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free will
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Posted by: Frederik
Today I was tempted to sin and I didn't do it but I didn't do it cause I didn't want to but rather cause I was scared of God. But this isn't really a solution. When I only don't sin because I fear God then this isn't free will, is it? I mean as soon as you know something is forbidden it becomes even more attractive. When you're tempted to sin do you leave it cause you want to leave it or do you leave it cause you're scared of God? I mean I always hear of free will but when you either follow God or go to hell is it still free will?
Jesus said to the woman which comitted adultery that she shall not do it again, but what if she did it again? What would have happened to her? Imagine you comit a sin and God forgives you but he tells you not to do it again then this creates an enormous pressure cause you know that you'll be punished if you do it again and this is no longer free will. What do you think?
Posted by: koppen
Genesis 2:8) And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. (9) ...the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
(Exodus 30:19) ...I have set before you life and death... therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
We do not know how much time elapsed between the rebellion of Satan and the creation of Adam. We simply know that at a particular time, God created man and endowed him with a human will that was free. It is because of God's greatness that He gave man a free will. A great person will never compel anyone to follow him. By giving man a free will, God was indicating that He would not force man to obey Him. When I was young, I thought that God was not wise in creating man with a free will. If I had been God, I would have made it impossible for man to have a choice. I would have created man in such a way that all he could do was follow God. But in His greatness God gave man freedom of choice.
In Genesis 2 we see that man was free to exercise his will to eat either of the tree of life or of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. These two trees represent the divine will and the satanic will, respectively. Hence, in the garden there was a triangular situation, with the tree of life representing the divine will, the tree of knowledge representing the satanic will, and Adam representing the human will. Therefore, there were three persons--God, Satan, and man--each one with a will. Although there were three wills, the controversy involved just two parties--God and Satan. The crucial issue was whether man would choose the divine will or the satanic will....
Father God, I thank You for giving me a free will. Even through this one aspect of creation I can see more of Your greatness. I pray that all of my choosing would honor You and be according to Your divine will. Amen
What Do You Believe?
FREE WILL - is the WORSHIP of ONESELF. You trust in your decission.
FREE GRACE - is the WORSHIP of GOD and the Lord Jesus Christ - You trust in His Work!
FREE WILL - brings an EXHAULTED VIEW of MAN - depraved but not dead.
FREE GRACE - shows man his condition; TOTALLY DEPRAVED - limited in what he can do.
FREE WILL - brings a DEMEANING VIEW of GOD - limit God's power and soverenty.
FREE GRACE - brings an EXHAULTED VIEW of the LORD JESUS CHRIST - Totally Sovereign.
FREE WILL - limits Christ's death and blood.
FREE GRACE - depends only on the Shed Blood of Jesus Christ.
FREE WILL - means that man's decission made salvation happen - remember SATAN SAID - I WILL.
FREE GRACE - comes from the WILL of GOD, WORTH of CHRIST, and WORK of the HOLY SPIRIT.