Featured Power to choose

Was Paul being polite and using a form of rhetoric when he spoke to the the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers at the Areopagus saying:

Did God not make us with an inward emptiness that can only be filled by his indwelling presence? ...and did he not make us able to search for him?

Rob

 

I have a question brethren... Did Nicodemus choose to be born again?... Brother Glen

 

No, no one chooses to be born anew, that is an action God performs when we arise in Christ a new creation. God chooses us and sets us apart in Christ through faith in the truth. If He credits our faith as righteousness, He sets us apart in Christ.

But the issue of this thread, the power to choose, deals would our choice to believe in Jesus. Some say we cannot, but scripture says we are saved through faith, meaning our faith, as worthless as a filth rag, is used by God to provide our access to the grace in which we stand, Romans 5:1-2.

 

We love him because he first loved us!

But my favorite verse and I even have it printed on my Bible is this!

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He wrote the plan of Salvation and he finished it!... As I understand scripture it is God that takes the active part and the sinner is passive. Question after the sin of Adam would God again leave the Salvation of his children in their hands?.. Not as I understand scripture!... Genesis 3:15... Brother Glen

 

We have what scripture teaches, or what we rewrite. Which will it be?

God sets before us life and death and through us as ambassadors pleads with the lost, be reconciled to God. Our faith in Christ provides our access to the grace in which we stand.

 

Are you quoting this verse (I John 4:19) as somehow supporting the reformed view of election?

 

You bet RM, some rewrite the definition of "love" to mean "compelled." We love Him because He first compelled us. No word or phrase is safe.

 

...When in the hands of Van.

 

I asked tyndale a legitimate question and now your attack may distract from my question and will most certainly tie me to your post here. This is not helpful to further the discussion and it does nothing to promote godly grace to others.

 

Yes RM, you asked a legitimate question and I provided an answer. Deal with it.

 

To my understanding that is what scripture teaches but to hash it out and turn this into a Christian vendetta I refuse to do... There is enough on this board already... Brother Glen:godisgood:

 

No you did not answer it you attacked someone else. That is not an answer neither is it helpful.

 

If I wanted to do that I would go to the C/A Forum and start a thread. I won't do that as the doctrine of Election has been thoroughly explained in the past. I know I was once the Moderator there... Maybe SBM will start one... Brother Glen

 

That is right RM, we do not love God because He compelled us.

We have the power to choose to trust in Christ or not. But we were drawn by God's lovingkindness toward us. We love Him because He first loved us.

 

So what was your point in post that verse?

 

Hint, see post #31.

 

Percho--- Here's my take on some of you questions you posed in your post on this thread:

In Revelation 13:8, the Apostle John relates that during the end times, the people who won't worship the Beast are those "whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." The word "Lamb" is used throughout the NT as a reference to Christ. EXAMPLES: John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:19; Revelation 5:6,12,13.

Was one of the biggies, of the works of the devil, the death? See Hebrews 2:14

Paul tells his readers in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 that it was the resurrected Christ who was victorious over death and the grave.

What is stated in the Word of God to be the last enemy to be destroyed?

Death. See the above-mentioned passage in 1 Corinthians 15.

Did Adam have free will, or was he created, carnal, sold under sin?

In our Life Group meeting last night, the topic of Adam's fall was discussed. The Genesis 2-3 narrative doesn't seem to go into great detail as it pertains to the extent of Adam's understanding of the consequences of disobeying God's command not to partake of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

It would seem that Satan did have some understanding of what would happen to Adam if he disobeyed God's command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but exactly how much knowledge the Devil had is a matter of speculation.


In Adam was God setting a trap for the devil?

I'm not positive that I'd refer to God's actions as a consequence of Adam's fall as God "setting a trap for the devil, but one does read in Genesis 3:15 the first messianic prophecy of the Bible. IOW, Genesis 3:15 is the first example of the protoevangelium[/QUOTE]

 

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Sometimes I do not do a very good job with my questions.

Before the foundation of the world, what was he going to be manifested as, that had yet to be created?

The reason for that question. I understand each of you answering as a lamb.
But as you stated the Lamb is a reference to the Christ. As of a lamb, without blemish and without spot means sinless.

Before the foundation of the world, man had not been created and it was as a man the Son of God would be manifested.

Was the man Adam created in order for the Son of God to be manifested, as a man, to destroy the works of the devil?

Would this also redeem the created man from something? If the amswer is yes which it appears to me to be, would that not mean that, before the foundation of the world, the man yet to be created was going to need redemption from death, the works of the devil, meaning God created him. flesh and blood, carnal under the law, put him in the presence of the devil, who did exactly what God knew he would and the man reacted exactly as God knew he would and brought death to mankind.

Then in the fullness of time God would through the virgin woman, Mary sent his Son into the world to destroy the works of the devil and redeem man.

The natural law of God is still there for it is also the very nature of God.

Disobedience to it brings curses and obedience brings blessings.

But all die in Adam. And all will be made alive in Christ, and then judgement.

I believe Adam brought death to man just as God knew he would and why God did not create him immortal but in dying he would die and also why God prevented him after he sinned from eating of the tree of life.

 

Since Dr. Bob has already laid the ground rules and said this was a free-will discussion I can only answer that in the C/A Forum. I hope this answers your question... Will I?... Maybe!... Brother Glen