I think a more simple direct answer would be better. "There is mystery here. We choose God freely trusting and loving Him, yet we come to realize that He enabled us to trust and believe in Him through His Word, through His Spirit and grace. Choose God freely, joyfully and fully. Yet know that God has enabled you to do so. Believe in Him....By grace you have been saved..."
”Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.”“ Joshua 24:22-23 ESV
@@paulwells4372 Joshua 24 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, all are true
I would encourage people to read, “Bondage of the Will” by Martin Luther. I would suggest that you read the JI Packer translation. This book helped me understand the issue better than any other. It is the dialogue between Erasmus and Luther. It is classic! Blessings
It’s one of my favorites. I actually require my undergraduate students in World Civ After 1500 to read the book. They invariably love it … mostly because of Luther’s use of language. I’d love to see him on modern social media platforms. I doubt any of my students actually agree with his perspective on the issue, but it’s a good primer for understanding the issues. I one time actually had a student write a paper comparing Luther’s Bondage and Edwards’ The Freedom of the Will. He seemed surprised that they seem to be making the exact same argument with book titles that seemed so absolutely at odds. 😁 But that’s an excellent suggestion for further reading. Thanks.
For those who lack the time or interest (or will), I read it and, in the vernacular of the first Lutheran, it was ripe shit. Paul said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved," and along comes a 16th century scatological anti-semite who writes a 300 page treatise that retorts, "But you can't".
@@williammarinelli2363 that’s funny. Maybe the point is being missed here. No one seeks after God. There are no good people. Luther’s point was Grace that comes through the Gospel, not Rome! Hopefully that helps? It was a funny statement however.
@@williammarinelli2363And yet Luther believed and preached, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” And countless generations of Christians have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and been saved through his ministry. Go figure.
@@davidcrutchfield138 thanks for the response. If I were a single verse proof texted, and I'm especially not in poetic books of the Bible, I would be open to 1. The earth will continue forever as it is now. 2. My grandson has snake venom in his saliva. 3. Said grandson told lies at birth before knowing how to speak or think. 4. Money talks. 5. Birds tattle. 6. The wicked die in peace without suffering. 7. By believing in the Lord one's offspring are saved. 8. Gates lift up their heads. 9. Mountains clap hands. 10. God has wings. And no one seeks God as is stated in Rom 3:11 quoting Psalms. The context there mentions feet swift to shed blood. Except of a bloody nose dished out in a school age fist fight, I don't recall shedding blood. But then again, on a navy sub, we could launched stuff that would have evaporated millions. In the overall narrative of Scripture, people seek God. In Acts 12, sergius Paulus seeks God in vs 7 and the gentiles seek God's word/message in vs 42. That's two instances in one chapter. Now have 1189 more chapters before making poetic prose of rom 3:11 the be all end all. Thanks for chance to sfogare (vent)
1. What is free will? You are free to do what ever you will/want, but you can not control your will, you can not control the cause of your will. 2. Your free will and God's sovereignty can both exists because they are not in the same scope. Your free will is very limited to your self and your life, while beyond that there's God's sovereignty.
According to Him, God is so sovereign that He can make some people come to God, but not sovereign enough to make all people come to Him instead? So much for the definition of sovereign.
Yeah, its sad that not a single scripture was referenced in by this pastor for an entire major doctrine. 1 Timothy 2:4-6 is one if many places in scripture that expressly state salvation is for everyone and its God's desire that it be attained by everyone. In all that sovereignty word salad I'm not surprised there was more obfuscation of the topic that preaching of the Word.
@@fcedulaiii That is the point entirely, God both could and definitely would save everyone if indeed it was his purpose to do so. [Jhn 17:2 NKJV] 2 "as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. [Jhn 6:39 NKJV] 39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. [Act 13:48 NKJV] 48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. God has chosen to only save His Elect.
@markvanlaren6467 yeah, which doesn't say that God didn't allow Esau to have salvation or that He elected Jacob to salvation. It is speaking about who He chose to work His plan - sending the Messiah - through. Romans 3 says that Christ died as a propitiation for all. 1 Timothy 2:4 says that God's will is that all would be saved.2 Peter 3:9 says it is God's will that none should be lost.
@@TrustinSimpson With all due respect, your reasoning is flawed. Just because scripture doesn’t specifically state that Esau was chosen for condemnation does not necessarily mean that he wasn’t. Where is the verse that states that Esau WAS chosen to go to heaven? Consider the following: [Rom 9:8 KJV] 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. [Gal 3:26 KJV] 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. [1Jo 3:10 KJV] 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. [1Ti 1:9 KJV] 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and *PROFANE*, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, [Gal **5:19**-21 KJV] 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, *FORNICATION*, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things *shall not inherit the kingdom of God.* [Heb 12:16 KJV] 16 Lest there [be] any *fornicator, or profane person, as ESAU,* who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. [Mat 8:11 KJV] 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and *JACOB*, in the kingdom of heaven. Admittedly, these scriptures are hardly conclusive concerning the destination of either Jacob or Esau, yet there is more support for Jacob’s salvation and Esau’s condemnation than there is for the opposite.
Don't listen to Mohler or Sproul since they're both wrong. They create false dichotomies (even though this one was prompted in the video) about free will. The bible clearly, and repeatedly, states that Faith is the condition that God requires. Calvinism and most 'Reformed' similar stances ignore that by making election the condition that God both requires and provides unconditionally (see evanescent faith), and then pretend that Faith is a work if God doesn't forcible make you have Faith. The issue isn't free will, the issue is, what does the bible say, and the bible says that faith must precede grace because God's grace is obtained by, or through, Faith. Calvinists will then provide proof texts that are just plain wrong or taken out of context to try and prove election, even though there isn't single verse in the bible that supports someone being elected to salvation.
It's not sovereignty that we should be discussing in calvinism it's actually determinism. Determinism is the black hole of Calvinism it sucks everything into it and nothing can escape it. The God of the Bible rules with ultimate sovereignty not determinism. He works perfectly together with his given free will to man so that he has followers who truly love him not robots.
@@Over-for-now Yup I understand calvinism and if you are not saved God didn't choose you. So many people that God doesn't choose, its a mystery......only in calvinism.
@@Over-for-now The really sad thing is that your not even sure if you are saved because you MUST endure to the end to be saved. But if you don't in calvinism God gave you a fake faith this whole time. You just thought He loved you but He really didn't because He didn't make you endure to the end. This is why calvinism isn't just wrong its harmful and changes the nature and character of God.
@@jolookstothestars6358God has his elect, who He has reveled Himself to. If you think you need to "work" towards your salvation, you are not saved, and that "god" that gave you fake faith may not be who you think he is.
Over the years, I have studied the Bible regarding this matter. As best I can figure out, repentance is necessary for salvation. Scripture also teaches that repentance is a “gift” from God. But God does not grant that gift to everyone. Multiple verses in the NT contain the phrase “in the hope that God will grant them repentance” or “if God grants them repentance”. Reinforcing this, through the Gospels Christians are referred to as “the elect”, with the only logical implication being that some people are not elected. But I am very undecided as to how God makes the decision of whom to extend the gift of salvation.
I don't know if this will help. But as the speaker has pointed out, God is sovereign. In addition to that the bible tells us that God does as he pleases and no one is in the position to question him. Personally, I find comfort and humble myself when I reflect on Deuteronomy 29:29, The secret things belong to God. All in all, there are so many things we cannot comprehend about God because our minds are finite.
@@surt_n43 I am extremely troubled by the idea that God, before the human race was created, decided who He would grant repentance to and who He would not. I “know in my head” that God is the potter and we are the clay, but getting that into my heart is difficult here. I am sure that many a Christian over the centuries has struggled with this. But when I get to be with God, all my struggles will be over.
God made the decision in eternity before creation. It was a decision based on His decretal will, not on any good or bad that He foresaw in the elect person or the reprobate person. It's part of God's secret will. Deuteronomy 29:29. We just know that we are responsible for what we do.
A point I rarely hear regarding predestination and free will is this. The bible says clearly that we are/were dead in our trespasses and sins. If you are dead spiritually did/do you have the power to exercise free will to resurrect yourself from spiritual death to be born again? Jesus, Himself, didn't raise Himself from the dead. No, it is the Holy Spirit who lifts the veil from our eyes at a time of the Lord's choosing for His elect. That time never happens to those who are not part of the elect. It is all done by the Lord for His glory.
Faith comes by hearing the Bible plainly teaches.. who is Paul or any preaching to but the dead as you say. Hearing is the Good news or gospel. Calvinist believe dead men can do nothing which is not at all the teaching of scriptures….but many are deceived in this teaching… not all thank God!
You misunderstand….. you want to give man the credit as though he can resurrect himself and take that credit away from a sovereign God. Using your words the Bible plainly teaches “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will”, Ephesians 1:11.
You think the man can not only resurrect himself but can also unblind himself. The Bible plainly teaches that the unbeliever “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 2 Corinthians 4:4.
Hearing the good news is the event that the Holy Spirit can use to remove the blinders on the man and resurrect him to be born again at the time and place of the Lord’s choosing. The man does not have any power. Only the Holy Spirit can unblind and resurrect. You want to give an unbelieve power over the Holy Spirit. You need to study more before hurling insults. @@williamswallers1709
The dead in trespasses and sins can walk (eph 2:2) and converse (eph 2:3). They can use God given faculty of reason (Isa 1:18). The dead prodigal came to himself (Luke 15). A corpse cannot sin nor reject the Lord. Was Paul, at one time, dead in sin? Rom 7:9.
If you are dead in trespasses and sins of course that means spiritually, not physically. So of course you live a worldly life in the physical body yet be dead spiritually as all unbelievers are. Interestingly the very first words are, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.." yet you want to say no, no, I made myself alive using my free will. Of course Paul and all people are dead spiritually when they sin. How many times does a person "hearing the Word" take to change their life? 1, 30, 300, 3000? You want to say "One of those 3000 times I exercised by free will but all the times before hearing the Word I chose not too. The one time you knew that things were different is the first time the Holy Spirit lifted the blinders off your eyes so you could suddenly see the truth (if you are one of His children).....
I often find myself wondering whether God being Sovereign is able to place a limitation upon His Sovereignity at His discretion. Concerning election one of the early Reformers, Girolamo Zanchi (1516 - 1590) stated that "The gospel was not, and is not a manifestation of which persons God wills to give eternal life, but of the sort of persons He wills to give eternal life, namely believers in Christ." Secondly, while I like Mohler, it seemed to me that Mohler might have been promoting a double predestination which when examined has many flaws in it.
Predestination by definition is double. If some are predestined to heaven, then the rest are predestined to hell by default. [Rom 9:22-23 NKJV] 22 [What] if God, wanting to show [His] wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
@@jazzmankey The problem with Calvinism can be found in their promotion of the idea of double predestination. The Calvinist doctrine of double predestination is clearly brought out in the following statements from John Calvin found in his Institutes. “By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined within himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and accordingly, as each has been created for one or the other of these ends, we say that he has been predestined to life or death.” (John Calvin in his Institutes) Then in his Institutes Calvin also says . . . “Those therefore whom God passes by he reprobates, and that for no other cause but because he is pleased to exclude them from the inheritance which he predestines to his children” (John Calvin in his Institutes) So according to Calvin, God purposely created some people for eternal life and all the others to eternal damnation. And that God is “pleased to exclude” some from obtaining eternal life. Yet, the following Scriptures disagree with Calvin’s statements . . . Ezekiel 18:23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? Ezekiel 18:32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! Ezekiel 33:11 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel? Luke 13:34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 1 Tim 2:3-4 God our Savior, desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Isaiah 45:22 “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. So from those Scriptures we see that God doesn’t take pleasure in excluding anyone as Calvin falsely states, and the Scriptures don’t declare, as Calvin says that God created some for eternal life and all the others were purposely created for eternal damnation. But it is God’s desire that all men be saved, yet we also know that not all will be saved simply because not all men desire to be saved and will reject the saving message of Christ Jesus, but it’s not because God created them to purposely reject it and remain unsaved.
@@BT3701 I made a statement and then supported that statement with a Bible verse. Why are you bringing up Calvinism? Also, What is your understanding of Predestination/ Election in Scripture?
If God willed someone to believe, they a become believer. The Gospel does not tell us whom God will choose as you wrongly implied. God chooses whom He will choose and not one of them will fail to be born again. God alone grants the new birth. Only a person who is first, beforehand, been born of the Holy Spirit is able to believe. Ezekiel 36:26-27 (KJV 1900): 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.
@BT3701 You got Calvin right and then you took the Scriptures out of context. If God is all powerful, and if God is not willing that anyone would go to hell for everlasting torment, then there would be no one in hell. Universal salvation is false.
Predestination and free will contradict, if I create a machine and program the machine to act on its own but i have a plan for it and it didn’t fulfill my plan, who’s fault is it my fault for designing it to be capable of refusing to follow my plan or it for not following my plan even though I gave it free will?
Free will does not solve the problem of evil. If God gave "free" will to Adam, knowing that Adam would bring the curse on the human race, why not just prevent the choice between obedience and disobedience? All God had to do was to not place the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden. Problem solved. In short, free will does not exist--even prior to the fall and man's enslavement to sin. God is the primary cause of your sins. You are the secondary cause of your sins, and God will hold you accountable, even if you were unable to obey due to your corruption by original sin.
Libertarian free will does not exist. How is it a contradiction except that you have made a false comparison between the creature and the Creator? If the creature is ignorant and the Creator is all knowing, how do you know what God is actually like? An eternal Being is not subject to time by definition. God created time on day one of creation. Time is non-existent in the mind of an eternal being for whom past, present and future are known to Him as one intuitive now. Humans experience time discursively and one thought after another. God knows everything without thinking one thought after another. Humans have agency and will and make their own choices. God is indeed the first cause of everything. So if God gave free will to Adam, foreknowing that Adam would disobey, God is indeed the first cause of Adam's "free" decision to rebel and bring the curse upon himself all of his progeny. You are accountable to God for your choices--even if you could not choose otherwise. Choose wisely. Why are you accountable? Because God is above you and will hold you accountable. But who will hold God accountable? Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, 2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. (Job 40:1-2 KJV)
Do you feel forced? Do you not desire to love, to be accepted and to be respected. Do you not desire the love of your close community. For carnal desires and spiritual desires are motivated by something. The desire to be loved. What is your something? What do you desire?
How is it force if you deliberately and willingly choose to love Jesus and obey His commandments? 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. (Ezek. 36:26-27 KJV) Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Rom. 2:4 KJV) The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (Jn. 3:8 KJV) What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (Rom. 9:14-16 KJV)
@@Yahshuaismyeverything 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. (Ezek. 36:26-27 KJV) Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Rom. 2:4 KJV) The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (Jn. 3:8 KJV) What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (Rom. 9:14-16 KJV)
@@enriquekhoza8566 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. (Ezek. 36:26-27 KJV) Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Rom. 2:4 KJV) The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (Jn. 3:8 KJV) What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (Rom. 9:14-16 KJV)
I think that it would have been better for him to just say "I DO NOT KNOW" how God works free will and predestination and yet does not violate our volition.
It's simple. Higher dimensions. The universe is 4 dimensions, but there are spatial dimensions outside of the physical universe. The elect are sanctified BY the Spirit.
Rev 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and OPEN the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. BOOM baby
There are only 13 verses in Revelation 8. If you are referring to Revelation 3:20, He is talking to the church at Laodicea, He is not knocking on the door of a sinner's heart. That is not what that verse means.
@@psk116 Negative. In verse 16; the church will be cast out because they are luke warm. In verse 19 it tells them to repent. Repentance is only with submission to their sinful ways which as stated in 16, would cause them to be "speued out" from God. Verse 20, tell them that Jesus is waiting for them to repent, and wanting them to let Jesus in. Then in verse 21 John explains the reward for repentance. AND finally as a conclusion to what the church needs it reads "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." The key words here are "Let him hear what the spirit.." If someone doesn't want to hear the spirit, thats a choice. Thats not a decision made by God, but made by men. Now the question for you is, why wouldn't these guidelines fall into todays standards? What about that specific church does NOT apply to us today? It doesn't. People fall into this wealthy trap all the time. It does apply to us today.
The issue with how Sovereignty is presented is we say "God is Sovereign", then we apply limitations to God based on our understanding of the word sovereign. Can a Sovereign God choose to allow a measure of free will? This is exampled throughout the word. In the garden God set a tree there, and allowed Adam and Eve to have the choice of eating of it or not, but warned them that doing so would mean death. So the idea that God is limited by his own Sovereignty is an attempt to make a systematic work that overwhelmingly doesn't in scripture, as there are too many examples of God allowing a measure of free will throughout. And one thing is certain, God, even in his sovereignty, cannot lie.
Unfortunately, he gave an answer slanted towards Calvinism. Calvinists conflate God's sovereignty with absolute determinism. God's foreknowledge of all events does not make Him the causal agent of all events (see Jeremiah 19:5 for one of many examples). Jesus draws all John 12:32, the Holy Spirit convicts the world John 16:8, Jesus said "For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them" (Luke 9:56 use the KJV). We were created by God with free moral agency to have genuine fellowship/personal relationship with Him. We can resist, quench & rebel against Him via our volitional agency (Jonah, Balaam disobeyed, even Moses struck the Rock & Matthew 23:37, John 5:40 & Acts 7:51)
Simple and direct, Mike. When I got saved, a church leader said I could never lose my salvation (quote) "Even if you open a string of whorehouses and peddle deadly dope, you are still saved!" I fell for it but later came to the light, "...deny Christ and Christ will deny you before His Father."
People have *some* free will: "What father holding his little girl’s hand crossing a busy street would ever let it go? The more she pulls, the tighter he squeezes. There is no way she is going anywhere! Is God any different? The argument that a person can choose hell by rejecting God as a result of 'free' will is in effect saying a little girl has more strength than her dad. God has given man a 'measure' of free will, but certainly not to the degree that He would allow him or her to damn themselves forever in torment. Is God less of a parent than we are (Matt. 7:11)? We extend increasing freedom to our children as they mature. Too much too soon is disastrous. He knows just how much freedom we need for our development. God, as Creator, is owner of all things (Psalm 2:8; Ezek. 18:4; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2), and that includes you and I. He has never relinquished that title. Only He has absolute 'free' will over His property. Should we be forever lost, He would be the loser and God is not a loser! Many say hell is locked on the inside. But how? Christ has the keys! (Rev. 1:18). Many believe God’s hands are tied; as much as He would like to keep us, He is unable. But, is our power to destroy His property really greater than His power to preserve or restore it? How 'free' and powerful are we? What role did we play in controlling our life experiences that have made us what we are? Will we deliberately choose what sufferings we will undergo in the future that inevitably will affect what we become? What intricacies of our reasoning processes, which determine our decisions, do we fully control?" -- Gerry Beauchemin, _Hope Beyond Hell,_ 2010, pg. 38
Christians have to try so hard to deal with contradictions and ugly doctrines. And most Christians will just say that god is mysterious and he is just. Romans says that he makes some for wrath and hardens Pharoah’s heart.
Look at material from Leighton Flowers, who runs Soteriology 101. Calvinism is false doctrine, which creates ugly doctrines that are solved with silly contradictions.
I met some guys that claim they tried hard to seek God and even repented but God never answwred them thats so scary Yahweh instantly answered my prayers so its confusing some he doesnr respomd to no matter ehat rhey do i really think predistination is reap
God will absolutely answer your friends, but it will be in His time of choosing. Speaking only on my behalf, I've been placed in God's waiting room many times. Tell your friends to be persistent in what they ask. He is faithful!
Before creation, God predetermined everything. He already knows what the new heaven and earth will look like and who will inhabit them. There is nothing that we can do to alter his plan.
I'm looking at Romans 9:22. "What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-prepared for destruction".
I'm not sure what your stance is except that Romans as a whole, especially the rest of Romans 9, proves a Calvinistic view of that passage is wrong. And, the passage itself proves Calvinism is wrong, because "God bore with great patience" effectively dismisses the idea that God created someone specifically for wrath, but rather expounds on (like the rest of the chapter) the consequences of the Messiah coming and that the line between the Sons of Abraham and Gentiles has essentially been erased, and many of the Jewish people aren't handling it well.
This is the longest non-answer I’ve ever seen. A better answer would have been: “Read a book called ‘Human Freedom, Divine Knowledge, and Mere Molinism.’”
So its like a movie scriptwriter completing his screenplay and the directs the actors as they each exercise their skill living out the characters, plot and drama.
If God made us all, and he knows everything about what's gonna happen in our lives, he could very easily change stuff to make us all serve him instead. Yet he doesn't. Why? Because apparently we have free will. However, he knows what is gonna happen, so basically he had it planned out from the very start. So in conclusion, he has a plan, he works together beleivers and non-beleivers into that plan, but then again, it's HIS plan that HE ordained. We are just playing according to that plan. In another argument, one could say that God has a purpose for us in the end, and he has many plans to get us there. The problem with this is if he is sovereign and all-knowing, how come he doesn't know which plan we take due to our freewill? Another problem is, the Bible mentions that God doesn't tempt us. But if God has predetermined eveything, he knows of our sins. Why doesn't he prevent it? So logically, is he is the one tempting us? Lastly, if God has predetermined eveything, why must we pray? To build a connection with God yes, but it's futile nonetheless as we're going according to his plan anyways so what's the point?
Why have faith at all then? Faith is believing that God exists, that he rewards those who seek him and that we can hope in him because his promises will always be true. Faith does not require perfection, but consistent belief that God is in control and we are to live in accordance to His will. A life of faith is lived in believing the promises of God to be true and clinging to them when we are uncertain. Faith does not need to see to believe that God is in control. Ephesians 1:11, Ecclesiastes 3:1.
As you said, we pray to build connection with God. We do everything we do to build connection with God. The key problem with man, is thier desire to bring God down to them in a way that elevates man and equalizes the two. In this way it is not entirely reminiscent of Satan who wanted God's place but is similar in that being submissive to God just seems wrong to many of us. Yet God's role for us is submission, it is obedience. Christians show thier love of God by doing what He has told them to do. When we strictly focus on God's love for us and none of the other aspects, we often forget the miles above us that He ranks and must be placed. He is to be glorified and no other. Only through Him are we anything but dust. This is why the world hates Him, He says to deny yourself and follow. Die to self and dubmit. There is love as we are not worthy of following Him and the great lengths He went through to allow us to do so, but there is so much more that has been thrown to the wayside by self glorifying man and many christians who only want God's love and not His justice.
I just want to add, I don’t believe a person that claims to be Calvinist is completely wrong. They do have many teachings which do not alone in my opinion based on the Bible. That said, many of their pastors/teachers seem to get a lot correct in principles of teaching from the lives of those in he Old Testament as well New Testament…. I don’t understand how they can miss the mark on election if they can discern other things? God uses all things I know. So I don’t reject befriending them. I do however not subscribe to their doctrinal teaching on how we are saved. Bible is clear on this which they seem to overlook because of election. Faith comes by hearing, and that the word of God…but based on what they believe some we created to glory the rest to be dammed…not what the word says at all! In my humble opinion man is saved by being in Christ which God being God knew because He knows everything all who would one day be. Calvinist are just trying to make since of this simplest understanding in a very complexed way. If God did not know everything that would ever be, He would not be God! One other thing on my mind….not all who are Calvinist truly are. Only 5 pointers are true calvinistic…a4 pointer is called Amyraldism and 3 or less isn’t even considered to be Calvinist. And Jacob Arminius in one of his works stated, “ until we can research the scriptures more completely we can not teach this doctrine” when he was speaking to loss of salvation…but some how the other side of this argument went wild and we are where we are as the church today much divided! Sadly! Only truth, the Word of God, who so ever that will! Thanks for your encouragement!
I have such a hard time wrapping my head around this. So does this mean that the elect, the predestined will definitely come to the Lord? That no one that the Lord has elected to come to Him, predestined from before birth…..none of these elect will choose NOT to follow the Lord?
Yes Belinda, read John 6:38-44 , Jesus says all that the father gives me will come to me , and I will lose none of them but raise them up on the last day.
”For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:38-39. This two verses lead us to believe that either: A. Everyone is saved, whether they want to be or not. B. The elect have an inseparable bond with Christ. The rest of Romans makes it clear which is the truth.
@@MichaelTheophilus906 your problem is not with predestination or those who support it, but with God and His Word: ”even as he chose us in him *_before the foundation of the world_* that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he *_predestined_* us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been *_predestined_* according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,“ Ephesians 1:4-5, 11 ”And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he *_foreknew_* he also *_predestined_* to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he *_predestined_* he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.“ Romans 8:28-30 ”this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” Acts 2:23 ”No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.“ John 6:44 ”For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14 ”He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you“ 1 Peter 1:20 ”But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.“ John 1:12-13
@@MichaelTheophilus906 predestination in right understanding I believe is good. Meaning that God predetermined who will. This being all who chose because of free will in hearing the gospel to come to Christ. God pre determined that all who are in Christ will be saved… any other twisting of this would be heresy.
When we start off with a wrong definition of "sovereignty", these blatant contradictions are brought about. Sovereignty does not equal determinism and fatalism. The Biblical understanding of God’s sovereignty recognizes that He is King of Kings, Lord of lords, the Highest Authority to which we may appeal, Giver of the law, Judge and Grantor of mercy. In this sense, truly God is indeed sovereign! “For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.” (Psalm 47:2) “I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.” (Isaiah 43:15) “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17)
Why have faith at all then? Faith is believing that God exists, that he rewards those who seek him and that we can hope in him because his promises will always be true. Faith does not require perfection, but consistent belief that God is in control and we are to live in accordance to His will. A life of faith is lived in believing the promises of God to be true and clinging to them when we are uncertain. Faith does not need to see to believe that God is in control. Ephesians 1:11, Ecclesiastes 3:1.
Your statement as well as your Scripture support are true as far as they go, but there are texts that give more detail about the extent of God’s control over His creation: [Dan 4:35 NKJV] 35 All the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And [among] the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?"
@@frederickanderson1860 It may be difficult for you to accept but even the most sinful of man’s actions are under God’s control. [Gen 45:5, 8 NKJV] 5 "But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. ... 8 "So now [it was] not you [who] sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. [Act 4:27-28 KJV] 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
It is impossible to believe in freewill. If it were a capacity of human individuals then where would they go, what would they do, they could spend an eternity deciding. We are what nature made us: are we tall or beautiful or intelligent or physically strong or perhaps we lack all these things? The individual is ready made from birth and cannot change those things which will determine his or her future. It is society, not the individual, which decides on the value of these determinations - it imprisons even executes those who are not, in its view, "good" people. We condemn, and rightly, such as Lucy Letby, but we cannot say that what she did was not inevitable. We must condemn the action but must also forgive the actor.
Freewill is a joke God knew everyone that would be saved or not I beleive in predistination bcus Even in the bible God chosen the apostles and prophets and all so what makes ppl think he didn't chose who would be saved or not
It’s not complicated… Gods design and desire was to choose every person to come to Him and we have the ability to accept his course for our lives or our own.Ephesians is referring to the formula. Gods not being surprised still does not mean he made me choose him in salvation. Even right now as believers we have the choice to do whatever we want. If that isn’t true then we have no worries about walking in the Spirit or fulfilling the lust of the flesh because if we have no choice then why worry about being obedient? This whole Calvinistic view of predestination is just a pride trap that intellectuals fall into. If we don’t have agency and the ability to choose God there could not be love.
It's is because of God The Father's Sovereign Love and Grace, that he saves whom he chose before the foundation of the world. A god who gives his creatures "Free Will" and leaves it up to man to choose him is a god who doesn't care and does not have love for humans. The Father in Heaven is our Potter and we are the Clay and he does with us as he sees fit. If God made me a vessel of Wrath, Predestined to suffer his wrath and righteous anger and judgment and eternity in hell, then I'm perfectly fine with that because in the end God The Father gets the glory.
@@wallywest001 Strangely, I just heard the counter argument and to share with you. If God predetermined every thought and every evil, i.e. if Calvinism is true, God actually rejected people before they rejected God. The video first half said that no one choose to be born, yet God commands everyone to repent and choose life, even God already determined everyone who will go to hell?
@swu11 God is not Looking and down and picking based on our Humanly Good deeds or talent or athletic skill. He also isn't picking and choosing people based on how sincere they are, because No One Seeks For God. He doesn't look at someone and say your Going To hell because your to short or to tall, or to skinny, or to fat. He chose whom he Chose to save because he is Gracious. We like the rest of humanity were and are born spiritually dead and guilty sinners before God who is Holy, Righteous, and Just. God didn't have to choose to save anyone or kill his son before the world was laid, but he did because He works everything to His Purpose not ours.
@icouldbewrongbutithink5279 Let me ask you this: Do you Pray to God asking Him To Convict your Unsaved loved ones of their sin and to save them.? Because if you Pray that way and yet Believe God doesn't violate Humans Precious "Free Will" because if he did that would make God a Divine Rapist which is what your asking God to do to your Loved ones, friends, and co-workers who are not Saved, your asking God to violate their free will and rape them.
everyone has agency and everyone has tendencies the tendencies determines what the agency will chose. the reality is no one is born with a tendency towards God
The young lady asked a very humble and profound question that bothers a lot of Christians, and the minister wants to talk about pistachio ice cream, very frustrating to me.
Sure, we, as sentient beings with agency, are justly responsible for the actions we choose/don't choose to make. The problem is that our ability to make bad choices causes pain and suffering not only to ourselves, but to innocent people in our spheres of influence. Why would an all loving god allow for a reality to exist in which people suffer for the misdeeds of others on earth whilr simultaneously allowing the possiblity of the person who inflicted that pain to be granted eternal life, and the sufferer (who is jaded by the cruelness of the world) to be damned for eternity?
All while KNOWING, that this would be the outcome when he created the world. Unless you argue that there is no case in which an objectively bad person repents from their past and accepts Christ and an objectively good/neutral person denies god because they cannot justify his existence based on their own experience.
God draws all sinners by His Spirit and His Word. He offers salvation to whosoever will respond to His offer. So we do have free will. Dr. Mohler seems to make this so confusing. Following his thinking, God is the author of every sin, because God is sovereign and knows every sin that will be committed.
Okay, we will go with your reasoning. God is not sovereign and does not know when someone is going to sin until they do it. So lets take an example. A man is falsely charged of doing a terrible sin, a sin that their religion says the perpetrator must be killed for doing it. They arrest him, haul him into court and the judge doesn't know what to do because he is not a member of the religious group that charged him so he tells them to go ahead and kill him. God, since He is not sovereign and doesn't know the future decides that an innocent man should not die on false charges and He stops the proceedings in the nick of time. Christ was never crucified and now mankind is still in his sin. Acts 2:23 "this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death." God knew these men were going to crucify Christ because of His predetermined plan and foreknowledge but He still allowed it. God allows sin so He can turn it for good. Read Romans 8:28.
@@Yahshuaismyeverything Ephesians 1:4 "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." Who chose who according to this passage? God chose us, we didn't choose Him. If God waited for man to seek for Him no one would ever seek for him according to Romans 3:11.
That’s a very good answer to a much debated issue. God knew us before we were in the womb. Paul tells us that those He (God) foreknew, He predestined. You are absolutely right when you said that God can’t be somewhat sovereign or He isn’t sovereign and we know the Bible states that He is sovereign.(not your exact words)
Thank you for giving your answer such a solid irrefutable foundation, followed by some guiding principles for interpretation. That is, 1) there are certain things of which we have no choice like to be born, what family to be born into etc but after that we have some choices but we also have no choice about death or no death. 2) God is sovereign and if he is, then there's just nothing he is not sovereign over. The conclusion which helps me not with my desire or idea but with being faithful to God's word is that, my interpretation of free will should be in light of God's sovereignty. We should humble ourselves and acknowledge that there are major aspects of life and living that we do not have control over. If we didn't choose to be born physically, then it shouldn't be difficult for us to understand that to be born again is beyond our free will as well. To God be the glory. Let love bind us as we grow in understanding.
Yeah, I mean why can't we get a simplistic answer to one of the most profound theological truths found in the entirety of God's Word that all of His greatest and brightest theologians in the history of humanity have struggled with? Shouldn't be so difficult to understand the mind of God....
Well, the question is so difficult. If not for anything, it planted a seed in my mind to go read more about agency vs freewill Sometimes showing the way is as good as picking me up and dropping me to the destination
So i can stop caring because im christian and im saved, so god will, with his sovereignty, steer me in the right path so i can do whatever i want because it's his will??????
I like Ps John MacArthur's simple response - its a mystery our finite minds cannot comprehend on this side of the eternity He adds more questions: * Who wrote the Bible? Holy Spirit or human author's mind? * Who lives our Christian life? Holy Spirit or us? When we cannot answer such simple questions, we can concede that the question of predestination vs freewill is well beyond our capability! But it springs more praise to a God who made an universe so fearfully and wonderfully. Soli Deo Gloria!
@@truthseeker5698 Romans 9:20 LSB [20] On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? Will the thing molded say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this”? Deuteronomy 29:29 LSB [29] “The secret things belong to Yahweh our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Well, I don't just believe because reformed "men" say it. Romans verse I cited above is in the very context of predestination. I believe it's a mystery because the Bible says it so
@@emmanuel5566 Cult interpretation conclusion. Simply another gospel. Synthetic theology. Nothing like Jesus The Messiah in application. Sola de your choice.
@@truthseeker5698 well, I'm genuinely asking. How would you answer those 2 questions in my original comment? I'd like to hear your response to the verses I cited too. I'm honestly open to your view Basically, before terming a cult, you gotta provide a better alternative too is what I'm saying. Otherwise, it just remains to be your personal opinion/feeling
The answer to the two questions is “ both .” Relationship. God desires relationship. There is no stewardship in calvinism reformed theology. Proof texting with calvinists reformers is like a biblical decathlon when a simple and light look into the life of Jesus The Messiah would suffice. There are an abundance of resources available to inform the reformed calvinist of their synthetic theology if they’re willing and open. Really a very basic childlike dynamic with an easy and light yoke. Hopefully this resonants. God is love, Jesus The Messiah lived out Gods love. This is the light God desires for all to know.
I have difficulty with your defining the word Sovereignty. Webster's dictionary disagrees with you.. Sovereignty does not mean we have no choice about our Salvation. We are offered Salvation for our faith in Him
Judas was born to betray Jesus so wrap your head around that! Exactly that doesn't mean Judas couldn't come to repentance but someone had to fulfill scripture. On the other hand Jesus said no man takes my life I freely give it up. I lay it down and in 3 days I will pick it up again. Who could understand the mind of God blessed be the name of the Lord for he alone is Sovereign. I have peace in knowing that I don't have to understand everything I'm just going to trust in Jesus like a Child. Good teaching by the way
You mean you could have been Judas instead of Judas? Really? The Bible says that Judas was foreordained to betray Jesus. Acts 2:23; 4:27-28. It was never possible that Judas would have come to repentance. It would have been better if he had never been born. But even that was never possible, because, as you say, God foreordained Judas to be born and to be chosen as one of the disciples by Jesus Himself.
We are as well told God desires all to come…Calvinism is a man’s teaching as well which there is much that is over looked on this subject of Election as it doesn’t fit or puts holes in this theological teaching. Trust the Word of God alone as it is the only truth which as this comment began says God desires all men to come to Him 1 Tim 2:4; John 3:16-17… but if one does not believe these most basic scriptures teaching then they must tear out these verses as the are right in the face of those that are twisted to say something they do not. God loves all His creation and He showed this by His sacrifice on Calvary! Unfortunately, the free will which was given another word in changing its meaning was a compromise in attempts to make the argument believable. I know this debate started a long time ago and continues today….just teach Gods love and desire for all men and let God be God!
I tell you what, If we have to tear out the verses that you mentioned, you would have to tear out Rom 8 & 9, John 6, 10, Acts 13:48, Eph 1, 2 , 1Cor 1, the words predestined, election, chosen, foreknown, "Esau I have hated" , "He has blinded their eyes", Ordained, "Vessels of Mercy, vessels of wrath, etc. These verses are also in the Bible.
@@jazzmankey My contention is with people like John Piper who says, every single thing that happens on planet earth is caused by God. He gives the example of tiny dust particles in a beam of light. Piper says God controls the very movement of each tiny particle. Or James White who has said, "If a man brutally rapes a young girl, God caused it. If not, then it was a meaningless, random act." Jeff Durbin says, God is not partially sovereign, He is not half-sovereign, He is sovereignly sovereign. Meaning, like Piper and White, every single thing that happens is caused by God. If you follow that logic through, you have God saying to Adam and Eve, "Do not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil..." and then He causes them to do that very thing. You have God saying, "Have no other gods before me." AND then He makes countless billions worship Allah, Buddha, or one of the three hundred million Hindu gods. Again, if you carry this through, you have God, who is LOVE, who is Holy and Righteous, causing, murder, rape, child molestation, drugs, alcohol, prostitution, human trafficking, not to mention, the belief in atheism. Allowing something to happen, UNTIL it is dealt with on Judgment Day, is NOT the same as causing it to happen.
It seems to me that every time a person sins they exercise their free will in opposition to God's will. When it says if you hear His voice harden not your heart it implies that your heart is not necessarily hard and that you can choose to harden it. I believe God sovereignly chose to offer salvation to all. You don't need to go further than John 3.16 or Rev 22.17 to see that.
This is the doublespeak that most Calvinists use. "You have agency" "God is absolutely sovereign and already made the choice before the foundation of the world". So... you don't have actual agency. Explain and re-explain all you want, there is no getting around it. Don't bother to say "God is not surprised by your choice" - obviously, because God made the choice before you supposedly did. The Calvinist definition of "sovereignty" means total determination, which is not what sovereignty even means...
@@BMK-KMB Pretty read up on it over decades, understand it well, though it should be mentioned that many Calvinists present their soteriology in different ways. But my comment fairly well accounts for it. Would you like to make a specific correction?
@@AppalachiaTN The entire 5 points encapsulated by TULIP as well as a caricature of deity who doesn't know how to form a sentence with the words "all", "every", or "world."
I felt so confused after listening to this video. Even more so than before I watched it. The doctrine of election and presentation is super confusing to me. Here’s where I’m at with it: (1) how deep does human depravity go? That is, do we have the ability on our own to respond positively to the Gospel? Is there a part of us, namely our will, that is able to choose the things of God? And (2) the logic of God choosing those who will be saved (the “elect”) before anything ever got going just doesn’t seem to make sense. Holding people accountable for their actions if, in the final analysis, God is the one who decides our ultimate fate, doesn’t make much sense, at least to me. I’m not saying I don’t believe in the doctrine of election, but I’m also saying that I do believe in it. Honestly, I go back-and-forth between being a Calvinist and nothing Calvinist almost every day. I would love to hear what anyone else has to say. If we are the ones who, in the final analysis, choose to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and savior, is that choice something that I do myself? And if so, is there a part of salvation that requires me to make a positive choice? in other words, does salvation require God doing something (dying on the cross for our sins) + believing that this happened and that Jesus christ is the truth son of God, who takes away my sins? I 100% believe this. But why do I believe it? Bottom line: I don’t know. Why do I believe it and my neighbor doesn’t? Again, I don’t know. Is it because God unilaterally regenerated my soul, which led to faith, which leads to salvation? Sometimes I think yes, other times I think no. Anyone who can help, please do so. Thanks. Oh, and one more thing. I think that the passage Romans that talks about God choosing Jacob over Esau, I think that Text is referring mostly to Israel and her place as the chosen people of God. Of course, I could be wrong on this too. If so, help me.
1. Do we have the ability on our own to respond positively to the gospel? -No, we do not: [1Co 2:14 NKJV] 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. -[Jhn 6:44, 65 NKJV] 44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. ... 65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." -[Mat 19:25-26 NIV] 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" 26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
2. How can we be held accountable for our actions if God has ultimately decided our fate? [Rom 9:18-24 NIV] 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19 One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?" 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' " 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? 22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory-- 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? -[Dan 4:35 NIV] 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"
3. Is the choice to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior something that I do myself? No, we choose Him because he chose us. -[Jhn --15:16-- NIV] 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-- [Jhn 10:25-26 NKJV] 25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. 26 "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. -[Act 13:48 NIV] 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
That’s God regenerate my soul, so that I will have faith and be saved? Yes. [Act 18:27 NKJV] 27 …he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; [Eph 2:4-5, 8-9 NKJV] 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ... 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
4. Is Romans 9 just speaking about Israel when it talks about Jacob and Esau? Paul tells us who he is talking about in verse 24: [Rom 9:22-24 NKJV] 22 [What] if God, wanting to show [His] wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
Election does not equal Salvation. 2 Timothy 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
@@cranmer1959 Judas was elect, was he saved? Just because you are elected, you still have to make the choice to choose. 2 Timothy 2:10, Paul clearly says, that they MAY also obtain the salvation. Not will obtain.
Judas was reprobate: John 6:70 “Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (KJV) Matthew 26:24 “The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.” King James Version (KJV) Acts 2:23 (KJV 1900): Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Acts 4:27-28 (KJV 1900): For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. It was never possible that Judas would not betray Jesus. John 13:25-27 (KJV 1900): He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. @datruth3254
@@datruth3254 Judas was reprobate as the text plainly says. It was never possible that Judas would not betray Jesus. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. (Matt. 26:24 KJV) But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? (Matt. 26:54 KJV) When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. (Jn. 13:21 KJV) He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. (Jn. 13:25-27 KJV) Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: (Acts 2:23 KJV) For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. (Acts 4:27-28 KJV)
Be very careful Calvinist, you are now shifting responsibility and sin away from Man and onto God. Example, God predetermined the sinner to be a sinner, and now sends him to hell, for God's predeterminism, because God decided not to regenerate certain man. Eventually it now leads to, we no longer need Jesus, because God determined who he calls when he calls, so who God chooses will always chose God. Calvinist is everything that the Bible is not. Before Calvin and Augustine, all the early church fathers were freewill.
“God can’t” lie. “so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.” Hebrews 6:18 NASB1995 What was it that He said God can’t do?
Heb 12:2 "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." The Calvinist will praise God that Jesus Christ is the author of our faith and not our supposed wicked and sinful free will. We did have faith before salvation but not saving faith. We had faith that the sun will rise tomorrow morning and that gravity will always work like it has since creation but saving faith is onle granted to those that God gives it to. John 3:27 "John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven." We cannot receive eternal life unless God has decreed it from the foundation of the world. Arminians will say God is not fair if He limits salvation to only one specific group of people. They claim that He MUST offer it to everyone. Really? Since when do we tell God what He can or cannot do with His creation? What did He tell His chosen people to do to the Amalekite's? 1 Samuel 1:3 “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” Hmm, not exactly being sweet and neighborly was He. How about what to do when His chosen people encounter the Canaanites, Sidonians and the other descendants of theirs, the Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and the Hamathites? Also the Philistines, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Jebusites, the Elamites, the Kerethites, the Pathrusites, the Casluhites, and the Caphtorites? Did He tell them "invite them into your tent give them a glass of wine and tell them that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives?" Not quite, lets let God's word tell us: Exodus 23:23 “For my angel will go before you...And I will destroy them completely.” God is sovereign. Lets praise Him that He chooses us and loves us and lets pray for those that don't love God.
Either God is sovereign or man is sovereign - the two are mutually exclusive… If God is sovereign (which He is), then He is absolutely sovereign over absolutely all things, INCLUDING the will of man! And if man is ‘sovereign’, then we are all in serious trouble - which man - you/me/Biden/Putin/the village idiot…? So, while man does possess a WILL, his will is just not free (in the Libertarian sense) - man’s will is in bondage, either to the god of this age, or to the Spirit of righteousness (Rom 8:3-5)… no ‘free will’ in that! From a purely epistemological perspective, we must then not be surprised to find that we find ourselves in a causal universe where nothing - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING - happens causa sui - spontaneously… A simple test… try and do something (anything) without any reason - ain’t possible! Nothing that happens is ever uncaused and if it’s in any way caused (which it always is), then it’s not free… I hope this helps…
@AVB2-LST1154 God is Sovereign also , even when we make choices that he didn't ordain. Predestined before the world began to be saved no matter what is a doctrine of demons. God freely gives everyone a chance to believe.
I subscribe to the view that it was Christianity that introduced to the world the very notion of free will. From the Stoics and the Platonists as of course from the Scripture our theologians took many their formulations to describe reality. Not their fatalism. not their notion that when we all die we descend to a dark place near to return. This being the fate of the Good and Great as well as the Evil and the Mean. Christ preached to the Dead and they learned theswn as we shall all learn who will rise with Him in glory.
I figured today we would be talking about how AZ's governor, and the pro-life republican legislature passed legislation to repeal its abortion ban. “Today, I am glad to see the Senate answered my call and voted to repeal Arizona's 1864 total abortion ban, and I look forward to quickly signing the repeal into law."
God calls us to choose. Joshua 24:15 says, "CHOOSE you this day whom you will serve." Deuteronomy 30:19 says, "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE life, so that you and your children may live." Revelation 22:17 says, "...whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." It does NOT say, "The ones I (God) choose will take of the water of life freely." 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." It does NOT say the ones I (God) choose shall not perish. What does the Calvinist say sin is? The Biblical definition of sin is missing the mark. Not doing God's will. How can there be sin if God is CAUSING everything to happen? What is sin if EVERYTHING that happens, ONLY happens because GOD CAUSES it to happen? Also, how can there be obedience if EVERTHING ONLY happens because, AGAIN, God causes all to happen, even "obedience" to God's commands? What about verses like Joshua 24:15, "... CHOOSE for yourselves this day whom you will serve..." AND, You'll NEVER convince me that, as hyper Calvinists believe, God causes EVERYTHING to happen, even murder, rape, child molestation, LGBTQ lifestyles, anti-Christ religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, atheism etc.
Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live. In Old Testament times the Jews on numerous occasions chose other gods. Even when faced with a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, they exercised their right preferring a sinner to a Saviour. At what point in scripture did God take away the right to choose?
The Bible has 1,400 “if”, as well as many other examples that we have the choice of whether we live in obedience to the will of God or not. We make the decision to confess our sins and serve the Lord. Blessings
WE NEVER HAD FREEDOM IN THE FIRST PLACE WHEN IT CAME TO OUR DNA, OUR PLACE OF BIRTH,OUR PARENTS ETC. Excellent answer, no need for simplicity, we need accuracy!
Yes we do have a free will, because we are able to deny God (2 Timothy 2:12). God acknowledges that someone can accept or deny the presentation of the gospel.(Ezekiel 3:17-22). One of the earliest testaments of free will Genesis 2:16-17. We do in fact have a completely free will. If God has to "enable" us or allow us to make a decision then it is not free will. Edit: Just because there are things out of our power, that doesn't mean that we don't have a free will. Two things can be true at once. Yes, there are thing out of our power, but also yes, we do have a free will. God will never force himself on you or force you to make a decision because then heaven is not a choice or reward it is an obligation which goes against what heaven is meant to be.
@@JimNunleyJimNunley Perfect answer by Mohler since the word " free " is now being defined by fallen people like you and me, who maybe saved reading back into the original pre-fall state with the Holy Spirit having a moral command given to not eat something in the initial state. The freedom was qualified with an instruction , never absolute. Perfect answer by Mohler.
@@speed_razor6603 Thank you for proving my point, completely free.. to accept or reject.. NOT ABSOLUTE. I guess every knee WILL BOW... WILL BOW... WILL BOW ... which is absolute.. even if you are free to reject Him now? See the point?
(Revealed to us 115 years ago): *“We can tell Him nothing which He does not know, but His intelligent, infinite intuition comprehends all things past, present or future. The foreknowledge of God is also absolute. How the foreknowledge of God is to be reconciled with man’s free agency and moral accountability is indeed to men in the world a dark problem, but in the Scriptures both are clearly taught, and faith accepts what reason cannot reconcile. Some of the churches on earth have denied man’s moral freedom. Others maintain that God in the exercise of His omniscience, like His omnipotence, abstains from knowing what His creatures will do under certain given circumstances, but the foreknowledge of God itself, UNREVEALED to men, does not impose nor even hint to men any course of conduct whatever; IT IN NO DEGREE AFFECTS HIS LIBERTY OF ACTION. Man neither sins nor follows holiness, as the result of God’s foreknowledge; so notwithstanding God’s foreknowledge, He has made man in His image, a free moral being.”*
The bible proves predestination he literally chosen his own prophets apostles n disciples what makes u think he ain't choosing ppl to be saved or not 😂
If only the predestined are going to Heaven, why does God desire for the Gospel to be preached to the 4 corners of the world. What is His purpose for preachers and ministry?
God predestined the church, that there would be a body of Christ(the church). Our free will is to be a part of that body or not to be. He knows the outcome without influencing it.
@Thebattler86 John 10:9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. Ephesians 2:18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. the father sent him to the world to be our doorway that is not Calvinism..
Sure we can choose some things like chocolate topping or caramel topping or strawberries on my ice cream, but when it comes to choosing God, we cannot according to Romans 3:11 "There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God." Woe is us. We are up a raging river without a paddle. But wait! Jesus said in Luke 19:10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." WOW. God seeks for us because we can't seek for Him. How wonderful is that!!!
@AVB2-LST1154 Joshua 24:15 "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Moses talked to God’s people in Deuteronomy 30:19-20. He showed them two paths - one to life and blessings, the other to death and curses. Moses told them to pick life. That means loving God, following His commands, and sticking close to Him. Matthew 16:24 "Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Luke 9:23 "Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Deuteronomy 11:26-28 "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse- the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known."
If you define "Sovereignty" as theistic/divine (meticulous) determinism then agency is an illusion. You just perceive your choices as choices. While it may be said that they acted by their free choice, this is akin to saying it was the puppet's free decision to dance. And if you think I’m wrong, either God determined for me to be wrong (meaning you’re upset with His decree, and He decreed for you to be upset with His own will), or I’m right, and theistic determinism is false. We also don't save ourselves! Having faith in Christ doesn't merit us anything but is believing in the one that did everything on our behalf.
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. (Rom. 1:21 KJV)
Arminian: A creation that is at once free AND determined? Impossible, that violates the rules of Western logic. Tertullian: “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” God: “…thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself.”
Free will is a gods gift to human kind and through it he can judge us whether we obey him or satan ? otherwise if we dont have free will and acted like robot then there is no meaning of life. And pre- destination is also there but that's not one rather many choice ,A B C and all have consequences you cannot change
John 6:44 puts it as simple as it can be put. Jesus says no man can come to me,except the Father which hath sent me draw him:and I will raise him up at the last day.
What is mankind’s spiritual condition? In Ephesians we are told that we are “dead” in our trespasses and sin! The Greek word for dead is corpse! Question: How can a dead man raise himself from the dead by his own “Freewill”? What part did Lazarus play in his being raised from the dead?!
If I will because of the dear of eternal death, is threatening the agency in willing? Often preachers escort alter calls with message of eternal death and people respond because of this not coming to Christ to share love with God
God presents us with choices. He has already predetermined the results of any choice we make. He is not surprised by our choice. He controls everything. With the exception of Jesus, it could be said that all mankind is predestined to hell as the result of the disobedience of Adam and the instilment of a sinful nature resulting in total depravity. If NO ONE made the right choice, NO ONE would be saved. Rom 5:18a (NIV) “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for ALL men,… So why don’t all men go to hell? Free will choice. It could also be said that all mankind is predestined to salvation since all consequences of choices are predetermined by God, one only needs to make the right choice. If EVERYONE made the right choice, EVERYONE would be saved. Rom 5:18b ….so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for ALL men.” So why don’t all men go to heaven? Free will choice.
Paul (and only Paul) uses the word προορίζω (predestinate) four times - twice in Romans 8 and twice in Ephesians 1. In all four of those instances the subject of his discourse is believers in Jesus Christ. The point is that a better term to get at the core issue is elect, called or chosen. Pedantically, God predestines those whom He has elected, chosen and called. As to the will, it is a second order thing. That is our wills are governed by our nature. It is not possible to will anything that our nature does not allow. Our nature sets the boundary of willing. We freely will all things that are consistent with our nature. Paul further writes "The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit because they are foolishness to him and neither can he know them." So nature binds doubly. The natural man does not want to know spiritual things (the will) and he cannot know spiritual things (nature lacks the capacity). Unless and until God quickens (makes alive) and thereby gives us a new nature our wills are bound. Luther wrote a book on this subject. It is probably his best work. It is called The Bondage of the Will.
3:25 God's foreknowledge means ALL of your choices were predestined by God's eternal decree. Mohler is dodging a little bit. God foreordained what ice cream flavor you will choose. If God foreknows that you will go to church next Sunday, is it possible that you won't go?
@@davidlarue727 All of your choices are foreknown by God from before creation. Since God is an eternal and timeless Being, He foreknows the future immutably. And how does God foreknow the future immutably? It is because He decreed it in every single detail. Providence is simply God's foreordination coming to pass in created time. Why do you assume that God is ignorant of the future?
@@davidlarue727 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: (Isa. 14:24 KJV) For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? (Isa. 14:27 KJV) Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. (Isa. 46:9-11 KJV) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Eph. 1:11 KJV)
Isaiah 14:27 (KJV 1900): For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
6:16 “If I didn’t do it I can’t lose it.” One day you’ll stand before the throne and God will ask you did you do it? (Mean bow your knee in your own free will and choose to worship me and not you?) And if you didn’t do it, you’ll lose eternal life. So, you’re wrong Dr. Mohler.
The Bible, from Genesis through Revelation, has been WRITTEN. We KNOW how it ENDS. NOTHING anyone does can change this. God had PLANNED everything from cover to cover. NOTHING is going to take Him by surprise. He is NOT going to switch to a "Plan B" in the event someone is uncooperative. God RESTED on the 7th day because "the works were FIN8SHED from the creation". Notice, that the VISIONS of God in Isaiah, Psalms, etc., show Him SEATED on His thrown...NEVER WORKING on a project or "situations" which require His attention. "It is FINISHED"! Thus His people can also REST in His FINISHED work as PROMISED us.
Let's keep it simple because it is!! God created humans with free will. This means we are equipped to make REAL choices. We must make a REAL choice to put our faith in Jesus! God gives us all the evidence of His perfect character in the person of Jesus. This is how He draws us! This is how faith is created in us! Not very hard to understand. May God Bless😁
God, sovereignly decreed, that man should exercise free moral choice and man, from the beginning, has fulfilled that decree by making his choice between good and evil. When he chooses to do evil, he does not thereby countervail the sovereign will of God but fulfills it, in as much has the eternal decree decided not which choice man should make but that he should be free to make it. If in his absolute freedom God has willed to give man limited freedom, who is there to stay his hand or say, ‘What doest thou?’ Man’s will is free because God is sovereign. A less than sovereign God could not bestow moral freedom could upon His creatures. He would be afraid to do so. AW Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy May I humbly suggest the greatest moral decision any person can make is to choose to receive and trust in the gracious gift of salvation in Christ Jesus? I agree that salvation is the sovereign act of God alone but I contend, along with Tozer, that we each have the freedom to willfully choose or reject the gift…
Election does not equate to salvation, otherwise, there are hundreds of thousands of Baal worshippers in Heaven… (Deu. 7:6; Isaiah 45:4)… Foreknowledge does not necessitate predestination (1 Samuel 23:1-13)
Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil And, those who do evil hates the light neither cometh to the light.....See John 3:19,20📖
He repeatedlysaidthat God knows everythig that he knows r has a foreknowledge of the future, yet, in Genesis, after He killed almost all living crreature in the world by flood, he did regret it, as if he never expected this events to happen. How can you regret something you know would eventually happen anyway?
@fcedulaiii, this biblical regret is not regret is not the same as the one in our modern language interpreted regret. The ESV and NASB got this one right in their interpretation - it griefed him - or caused him sorrow. It does not mean “I truly wish I never created them”!
God has no regrets. The text is expressed in anthropopathic terms to cause humans to see the evil of their ways on a human level. God does not literally have hands or feet or a nose because He is a spirit. John 4:24. The same applies to emotions attributed to God. He does not literally get jealous, angry, or feel romantic love, etc. God has no literal regrets. Malachi 3:6; James 1:17
Romans 8:28-29 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 9:13-24 (NKJV) As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated." What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?" But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
@@FreemanchouHe does call everyone, but not everyone chooses to accept His offer of Salvation. Romans 1:20 expresses people have seen His power and nature and so are without excuse.
@@Freemanchou”Many are called but few are chosen.” People reject Christ because of pride. There are no proud people in the kingdom of heaven. To come to the cross is to bow the knee to the Lord and confess
@@davidcrutchfield138 many are called means not all are called. That's a real confusing starting point. Pride is thinking you have the answer. Sorry to be contentious. This is a big discussion and the comment section isn't the place. Sending peace and blessings.
I think a more simple direct answer would be better. "There is mystery here. We choose God freely trusting and loving Him, yet we come to realize that He enabled us to trust and believe in Him through His Word, through His Spirit and grace. Choose God freely, joyfully and fully. Yet know that God has enabled you to do so. Believe in Him....By grace you have been saved..."
The Bible clearly teaches we do not choose God, it clearly shows us that God chooses us.
We must choose God. God first chooses us and enables us to choose Him. Otherwise you go into Quietism.
”Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.”“
Joshua 24:22-23 ESV
No mystery but contradiction.
@@paulwells4372 Joshua 24
15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,
all are true
I would encourage people to read, “Bondage of the Will” by Martin Luther. I would suggest that you read the JI Packer translation. This book helped me understand the issue better than any other. It is the dialogue between Erasmus and Luther. It is classic! Blessings
It’s one of my favorites. I actually require my undergraduate students in World Civ After 1500 to read the book. They invariably love it … mostly because of Luther’s use of language. I’d love to see him on modern social media platforms. I doubt any of my students actually agree with his perspective on the issue, but it’s a good primer for understanding the issues. I one time actually had a student write a paper comparing Luther’s Bondage and Edwards’ The Freedom of the Will. He seemed surprised that they seem to be making the exact same argument with book titles that seemed so absolutely at odds. 😁 But that’s an excellent suggestion for further reading. Thanks.
For those who lack the time or interest (or will), I read it and, in the vernacular of the first Lutheran, it was ripe shit.
Paul said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved," and along comes a 16th century scatological anti-semite who writes a 300 page treatise that retorts, "But you can't".
@@williammarinelli2363 that’s funny. Maybe the point is being missed here. No one seeks after God. There are no good people. Luther’s point was Grace that comes through the Gospel, not Rome! Hopefully that helps? It was a funny statement however.
@@williammarinelli2363And yet Luther believed and preached, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” And countless generations of Christians have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and been saved through his ministry. Go figure.
@@davidcrutchfield138 thanks for the response. If I were a single verse proof texted, and I'm especially not in poetic books of the Bible, I would be open to
1. The earth will continue forever as it is now.
2. My grandson has snake venom in his saliva.
3. Said grandson told lies at birth before knowing how to speak or think.
4. Money talks.
5. Birds tattle.
6. The wicked die in peace without suffering.
7. By believing in the Lord one's offspring are saved.
8. Gates lift up their heads.
9. Mountains clap hands.
10. God has wings.
And no one seeks God as is stated in Rom 3:11 quoting Psalms. The context there mentions feet swift to shed blood. Except of a bloody nose dished out in a school age fist fight, I don't recall shedding blood. But then again, on a navy sub, we could launched stuff that would have evaporated millions.
In the overall narrative of Scripture, people seek God. In Acts 12, sergius Paulus seeks God in vs 7 and the gentiles seek God's word/message in vs 42. That's two instances in one chapter. Now have 1189 more chapters before making poetic prose of rom 3:11 the be all end all. Thanks for chance to sfogare (vent)
"if I didn't do it, I can't lose it"! Awesome summary statement Bro. Mohler!
@@maptinkler Jesus does it, believe it!!!
@maptinkler If you never believed, then you've never had it. God can't believe in himself for you.
@@maptinkler Theres nothing you've done to earn it, just believe in what He's already done.
@@Fireking285 So true. Just like Abraham. 👍
You can't lose what you never had. 1 John 2:19; Matthew 7:21-23.
1. What is free will? You are free to do what ever you will/want, but you can not control your will, you can not control the cause of your will.
2. Your free will and God's sovereignty can both exists because they are not in the same scope. Your free will is very limited to your self and your life, while beyond that there's God's sovereignty.
According to Him, God is so sovereign that He can make some people come to God, but not sovereign enough to make all people come to Him instead? So much for the definition of sovereign.
Yeah, its sad that not a single scripture was referenced in by this pastor for an entire major doctrine. 1 Timothy 2:4-6 is one if many places in scripture that expressly state salvation is for everyone and its God's desire that it be attained by everyone.
In all that sovereignty word salad I'm not surprised there was more obfuscation of the topic that preaching of the Word.
@@fcedulaiii That is the point entirely, God both could and definitely would save everyone if indeed it was his purpose to do so.
[Jhn 17:2 NKJV] 2 "as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
[Jhn 6:39 NKJV] 39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
[Act 13:48 NKJV] 48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
God has chosen to only save His Elect.
Read Romans 9
@markvanlaren6467 yeah, which doesn't say that God didn't allow Esau to have salvation or that He elected Jacob to salvation. It is speaking about who He chose to work His plan - sending the Messiah - through.
Romans 3 says that Christ died as a propitiation for all. 1 Timothy 2:4 says that God's will is that all would be saved.2 Peter 3:9 says it is God's will that none should be lost.
@@TrustinSimpson With all due respect, your reasoning is flawed. Just because scripture doesn’t specifically state that Esau was chosen for condemnation does not necessarily mean that he wasn’t. Where is the verse that states that Esau WAS chosen to go to heaven?
Consider the following:
[Rom 9:8 KJV] 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
[Gal 3:26 KJV] 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
[1Jo 3:10 KJV] 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
[1Ti 1:9 KJV] 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and *PROFANE*, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, [Gal **5:19**-21 KJV] 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, *FORNICATION*, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things *shall not inherit the kingdom of God.*
[Heb 12:16 KJV] 16 Lest there [be] any *fornicator, or profane person, as ESAU,* who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
[Mat 8:11 KJV] 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and *JACOB*, in the kingdom of heaven.
Admittedly, these scriptures are hardly conclusive concerning the destination of either Jacob or Esau, yet there is more support for Jacob’s salvation and Esau’s condemnation than there is for the opposite.
All that I got from this is that Mohler really likes ice cream.
Yes and even the icecreams that hasn't been invented yet lol.
Mohler explanation is rather poor. Try R C sproul
Don't listen to Mohler or Sproul since they're both wrong. They create false dichotomies (even though this one was prompted in the video) about free will. The bible clearly, and repeatedly, states that Faith is the condition that God requires. Calvinism and most 'Reformed' similar stances ignore that by making election the condition that God both requires and provides unconditionally (see evanescent faith), and then pretend that Faith is a work if God doesn't forcible make you have Faith. The issue isn't free will, the issue is, what does the bible say, and the bible says that faith must precede grace because God's grace is obtained by, or through, Faith. Calvinists will then provide proof texts that are just plain wrong or taken out of context to try and prove election, even though there isn't single verse in the bible that supports someone being elected to salvation.
@@SirOlgaC4Sproul isn't much better. Try Gordon H. Clark instead.
@@cranmer1959 Thanks
It seems that you're using "Sovereign" as if it means deterministic control over everything. Which conflicts with "agency" as you described it.
This.
Agency is subjected to Sovereignty…Agency can’t be Sovereign.
Mohler is trying to play both sides. God decreed which ice cream flavor you will choose on that day and hour.
It's not sovereignty that we should be discussing in calvinism it's actually determinism. Determinism is the black hole of Calvinism it sucks everything into it and nothing can escape it. The God of the Bible rules with ultimate sovereignty not determinism. He works perfectly together with his given free will to man so that he has followers who truly love him not robots.
Exactly
If you ARE saved--- God chose you
@@Over-for-now Yup I understand calvinism and if you are not saved God didn't choose you. So many people that God doesn't choose, its a mystery......only in calvinism.
@@Over-for-now The really sad thing is that your not even sure if you are saved because you MUST endure to the end to be saved. But if you don't in calvinism God gave you a fake faith this whole time. You just thought He loved you but He really didn't because He didn't make you endure to the end.
This is why calvinism isn't just wrong its harmful and changes the nature and character of God.
@@jolookstothestars6358God has his elect, who He has reveled Himself to. If you think you need to "work" towards your salvation, you are not saved, and that "god" that gave you fake faith may not be who you think he is.
Over the years, I have studied the Bible regarding this matter. As best I can figure out, repentance is necessary for salvation. Scripture also teaches that repentance is a “gift” from God. But God does not grant that gift to everyone. Multiple verses in the NT contain the phrase “in the hope that God will grant them repentance” or “if God grants them repentance”. Reinforcing this, through the Gospels Christians are referred to as “the elect”, with the only logical implication being that some people are not elected. But I am very undecided as to how God makes the decision of whom to extend the gift of salvation.
I don't know if this will help. But as the speaker has pointed out, God is sovereign. In addition to that the bible tells us that God does as he pleases and no one is in the position to question him. Personally, I find comfort and humble myself when I reflect on Deuteronomy 29:29, The secret things belong to God. All in all, there are so many things we cannot comprehend about God because our minds are finite.
@@surt_n43 I am extremely troubled by the idea that God, before the human race was created, decided who He would grant repentance to and who He would not. I “know in my head” that God is the potter and we are the clay, but getting that into my heart is difficult here. I am sure that many a Christian over the centuries has struggled with this. But when I get to be with God, all my struggles will be over.
Romans 9.15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
If you understand the Bible. Repentance is replace by obedient. Which link to 1st commandments.
God made the decision in eternity before creation. It was a decision based on His decretal will, not on any good or bad that He foresaw in the elect person or the reprobate person. It's part of God's secret will. Deuteronomy 29:29. We just know that we are responsible for what we do.
A point I rarely hear regarding predestination and free will is this. The bible says clearly that we are/were dead in our trespasses and sins. If you are dead spiritually did/do you have the power to exercise free will to resurrect yourself from spiritual death to be born again? Jesus, Himself, didn't raise Himself from the dead. No, it is the Holy Spirit who lifts the veil from our eyes at a time of the Lord's choosing for His elect. That time never happens to those who are not part of the elect. It is all done by the Lord for His glory.
Good argument
Faith comes by hearing the Bible plainly teaches.. who is Paul or any preaching to but the dead as you say. Hearing is the Good news or gospel. Calvinist believe dead men can do nothing which is not at all the teaching of scriptures….but many are deceived in this teaching… not all thank God!
You misunderstand….. you want to give man the credit as though he can resurrect himself and take that credit away from a sovereign God. Using your words the Bible plainly teaches “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will”, Ephesians 1:11.
You think the man can not only resurrect himself but can also unblind himself. The Bible plainly teaches that the unbeliever “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 2 Corinthians 4:4.
Hearing the good news is the event that the Holy Spirit can use to remove the blinders on the man and resurrect him to be born again at the time and place of the Lord’s choosing. The man does not have any power. Only the Holy Spirit can unblind and resurrect. You want to give an unbelieve power over the Holy Spirit. You need to study more before hurling insults.
@@williamswallers1709
The dead in trespasses and sins can walk (eph 2:2) and converse (eph 2:3). They can use God given faculty of reason (Isa 1:18). The dead prodigal came to himself (Luke 15). A corpse cannot sin nor reject the Lord. Was Paul, at one time, dead in sin? Rom 7:9.
If you are dead in trespasses and sins of course that means spiritually, not physically. So of course you live a worldly life in the physical body yet be dead spiritually as all unbelievers are.
Interestingly the very first words are, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.." yet you want to say no, no, I made myself alive using my free will.
Of course Paul and all people are dead spiritually when they sin.
How many times does a person "hearing the Word" take to change their life? 1, 30, 300, 3000? You want to say "One of those 3000 times I exercised by free will but all the times before hearing the Word I chose not too.
The one time you knew that things were different is the first time the Holy Spirit lifted the blinders off your eyes so you could suddenly see the truth (if you are one of His children).....
I often find myself wondering whether God being Sovereign is able to place a limitation upon His Sovereignity at His discretion. Concerning election one of the early Reformers, Girolamo Zanchi (1516 - 1590) stated that "The gospel was not, and is not a manifestation of which persons God wills to give eternal life, but of the sort of persons He wills to give eternal life, namely believers in Christ." Secondly, while I like Mohler, it seemed to me that Mohler might have been promoting a double predestination which when examined has many flaws in it.
Predestination by definition is double. If some are predestined to heaven, then the rest are predestined to hell by default. [Rom 9:22-23 NKJV] 22 [What] if God, wanting to show [His] wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
@@jazzmankey
The problem with Calvinism can be found in their promotion of the idea of double predestination.
The Calvinist doctrine of double predestination is clearly brought out in the following statements from John Calvin found in his Institutes.
“By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined within himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and accordingly, as each has been created for one or the other of these ends, we say that he has been predestined to life or death.” (John Calvin in his Institutes)
Then in his Institutes Calvin also says . . .
“Those therefore whom God passes by he reprobates, and that for no other cause but because he is pleased to exclude them from the inheritance which he predestines to his children” (John Calvin in his Institutes)
So according to Calvin, God purposely created some people for eternal life and all the others to eternal damnation. And that God is “pleased to exclude” some from obtaining eternal life.
Yet, the following Scriptures disagree with Calvin’s statements . . .
Ezekiel 18:23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
Ezekiel 18:32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
Ezekiel 33:11 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?
Luke 13:34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
1 Tim 2:3-4 God our Savior, desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Isaiah 45:22 “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.
So from those Scriptures we see that God doesn’t take pleasure in excluding anyone as Calvin falsely states, and the Scriptures don’t declare, as Calvin says that God created some for eternal life and all the others were purposely created for eternal damnation. But it is God’s desire that all men be saved, yet we also know that not all will be saved simply because not all men desire to be saved and will reject the saving message of Christ Jesus, but it’s not because God created them to purposely reject it and remain unsaved.
@@BT3701 I made a statement and then supported that statement with a Bible verse. Why are you bringing up Calvinism? Also, What is your understanding of Predestination/ Election in Scripture?
If God willed someone to believe, they a become believer. The Gospel does not tell us whom God will choose as you wrongly implied. God chooses whom He will choose and not one of them will fail to be born again. God alone grants the new birth. Only a person who is first, beforehand, been born of the Holy Spirit is able to believe.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 (KJV 1900): 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.
@BT3701 You got Calvin right and then you took the Scriptures out of context.
If God is all powerful, and if God is not willing that anyone would go to hell for everlasting torment, then there would be no one in hell. Universal salvation is false.
Predestination and free will contradict, if I create a machine and program the machine to act on its own but i have a plan for it and it didn’t fulfill my plan, who’s fault is it my fault for designing it to be capable of refusing to follow my plan or it for not following my plan even though I gave it free will?
Free will does not solve the problem of evil. If God gave "free" will to Adam, knowing that Adam would bring the curse on the human race, why not just prevent the choice between obedience and disobedience? All God had to do was to not place the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden. Problem solved.
In short, free will does not exist--even prior to the fall and man's enslavement to sin.
God is the primary cause of your sins. You are the secondary cause of your sins, and God will hold you accountable, even if you were unable to obey due to your corruption by original sin.
Libertarian free will does not exist. How is it a contradiction except that you have made a false comparison between the creature and the Creator? If the creature is ignorant and the Creator is all knowing, how do you know what God is actually like? An eternal Being is not subject to time by definition. God created time on day one of creation. Time is non-existent in the mind of an eternal being for whom past, present and future are known to Him as one intuitive now. Humans experience time discursively and one thought after another. God knows everything without thinking one thought after another. Humans have agency and will and make their own choices. God is indeed the first cause of everything. So if God gave free will to Adam, foreknowing that Adam would disobey, God is indeed the first cause of Adam's "free" decision to rebel and bring the curse upon himself all of his progeny. You are accountable to God for your choices--even if you could not choose otherwise. Choose wisely. Why are you accountable? Because God is above you and will hold you accountable. But who will hold God accountable?
Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, 2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. (Job 40:1-2 KJV)
Then how is that real love if we are forced to desire God?
Do you feel forced? Do you not desire to love, to be accepted and to be respected. Do you not desire the love of your close community. For carnal desires and spiritual desires are motivated by something. The desire to be loved.
What is your something? What do you desire?
@@enriquekhoza8566i am forced to love God
How is it force if you deliberately and willingly choose to love Jesus and obey His commandments?
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. (Ezek. 36:26-27 KJV)
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Rom. 2:4 KJV)
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (Jn. 3:8 KJV)
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (Rom. 9:14-16 KJV)
@@Yahshuaismyeverything 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. (Ezek. 36:26-27 KJV)
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Rom. 2:4 KJV)
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (Jn. 3:8 KJV)
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (Rom. 9:14-16 KJV)
@@enriquekhoza8566 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. (Ezek. 36:26-27 KJV)
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Rom. 2:4 KJV)
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (Jn. 3:8 KJV)
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (Rom. 9:14-16 KJV)
I think that it would have been better for him to just say "I DO NOT KNOW" how God works free will and predestination and yet does not violate our volition.
It's simple. Higher dimensions. The universe is 4 dimensions, but there are spatial dimensions outside of the physical universe. The elect are sanctified BY the Spirit.
@@JesusIsLord777-lz7mg you speak as a fool and have absolutely no way to back up what you claim.
Yeah he had a very convoluted answer.
Rev 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and OPEN the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. BOOM baby
There are only 13 verses in Revelation 8. If you are referring to Revelation 3:20, He is talking to the church at Laodicea, He is not knocking on the door of a sinner's heart. That is not what that verse means.
@@psk116 Negative. In verse 16; the church will be cast out because they are luke warm. In verse 19 it tells them to repent. Repentance is only with submission to their sinful ways which as stated in 16, would cause them to be "speued out" from God. Verse 20, tell them that Jesus is waiting for them to repent, and wanting them to let Jesus in. Then in verse 21 John explains the reward for repentance. AND finally as a conclusion to what the church needs it reads "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." The key words here are "Let him hear what the spirit.." If someone doesn't want to hear the spirit, thats a choice. Thats not a decision made by God, but made by men.
Now the question for you is, why wouldn't these guidelines fall into todays standards? What about that specific church does NOT apply to us today? It doesn't. People fall into this wealthy trap all the time. It does apply to us today.
The issue with how Sovereignty is presented is we say "God is Sovereign", then we apply limitations to God based on our understanding of the word sovereign. Can a Sovereign God choose to allow a measure of free will? This is exampled throughout the word. In the garden God set a tree there, and allowed Adam and Eve to have the choice of eating of it or not, but warned them that doing so would mean death. So the idea that God is limited by his own Sovereignty is an attempt to make a systematic work that overwhelmingly doesn't in scripture, as there are too many examples of God allowing a measure of free will throughout. And one thing is certain, God, even in his sovereignty, cannot lie.
Unfortunately, he gave an answer slanted towards Calvinism. Calvinists conflate God's sovereignty with absolute determinism. God's foreknowledge of all events does not make Him the causal agent of all events (see Jeremiah 19:5 for one of many examples).
Jesus draws all John 12:32, the Holy Spirit convicts the world John 16:8, Jesus said "For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them" (Luke 9:56 use the KJV).
We were created by God with free moral agency to have genuine fellowship/personal relationship with Him. We can resist, quench & rebel against Him via our volitional agency (Jonah, Balaam disobeyed, even Moses struck the Rock & Matthew 23:37, John 5:40 & Acts 7:51)
Simple and direct, Mike. When I got saved, a church leader said I could never lose my salvation (quote) "Even if you open a string of whorehouses and peddle deadly dope, you are still saved!" I fell for it but later came to the light, "...deny Christ and Christ will deny you before His Father."
People have *some* free will:
"What father holding his little girl’s hand crossing a busy street would ever let it go? The more she pulls, the tighter he squeezes. There is no way she is going anywhere! Is God any different? The argument that a person can choose hell by rejecting God as a result of 'free' will is in effect saying a little girl has more strength than her dad. God has given man a 'measure' of free will, but certainly not to the degree that He would allow him or her to damn themselves forever in torment. Is God less of a parent than we are (Matt. 7:11)? We extend increasing freedom to our children as they mature. Too much too soon is disastrous. He knows just how much freedom we need for our development.
God, as Creator, is owner of all things (Psalm 2:8; Ezek. 18:4; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2), and that includes you and I. He has never relinquished that title. Only He has absolute 'free' will over His property. Should we be forever lost, He would be the loser and God is not a loser!
Many say hell is locked on the inside. But how? Christ has the keys! (Rev. 1:18).
Many believe God’s hands are tied; as much as He would like to keep us, He is unable. But, is our power to destroy His property really greater than His power to preserve or restore it? How 'free' and powerful are we? What role did we play in controlling our life experiences that have made us what we are? Will we deliberately choose what sufferings we will undergo in the future that inevitably will affect what we become? What intricacies of our reasoning processes, which determine our decisions, do we fully control?"
-- Gerry Beauchemin, _Hope Beyond Hell,_ 2010, pg. 38
Christians have to try so hard to deal with contradictions and ugly doctrines. And most Christians will just say that god is mysterious and he is just. Romans says that he makes some for wrath and hardens Pharoah’s heart.
Look at material from Leighton Flowers, who runs Soteriology 101. Calvinism is false doctrine, which creates ugly doctrines that are solved with silly contradictions.
The Father didn't call me to be a Baptist " pentecostal" or catholic he called me to be born again!
God causes the elect of him to chose him. Only by a new heart and a new Spirit put within his elect is this possible. Ezekial 36:26-27.
The passage you referenced relates to God’s chosen people, Israel.
I met some guys that claim they tried hard to seek God and even repented but God never answwred them thats so scary Yahweh instantly answered my prayers so its confusing some he doesnr respomd to no matter ehat rhey do i really think predistination is reap
God will absolutely answer your friends, but it will be in His time of choosing. Speaking only on my behalf, I've been placed in God's waiting room many times. Tell your friends to be persistent in what they ask. He is faithful!
Before creation, God predetermined everything.
He already knows what the new heaven and earth will look like and who will inhabit them.
There is nothing that we can do to alter his plan.
That is so wrong
@@cortneybunge359
As my comments are based on biblical principles, how am I wrong?
Thank you.
@@cortneybunge359bruh u saying God didn't know who he was gonna save???
There are countless times in the good Book where God was persuaded to change His plan and mind.
@@mgsmith7475
How does that work?
Does this mean that God made a mistake?
I'm looking at Romans 9:22. "What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-prepared for destruction".
I'm not sure what your stance is except that Romans as a whole, especially the rest of Romans 9, proves a Calvinistic view of that passage is wrong. And, the passage itself proves Calvinism is wrong, because "God bore with great patience" effectively dismisses the idea that God created someone specifically for wrath, but rather expounds on (like the rest of the chapter) the consequences of the Messiah coming and that the line between the Sons of Abraham and Gentiles has essentially been erased, and many of the Jewish people aren't handling it well.
This is the longest non-answer I’ve ever seen. A better answer would have been: “Read a book called ‘Human Freedom, Divine Knowledge, and Mere Molinism.’”
So its like a movie scriptwriter completing his screenplay and the directs the actors as they each exercise their skill living out the characters, plot and drama.
If God made us all, and he knows everything about what's gonna happen in our lives, he could very easily change stuff to make us all serve him instead. Yet he doesn't. Why? Because apparently we have free will. However, he knows what is gonna happen, so basically he had it planned out from the very start. So in conclusion, he has a plan, he works together beleivers and non-beleivers into that plan, but then again, it's HIS plan that HE ordained. We are just playing according to that plan.
In another argument, one could say that God has a purpose for us in the end, and he has many plans to get us there. The problem with this is if he is sovereign and all-knowing, how come he doesn't know which plan we take due to our freewill?
Another problem is, the Bible mentions that God doesn't tempt us. But if God has predetermined eveything, he knows of our sins. Why doesn't he prevent it? So logically, is he is the one tempting us?
Lastly, if God has predetermined eveything, why must we pray? To build a connection with God yes, but it's futile nonetheless as we're going according to his plan anyways so what's the point?
Why have faith at all then? Faith is believing that God exists, that he rewards those who seek him and that we can hope in him because his promises will always be true. Faith does not require perfection, but consistent belief that God is in control and we are to live in accordance to His will. A life of faith is lived in believing the promises of God to be true and clinging to them when we are uncertain. Faith does not need to see to believe that God is in control. Ephesians 1:11, Ecclesiastes 3:1.
As you said, we pray to build connection with God. We do everything we do to build connection with God. The key problem with man, is thier desire to bring God down to them in a way that elevates man and equalizes the two. In this way it is not entirely reminiscent of Satan who wanted God's place but is similar in that being submissive to God just seems wrong to many of us. Yet God's role for us is submission, it is obedience. Christians show thier love of God by doing what He has told them to do. When we strictly focus on God's love for us and none of the other aspects, we often forget the miles above us that He ranks and must be placed. He is to be glorified and no other. Only through Him are we anything but dust. This is why the world hates Him, He says to deny yourself and follow. Die to self and dubmit. There is love as we are not worthy of following Him and the great lengths He went through to allow us to do so, but there is so much more that has been thrown to the wayside by self glorifying man and many christians who only want God's love and not His justice.
He doesn't want robots
@@Yahshuaismyeverything if we have no free will we are nothing but robots.
Okay, but who's this 'Will', and why should we free him?
Wonderful answer! Thank you!
I just want to add, I don’t believe a person that claims to be Calvinist is completely wrong. They do have many teachings which do not alone in my opinion based on the Bible. That said, many of their pastors/teachers seem to get a lot correct in principles of teaching from the lives of those in he Old Testament as well New Testament…. I don’t understand how they can miss the mark on election if they can discern other things? God uses all things I know. So I don’t reject befriending them. I do however not subscribe to their doctrinal teaching on how we are saved. Bible is clear on this which they seem to overlook because of election. Faith comes by hearing, and that the word of God…but based on what they believe some we created to glory the rest to be dammed…not what the word says at all!
In my humble opinion man is saved by being in Christ which God being God knew because He knows everything all who would one day be. Calvinist are just trying to make since of this simplest understanding in a very complexed way.
If God did not know everything that would ever be, He would not be God! One other thing on my mind….not all who are Calvinist truly are. Only 5 pointers are true calvinistic…a4 pointer is called Amyraldism and 3 or less isn’t even considered to be Calvinist. And Jacob Arminius in one of his works stated, “ until we can research the scriptures more completely we can not teach this doctrine” when he was speaking to loss of salvation…but some how the other side of this argument went wild and we are where we are as the church today much divided! Sadly! Only truth, the Word of God, who so ever that will! Thanks for your encouragement!
If someone is in Hell, is it because God didn’t do something or did the person not do something?
God decrees what man must do. Going to Heaven or hell is based on what man chooses to do..
Mohler's theology removes man's choice.@@williamswallers1709
You can’t have free will if God is omniscient. Either He’s all knowing or not.
Exactly. Foreknowledge on God's part means that the future will happen just as God knows it will happen.
obviously Hes an Engineer, and magician bankers are jealous
I have such a hard time wrapping my head around this. So does this mean that the elect, the predestined will definitely come to the Lord? That no one that the Lord has elected to come to Him, predestined from before birth…..none of these elect will choose NOT to follow the Lord?
Yes Belinda, read John 6:38-44 , Jesus says all that the father gives me will come to me , and I will lose none of them but raise them up on the last day.
This is why it is called *_faith_*
”For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:38-39.
This two verses lead us to believe that either:
A. Everyone is saved, whether they want to be or not.
B. The elect have an inseparable bond with Christ.
The rest of Romans makes it clear which is the truth.
@@MichaelTheophilus906 your problem is not with predestination or those who support it, but with God and His Word:
”even as he chose us in him *_before the foundation of the world_* that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he *_predestined_* us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been *_predestined_* according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,“ Ephesians 1:4-5, 11
”And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he *_foreknew_* he also *_predestined_* to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he *_predestined_* he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.“ Romans 8:28-30
”this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” Acts 2:23
”No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.“ John 6:44
”For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14
”He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you“ 1 Peter 1:20
”But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.“ John 1:12-13
@@MichaelTheophilus906 predestination in right understanding I believe is good. Meaning that God predetermined who will. This being all who chose because of free will in hearing the gospel to come to Christ. God pre determined that all who are in Christ will be saved… any other twisting of this would be heresy.
When we start off with a wrong definition of "sovereignty", these blatant contradictions are brought about.
Sovereignty does not equal determinism and fatalism.
The Biblical understanding of God’s sovereignty recognizes that He is King of Kings, Lord of lords, the Highest Authority to which we may appeal, Giver of the law, Judge and Grantor of mercy. In this sense, truly God is indeed sovereign!
“For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.” (Psalm 47:2)
“I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.” (Isaiah 43:15)
“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17)
We live on the earth we can't live in a state of unworldliness. It creates a un attachment from reality. Similar to Buddhism
Why have faith at all then? Faith is believing that God exists, that he rewards those who seek him and that we can hope in him because his promises will always be true. Faith does not require perfection, but consistent belief that God is in control and we are to live in accordance to His will. A life of faith is lived in believing the promises of God to be true and clinging to them when we are uncertain. Faith does not need to see to believe that God is in control. Ephesians 1:11, Ecclesiastes 3:1.
Your statement as well as your Scripture support are true as far as they go, but there are texts that give more detail about the extent of God’s control over His creation:
[Dan 4:35 NKJV] 35 All the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And [among] the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?"
@@jazzmankey look at Israel after their release from Egyptian slavery. They rebelled after Moses gone from their presence for 40 days and nights.
@@frederickanderson1860 It may be difficult for you to accept but even the most sinful of man’s actions are under God’s control.
[Gen 45:5, 8 NKJV] 5 "But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. ... 8 "So now [it was] not you [who] sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
[Act 4:27-28 KJV] 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
It is impossible to believe in freewill. If it were a capacity of human individuals then where would they go, what would they do, they could spend an eternity deciding. We are what nature made us: are we tall or beautiful or intelligent or physically strong or perhaps we lack all these things? The individual is ready made from birth and cannot change those things which will determine his or her future. It is society, not the individual, which decides on the value of these determinations - it imprisons even executes those who are not, in its view, "good" people. We condemn, and rightly, such as Lucy Letby, but we cannot say that what she did was not inevitable. We must condemn the action but must also forgive the actor.
Freewill is a joke God knew everyone that would be saved or not I beleive in predistination bcus Even in the bible God chosen the apostles and prophets and all so what makes ppl think he didn't chose who would be saved or not
It’s not complicated… Gods design and desire was to choose every person to come to Him and we have the ability to accept his course for our lives or our own.Ephesians is referring to the formula. Gods not being surprised still does not mean he made me choose him in salvation. Even right now as believers we have the choice to do whatever we want. If that isn’t true then we have no worries about walking in the Spirit or fulfilling the lust of the flesh because if we have no choice then why worry about being obedient?
This whole Calvinistic view of predestination is just a pride trap that intellectuals fall into. If we don’t have agency and the ability to choose God there could not be love.
It's is because of God The Father's Sovereign Love and Grace, that he saves whom he chose before the foundation of the world. A god who gives his creatures "Free Will" and leaves it up to man to choose him is a god who doesn't care and does not have love for humans. The Father in Heaven is our Potter and we are the Clay and he does with us as he sees fit. If God made me a vessel of Wrath, Predestined to suffer his wrath and righteous anger and judgment and eternity in hell, then I'm perfectly fine with that because in the end God The Father gets the glory.
@@wallywest001 Strangely, I just heard the counter argument and to share with you. If God predetermined every thought and every evil, i.e. if Calvinism is true, God actually rejected people before they rejected God. The video first half said that no one choose to be born, yet God commands everyone to repent and choose life, even God already determined everyone who will go to hell?
@swu11 God is not Looking and down and picking based on our Humanly Good deeds or talent or athletic skill. He also isn't picking and choosing people based on how sincere they are, because No One Seeks For God. He doesn't look at someone and say your Going To hell because your to short or to tall, or to skinny, or to fat. He chose whom he Chose to save because he is Gracious. We like the rest of humanity were and are born spiritually dead and guilty sinners before God who is Holy, Righteous, and Just. God didn't have to choose to save anyone or kill his son before the world was laid, but he did because He works everything to His Purpose not ours.
@@wallywest001 that doesn’t disprove anything I’ve said lol.
@icouldbewrongbutithink5279 Let me ask you this: Do you Pray to God asking Him To Convict your Unsaved loved ones of their sin and to save them.? Because if you Pray that way and yet Believe God doesn't violate Humans Precious "Free Will" because if he did that would make God a Divine Rapist which is what your asking God to do to your Loved ones, friends, and co-workers who are not Saved, your asking God to violate their free will and rape them.
everyone has agency and everyone has tendencies the tendencies determines what the agency will chose. the reality is no one is born with a tendency towards God
The young lady asked a very humble and profound question that bothers a lot of Christians, and the minister wants to talk about pistachio ice cream, very frustrating to me.
I don’t get how you got that from the same video I just watched
Sure, we, as sentient beings with agency, are justly responsible for the actions we choose/don't choose to make. The problem is that our ability to make bad choices causes pain and suffering not only to ourselves, but to innocent people in our spheres of influence. Why would an all loving god allow for a reality to exist in which people suffer for the misdeeds of others on earth whilr simultaneously allowing the possiblity of the person who inflicted that pain to be granted eternal life, and the sufferer (who is jaded by the cruelness of the world) to be damned for eternity?
All while KNOWING, that this would be the outcome when he created the world. Unless you argue that there is no case in which an objectively bad person repents from their past and accepts Christ and an objectively good/neutral person denies god because they cannot justify his existence based on their own experience.
Mohler chooses to use/define the words he wishes to….. therefore he can control the answer with his bias.
God draws all sinners by His Spirit and His Word. He offers salvation to whosoever will respond to His offer. So we do have free will. Dr. Mohler seems to make this so confusing. Following his thinking, God is the author of every sin, because God is sovereign and knows every sin that will be committed.
Okay, we will go with your reasoning. God is not sovereign and does not know when someone is going to sin until they do it. So lets take an example. A man is falsely charged of doing a terrible sin, a sin that their religion says the perpetrator must be killed for doing it. They arrest him, haul him into court and the judge doesn't know what to do because he is not a member of the religious group that charged him so he tells them to go ahead and kill him. God, since He is not sovereign and doesn't know the future decides that an innocent man should not die on false charges and He stops the proceedings in the nick of time. Christ was never crucified and now mankind is still in his sin. Acts 2:23 "this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death." God knew these men were going to crucify Christ because of His predetermined plan and foreknowledge but He still allowed it.
God allows sin so He can turn it for good. Read Romans 8:28.
But he already knew who would choose him tho so that sounds more like predistination
@@Yahshuaismyeverything Ephesians 1:4 "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." Who chose who according to this passage? God chose us, we didn't choose Him. If God waited for man to seek for Him no one would ever seek for him according to Romans 3:11.
That’s a very good answer to a much debated issue. God knew us before we were in the womb. Paul tells us that those He (God) foreknew, He predestined. You are absolutely right when you said that God can’t be somewhat sovereign or He isn’t sovereign and we know the Bible states that He is sovereign.(not your exact words)
Thank you for giving your answer such a solid irrefutable foundation, followed by some guiding principles for interpretation.
That is, 1) there are certain things of which we have no choice like to be born, what family to be born into etc but after that we have some choices but we also have no choice about death or no death.
2) God is sovereign and if he is, then there's just nothing he is not sovereign over.
The conclusion which helps me not with my desire or idea but with being faithful to God's word is that, my interpretation of free will should be in light of God's sovereignty. We should humble ourselves and acknowledge that there are major aspects of life and living that we do not have control over. If we didn't choose to be born physically, then it shouldn't be difficult for us to understand that to be born again is beyond our free will as well.
To God be the glory. Let love bind us as we grow in understanding.
That was a long and complicated answer. I don’t know if if helped anyone at all
I felt his answer to be extremely helpful and clarifying
I agree. A lot of words but little clarity. Maybe a little toward the end, but there was too much word salad before you get the meat.
Yeah, I mean why can't we get a simplistic answer to one of the most profound theological truths found in the entirety of God's Word that all of His greatest and brightest theologians in the history of humanity have struggled with? Shouldn't be so difficult to understand the mind of God....
Well, the question is so difficult. If not for anything, it planted a seed in my mind to go read more about agency vs freewill
Sometimes showing the way is as good as picking me up and dropping me to the destination
I personally thought it a great answer. I believe you have to clear up and define your terms before you jump into something like that,
So i can stop caring because im christian and im saved, so god will, with his sovereignty, steer me in the right path so i can do whatever i want because it's his will??????
I like Ps John MacArthur's simple response - its a mystery our finite minds cannot comprehend on this side of the eternity
He adds more questions:
* Who wrote the Bible? Holy Spirit or human author's mind?
* Who lives our Christian life? Holy Spirit or us?
When we cannot answer such simple questions, we can concede that the question of predestination vs freewill is well beyond our capability! But it springs more praise to a God who made an universe so fearfully and wonderfully. Soli Deo Gloria!
Mystery claims by calvinist reformer are simply Cognitive dissonance , incoherence.
@@truthseeker5698
Romans 9:20 LSB
[20] On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? Will the thing molded say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this”?
Deuteronomy 29:29 LSB
[29] “The secret things belong to Yahweh our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Well, I don't just believe because reformed "men" say it. Romans verse I cited above is in the very context of predestination. I believe it's a mystery because the Bible says it so
@@emmanuel5566 Cult interpretation conclusion.
Simply another gospel. Synthetic theology. Nothing like Jesus The Messiah in application.
Sola de your choice.
@@truthseeker5698 well, I'm genuinely asking. How would you answer those 2 questions in my original comment? I'd like to hear your response to the verses I cited too. I'm honestly open to your view
Basically, before terming a cult, you gotta provide a better alternative too is what I'm saying. Otherwise, it just remains to be your personal opinion/feeling
The answer to the two questions is “ both .” Relationship. God desires relationship.
There is no stewardship in calvinism reformed theology.
Proof texting with calvinists reformers is like a biblical decathlon when a simple and light look into the life of Jesus The Messiah would suffice.
There are an abundance of resources available to inform the reformed calvinist of their synthetic theology if they’re willing and open. Really a very basic childlike dynamic with an easy and light yoke. Hopefully this resonants. God is love, Jesus The Messiah lived out Gods love. This is the light God desires for all to know.
I have difficulty with your defining the word Sovereignty. Webster's dictionary disagrees with you.. Sovereignty does not mean we have no choice about our Salvation. We are offered Salvation for our faith in Him
Thank God that He is absolutely sovereign.
Why would we want less ???
What a convoluted, confused answer. He should have just told her he doesn’t know enough about the subject to answer so he won’t waste her time.
Exactly, he doesn't know what he is talking about. It's self-contradicting doctrine.
Try listening to Michael Heiser on this issue of pre- destination and salvation
Bruh just talking bout ice cream couldn't give a real answer smh😂
The answer makes sense to me. There’s literally no other explanation that I can think of or that makes sense.
yup, just another romun preast
Judas was born to betray Jesus so wrap your head around that! Exactly that doesn't mean Judas couldn't come to repentance but someone had to fulfill scripture. On the other hand Jesus said no man takes my life I freely give it up. I lay it down and in 3 days I will pick it up again. Who could understand the mind of God blessed be the name of the Lord for he alone is Sovereign. I have peace in knowing that I don't have to understand everything I'm just going to trust in Jesus like a Child. Good teaching by the way
You mean you could have been Judas instead of Judas? Really? The Bible says that Judas was foreordained to betray Jesus. Acts 2:23; 4:27-28. It was never possible that Judas would have come to repentance. It would have been better if he had never been born. But even that was never possible, because, as you say, God foreordained Judas to be born and to be chosen as one of the disciples by Jesus Himself.
We are as well told God desires all to come…Calvinism is a man’s teaching as well which there is much that is over looked on this subject of Election as it doesn’t fit or puts holes in this theological teaching. Trust the Word of God alone as it is the only truth which as this comment began says God desires all men to come to Him 1 Tim 2:4; John 3:16-17… but if one does not believe these most basic scriptures teaching then they must tear out these verses as the are right in the face of those that are twisted to say something they do not. God loves all His creation and He showed this by His sacrifice on Calvary! Unfortunately, the free will which was given another word in changing its meaning was a compromise in attempts to make the argument believable. I know this debate started a long time ago and continues today….just teach Gods love and desire for all men and let God be God!
I tell you what, If we have to tear out the verses that you mentioned, you would have to tear out Rom 8 & 9, John 6, 10, Acts 13:48, Eph 1, 2 , 1Cor 1, the words predestined, election, chosen, foreknown, "Esau I have hated" , "He has blinded their eyes", Ordained, "Vessels of Mercy, vessels of wrath, etc. These verses are also in the Bible.
@@jazzmankey My contention is with people like John Piper who says, every single thing that happens on planet earth is caused by God. He gives the example of tiny dust particles in a beam of light. Piper says God controls the very movement of each tiny particle. Or James White who has said, "If a man brutally rapes a young girl, God caused it. If not, then it was a meaningless, random act." Jeff Durbin says, God is not partially sovereign, He is not half-sovereign, He is sovereignly sovereign. Meaning, like Piper and White, every single thing that happens is caused by God. If you follow that logic through, you have God saying to Adam and Eve, "Do not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil..." and then He causes them to do that very thing. You have God saying, "Have no other gods before me." AND then He makes countless billions worship Allah, Buddha, or one of the three hundred million Hindu gods. Again, if you carry this through, you have God, who is LOVE, who is Holy and Righteous, causing, murder, rape, child molestation, drugs, alcohol, prostitution, human trafficking, not to mention, the belief in atheism. Allowing something to happen, UNTIL it is dealt with on Judgment Day, is NOT the same as causing it to happen.
No human desires God only God puts his spirit on us and draws us himself none of us come to God on our own he's the one that brings us to him
It seems to me that every time a person sins they exercise their free will in opposition to God's will. When it says if you hear His voice harden not your heart it implies that your heart is not necessarily hard and that you can choose to harden it. I believe God sovereignly chose to offer salvation to all. You don't need to go further than John 3.16 or Rev 22.17 to see that.
This is the doublespeak that most Calvinists use. "You have agency" "God is absolutely sovereign and already made the choice before the foundation of the world". So... you don't have actual agency. Explain and re-explain all you want, there is no getting around it. Don't bother to say "God is not surprised by your choice" - obviously, because God made the choice before you supposedly did. The Calvinist definition of "sovereignty" means total determination, which is not what sovereignty even means...
If you actually read what Calvinists believe, you wouldn't be misunderstanding their position on sovereignty of God.
@@BMK-KMB Pretty read up on it over decades, understand it well, though it should be mentioned that many Calvinists present their soteriology in different ways. But my comment fairly well accounts for it. Would you like to make a specific correction?
@@BMK-KMBHe explained Calvinism well. Which part did you disagree with?
@@AppalachiaTN The entire 5 points encapsulated by TULIP as well as a caricature of deity who doesn't know how to form a sentence with the words "all", "every", or "world."
Nope
I felt so confused after listening to this video. Even more so than before I watched it. The doctrine of election and presentation is super confusing to me. Here’s where I’m at with it: (1) how deep does human depravity go? That is, do we have the ability on our own to respond positively to the Gospel? Is there a part of us, namely our will, that is able to choose the things of God? And (2) the logic of God choosing those who will be saved (the “elect”) before anything ever got going just doesn’t seem to make sense. Holding people accountable for their actions if, in the final analysis, God is the one who decides our ultimate fate, doesn’t make much sense, at least to me. I’m not saying I don’t believe in the doctrine of election, but I’m also saying that I do believe in it. Honestly, I go back-and-forth between being a Calvinist and nothing Calvinist almost every day. I would love to hear what anyone else has to say. If we are the ones who, in the final analysis, choose to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and savior, is that choice something that I do myself? And if so, is there a part of salvation that requires me to make a positive choice? in other words, does salvation require God doing something (dying on the cross for our sins) + believing that this happened and that Jesus christ is the truth son of God, who takes away my sins? I 100% believe this. But why do I believe it? Bottom line: I don’t know. Why do I believe it and my neighbor doesn’t? Again, I don’t know. Is it because God unilaterally regenerated my soul, which led to faith, which leads to salvation? Sometimes I think yes, other times I think no. Anyone who can help, please do so. Thanks.
Oh, and one more thing. I think that the passage Romans that talks about God choosing Jacob over Esau, I think that Text is referring mostly to Israel and her place as the chosen people of God. Of course, I could be wrong on this too. If so, help me.
1. Do we have the ability on our own to respond positively to the gospel?
-No, we do not: [1Co 2:14 NKJV] 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
-[Jhn 6:44, 65 NKJV] 44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. ... 65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."
-[Mat 19:25-26 NIV] 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" 26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
2. How can we be held accountable for our actions if God has ultimately decided our fate?
[Rom 9:18-24 NIV] 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19 One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?" 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' " 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? 22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory-- 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
-[Dan 4:35 NIV] 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"
3. Is the choice to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior something that I do myself?
No, we choose Him because he chose us.
-[Jhn --15:16-- NIV] 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--
[Jhn 10:25-26 NKJV] 25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. 26 "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.
-[Act 13:48 NIV] 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
That’s God regenerate my soul, so that I will have faith and be saved?
Yes.
[Act 18:27 NKJV] 27 …he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;
[Eph 2:4-5, 8-9 NKJV] 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ... 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
4. Is Romans 9 just speaking about Israel when it talks about Jacob and Esau?
Paul tells us who he is talking about in verse 24:
[Rom 9:22-24 NKJV] 22 [What] if God, wanting to show [His] wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
Election does not equal Salvation. 2 Timothy 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Yes it does God already knew who would be saved so he picked who will get saved even before he created us
If election does not equal salvation, why are only the elect saved? Just asking?
@@cranmer1959 Judas was elect, was he saved? Just because you are elected, you still have to make the choice to choose. 2 Timothy 2:10, Paul clearly says, that they MAY also obtain the salvation. Not will obtain.
Judas was reprobate:
John 6:70
“Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?”
(KJV)
Matthew 26:24
“The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.”
King James Version (KJV)
Acts 2:23 (KJV 1900): Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Acts 4:27-28 (KJV 1900): For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
It was never possible that Judas would not betray Jesus.
John 13:25-27 (KJV 1900): He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.
@datruth3254
@@datruth3254 Judas was reprobate as the text plainly says. It was never possible that Judas would not betray Jesus.
The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. (Matt. 26:24 KJV)
But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? (Matt. 26:54 KJV)
When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. (Jn. 13:21 KJV)
He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. (Jn. 13:25-27 KJV)
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: (Acts 2:23 KJV)
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. (Acts 4:27-28 KJV)
Why the florescent tie????
Be very careful Calvinist, you are now shifting responsibility and sin away from Man and onto God. Example, God predetermined the sinner to be a sinner, and now sends him to hell, for God's predeterminism, because God decided not to regenerate certain man. Eventually it now leads to, we no longer need Jesus, because God determined who he calls when he calls, so who God chooses will always chose God. Calvinist is everything that the Bible is not. Before Calvin and Augustine, all the early church fathers were freewill.
Pelagians always think they save themselves from their own sin.
Augustine in his Retractions toward the end of his life rejected free will.
So there is no hope is there. God has made up his mind about people yet unborn, and...thats its. There is no hope. There is no hope.
There is no hope.
“God can’t” When he says that, it reveals the fallacy of Dr. Moller’s argument.
“God can’t” lie.
“so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.”
Hebrews 6:18 NASB1995
What was it that He said God can’t do?
Good point@@alreyindustries
Is faith God's work or our choice? (Read Hebrews 12:2 before answering.) And, if it's God's work, are people punished for not having faith?
Heb 12:2 "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." The Calvinist will praise God that Jesus Christ is the author of our faith and not our supposed wicked and sinful free will. We did have faith before salvation but not saving faith. We had faith that the sun will rise tomorrow morning and that gravity will always work like it has since creation but saving faith is onle granted to those that God gives it to. John 3:27 "John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven." We cannot receive eternal life unless God has decreed it from the foundation of the world.
Arminians will say God is not fair if He limits salvation to only one specific group of people. They claim that He MUST offer it to everyone. Really? Since when do we tell God what He can or cannot do with His creation? What did He tell His chosen people to do to the Amalekite's? 1 Samuel 1:3 “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” Hmm, not exactly being sweet and neighborly was He.
How about what to do when His chosen people encounter the Canaanites, Sidonians and the other descendants of theirs, the Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and the Hamathites? Also the Philistines, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Jebusites, the Elamites, the Kerethites, the Pathrusites, the Casluhites, and the Caphtorites? Did He tell them "invite them into your tent give them a glass of wine and tell them that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives?" Not quite, lets let God's word tell us: Exodus 23:23 “For my angel will go before you...And I will destroy them completely.”
God is sovereign. Lets praise Him that He chooses us and loves us and lets pray for those that don't love God.
Totally incoherent answer
Offer a better one
They don't seem to have one@@alreyindustries
Either God is sovereign or man is sovereign - the two are mutually exclusive…
If God is sovereign (which He is), then He is absolutely sovereign over absolutely all things, INCLUDING the will of man! And if man is ‘sovereign’, then we are all in serious trouble - which man - you/me/Biden/Putin/the village idiot…?
So, while man does possess a WILL, his will is just not free (in the Libertarian sense) - man’s will is in bondage, either to the god of this age, or to the Spirit of righteousness (Rom 8:3-5)… no ‘free will’ in that!
From a purely epistemological perspective, we must then not be surprised to find that we find ourselves in a causal universe where nothing - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING - happens causa sui - spontaneously…
A simple test… try and do something (anything) without any reason - ain’t possible!
Nothing that happens is ever uncaused and if it’s in any way caused (which it always is), then it’s not free…
I hope this helps…
@@osksamen!
What verse says that god is absolutely Sovereign.
294 times in the NIV. Look them up yourself.
@@AVB2-LST1154
Sovereign over what.
@@reynaldoperez7285 Everything and everyone. If God isn''t sovereign over all He isn't sovereign at all.
@AVB2-LST1154
God is Sovereign also , even when we make choices that he didn't ordain.
Predestined before the world began to be saved no matter what is a doctrine of demons.
God freely gives everyone a chance to believe.
I subscribe to the view that it was Christianity that introduced to the world the very notion of free will. From the Stoics and the Platonists as of course from the Scripture our theologians took many their formulations to describe reality. Not their fatalism. not their notion that when we all die we descend to a dark place near to return. This being the fate of the Good and Great as well as the Evil and the Mean. Christ preached to the Dead and they learned theswn as we shall all learn who will rise with Him in glory.
I figured today we would be talking about how AZ's governor, and the pro-life republican legislature passed legislation to repeal its abortion ban.
“Today, I am glad to see the Senate answered my call and voted to repeal Arizona's 1864 total abortion ban, and I look forward to quickly signing the repeal into law."
I feel guilty just asking this question. But it’s a question that must be asked.
God calls us to choose. Joshua 24:15 says, "CHOOSE you this day whom you will serve."
Deuteronomy 30:19 says, "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE life, so that you and your children may live."
Revelation 22:17 says, "...whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." It does NOT say, "The ones I (God) choose will take of the water of life freely."
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." It does NOT say the ones I (God) choose shall not perish.
What does the Calvinist say sin is? The Biblical definition of sin is missing the mark. Not doing God's will. How can there be sin if God is CAUSING everything to happen? What is sin if EVERYTHING that happens, ONLY happens because GOD CAUSES it to happen? Also, how can there be obedience if EVERTHING ONLY happens because, AGAIN, God causes all to happen, even "obedience" to God's commands? What about verses like Joshua 24:15, "... CHOOSE for yourselves this day whom you will serve..." AND, You'll NEVER convince me that, as hyper Calvinists believe, God causes EVERYTHING to happen, even murder, rape, child molestation, LGBTQ lifestyles, anti-Christ religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, atheism etc.
Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live. In Old Testament times the Jews on numerous occasions chose other gods. Even when faced with a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, they exercised their right preferring a sinner to a Saviour. At what point in scripture did God take away the right to choose?
“Bound by grace” by Lee Williams. BEST BOOK ON THE SUBJECT HANDS DOWN
The Bible has 1,400 “if”, as well as many other examples that we have the choice of whether we live in obedience to the will of God or not. We make the decision to confess our sins and serve the Lord. Blessings
WE NEVER HAD FREEDOM IN THE FIRST PLACE WHEN IT CAME TO OUR DNA, OUR PLACE OF BIRTH,OUR PARENTS ETC.
Excellent answer, no need for simplicity, we need accuracy!
Yes we do have a free will, because we are able to deny God (2 Timothy 2:12). God acknowledges that someone can accept or deny the presentation of the gospel.(Ezekiel 3:17-22). One of the earliest testaments of free will Genesis 2:16-17.
We do in fact have a completely free will. If God has to "enable" us or allow us to make a decision then it is not free will.
Edit: Just because there are things out of our power, that doesn't mean that we don't have a free will. Two things can be true at once. Yes, there are thing out of our power, but also yes, we do have a free will. God will never force himself on you or force you to make a decision because then heaven is not a choice or reward it is an obligation which goes against what heaven is meant to be.
What a ridiculous argument by Mohler- exactly how would someone have free will before they were created? We were created in order to have free will.
@@JimNunleyJimNunley Perfect answer by Mohler since the word " free " is now being defined by fallen people like you and me, who maybe saved reading back into the original pre-fall state with the Holy Spirit having a moral command given to not eat something in the initial state.
The freedom was qualified with an instruction , never absolute.
Perfect answer by Mohler.
@@speed_razor6603 Thank you for proving my point, completely free.. to accept or reject.. NOT ABSOLUTE.
I guess every knee WILL BOW... WILL BOW... WILL BOW ... which is absolute.. even if you are free to reject Him now?
See the point?
(Revealed to us 115 years ago): *“We can tell Him nothing which He does not know, but His intelligent, infinite intuition comprehends all things past, present or future. The foreknowledge of God is also absolute. How the foreknowledge of God is to be reconciled with man’s free agency and moral accountability is indeed to men in the world a dark problem, but in the Scriptures both are clearly taught, and faith accepts what reason cannot reconcile. Some of the churches on earth have denied man’s moral freedom. Others maintain that God in the exercise of His omniscience, like His omnipotence, abstains from knowing what His creatures will do under certain given circumstances, but the foreknowledge of God itself, UNREVEALED to men, does not impose nor even hint to men any course of conduct whatever; IT IN NO DEGREE AFFECTS HIS LIBERTY OF ACTION. Man neither sins nor follows holiness, as the result of God’s foreknowledge; so notwithstanding God’s foreknowledge, He has made man in His image, a free moral being.”*
The bible proves predestination he literally chosen his own prophets apostles n disciples what makes u think he ain't choosing ppl to be saved or not 😂
If only the predestined are going to Heaven, why does God desire for the Gospel to be preached to the 4 corners of the world. What is His purpose for preachers and ministry?
God predestined the church, that there would be a body of Christ(the church). Our free will is to be a part of that body or not to be. He knows the outcome without influencing it.
God determined what choices we could make in certain areas.
we have no choice but to eat and breath. but we choice to believe in God or not
"No man can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him"
@Thebattler86
John 10:9
I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Ephesians 2:18
for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
the father sent him to the world to be our doorway
that is not Calvinism..
Sure we can choose some things like chocolate topping or caramel topping or strawberries on my ice cream, but when it comes to choosing God, we cannot according to Romans 3:11 "There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God." Woe is us. We are up a raging river without a paddle. But wait! Jesus said in Luke 19:10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." WOW. God seeks for us because we can't seek for Him. How wonderful is that!!!
@@AVB2-LST1154 Ultimately you don't choose those things either
@AVB2-LST1154 Joshua 24:15
"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
Moses talked to God’s people in Deuteronomy 30:19-20. He showed them two paths - one to life and blessings, the other to death and curses. Moses told them to pick life. That means loving God, following His commands, and sticking close to Him.
Matthew 16:24
"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."
Luke 9:23
"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."
Deuteronomy 11:26-28
"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse- the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known."
If you define "Sovereignty" as theistic/divine (meticulous) determinism then agency is an illusion. You just perceive your choices as choices. While it may be said that they acted by their free choice, this is akin to saying it was the puppet's free decision to dance. And if you think I’m wrong, either God determined for me to be wrong (meaning you’re upset with His decree, and He decreed for you to be upset with His own will), or I’m right, and theistic determinism is false. We also don't save ourselves! Having faith in Christ doesn't merit us anything but is believing in the one that did everything on our behalf.
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. (Rom. 1:21 KJV)
Arminian: A creation that is at once free AND determined? Impossible, that violates the rules of Western logic.
Tertullian: “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?”
God: “…thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself.”
Free will is a gods gift to human kind and through it he can judge us whether we obey him or satan ? otherwise if we dont have free will and acted like robot then there is no meaning of life. And pre- destination is also there but that's not one rather many choice ,A B C and all have consequences you cannot change
John 6:44 puts it as simple as it can be put. Jesus says no man can come to me,except the Father which hath sent me draw him:and I will raise him up at the last day.
And John 12:32 says “And I, when I am lifted up[a] from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
What is mankind’s spiritual condition? In Ephesians we are told that we are “dead” in our trespasses and sin! The Greek word for dead is corpse! Question: How can a dead man raise himself from the dead by his own “Freewill”? What part did Lazarus play in his being raised from the dead?!
God is The Force for Good in your life or around your life. Who's complaining?
If I will because of the dear of eternal death, is threatening the agency in willing? Often preachers escort alter calls with message of eternal death and people respond because of this not coming to Christ to share love with God
God presents us with choices. He has already predetermined the results of any choice we make. He is not surprised by our choice. He controls everything.
With the exception of Jesus, it could be said that all mankind is predestined to hell as the result of the disobedience of Adam and the instilment of a sinful nature resulting in total depravity. If NO ONE made the right choice, NO ONE would be saved. Rom 5:18a (NIV) “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for ALL men,…
So why don’t all men go to hell? Free will choice.
It could also be said that all mankind is predestined to salvation since all consequences of choices are predetermined by God, one only needs to make the right choice. If EVERYONE made the right choice, EVERYONE would be saved. Rom 5:18b ….so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for ALL men.”
So why don’t all men go to heaven? Free will choice.
If that is true please explain. Judas and scripture about the 12 seats then he chose to betray him?
Paul (and only Paul) uses the word προορίζω (predestinate) four times - twice in Romans 8 and twice in Ephesians 1. In all four of those instances the subject of his discourse is believers in Jesus Christ. The point is that a better term to get at the core issue is elect, called or chosen. Pedantically, God predestines those whom He has elected, chosen and called.
As to the will, it is a second order thing. That is our wills are governed by our nature. It is not possible to will anything that our nature does not allow. Our nature sets the boundary of willing. We freely will all things that are consistent with our nature. Paul further writes "The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit because they are foolishness to him and neither can he know them." So nature binds doubly. The natural man does not want to know spiritual things (the will) and he cannot know spiritual things (nature lacks the capacity).
Unless and until God quickens (makes alive) and thereby gives us a new nature our wills are bound. Luther wrote a book on this subject. It is probably his best work. It is called The Bondage of the Will.
3:25 God's foreknowledge means ALL of your choices were predestined by God's eternal decree. Mohler is dodging a little bit. God foreordained what ice cream flavor you will choose. If God foreknows that you will go to church next Sunday, is it possible that you won't go?
@@davidlarue727 All of your choices are foreknown by God from before creation. Since God is an eternal and timeless Being, He foreknows the future immutably. And how does God foreknow the future immutably? It is because He decreed it in every single detail. Providence is simply God's foreordination coming to pass in created time. Why do you assume that God is ignorant of the future?
@@davidlarue727 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: (Isa. 14:24 KJV)
For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? (Isa. 14:27 KJV)
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. (Isa. 46:9-11 KJV)
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Eph. 1:11 KJV)
Isaiah 14:27 (KJV 1900): For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it?
And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
@davidlarue727 If God foreknows that you will choise to go to church next Sunday, is it possible that you won't go to church next Sunday?
@@davidlarue727Is your god ignorant of the future?
A simpler answer would be the video under the title Reformed Basics God's Sovereignty which goes over compatibalism...
6:16 “If I didn’t do it I can’t lose it.”
One day you’ll stand before the throne and God will ask you did you do it? (Mean bow your knee in your own free will and choose to worship me and not you?) And if you didn’t do it, you’ll lose eternal life. So, you’re wrong Dr. Mohler.
Most usually the predestination crowd are already saved.
Funny.
The Bible, from Genesis through Revelation, has been WRITTEN. We KNOW how it ENDS. NOTHING anyone does can change this. God had PLANNED everything from cover to cover. NOTHING is going to take Him by surprise. He is NOT going to switch to a "Plan B" in the event someone is uncooperative. God RESTED on the 7th day because "the works were FIN8SHED from the creation". Notice, that the VISIONS of God in Isaiah, Psalms, etc., show Him SEATED on His thrown...NEVER WORKING on a project or "situations" which require His attention. "It is FINISHED"! Thus His people can also REST in His FINISHED work as PROMISED us.
This was beautiful but thanks to this I want ice cream 🍨
Let's keep it simple because it is!!
God created humans with free will. This means we are equipped to make REAL choices.
We must make a REAL choice to put our faith in Jesus! God gives us all the evidence of His perfect character in the person of Jesus.
This is how He draws us! This is how faith is created in us! Not very hard to understand.
May God Bless😁
God, sovereignly decreed, that man should exercise free moral choice and man, from the beginning, has fulfilled that decree by making his choice between good and evil. When he chooses to do evil, he does not thereby countervail the sovereign will of God but fulfills it, in as much has the eternal decree decided not which choice man should make but that he should be free to make it. If in his absolute freedom God has willed to give man limited freedom, who is there to stay his hand or say, ‘What doest thou?’ Man’s will is free because God is sovereign. A less than sovereign God could not bestow moral freedom could upon His creatures. He would be afraid to do so.
AW Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy
May I humbly suggest the greatest moral decision any person can make is to choose to receive and trust in the gracious gift of salvation in Christ Jesus? I agree that salvation is the sovereign act of God alone but I contend, along with Tozer, that we each have the freedom to willfully choose or reject the gift…
Man is spiritually dead and as a result of his dead state he cannot make a spiritual decision without outside interference, in this case God
Amen - Predestination overpowers 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏His Kingdom Come 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Election does not equate to salvation, otherwise, there are hundreds of thousands of Baal worshippers in Heaven… (Deu. 7:6; Isaiah 45:4)…
Foreknowledge does not necessitate predestination (1 Samuel 23:1-13)
Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil And, those who do evil hates the light neither cometh to the light.....See John 3:19,20📖
is this calvinism?
He repeatedlysaidthat God knows everythig that he knows r has a foreknowledge of the future, yet, in Genesis, after He killed almost all living crreature in the world by flood, he did regret it, as if he never expected this events to happen. How can you regret something you know would eventually happen anyway?
@fcedulaiii, this biblical regret is not regret is not the same as the one in our modern language interpreted regret. The ESV and NASB got this one right in their interpretation - it griefed him - or caused him sorrow. It does not mean “I truly wish I never created them”!
He knew but he felt bad innthe moment ig
@@M.R.-for-Jesusit did mean that tho
God has no regrets. The text is expressed in anthropopathic terms to cause humans to see the evil of their ways on a human level. God does not literally have hands or feet or a nose because He is a spirit. John 4:24. The same applies to emotions attributed to God. He does not literally get jealous, angry, or feel romantic love, etc. God has no literal regrets. Malachi 3:6; James 1:17
@@cranmer1959 finally we agree in something! I hope you can come to the same conclusion about "hate" at one point.
Romans 8:28-29 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Romans 9:13-24 (NKJV) As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!
For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion."
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth."
Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?"
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"
Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
Only the toughest question of all time.
It's not that tough. Calvinisim has twisted scripture and the love of God. God bless you
@@ironleatherwood the tough part is why God doesn't call everyone.
@@FreemanchouHe does call everyone, but not everyone chooses to accept His offer of Salvation. Romans 1:20 expresses people have seen His power and nature and so are without excuse.
@@Freemanchou”Many are called but few are chosen.” People reject Christ because of pride. There are no proud people in the kingdom of heaven. To come to the cross is to bow the knee to the Lord and confess
@@davidcrutchfield138 many are called means not all are called. That's a real confusing starting point. Pride is thinking you have the answer. Sorry to be contentious. This is a big discussion and the comment section isn't the place. Sending peace and blessings.
6:23 6:23