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coram_deo 24-Aug-21, 10:08 |
 Predestination vs. Free Will in SalvationI think I’m in the mainstream of Christianity on the first two areas of disagreement - I believe in salvation by faith (alone) and that good works are a result of salvation and not how one obtains salvation, and I believe in eternal security, which is often referred to as “Once saved, always saved.” But I think I’m in the minority view when it comes to predestination. I *do not* think God determines ahead of time everyone who will be saved. I think it’s possible He may determine ahead of time certain people to be saved in accordance with His will and purposes, but I don’t think He determines everyone’s fate. If He did, what’s known in the Holy Bible as the “Great Commission” and evangelizing and the work of missionaries would make no sense, imo. It seems, though, that many mainstream Christians (of which I consider myself one) do believe in predestination - that God determined long ago, before even the creation of the world, who would be saved (and, as a result, who wouldn’t.) Obviously, this seems patently unfair, and that objection is usually met with the following response by Christians who believe in predestination - God doesn’t owe anyone anything. That He chooses to save some people and not others is not unfair to people He doesn’t choose to save because they’re simply getting (in the afterlife) what they deserve. But the response to that (which I never see) is people who were not chosen by God to be saved and therefore will spend an eternity in torment also did not choose to be born. If I in my “pre-birth” state were told, “You’re going to have a long and enjoyable life, but God didn’t choose you to be saved so therefore, after you die, you’ll spend an eternity in torment,” I would say, “If that’s the case, I don’t want to be born.” I don’t think it’s just to take away man’s free will regarding whether he’s born *and* take away his free will about where he spends eternity. So in this thread, I’m going to post verses from the Holy Bible related to predestination (there aren’t many) and articles that look at it from both sides - though I’ll probably post more articles that reject predestination (if I can find them!) than articles that support it since I don’t believe predestination is Biblical or makes sense. Again, I’m pretty sure I’m in the minority view on this. I’ll continue to post about the other two areas of disagreement (Law vs. Grace, and How Secure is Your Salvation in Christ,) but I’m going to do more posting in this thread in the near future. Interesting topic! In fact, I think the reason the Holy Bible is open to interpretation is to keep people involved in debating verses and passages, and because people who read a particular verse or passage at one stage of their lives may read it entirely differently at another stage of their lives. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) |
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coram_deo 25-Aug-21, 10:24 |
While Calvinism appears to be the majority view among “higher-ups” in Christianity, book learning and theological credentials don’t always equal wisdom. In fact, many times they don’t because they tend to cause a person to become prideful and self-reliant instead of humble and reliant on God. While I’m still researching Calvinism vs. Arminianism (incidentally, not every Calvinist agrees with all the doctrines of Calvinism and not every Arminian agrees with all the doctrines of Arminianism,) the Lord laid on my heart this verse from 2 Peter: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) If the Lord predestined who would be saved (and, consequently, who would be damned,) that would contradict this verse, written by the apostle Peter, who was one of Jesus Christ’s inner circle (Peter was among only three disciples that Jesus Christ brought with Him when He was Transfigured and appeared with Elijah and Moses. Also, Jesus referred to Peter as “the rock” upon which He will build His church.) And this same Peter tells us that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Does that sound like man has no free will in determining where he spends eternity? Does that sound like God already has decided who will be saved and who won’t? BTW, I read a commentary from gotquestions.org, which takes a Calvinist position (one of few areas in which I disagree with that website,) on that verse from 2 Peter, and it offered, in my opinion, a wholly unsatisfactory position for why that verse is compatible with the idea that God and God alone chooses who will be saved and who won’t. It’s not compatible with the Calvinist position at all (imo.) The Lord also led me to the famous verse from John 3:16 (I remember in the 1970s seeing people in American football stadiums holding signs that said “John 3:16.” Today, anyone who tried that would probably have his or her sign confiscated and be thrown out of the stadium, which goes to show, imo, how far and fast America has fallen.) Anyway, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That verse was written by the apostle John, who described himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (I believe, of course, that Jesus loved all His disciples - yes, even Judas Iscariot - though perhaps John best recognized the breadth and depth of the Lord’s love for him.) In John 3:16, it says “whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” It doesn’t say those whom God has chosen to be saved will not perish, it says “whosoever” believes in Jesus Christ will not perish. Now I believe God, who exists outside of time and created time (unless I’m mistaken, scientists believe time was created and has not existed forever) knows who will believe in Jesus Christ and be saved and who will reject Jesus Christ and not be saved. But knowing that some people will accept and believe in Jesus Christ and be saved, while others will reject Jesus Christ and be damned is not the same as pre-ordaining it. And I’m glad God knows the future. I would be pretty insecure with a God who looked down on humanity and said, “Wow! Didn’t expect that! I wonder what happens next!” God’s sovereignty and man’s free will operate together in life on earth, and, imo, there’s no reason to think they don’t operate together on the question of salvation. |
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coram_deo 17-Sep-21, 12:33 |
Calvinism often goes by the acronym TULIP, which stands for: * Total Depravity of Man: Man is unable to come to God and the saving knowledge of, and belief in, Jesus Christ unless God calls him and draws him to Him. * Unconditional Election: God alone decides who will be saved, and God’s decision has nothing to do with the character or actions of the individual. * Limited Atonement: This view holds that Jesus Christ didn’t die for the sins of the world (i.e. everyone) but only for the sins of people God chose beforehand to be saved. * Irresistible Grace: This view holds that when God calls someone to Himself and to the saving knowledge of, and belief in, Jesus Christ (according to who He predetermined would be saved) that person is unable to resist God’s call and is unable to resist accepting and believing in Jesus Christ. * Perseverance of the Saints: This simply means that those whom God predetermined would be saved and who were unable to resist God’s call to repentance and the saving knowledge of and belief in Jesus Christ are eternally secure in their salvation; they cannot lose it. Conversely, Arminianism, while it lacks an acronym, takes the opposite stance from the five points of Calvinism. Arminists believe in: * Partial Depravity of Man: Man by his nature is depraved but still is able to seek God on his own and, through God’s *resistible* Grace, is able to accept, through his free will, the saving knowledge of and belief in Jesus Christ. * Conditional Election: I think this basically means that man has a part in deciding his eternal fate and that God and man work together in salvation. * Unlimited Atonement: Jesus Christ died for the sins of everyone, and anyone can be saved by accepting and believing in Him. * Resistible Grace: We can reject God’s call to be saved and resist the Holy Spirit’s attempt to lead us to salvation. * Conditional Salvation: One can lose his or her salvation. From what I’ve read, most people do not fully subscribe to all five points of Calvinism or all five points of Arminianism. (Hopefully, I summarized them accurately.) For example, many Arminists reject the idea that one can lose their salvation and instead believe in eternal security. And some Calvinists reject the idea of limited atonement. This subject - predestination - is very difficult because verses and passages in the Holy Bible *appear* to support both positions. I personally believe in Arminianism but only four (and possibly three) of its points. I definitely believe in eternal security (once saved, always saved) and am on the fence regarding total depravity of man. However, if I were to believe in total depravity of man, it would be with the proviso that God calls *everyone* to be saved and that some simply reject His call. I’m likely a “four point” Arminist - the first four points of Arminianism plus eternal security. Anyway, I’ll try in the near future, the Good Lord willing, to explain why I believe “four point Arminianism” is supported by the Holy Bible. In doing that, I may become a “three point Arminist” lol. |
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coram_deo 07-Oct-21, 10:53 |
Total Depravity of Man? Since the five points of Arminianism, which believes man has free will in salvation, are just the opposites of Calvinism’s five points, it makes sense to look at the five points from the Calvinist perspective. First up: Is man totally depraved and unable to come to God without God drawing him? I think the answer to this question is “No,” and the reason I think it’s “No” is because it’s too universal in scope. Are there some people who are so depraved that they can’t come to God and to a saving knowledge and belief in Jesus Christ without God drawing them? I think that’s true. Does that total depravity apply to every single human being on earth? I don’t think so. To believe in the total depravity of man, as a Calvinist believes it (applies to everyone,) you have to completely discount the roles that genetics and the environment (nature and nurture) play in the development of a human being. Under Calvinism’s first point, every human being is in the same spiritual state, regardless of their genetics and upbringing. And if an individual’s soul, spirit and body are all connected and can influence each other, it would seem genetics and upbringing would have some influence on a person’s spiritual state. But I’ll post articles pro and con on Calvinism’s first point, which is pretty crucial because some believe (I don’t) that if the first point of Calvinism is true, the other four points of Calvinism have to be true as well. I’ve believed for a few years that God preordains (predestines) some people to be saved - in other words, they don’t have a choice; they’re going to be saved no matter what (that is, they’re going to come to a saving knowledge and belief in Jesus Christ, no matter what.) But I don’t believe God preordains or predestines anyone to be damned. Before I post pro and con articles on Calvinism’s first point, God’s Holy Spirit, as I was writing this, laid on my heart a verse in this longer passage from Romans 1. What was laid on my heart was the refrain of “God gave them up” to pursue what they wanted to pursue. Sounds like man has free will when it comes to God, doesn’t it? “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:20-32) This verse in that passage, I think, is especially important: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;” (Romans 1:28) Anyway, this first article, from gotquestions.org, supports the Calvinist position that man is totally depraved and unable to come to God and a saving knowledge and belief in Jesus Christ unless God draws him. I’ll post a much-longer article that rejects that position later this week. In Support of the Total Depravity of Man From gotquestions.org: Total depravity - is it biblical? Total depravity is a phrase or name that is used to summarize what the Bible teaches about the spiritual condition of fallen man. It is the “T” in the acronym TULIP, which is commonly used to enumerate what are known as the five points of Calvinism or the doctrines of grace. Because the name “total depravity” can cause people to have wrong ideas about what is meant, some people prefer to use terms like “total inability,” “righteous incapability,” “radical corruption” or even “moral inability.” Yet what is important is not the name assigned to the doctrine but how accurately the doctrine summarizes what the Bible teaches about the spiritual condition of fallen man. No matter which name you use to refer to “total depravity,” the fact remains that when properly understood it is an accurate description of what the Bible does teach on this important subject. While often misunderstood, the doctrine of total depravity is an acknowledgement that the Bible teaches that as a result of the fall of man (Genesis 3:6) every part of man—his mind, will, emotions and flesh—have been corrupted by sin. In other words, sin affects all areas of our being including who we are and what we do. It penetrates to the very core of our being so that everything is tainted by sin and “…all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” before a holy God (Isaiah 64:6). It acknowledges that the Bible teaches that we sin because we are sinners by nature. Or, as Jesus says, “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.” (Matthew 7:17-18). The total depravity of man is seen throughout the Bible. Man’s heart is “deceitful and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). The Bible also teaches us that man is born dead in transgression and sin (Psalm 51:5, Psalm 58:3, Ephesians 2:1-5). The Bible teaches that because unregenerate man is “dead in transgressions” (Ephesians 2:5), he is held captive by a love for sin (John 3:19; John 8:34) so that he will not seek God (Romans 3:10-11) because he loves the darkness (John 3:19) and does not understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, men suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18) and continue to willfully live in sin. Because they are totally depraved, this sinful lifestyle seems right to men (Proverbs 14:12) so they reject the gospel of Christ as foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18) and their mind is “hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is unable to do so” (Romans 8:7). The Apostle Paul summarizes the total depravity of man in Romans 3:9-18. He begins this passage by saying that “both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.” Simply put, this means that man is under the control of sin or is controlled by his sin nature (his natural tendency to sin). The fact that unregenerate people are controlled by their selfish, sinful tendencies should not come as a surprise to any parent. What parent has to teach his or her child to be selfish, to covet what someone else has or to lie? Those actions come naturally from the child’s sin nature. Instead, the parent must devote much time to teaching the child the importance of telling the truth, of sharing instead of being selfish, of obeying instead of rebelling, etc. Then in the rest of this passage Paul quotes extensively from the Old Testament in explaining how sinful man really is. For example, we see that 1—no one is without sin, 2—no one seeks after God, 3—there is no one who is good, 4—their speech is corrupted by sin, 5—their actions are corrupted by sin, and 6—above all, they have no fear of God. So, when one considers even these few verses, it becomes abundantly clear the Bible does indeed teach that fallen man is “totally depraved,” because sin affects all of him including his mind, will and emotions so that “there is none who does good, no not one” (Romans 3:12). There is a common misconception regarding total depravity. Total depravity does not mean that man is as wicked or sinful as he could be, nor does it mean that man is without a conscience or any sense of right or wrong. Neither does it mean that man does not or cannot do things that seem to be good when viewed from a human perspective or measured against a human standard. It does not even mean that man cannot do things that seem to conform outwardly to the law of God. What the Bible does teach and what total depravity does recognize is that even the “good” things man does are tainted by sin because they are not done for the glory of God and out of faith in Him (Romans 14:23; Hebrews 11:6). While man looks upon the outward acts and judges them to be good, God looks upon not only the outward acts but also the inward motives that lie behind them, and because they proceed from a heart that is in rebellion against Him and they are not done for His glory, even these good deeds are like “filthy rags” in His sight. In other words, fallen man’s good deeds are motivated not by a desire to please God but by our own self-interest and are thus corrupted to the point where God declares that there is “no one who does good, no not one!” Since Scripture is very clear that all of man is affected by sin and so much so that “no one seeks after God,” then how can anyone possibly become a Christian? The answer is that God must overcome man’s depravity in such a way that man is able to recognize his spiritual state and his hopeless condition apart from the grace of God. Man’s spiritually blind eyes must be open and the bondage of sin that renders him hopelessly enslaved must be broken so that he can respond in faith to the gospel message and the atoning work of Christ on the cross. Some Christians believe that God accomplishes this through some type of universal grace whereby God brings man to a condition where he has the ability to choose or reject Him. Others believe that for a man who is “dead in trespasses and sins” to be able to understand and respond to the gospel in faith, he must first be born again or regenerated by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3). It is only after God infuses spiritual life into a dead sinner that he can “see the kingdom of God.” Those that hold this view see this as being a sovereign act of God, whereby men are born again “not of the blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). However, even when the doctrine of total depravity is properly understood, many people will reject the doctrine, but that fact should not surprise us, since the world generally thinks of man as being basically good. Therefore, the idea that man by nature is a depraved sinner runs contrary to most modern religious, psychological and philosophical views of the basic nature of man. But the fact is that the Bible does teach the depravity of the human heart, and the root cause of man’s problem is not the environment he is raised in but his wicked and selfish heart. Properly understood, the doctrine of total depravity will destroy the hopes of those who place their faith in any type of works-based system of salvation and will recognize that God’s sovereign grace is man’s only hope. While the doctrine of total depravity destroys man’s self-righteousness and any misconceptions about man’s ability to be saved through his own free will, it leaves one asking the same question the disciples asked of Jesus in Matthew 19:25-26: “Then who can be saved?” Of course the answer remains the same: “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:25-26). As the first of the five doctrines of what is called “Calvinism,” the doctrine of total depravity correctly focuses man’s attention on the rest of these “doctrines of grace” which declare the wondrous work of God in the salvation of sinners. www.gotquestions.org This article makes a good case for the total depravity of man, but, if that’s true, the article also raises the possibility or idea of “universal grace” where God brings everyone to a spiritual state in which they can accept or reject Him. So, I suppose believing in the total depravity of man does not negate man’s free will in salvation if God brings *everyone* to a spiritual state where they can accept or reject Him. The next article, which argues against the total depravity of man, is quite a bit longer and may have to be posted in excerpts. |
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coram_deo 07-Oct-21, 21:13 |
But even if Calvinism is right on its first point and everyone is totally depraved and unable to respond to God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ without God drawing him or her, that still doesn’t negate man’s free will in choosing to accept or reject that offer of salvation - if universal grace, where God brings everyone to a position where they can accept or reject His salvation, is correct. So total depravity of man + universal grace = free will. But this article argues against the Calvinist position that man is totally depraved and unable to be saved without God drawing him. I have to post this article in two parts due to its length. In Opposition of the Total Depravity of Man (Part 1) From thomastaylorministries.org: Calvinism Refuted By Thomas Taylor Total Depravity Calvinism says: “Total Depravity is probably the most misunderstood tenet of Calvinism. When Calvinists speak of humans as “totally depraved,” they are making an extensive, rather than an intensive statement. The effect of the fall upon man is that sin has extended to every part of his personality — his thinking, his emotions, and his will. Not necessarily that he is intensely sinful, but that sin has extended to his entire being. The unregenerate (unsaved) man is dead in his sins (Romans 5:12). Without the power of the Holy Spirit, the natural man is blind and deaf to the message of the gospel (Mark 4:11f). This is why Total Depravity has also been called “Total Inability.” The man without a knowledge of God will never come to this knowledge without God’s making him alive through Christ (Ephesians 2:1-5). “* *These statements were taken from the following source: www.reformed.org. It is understood that not all Calvinists would agree completely with each of their statements. Calvinism starts with this concept called Total Depravity. The other four points of Calvinism (Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints) are rooted in this one called Total Depravity or Total Inability. If Total Depravity were true, then the other four points of Calvinism would inevitably follow and also be true. The reformed Theologians should be commended for their scholarly work because they would be absolutely right with the other four points of the TULIP based on Total Depravity. But Total Depravity is not true. Because it is not true, the ability to draw any more conclusions based on Total Depravity is eliminated. The other four points are moot. If a ship or plane were off-course by one degree in the beginning, the vessel would be extremely off-course after several hours of travel. This is what we have with Calvin’s TULIP. Therefore, this study concerning Total Depravity is the most important. Man Has a Free-Will Calvinism says man does not have a free-will. Man’s will is bound by sin and Satan so that it does not have the ability to choose God. Calvinism believes man cannot perceive the Truth to be saved; God does it all for us. But if we could not perceive the Truth, then why did Jesus preach It to us? Calvinism also believes that man cannot choose God to be saved; again, God does it all. He chooses us but we do not choose Him. But if sinners cannot choose God, then why did God tell them to choose Him? Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. 1Ki 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions ? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him . And the people answered him not a word. Deu 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: The above verses prove conclusively that a depraved man can choose God. To deny man’s free-will is to deny the Bible. Israel chose God: Jos 24:22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. Mankind can choose if presented with the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Why else would Jesus go around telling people to repent? The word “repent” would have absolutely no meaning if we do not have a free-will to do so. Can you imagine Jesus preaching “Repent!” Then a man comes up afterward and corrects Jesus saying, “I’m sorry but my will is controlled by Satan so it is impossible for me to repent and, well, I’m predestined by your God for Hell so it is impossible for me to follow You anyway.” Other commands that God gave us like obey Me, seek Me, and follow Me would have no meaning if man was totally depraved lacking a free-will. Calvinism believes that the will of man is controlled by Satan so that we cannot make a choice for God. However, the will of man must remain under our complete control for if it is controlled by Satan then we would only do what Satan wants. But we do not find people that are sinners only doing what Satan wants. Most of them try and want to do good but they stumble and fall. That spirit-man on the inside is impelling them to do good but they do not know how. Our wills are not under Satan’s control or else all men would ONLY act just like devils, full of hatred, murder, and destruction. There would be no love and no good on the earth whatsoever. To say we do not have a functional will is to say that we are just sacks of bone and flesh either controlled by Satan or by God. Therefore, there is no justification for God to reward or judge man. All reward is just God rewarding Himself and all punishment is God only punishing Satan, not us. If it is just God versus Satan, you must ask yourself, what do we have to do with it? Are we nothing but automatons doing as we are forced to do with no power to choose? What of Abraham? Did he not choose God being depraved? And what of Moses and David and so many others in the Old Testament that chose God? Man’s will does function to choose God and that is the way God set it up. There is no one born-again on the earth today that did not use his or her free-will to become that way. Without free-will, man cannot love God. And we know that God says for us to love Him with all our heart (Matt 22:37). For a man to love God, he must have the freedom to choose or reject Him. Love involves an acceptance of the person being loved, in this case God. For example, there is a man that beats his girlfriend all the time for no reason. She is afraid to leave him for fear of him tracking her down and hurting her. Sometimes he has even chained her to the bed post and threatened to kill her if she tries to leave but eventually he lets her go again. She always went back to him out of fear. He even said that she must marry him or else he would kill her. One day she got up the nerve and left him; she just disappeared and started her life over again in another state with a new job. She got herself back on her feet again. She meets another man. She is reluctant to get into a relationship again but she immediately detects that this man is different. This man is kind to her and warm and very loving not only to her but to everyone around him. He does not force her to do anything but leaves the choice up to her if she would like to marry him. In fact this man is the most wonderful man she has ever met and chooses to love him. (Love is a choice, not something you “fall in” like the world thinks.) She agrees to marry him and they go on to have a wonderful life together. The question is: Would it have been possible for the woman to love the first man without her being allowed to choose? Clearly, no. His idea of love was to take away her options so that she could not get away but that is not love. Love never forces someone to choose them. Love is kind. Love allows the person the freedom to walk away at any time before the covenant (of marriage) is made. We have to have the freedom to walk away from God for us to truly say that we love Him. Otherwise, we would be saying God is like the first man who just took away her options so she had to do whatever he said. That is not love. Our God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). Just because man has a free-will does not mean God is not sovereign. Sovereign just means He is the highest in authority. It does not mean He controls everyone. God can change the circumstances surrounding a man to guide him a certain way but God would never violate man’s free-will to force him to believe. That would be spiritual rape. There is a difference between driving the car and putting guard rails on the side of the road. Man can still drive wherever and however he wants but as he does, God still influences his life with guard rails. Remember, God gave the Ten Commandments to Israel; these were guard rails. However, Israel had to make the choice to obey or rebel. Israel had a free-will and used it to disobey Him. When God commands us to do something, we do not have the legal right to disobey but we still retain the ability to do so. I only use this illustration to point out how God influences and interacts with His creation but anyone can readily see that man has the choice to obey or disobey God. Thus, man has a free-will. thomastaylorministries.org |