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NASB | Luke 22:42 saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Luke 22:42 saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done." |
Subject: Submissive or Suppressed Wills |
Bible Note: Dear Mark, First of all, my comment on rambling was only in jest and I hope you recognized it as such. I’m glad you have invited me along for the ride as you work out your beliefs on the subject. I find it odd, that I see so many similarities initially concerning our thought processes, but somehow we have reached slightly different conclusions. Where you, if having to choose, lean toward suppression, I would lean toward submissiveness. Just for the sake of clarification, let me state that the terms I applied as originally presented were not intended to push the subject into a psychiatric spin. It was merely my attempt and maybe a poor one, to identify as appropriately as I could, what actually takes place when regeneration is enacted upon us and subsequently our response and progression. As you aptly concluded, God’s will can never be suppressed nor can it be submissive to man’s will. But concerning the regenerate, that appears not even to be an option. Ultimately our will is either suppressed by or submissive to God’s. Once predestined by God, the choice is no longer ours is it? His will progresses while ours, in logically deducing, has to react in some fashion accordingly. We can’t reject, that places us above God’s sovereignty to say that He called us but we choose not come. We can’t accept initially, because up to that point just prior to regeneration, the agent acting upon our will is in fact immoral or we are void of a moral agent. So I see two options remaining, be suppressed by or submissive to the will of God. I see the manner of regeneration happening in an instant and arguably unnoticed at the onset. I see our wills being suppressed by God for an instant to allow our hearts to be renewed, because I don’t believe we would let it happen, given an option. From that moment forward, I see our wills as being submissive to God’s because His Spirit is now the acting moral agent on our heart. Our hearts are acted upon by the only moral agent capable of directing our hearts to effect changes in our desires and motives to coincide with those of God. These new motives direct our thoughts, our minds and lead us into a progression toward Christ. We are now freely able to choose that which God desires while retaining what bit of our old nature that we do. As both you and Doc have stated, our hearts are central, our very essence. From our inner being, one would have to surmise our outer actions are predicated. A heart void of God, or unchanged by God cannot produce moral thoughts and ultimately actions in tune with God’s will and desire. I’ll go as far as to say that it seems to be against our very nature to even freely acknowledge and accept a Savior until God makes it so. So I tend to agree with you concerning suppression, but only at the onset. We then freely submit to God’s will which also enables us to suppress our old nature but not entirely. I did not want to imply in any way that God’s will, or God’s Spirit indwelling the regenerate, could be suppressed by or even submissive to our nature or will. God forbid it and I praise Him that the enacting of His will and our submitting to it is truly a one-way street. It’s a gift of His grace and mercy upon us. In all, I can properly concede to the fact that this is a mystery in which God has not revealed to us for His own reason. However, I feel I have a responsibility to fully explore the Word of God and let His Word inform of that. Until I reach a point of being stagnant on a subject, I feel I need to continue. Currently, concerning this subject, I still feel I’m progressing somewhat to a better understanding. Also please understand, when I originally presented this subject, it was only to further explore it for my own understanding. It is surely not a hang up with me. Thank you Mark for sharing and please continue to do so. WOS |