Results 1 - 3 of 3
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Theological Terms: Regeneration | Titus 3:5 | DocTrinsograce | 151473 | ||
Dear Terrib, No, the Scriptures do not teach that at all. Man's will is perfectly free (although corrupt). No one ever chooses to do what they do not deem will be best for themselves. No one's will is ever really forced. For example, a robber might demand all of your money. You refuse. Now, the robber can alter the circumstances that contribute to your choice, by holding a gun to your head. Given the new circumstances, you choose to hand over your money. Are you being forced? No, you still have a free will. You choose what you deem will best lead to the objectives of your immediate happiness: you give him your money that your life might be spared. Christ taught that the will is influenced to make choices by the heart (Matthew 12:33-37). In the fall of man, the ability of man to desire the things of God was lost (Romans 5:6; 8:7; Ephesians 2:1, 5; Titus 3:3-5; John 6:44). Sin has damaged his affections, and even confounded his ability to understand what is good and what is evil. (See Romans 1.) Consequently, what the Scripture is saying is that a lost man has a free will. However, because of the fall, he has a "moral inability" to choose to obey God. Therefore, God miraculous intervenes to restore this ability in those He has chosen to save (Colossians 1:13; John 8:36; Philippians 2:13; Romans 7:15, 18, 19, 21, 23). God would have been perfectly just to let all men die in their sins. Nothing obligates Him to redeem anyone. Furthermore, the believer now has the ability to choose that which is Godly (Ephesians 4:13). He is a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galaltians 6:15). His effections have been renewed (2 Thes 3:5, 1 John 4:7). He desires the things of God, and will give all that he has in order to please Him (Matthew 10:37, 13:44, 46, Luke 14:26, etc.). In glorification, the final taint of sin of will be completely removed in every respect for the believer. He will then be perfrectly and immutably free to do only God's will. At that time, his full restoration will be complete. Salvation is entirely a work of God, start to finish (Ephesians 2:9). God is sovereign, not man. In Him, Doc "The will is not destroyed but rather repaired by grace." --John Calvin "God's predetermination of second causes is that effectual working of his, according to his eternal purpose, whereby though some agents, as the wills of men, are causes most free and indefinite, or unlimited lords of their own actions, in respect of their internal principle of operation (that is, their own nature), they are yet all, in respect of his decree, and by his powerful working, determined to this or that effect in particular; not that they are compelled to do this, or hindered from doing that, but are inclined and disposed to do this or that, according to their proper manner of working, that is, most freely." --John Owen |
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2 | Theological Terms: Regeneration | Titus 3:5 | Mommapbs | 151476 | ||
Doc wrote: "No one ever chooses to do what they do not deem will be best for themselves . . . For example, a robber might demand all of your money. You refuse. Now, the robber can alter the circumstances that contribute to your choice, by holding a gun to your head. Given the new circumstances, you choose to hand over your money. Are you being forced? No, you still have a free will. You choose what you deem will best lead to the objectives of your immediate happiness: you give him your money that your life might be spared." Does God know what man will choose before he chooses it? Does man know that God is the best? Before the Fall, was it the law of God (Gen 2:17) that provided the opportunity of choice for Adam and Eve? They were perfect and yet chose unbelief. You stated, "because of the fall, (man) has a "moral inability" to choose to obey God" What part of Adam and Eve's perfection resulted in their rebellion? They were perfect and yet had no knowledge of good and evil prior to the fall. Without this knowledge, would they have moral ability? If corrupt wills can not choose God, how could incorrupt wills NOT choose Him? Yet God gave them the freedom to choose to believe Him or not. Did He choose to save them regardless of their choice? Just as God did not force them or us to believe Him, doesn't He give each a portion of faith as well as Himself and an opportunity to believe Him? Does this make sense? Help me sort this out here. How does man come to know that God is the best -and therefore that His way is the best for man? How did Adam and Eve come to this realization? mommapbs PS Going back to your analogy, unless universal salvation comes into play here, we know that some choose the bullet. So your statement, "No one ever chooses to do what they do not deem will be best for themselves," doesn't seem to be true for the salvation of God. Not everyone chooses God's Way. Perhaps this is because they don't believe that God's Way is best, but their way is better. But doesn't God know that beforehand too? |
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3 | Theological Terms: Regeneration | Titus 3:5 | DocTrinsograce | 151479 | ||
Hi, Momma! You asked, "Does God know what man will choose before he chooses it?" Yes, He does. One of the attributes of God is omniscience, which means that He knows all things. You asked, "Does man know that God is the best?" Note that I did not say that men make choices on what they know. Even when they know something is true, they often do not make the proper choice. I do that and so do you. The problem is with the effections, or what we usually call the heart. Christ taught that all choices begin there. You asked, "Before the Fall, was it the law of God (Gen 2:17) that provided the opportunity of choice for Adam and Eve?" I'm sorry, I should have been specific about Adam. (Note that we are told by Paul that Eve was deceived.) John Hendryx said it better than I can when he wrote, "People generally tend to confuse coersion with necessity. Recently I heard Ron Rhodes interviewed on a local radio station and he said God did not create us as robots ... and this is correct, and then he said, God gave us free choice (between good and evil) ... which is right when applied to Adam ... but then he commits a fatal error is when he said that 'our will is free just like Adams' ... which is nonsense. Our will is corrupted and in bondage till Christ sets us free. What Rhodes means to say, I believe, is that we are not robots, which is true ... but this is not how the Scripture defines the will which is not free ... so it is wrong to teach that man has a 'free will' in that sense. It destroys the very gospel we preach." You asked, "How does man come to know that God is the best -and therefore that His way is the best for man?" Through the Gospel. See my post 151431. You asked, "How did Adam and Eve come to this realization?" Since Adam was not deceived, he knew it all along. Eve presumably realized it more clearly after the fact. You wrote, "We know that some choose the bullet." Yes. Which, to them, is the best course of action. Suicide is an expression of self love. You wrote, "Perhaps this is because they don't believe that God's Way is best, but their way is better." Man lacks the moral ability to change his nature (Jeremiah 13:23). He can't stop sinning or even stop wanting to sin (2 Peter 2:14). Everything he does has a sinful motive behind it, even when his actions appear outwardly good (Genesis 6:5). Man is unable to obey God (Matthew 7:18, Romans 8:7-8). He never seeks God (Romans 3:11). He is unwilling and unable to come to God for help (John 3:19-20, John 5:40, John 6:44, 65). In Him, Doc |
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