Does man naturally have ability to Seek God ?

[brightfame52]

Please read my post again as you must have overlooked the scripture I gave.

BTW, you have never answered our question in telling us exactly how does a baby sin and please do not use those scriptures you have already given that only Calvinist like to use to prove their point as a few of us have told you they do not cause a baby to sin. If you keep up this line of babies sin then this would have made Jesus a sinner at His birth.

The poster has answered, they as well as I have stated that babies sinned in their federal head Adam, this belief is derived from Rom 5:12

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Now if you or anyone else doesn't agree with that, fine, you may see it differently, but acknowledge that the poster attempted to answer your question, you just dont agree, which is fine.

 

[Iconoclast]

Sometimes posters want to poke a stick into the eye of Calvinist believers.
When the Calvinist responds by pointing out error they try and say you cannot point out any error that is posted and look for a forum rule to "block" such correction???
If a mormon or jw posts, does that mean we cannot offer correction?

 

[brightfame52]

Man naturally doesnt seek after God because we by nature are 100% carnal, even in our morality and religiosity. Scripture declares that the carnal mind is enmity against God, the True God that is Rom 8:7

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Notice its enmity against God, not against morality, religion, carnal man approves of those things. So what man needs is a new mind, a change of mind, repentance. Its imperative that man be given repentance which is a change of mind. The word repentance used in the NT Acts 11:18 is
metanoia:

1. a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done

Without this change of mind, mans carnal mind remains enmity against God ! 19

 

[electedbyHim]

Man naturally doesnt seek after God because we by nature are 100% carnal, even in our morality and religiosity. Scripture declares that the carnal mind is enmity against God, the True God that is Rom 8:7

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Notice its enmity against God, not against morality, religion, carnal man approves of those things. So what man needs is a new mind, a change of mind, repentance. Its imperative that man be given repentance which is a change of mind. The word repentance used in the NT Acts 11:18 is
metanoia:

1. a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done

Without this change of mind, mans carnal mind remains enmity against God ! 19

Agreed, but you cant tell the Arminians that.

They will tell you that you have free will.

That is just their pride talking, we cant have God be on the throne alone, He has to share it with sinful man.

 

[brightfame52]

For all practical/Spiritual purposes the lost natural man we are in this world without God Eph 2:12

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Now a person without God cannot and will not come to or seek God Rom 3:11. A person without God will not decide to choose God with his own freewill, since his will is a slave to sin. In fact, a person without God is dead to God, dead in sin. This is why in order for man to regain a right relationship with God, a fellowship with the True God, he must #1 have been chosen by God, and subsequently following, quickened by God, that is made alive by God Eph 2:1
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) 20

 

[brightfame52]

Another reason why man naturally doesnt seek nor have the ability to seek the True and Living God, is because naturally through sin our hearts are hardened. Hence the saving drawing process by God is began by giving a new heart that isnt hard. Ezk 11:19-20

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Ezk 36:26-28

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

We need a whole new Spiritual constitution to begin to seek God !

 

[Jethro Bodine]

When I say men naturally i mean the unregenerate man, in the flesh, never born again ? Can this person seek after the True and Living God ? The answer is NO !

No, natural man will not seek after God on his own.
But all men are able to when God testifies to them about his existence.
But most won't.

 

[Iconoclast]

Another reason why man naturally doesnt seek nor have the ability to seek the True and Living God, is because naturally through sin our hearts are hardened. Hence the saving drawing process by God is began by giving a new heart that isnt hard. Ezk 11:19-20

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Ezk 36:26-28

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

We need a whole new Spiritual constitution to begin to seek God !

Yes BF,
Until this takes place,men will be religious on their own terms, but not seek the true and living God.

 

[Iconoclast]

No, natural man will not seek after God on his own.
But all men are able to when God testifies to them about his existence.
But most won't.

That is the truth...God saves sinners. He enables them to come to Jesus most willingly.

 

[brightfame52]

No, natural man will not seek after God on his own.
But all men are able to when God testifies to them about his existence.
But most won't.

Wrong. Man can and will seek God when God draws them which is the New Birth Jn 6:44

 

[brightfame52]

Yes BF,
Until this takes place,men will be religious on their own terms, but not seek the true and living God.

Correct !

 

[brightfame52]

Men in our unregenerate natural state, dont seek after the True God, in fact we are alienated from the True God Eph 4:18

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Also we are a slave to sin, meaning unbelief Rom 6:17

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

John 8:34

Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. [all of us by nature are sinners] and that eliminates having a freewill to decide to seek after the True God.

Man also in this fallen condition loves the darkness rather than the Light, which God is light Jn 3:19

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

That tells us about our natural affections, what we Love ! But also not only does man love darkness, we also hate the Light and will not come to it. See will not come to it. Thats a will issue !

Jn 3:20

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved 21

 

[brightfame52]

The scripture gives the truth about the natural state of man, it states unequivocally that none, in nature who understands with the heart and seeks after the True God, observe the witness of scripture from the OT and NT Ps 14:2-3

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 are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

NT Testimony Rom 3:11-12

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

This is what God sees of all men naturally when He looks down from heaven.

Yet some people say that Gods foreknowledge means He looks down from heaven and chooses people in election because He sees they will accept Him ! That concept is not scriptural ! Doesnt matter what people teach , no natural unregenerate man seeks after God !

Thus the necessity of the New Birth !

 

[brightfame52]

Man by nature man does not possess a will that is truly free, for it is in bondage to sin John 8:34. He lacks the Spiritual ability to come to Christ in faith and repentance Jn 6:44, apart from the regenerating grace of the Holy Ghost working upon his heart[Drawing].

 

[brightfame52]

Another reason why men naturally do not and cannot seek after the True God, nor come to Christ who is the True God incarnate, is because we lack or are without strength spiritually Rom 5:6

6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

It means we were destitute of power, sluggish in doing right , without vigor and its resources

This scripture also reveals how unreasonable it is to suppose that man in his natural state could've cooperated with God in the matter of salvation of the Soul ! We were without strength/ability in the matter. f

 

[sagoksok]

Yes I did. I’ll repeat it. Why does God choose some to go to hell before they were born? That’s a real question and it’s not a trick one.

The nearest answer of your question it think on Exodus 9 and Romance 9

Exo 9:12 But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

Rom 9:17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

* Other than this I label it as a Mystery even John Calvin could not answer further than those above mention verses.

 

[Hidden In Him]

The nearest answer of your question it think on Exodus 9 and Romance 9

I believe you meant "Romans," sagoksok.

The book of "Romance" would be Song of Songs I believe.

I know you may be foreign, just poking a little fun.

 

[GodsGrace]

The nearest answer of your question it think on Exodus 9 and Romance 9

Exo 9:12 But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

Rom 9:17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

* Other than this I label it as a Mystery even John Calvin could not answer further than those above mention verses.

Hi Sagoksok,
From Northern Europe?

Two comments:
1. Regarding the hardening of the hear of Pharaoh...
Did he harden his own heart or did God harden his heart?

Exodus 8:32
32But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.
Exodus 9:12
12And the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
This would be in agreement with

Romans 1:24
24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

In other words, once God sees that we will pay no attention to Him, He leaves us to our own destruction, or, hardening of the heart.

Just want to say that I believe the reformed faith leaves many conflicts that need to be worked out.
Calvin gave over to mystery what he couldn't understand.
The reason he, and others, cannot understand very well is because God has no mysteries as to the salvation of mankind.. It's only a mystery in the reformed faith.

 

[GodsGrace]

sagoksok

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?

The name sounds so Northern Europe...

 

[sagoksok]

I believe you meant "Romans," sagoksok.

The book of "Romance" would be Song of Songs I believe.

I know you may be foreign, just poking a little fun.

Romance not Romans "have u ever heard kite dancing in hurricane"? that's Romans