated... only have 50ish ... software doesn't like numbering them below.
- Genesis 6:5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
- Genesis 8:21b for the intent (strong inclination, desire) of man’s heart is wicked from his youth;
- Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.
- Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, There is none that doeth good. 2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one.
- Psalm 51:5 But I was born a sinner, yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
- Psalm 58:3 The ungodly are perverse and estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. (Isaiah 48:8 speaks of Israel being born a transgressor at birth)
- Jeremiah 13:23 “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? (No!) Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.
- Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
- Isaiah 48:8 You have never heard, you have never known, from of old your ear has not been opened. For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously, and that from before birth you were called a rebel.
- Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way
- Isaiah 64:6 We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness’s are as filthy rags
- Matthew 7:18 “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree bear good fruit.”
- Matthew 12:34 “How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
- Matthew 19:25-26 “‘Who then can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'”
to be continued
