That's not what I've heard from the pulpit. Man has free will, to an extent, and God is absolutely sovereign;
Of course. This has been my point all along. WHY won't they say what needs to be said from the pulpit?
Because they want as many as possible to warm the pews. If they stated what I post on these threads, who would accept it? But it's put out there, little by little, and they make it sound very acceptable.
When you hear some words, they are key to some doctrine or other.
For example SOVEREIGN,,,this is one of them.
Sovereign = God predestined everything from the beginning of the world. He plans all including who will be saved and who will be lost or reprobate.
the two are held in tension as a mystery, which I think more Christians would do well to do.
There is no tension between free will and God's sovereignty - only in the reformed tradition do they speak of this tension.
God is TRULY sovereign. He does not need to fear man having free will.
It's almost like the reformed feel that maybe God is a God of fearing that man should have free will.
God made us in His image. He is free and He made us to be free. Why give Adam a command to not eat of the fruit IF it was God's will that Adam sin? It was God's will because, remember, HE planned everything ahead of time. Including sin. See my post no. 144
God gave Adam the command because Adam could choose to make the moral decision to obey or disobey.
Same as we have today.
God is happy to allow us to have free will.
God is happy that we love Him out of our own free will and not because He predestinated us to...
like robots.
I think the issue of free will is much more complicated, especially as a student of behavioural science, I understand that there is much more going on in how we make decisions than we realize.
It's very complicated but only in philosophy, not in biblical terms.
Philosophically, man's will is limited.
I cannot will myself to fly.
Will watch when I log off. I've seen a lot of stuff by RC. I like him.
He said that when he started out it was difficult for him to accept such conflicting teachings.
But he was under the wing of his reformed mentor, so that's where he ended up.
It's in one of the books he wrote...I can't remember which one but I'm sure it could be found.
'Calvin, in examining the question of free will, says that if we mean by free will that fallen man has the ability to choose what he wants, then of course fallen man has free will. But if we mean by that term that man in his fallen state has the moral power and ability to choose righteousness, then, said Calvin, “free will is far too grandiose a term to apply to fallen man.” And with that sentiment I would agree.'
But the NT tells us that we can choose to become saved.
Where does it state that we cannot?
How to become saved:
Romans 10:9-10
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Romans 10:13
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Acts 16:31
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
John 1:12
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
Acts 2:38
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
And, we can choose to obey God or not obey God, after we are saved:
John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
I don't know of any scripture that states we cannot choose to believe.