Do We Have a Free Will? - Introduction
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Let's start with Philippians 2:13 (NIV): "For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose". Does this mean we humans don't have a free will? Here's another verse: "Receiving God's promise is not up to us. We can't get it by choosing it or working hard for it. God will show mercy to anyone He chooses" (Romans 9:16). You might add to these a part of another verse: "Choose today whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15). I said specifically "a part of" this verse because the verse carries on and there it gives two choices between other gods (the gods beyond the Euphrates river vs. the gods of the Amorites), rather than the Lord. Thus the choice wouldn't be between Yahweh and other gods, but instead the choice would be between two other gods.
We further on see other verses that expressly declare that "no one is seeking God" (Rom. 3:11) and "you refuse to come to Me so that I can give you this eternal life" (John 5:40). Again you might say that there were some who did "come" to Jesus and have received Him. That's true, but let's look at who they were: "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God" (John 1:12-13). Does everybody then have the will to come? Question after question rises inside of us as we look at all these verses. But it's good...
We know that a man has the power to reject Jesus, but he doesn't have the power to receive Him. Why? Romans 8:7 answers this question: "the sinful nature is always hostile to God", because of a heart that hates Jesus (John 15:18). That is the reason why we have to be born again (John 3:1-21) and receive a new nature. The Holy Spirit does something in each of God's chosen ones than He does in those who weren't chosen. He is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him. Again you might say that the Holy Spirit works convictions the same in both of them and the only thing that separates one from the other is that the chosen ones yielded to Him, but the others rejected Him. That would lead to Christians having a reason to boast over their cooperation with the Holy Spirit, which would contradict Eph. 2:8 "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God." He brought me from unwillingness to willingness. I couldn't do it on my own, that's for sure. Man chooses according to his nature!!! So for that to happen he has to have a new nature. You may say: I remember very well when my awareness testified that my will acted and I yielded to God's way. It is possible, but before that happened, the Holy Spirit overcame the inborn hatred toward God.
I will summarize here a few points the writer made in his book. I will list them up now and afterwards I will go for each one of them in the next posts.
Answers to questions regarding the human will:
1. Its Nature
2. Its Bondage
3. Its Importance
Welcome to the Calvinist side. :-D
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