My parents wanted a child so they had me : Their divine choice, not mine. They taught me how to do what was right and good for me to have a good and productive prosperous life. I choose whether I follow their instruction and receive the rewards of obedience or I can choose to rebel and disregard anything they instructed, and reap the consequences of my choice.
Yes because you weren’t created by an all knowing dictator that knows exactly what your going to do. Your comment explains exactly why free will can’t exist.
I think of God as a generator and faith as a light switch. Flipping the light switch while the power is off isn't going to do anything. But when God intercedes and plugs the generator into the switch, we can turn on the lights. It's God's sovereign will that we have free will. We are dead without him.
Good answer, if we know everything about God and His ways He will not be God at all, we are finite and He is infinite, that's why we believe and worship Him, stay safe Jesus loves you.
@@audreydunham4600, God has no gender because God is Spirit.... But the Scriptures portrays God as the Father of Jesus and our Father therefore God is portrayed as male.....
This IS seriously the best explanation I've ever seen! I like his phrase, "I sleep like a Calvinist, but preach like an Arminianist." That sums it up so well.
To me it’s rather simple….God is fully sovereign but when he made man, He (God) chose to limit His sovereignty when He gave man the first spoken and written promises to distinguish Himself from all other god’s who man create who are “capricious”. Therefore God sovereignly created man with freewill to choose in receiving or rejecting His promises because it declares that “whatsoever a man soweth he shall also reap” good or bad. In this God does not violate His main attribute of Love over a fallen creation who is given the opportunity to redeem themselves to their creator.
Who can understand the mind God. Blessed be the name of the Lord. This is why God is always telling me, trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding. Praise Jesus I don't have to know everything but simply believe thank you very much God bless you!
I have been studying this topic for years and you are the first person I have heard that seems to get it. The truth is we have freewill and are responsible and at the exact same time it is God that calls and chooses us. We cannot understand the things of God but we can choose to repent and follow Jesus and as long as we do that in time all else will be revealed because it is repentance that leads us to a knowledge of the truth. The closer we draw to God the more God reveals Himself to us. It is a process of growing in Him.
This video is trying really hard to answer this question and I appreciate the time and energy that was spent doing so. There are problems here, though. First, comparing the mystery of the Trinity or the Hypostatic Union (Christ being 100% God and 100% man) is not the same as sovereignty and free will. Sovereignty is plainly declared in scripture. Free will is not plainly declared, but many will say it is based on inference. In other words, the commands to repent, believe, come, etc. is equated with the ability to do so. John 6:44 clearly tells us man is not able to come unless the Father draws them. And nowhere does the Bible declare that man's will is free, but it does declare that man (his whole being) is bound by sin and only Christ can set them free (John 8:34-36). And this sin nature is shown to be total in its depravity based on Romans 3:10-18, John 15:18-23, Ephesians 2:1-3, and 1 John 3:4), Many of these verses tell us sinful man doesn't understand God, doesn't seek God, doesn't fear God, that He hates God, and that he is dead in trespasses and sins. In fact, his very carnal mind is against God and nothing in the flesh we do can please God according to Romans 8:5-8. In other words, the will of man is based on his desires and man doesn't desire or seek after God. Yet we will take the commands of God to come, repent, believe, etc. to mean that mankind has the ability to do so because he is responsible. No, he is responsible because He breaks God's law in thought, word, and deed (again 1 John 3:4 and Romans 3:23 defines sin) though his conscience and creation tell him that God exists (Romans 1:18-23). Mankind is commanded to repent and believe because the just Judge and Lawgiver must tell wicked, wretched sinners to do so because they violate the law and nature of God. They can't do so in their own will because they won't. Unless God changes their heart, they will not repent and believe. Even the Matthew 11:27-30 verses he alluded to (which I will preach a gospel message on next week) doesn't demonstrate God's sovereignty and man's free will. It demonstrates God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. He is responsible to come, but the verse never says he will come in his own free will. We infer this. The same with John 3:16. We know whosoever believes, but it never tells you how sinful man believes. It is by grace through faith, a gift from God according to Ephesians 2:8-9. And Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), therefore the faith is given by God. The bottom line, man's will is not free, but bound by his sin nature that dictates his decisions. And sinful man will always decide not to choose what he hates, which is God (again, John 15:18-23). He must be spiritually brought to life before he can respond, not unlike Lazarus was brought to life so that he could come when Christ called him from the tomb.
Hi, erna, I just want to disclose up front that my church sends different members to a homeless shelter in my home city of Rochester, NY to preach a gospel message or give a testimony at their Sunday night chapel service. I teach regularly at my home church but have welcomed the opportunity to actually give a gospel message from time to time, so I've signed up at least five times this year. Not every message I've preached is recorded and the messages are certainly not polished. I've recorded the last few messages myself to critique and evaluate my own preaching (which is quite raw and needs work), but I do have the Matthew 11:27-30 message on my RUclips page (I'm not computer savvy, but I managed to upload it). I would greatly appreciate and would be humbled if you listened and would give me any type of critique (something I missed or something I may have been incorrect on Biblically). I want to handle the Word of God rightly. This is the link: ruclips.net/video/gziwSY1IcFk/видео.html Please comment after you listen; I truly welcome anything you have to post. God bless.
What if God created free will as a useful illusion to men? If God is sovereign and omnipotent ( all knowing ) and created the universe, and orchestrates our salvation by sending the spirit (for nobody can come to the father unless God sends his son Jesus), then we do not have any free will as it relates to our salvation. Furthermore how could we have any free will with respect to any other decision that we make? It could be the case that free will is just an illusion created by God.
In Jeremiah 19:5 God says, "they have also built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I did NOT COMMAND or speak, nor did it come into My mind)" So, who do we believe, Jeff Durbin, RC Sproul, James White, John Piper or God Almighty and His Holy Word, the Bible? So, while God does predestine some things, this verse says clearly NOT everything. It's like a university predestining a football team but giving free will to players themselves to decide whether or not to come out for that team.
Sovereignty and free will aren't really that difficult to explain... I'm always confused when I hear people say that it's some kind of a profound or inhuman mystery. Sovereignty is an expression of authority, and power is an expression of ability. For God to be sovereign just means he's in charge - authority doesn't have an effect on people's will - power might, but not authority. My being president doesn't mean no one will act contrary to my wishes - my authority doesn't change what people are able think, feel or decide. So maybe the question could be: "If God is all-knowing and all-powerful, then how can human will be free?" but I have yet to hear someone explain to me clearly and coherently how it is that God's authority as King and Lord somehow strains logic, or contradicts or confuses human volition...
CJ Michelli The President is not Sovereign over the people. We create govt and endow the president, as head of the Govt, with certain powers. But if you are a Christian you don't believe that man created God well that God gets his power from man. That analogy doesn't exactly work.
free will Agrippa heard the gospel from Paul and he rejected it he said Paul you almost convinced me to be a Christian free will choose this day whom you will serve free will...
excellent - wanted to little dig what others say about this and the first and shortest vid exactly what I believe God is 100% sovereign and at the same time we have 100% free will - are 100% responsible - and there is more to it - the power of prayer - anyway digging little into this here in the videos I upload here on YT
The problem with this is God is also ALL KNOWING. He already knew what was going to happen before the foundation's of the world. So with knowing that, how do we have true free will? What He set in motion is going to happen.
THANK YOU! I know I come off as ecstatic because my first knowledge of Calvinism and Arminianism was observing a very violent debate, lol, so all I knew was there was reason to be concerned and involved. After looking in to it, I could not find one single piece of unbiased information and it actually began to make me worry about my salvation but upon watching this I see clearly now what this is all about. I've got a fully loaded life to live and worry about already so taking this off my plate is a God-send. Thank you 1,000 times over and God bless. Sincerely, Chase (The Calminian)
I've never understood the need for this argument. We're saved by faith, right? Faith comes through hearing the message (Romans 10:17), which was shared with me by a young Christian fellow. After hearing the good news about what Jesus had done for me, I obviously had a choice to believe & repent, or just walk away. Read the caption on the screen at 3:02 , it literally says God wishes all to come to repentance. This is a choice that humans, who were created by God, must make. Grace is a gift from God, faith is not.
Tough man tough. I don't know if I should say Amen or O me:) For real....I've been struggling with this lately... I wished I had this pastor's faith is all I can say...
The reason sovereignty and free-will don't contradict is because sovereignty does not mean that God is determining every single action of everything, which is what Calvinism teaches which is why you hear calvinists say that we don't have free will. It's because their creeds consistently teach that God decrees (not allows) WHATSOEVER occurs.
If God know exactly what the outcome of our life will be before he even created us , how then could we have free will? Would we only have the illusion of free will? God would never have a , i didn't see that happening moment. Would love to get different views on the topic
Mannie C I see it as though you were watch a replay of sports event. You may have full knowledge of the outcome and every play if you've watched it enough. This doesn't mean that you had to have controlled any of their moves. They exercised their free will and you simply witnessed it. Now when you watched the replay, it is true that the players were bound to do exactly what had been recorded and so in a sense the outcome was determined. It was determined by their own free will choices. I do believe however that God does interfere with our free will at times. He accomplishes His will through hardening of hearts and raising kingdoms against others for judgement etc. But I believe he uses a wicked man for the day of evil and doesn't have us do anything outside of what our own wills would have allowed.
Mannie C that's bc there is no such thing as free will. Google L Ray Smith on the subject...volumes of info. Don't take my word for it look it up and read the passages.
The answer isn’t that difficult. Nonetheless being that your a Calvinist ingrained and taught error since you believed, hold your breath and pay attention. Jesus said, he didn’t know when the time of His coming was, only the Father. Matthew 13:32, When the disobedience of Adam from God in the garden of eden happened, when God arrived he said “Adam where you?” What this tells us, (since I am speaking to Calvinist) that GOD IN HIS SOVEREIGNTY CAN CHOSE NOT TO BE AWARE OF EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING. Not that He can’t, He can chose not to, PERIOD, ACCEPT IT THIS IS A FACT. This is why God said Adam, where are you? When God gave Adam dominion, (here comes another TULIP Correction) over the garden, God meant what he said, and said what he meant. If only Calvinist applied the same RULES to other words as they do to the word SOVEREIGNTY. a word that is not even used in scripture... gee if it was that IMPORTANT DONT YOU THINK GOD WOULD HAVE PUT IT IN WORD, MEANING LITERALLY. NO HE DID NOT. Dominion, means dominion, God GAVE Adam dominion AND STEPPED AWAY, GODS SOVEREIGNTY DECIDED THIS. YEAH FREE WILL WAS GIVEN TO ADAM, PERIOD. Genesis 1:26-31 NKJV [26] Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." [27] So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. [28] Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." [29] And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. [30] Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so. [31] Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. There you see, when Jesus is the Lord of your Life, and you believe, that GODS SOVEREIGNTY DECIDED THAT ALL MEN come to knowledge of Jesus Christ, knowledge of the TRUTH. TULIP IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE KING OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST... 1 Timothy 2:3-6 NKJV [3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, [4] who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,
We are puppets but our strings are invisible. We in our human minds have "free will". We can do whatever we choose. BUT God is still the puppeteer and in control of our lives. I for one find JOY in knowing that it is ALL in God's hands!!!
When you say "all," do you mean your sin, too? Or just the good things? If your will is not under your control, how then is it free? Perhaps you and I are thinking of "free will" differently.
It is free will in our human minds....In other words I can type this right now because "I" want to. I have the freedom to do this, I don't feel restricted. BUT God is the one doing the driving ultimately. His plan is being fulfilled no matter what we do. The choices we make will be made by us will be made because He willed it
Daniel Randall Why not God create us happy to be controlled? That would be ethical, in my opinion- as we wouldn't have to "fight our evils" and such misery.
Refreshed Mind, Of course, God could have done that. But he didn't. He made us in his own image. God is a free being, and thus we are also free in our choices. It is what makes us human. We are not slaves to our desires our drives like the animals. We transcend the mundane and the ordinary to ponder the transcendent, the beautiful and the sublime. Only through our free will can we appreciate and love our families and friends. Without free will, there is no love as love can't be coerced, nor can true happiness. If God created us as robots to be "happy", we wouldn't be, since true emotion requires freedom of expression. Moreover, free will is itself a product of supreme love, since it is a gift from God who is love. It is true that evil originated due to free will, but it wasn't necessarily so; it could have been otherwise. Satan rebelled against God in hubris, arrogance, and greed. Adam and Eve were likewise created innocent but fell into sin due to their choice to disobey God. The fight of good vs evil has been raging ever since but it isn't an eternal battle. A Christian fights against sin and evil through prayer, good deeds, fasting etc, but knows that their sin is accounted for, and they are redeemed. Persevering and enduring in this world are tasks given by God to purify us and do his will as we become salt and light on the Earth. In the end, we know that Christ will establish his kingdom in its fullness, and creation will be renewed as evil is destroyed for good. Whatever happens, God works all to his own glory and for the good of those who love him. It would have been highly unethical if God had created us in his own image, but then taken away our freedom. Soli Deo Gloria.
Daniel Randall Wow. Detailed response, but I believe happiness is a mind-state, and like all others can be synthesized, as is love. We might not "notice" it without a contrast, but we would still feel the same. I just want a nice experience- like most everyone else- in which free will gives us the opportunity to avoid evil, whereas we could have no evil to avoid in the first place. Though, I am a determinist, I believe that you and I and everyone is one and the same of the world and universe we live in. Everything was created by occurrences, our political views, our thought process, and our religious beliefs. Me typing this right now is a consequence of everything that had happened before. But I do not know what originally set everything in motion, there I leave absolute opportunity for a higher entity, or god. I think myself and everyone too fallible to know the whole truth, so I will "go by" what sits well with me. That may change.
Even if someone is influenced in favor of one decision, they still may choose a different path (happens quite often - take parents and children, for instance). So influence doesn't really destroy the idea of free will.
You have a will but it's anything but free. , it's under the law of cause and effect. A mans heart devises his ways but the lord directive his steps, it's him in you that wills and does all his good pleasure
That's easy to answer. It was God sovereign will that we be assigned the responsibility of Choice. However it's not freewill at all. Choosing comes with consequences. Every choice we make has consequences, either positive or negative. It God's way of teaching us to make the right choices not only in everyday life but in those things that concern our spiritual life. So it's not freewill, it's responsibility of Choice. Let's call it what it really is.
I don't know about humans but I think God does not have total free will... 1. You can choose to cease to exist by committing suicide (God forbid!)...but God can never cease to exist...come what may... So, how can God be called free? 2. You can choose to leave the path of goodness and start doing bad deeds...God can never ever even wish to do bad deeds.. So how come God has total free will??
John 1:13- “not the will of man but of God” I believe that God is the cause of the love for all those who love him by giving us the ability to love him. (John 12:32).
He literally just answered the question in the first 45 seconds of this video. "We don't know." He admits that it's absurd. But you should believe it anyway....
I love how you said you lean to calvinist but preach like Armenian. To me thats showing love to all. It's not out job to determine whos elected or not.
Great videos guys! Have you considered the term "free agency"? Meaning we have the choice to do what we like... ie when the Spirit opens our eyes to the gospel, we choose to accept Christ freely. It's wrapped up in what AA Hodge wrote on pg 339 (I think) of his "outlines of theology" "The permanent affections of the soul govern the volitions, but the volitions cannot alter the affections" Simply stated, if your child whom you love, is about to fall off a cliff, you do not have the free will to let them fall because your love for them will not let you. Think about any conscious decision you are to make and the outcome is always due to your affection, whether it's to do something you don't want to, but do it anyway to obey God or maybe choose something else you don't want to do because the consequences are worse than if you decide otherwise... all other decisions that come from what you WANT to do, are obviously because it's what you desire Point is, your will is decided by your affections and the only reason any of us chose to love God, is because he "effectually" loved us first & that was our ONLY response Just my 2 cents, I honestly love your quick videos, I just found them this eve & have been enjoying them Keep it up👍
@@Th3BigBoy bro don’t foo yoself … one makes salvation about them willing themselves to change while the other preaches the inability of man to do so apart from the Holy Spirit intervening first to allow them to do so .. opposite perspectives
*Isa 30:1 "Woe to the rebellious children," declares the LORD, "Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin;
How can God say I wish all men to be saved and receive eternal life "meaning he wishes people to come to salvation by their own choice" but then it also says he chose men to be saved in John 1:13 by God's will not our own. So if it's actually not our own doing that brings us to salvation then only God can choose who is to be saved. Confusing!
It can be brotha. But God reveals himself to us to come to Him and be saved. He does wish all men to be saved but we know that all won’t. I think lol. Like he said, we can’t wrap our minds around everything, especially mine
God is simply more free than we are. Faith is a gift(that no one may boast). God has the most freedom in being able to chose some, rather than all or none. And quoting 1 Timothy 2:4 that God desires all men to be saved could easily be speaking to all kinds of people as verse 2 indicates. OR Paul is saying God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked in another way. Because God COULD bestow Christ's sacrifice on all if he truly desires to above all else, as He is God. Whoever the Father gives to Christ will be saved. Btw the Bible says God hates certain people, so to say its clear God loves every person is wrong in my opinion.
In consideration of your last statement for sake of argument, FWIW, IMHO, (insofar as hate is even a thing in the same sense that love is a thing) hate and love are not exclusive to one another. I can conceive of hating or feeling hatred towards someone for their actions and being desirous of justice being executed. I can likewise conceive of at the same time finding joy in and experiencing joy at the prospect of God having mercy on whom he will have mercy, including the aforementioned person. And I am just one of the pea-brained with mere creature-ly capacities (as opposed to Creator-ly capacities).
The John 1:13 verse, I looked up the surrounding verses, and I think this video might be taking it out of context: (NIV) 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. Verse 11 describes humanity in general betraying the creator when he tried to seek them out. But in verse 12 it says that those who did receive him he gave the right to become children of God. So he gives the right based off of WHO WILL RECEIVE. Then it goes on to describe what a child of God is in 13 as not being "born" of natural decent, nor of human decision or husband's will, but of God. It doesn't describe how you become a child of God, but what a child of God is. I could be wrong about the interpretation above, I'm no scholar, but that is what it seems to describe when I read it. Anywho, all that is to say, you have to be careful with listening to Calvinist (or Calvinist-like, this video wasn't completely saturated) teaching. You have to really pay attention to the verses they are citing, the surrounding verses, and the Greek and Hebrew words as well. Most, if not all of the time, the verses that are cited are being used out of context to prove a point it wasn't written to prove. I disagree with most Calvinist teaching for that reason. However, I do agree that lots of other factors of God's Sovereignty are a complete mystery, and we just have to walk in faith and trust that God knows what he is doing. The nature of choice, along with God electing leaders, makes no sense to me sometimes. But as far as salvation goes, there is definitely choice involved. God won't program you to accept, all he does it make himself look as attractive as possible. Sometimes Christians (or people who claim to be Christians) act weird and mess the whole attractiveness-thing up (historical events such as the Salem Witch Trials and the Crusades), but in general God isn't the puppet master over who goes to Heaven and who doesn't. I am very thankful that God provided a way for us to go to be with him forever though. Jesus paid the ultimate, brutal price to earn salvation for everyone who receives.
Isaac Callaway Amen brother. I look at those verses like this... Being born of God, is being born again, which is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I can't choose to be born again. God chooses that. I can choose to repent and believe the gospel. He looks at the heart of man and chooses those who are sincere, to which He will give His Spirit to. He promised He would. God bless
I don't mind tension, I don't need every question I have answered, I don't mind divine mysteries. As a matter of fact, I realize we need divine mysteries. If we knew everything about God, He would no longer be God. God is infinite, we are finite. That being said, there simply is no tension or mystery between God's sovereignty and man's freewill. And yes, the Bible teaches both God's sovereignty and man's freewill. The problem though, is that Calvinists fundamentally misunderstand what God's sovereignty is and how His sovereignty governs the world and man. Divine sovereignty simply means the God is in complete control, it does not mean, though, that God has to be completely controlling of every decision that man makes. The Bible DOES NOT teach TULIP! So there is no tension in scripture regarding God's sovereignty and man's freewill, because God's sovereignty is not described by Calvinism!
@@majesty774 You're referring to Muttley's comment? I would disagree, and one need not have to submit "scriptural quotes" to validate truth. What I just said there is logical and can be substantiated by the Word, but I digress. *Gen **1:28* "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and *SUBDUE* it..." To "subdue" it would allow us to *CONTROL* things...call the shots, make choices. Further in *Gen **2:20* it says that Adam then *NAMED* the animals which entailed *FREE WILL* , "And Adam gave names..." Well at the fall, Adam's free *WILL* was not taken from him...I see nothing in the bible to indicate that at all. When Calvinism suggests that because we are *DEAD* (Eph 2:1 and Col 2:13), that our *WILL* died, that's just not so...it's a separation from God. Total depravity does *NOT* mean total *INABILITY* . We're not brain dead nor *INCAPABLE, INANIMATE, INCAPACITATED* . A "decision" on our part to trust Christ for Savior is not a "work" or s/thing we "bring" to salvation any more than our "belief". I think you'd agree with *Acts **16:31* and also *Romans **4:24* where it says, " But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe..." The "deadness" we experience is like that of the prodigal son. What did the father say of his son when he returned, which was his *CHOICE* by the way..."for this my son was *DEAD* and is alive again", *Luke **15:24* Cheers!
Kman First we must understand human nature. Because of Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:11), sin entered the world and became part of human existence. Because Adam is the common ancestor of every human being, we all inherit that sin nature. We are born with a natural desire for rebellion, self-interest, and disobedience. In Romans 7:18, Paul says, “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” In ourselves, we cannot seek after God, for the simple reason that seeking God is a good and holy thing. Sinful flesh is incapable of good and holy things (Isaiah 64:6). Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them” (John 6:44). In other words, the only way we can seek God is if the Holy Spirit has first stirred our hearts with a desire for God. It is God who draws us to Himself. Ephesians 2:8 underscores this truth: “By grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.” Even the faith to believe for salvation does not originate within our fleshly nature. God enables the fallen human heart to seek Him, when in our own self-centered rebellion we would never do so. Every good thing originates with God (James 1:17). Faith in God is a good thing, and so it also originates with God.
Someone told me this: every week there is a football game and someone at the club predicts the outcome every week. After a view months they tell the predictor that they are not gonna play the game because he or she can just tell them the outcome. But he or she cant because there is no game that has been played!
no one comes to the son unless the father draw him. why BECAUSE NOONE CAN WILL THEMSELVES ALIVE> We are dead in our sins. DEAD DEAD DEAD a DEAD man can not choose GOD PERIOD... Does GOD pick and choose who the Elect are in the lambs book of life you better believe it. It is by Gods grace he picks and choose you for heaven bound if you believe. One can not come of their own free will to chose God. its Gods grace that we are saved. GOD DOESNT SAVE EVERYONE ONLY THE ONES THAT HIS GOOD PLEASURE SAYS SO. We are all hell bound every last one of us and it is solely by his grace that he chose you for salvation. Why did he pick me and not my mother i dont know im not GOD but i do know this and that is we all deserve hell and GOD decides whom he is going to bestow grace too. Esp 2 8 and 9 spells it out CRYSTAL CLEAR! for it is by GRACE you have been saved and that not of your free will but by GOD. PERIOD
Calvinism vs Arminianism seems mostly academic. Either way, God is gonna do what God is gonna do. All we can do is follow His commands by loving Him and loving each other with all we have.
When we are born we have something from our father and other things from the mother,than we go to school and the teacher tell us is opinion and the kid next to me and the television and the songs and my grand parents... As i became Christian,iread other books as i was in esoteric. (Free will is an illusion) GB
I always believe God's Sobering, no doubt about it. But not how Calvinist will look into it. He will give us free will because He please to do so! It's He's choice and will, nothing we have anything to do about it or to approved or desapproved. He's sobering!
I call it righteous indignation. Which is sometimes needed to battle evil and wickedness. The hippy pacifistic Christianity of the modern secular world clouds you.
@@vinnyv949 hahaha.....The most religious people I know are the kindest and happiest. They also are frustrated with what's happening to Christianity, but they don't come across as uncontrollably angry.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, NOT OF BLOOD nor of THE WILL OF THE FLESH nor of THE WILL OF MAN, but of God. When the Calvinist reads this passage he sees man’s responsibility in V12 and God’s sovereignty in V13. He then attempts to harmonize the conflict between man’s responsibility and God’s sovereignty by appealing to mystery. V12 speaks of us becoming sons of God and V12 tells us what DOESN'T save us. Not of blood - this refers to Jewish heritage. No-one is saved because they are born Jewish. Not of the will of flesh - we cannot save ourselves. Not of the will of man - this refers to man-made systems, ie, religion. Religion cannot save. We can only be saved when God saves us and He saves all those who receive Him. Hence, this passage does not support the view of God’s sovereignty in Salvation.
*Greg* You basically put for the same thing the pastor did in the video, but is so doing, it supports *BOTH* Verse 12 says that *HE* gave the power to even become His child. Some Calvinists I believe, believe in "prevenient grace" which is an enabling or preparing of the elect's heart to even receive truth. Be it as it may...one can argue for *EITHER* side and find much scripture to support his/her point of view. Cheers~~~:)
Is there free will in Heaven? If so, then why didn't a loving God start with that sort of a set up from the get go? And... If NO free will exists in heaven, then why not and why would we have free will here on earth to mess up our salvation? Hmmm?
The last words of scripture revealing God's glorious plan for mankind are recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, not the last verse of the unveiling . All things are subdued to become the King of Kings subjects , every knee has bowed and every tongue has sworn allegiance to Him Isaiah 45:23 and every tongue has declared that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Philippians 2:11 No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 12:3 God is sovereign and His purpose and will to save all men 1Timothy 2:4 can not be thwarted Job 42:2 The Almighty works all things according to the purpose of His will Ephesians 1:11 Whether or not man has free will (which he does not) has nothing to do with salvation from sin and sins penalty : God owns us firstly by right of creation and also He purchased us with His blood "You yourself are not your own for you were bought with a price " 1Corinthians 6:19-20 God made us from the dust and He owns the land/dust and His law declares the land can not be sold permanently Leviticus 25:23 Psalm 24:1 We can not be sold to sin permanently and as the owner of us God is responsible and liable for us. His law of liabilities compelled Him as our owner to buy the debt we owed to the law because of sin so He came in the flesh and freed our slavery to the law of sin and death so that we are now bond slaves to Himself who now owns our debt to the law as well as all that we are in His creation . There is no " tension " in scripture ; only in men's misinterpretation and mistranslation of it because God did not give them understanding yet An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth law of God also compels Him to set us free . God is so gracious ! " If a master puts out his servants eye he shall let them go free ' Exodus 21:26 " For He has shut their eyes so that they can not see .." Isaiah 44:18 Luke 8:10 etc The tooth law , same thing God's glorious law of Jubilee in the end sets all creation free Hallelujah but few know God's word and laws at present but God's glorious promise is that all will know Him from the greatest to the least because He will write His law on our hearts Hebrews 8:10 Deuteronomy 29 makes the same covenant with with all who were there present and all who were not there present which means everybody Hallelujah
All of this conviction and believe sounds eerily familiar... Yes, Zeus....this is how convicted the Ancient Greeks were when they spoke and wrote about their God(s).
He is correct, but his monologue may be dangerous for some because he leaves out critical information. Here it is: because of Adam's sin, every member of the human race possesses a will that is in bondage to sin (Romans 5:12). A will that is in bondage is not free! Every human being that has not received Christ is dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1). As a result, we need the Holy Spirit to revive us so that we can choose God (John 3:3-8, 1 Peter 1:3). We must be born again in order for our wills to be free to choose God. The troubling part about this pastor's answer is that he leaves open the idea that humans have power over their salvation because they have the power to choose God. Not so. Humans are powerless to choose God, which is why Jesus says in John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." In John 11, Lazarus was dead. This story is a metaphor of the salvation process. It was not Lazarus' cooperation with God that resulted in his resurrection. It was the word of Jesus (John 11:43) that raised Lazarus from the dead.
I’ve been in a religious family my whole life and up until a couple years I’ve never questioned it I saw religion as a beautiful thing but as I got older and saw many different things I’m not sure I can believe any more I’ve tried to have people explain it to me but they can’t and their logic always has flaws to me
Weak. The Spaghetti Monster also has unexplainable mysteries, but I do not choose it as my God. Let go of the Calvinism guys; for all practical purposes God has given us ability and holds us accountable for what we choose to do.
People choose their path and if that path leads to hell God is not evil in allowing them to choose that. He gives us Jesus as a way not to go to hell. You can choose to follow Jesus or not. You can choose heaven or hell. If you don’t choose God here on earth, why would u want to be with Him for all eternity ?
The problem with his Trinity analogy is that there is a consensus on the doctrine of the Trinity. Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and the vast majority of Protestants all affirm the Trinity. The Calvinist view on sovereignty is far from being a consensus view. It is a minority view within Protestantism. If you want to convince us that your view is right you need to do better than "that's what the Bible says!".
The answer is that both are true, but that we lack the ability to understand how. They back up this point by pointing to multiple places in scripture where God states, essentially back to back, that both are true.
I'm not sure why he bashes prayer in this video. How does he know God didn't hear a prayer and move in someone's life to save them for the prayer? That too is God's kindness.
so the answer is we don't know? i've been to alpha, ive done a few book steadies, and ive researched my self. but the more i look into Christianity the more problems i find. non definitive answers, contradictions, and acts that make god seem evil (old testament). so many people i love are christians, i just cant find good enough reason to believe.
My parents wanted a child so they had me : Their divine choice, not mine. They taught me how to do what was right and good for me to have a good and productive prosperous life. I choose whether I follow their instruction and receive the rewards of obedience or I can choose to rebel and disregard anything they instructed, and reap the consequences of my choice.
Yes because you weren’t created by an all knowing dictator that knows exactly what your going to do. Your comment explains exactly why free will can’t exist.
Ah. This video was relaxing.
I've been seeking the Lord for my Salvation. Please pray to the Lord to Save me by His Grace.
Place your faith in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross, and you will be saved.
God bless
Sorry Albin Siby can't help you mate, only God chooses, there's no amount of prayers that can change that. Your buddy; John C...😂🤣
I love these videos and you guys are keeping them under 10 minutes, which I love and you get to the point.
May the Lord bless you guys. Well spoken and a taught. This is maybe the best I have ever heard teach this topic. Not bad for 5 min.
I think of God as a generator and faith as a light switch.
Flipping the light switch while the power is off isn't going to do anything.
But when God intercedes and plugs the generator into the switch, we can turn on the lights.
It's God's sovereign will that we have free will. We are dead without him.
Good answer, if we know everything about God and His ways He will not be God at all, we are finite and He is infinite, that's why we believe and worship Him, stay safe Jesus loves you.
This is awesome
SekaybeastAJ Thanks. We're glad you found it helpful!
This is awesome. But the word "God" without a gender confuses me. That is why I use the word Jesus who is a Godly man.
@@audreydunham4600,
God has no gender because God is Spirit.... But the Scriptures portrays God as the
Father of Jesus and our Father therefore God is portrayed as male.....
This IS seriously the best explanation I've ever seen! I like his phrase, "I sleep like a Calvinist, but preach like an Arminianist." That sums it up so well.
To me it’s rather simple….God is fully sovereign but when he made man, He (God) chose to limit His sovereignty when He gave man the first spoken and written promises to distinguish Himself from all other god’s who man create who are “capricious”. Therefore God sovereignly created man with freewill to choose in receiving or rejecting His promises because it declares that “whatsoever a man soweth he shall also reap” good or bad. In this God does not violate His main attribute of Love over a fallen creation who is given the opportunity to redeem themselves to their creator.
Amazing explanation. God bless you.
Wonderful truths. I love it --- God receives ALL the GLORY and HE WILL NOT share HIS GLORY with another
Who can understand the mind God. Blessed be the name of the Lord. This is why God is always telling me, trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding. Praise Jesus I don't have to know everything but simply believe thank you very much God bless you!
I have been studying this topic for years and you are the first person I have heard that seems to get it. The truth is we have freewill and are responsible and at the exact same time it is God that calls and chooses us. We cannot understand the things of God but we can choose to repent and follow Jesus and as long as we do that in time all else will be revealed because it is repentance that leads us to a knowledge of the truth. The closer we draw to God the more God reveals Himself to us. It is a process of growing in Him.
This was awesome! Seemed very well balanced and informative. Good job!
This video is trying really hard to answer this question and I appreciate the time and energy that was spent doing so. There are problems here, though. First, comparing the mystery of the Trinity or the Hypostatic Union (Christ being 100% God and 100% man) is not the same as sovereignty and free will. Sovereignty is plainly declared in scripture. Free will is not plainly declared, but many will say it is based on inference. In other words, the commands to repent, believe, come, etc. is equated with the ability to do so. John 6:44 clearly tells us man is not able to come unless the Father draws them. And nowhere does the Bible declare that man's will is free, but it does declare that man (his whole being) is bound by sin and only Christ can set them free (John 8:34-36). And this sin nature is shown to be total in its depravity based on Romans 3:10-18, John 15:18-23, Ephesians 2:1-3, and 1 John 3:4), Many of these verses tell us sinful man doesn't understand God, doesn't seek God, doesn't fear God, that He hates God, and that he is dead in trespasses and sins. In fact, his very carnal mind is against God and nothing in the flesh we do can please God according to Romans 8:5-8. In other words, the will of man is based on his desires and man doesn't desire or seek after God. Yet we will take the commands of God to come, repent, believe, etc. to mean that mankind has the ability to do so because he is responsible. No, he is responsible because He breaks God's law in thought, word, and deed (again 1 John 3:4 and Romans 3:23 defines sin) though his conscience and creation tell him that God exists (Romans 1:18-23). Mankind is commanded to repent and believe because the just Judge and Lawgiver must tell wicked, wretched sinners to do so because they violate the law and nature of God. They can't do so in their own will because they won't. Unless God changes their heart, they will not repent and believe.
Even the Matthew 11:27-30 verses he alluded to (which I will preach a gospel message on next week) doesn't demonstrate God's sovereignty and man's free will. It demonstrates God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. He is responsible to come, but the verse never says he will come in his own free will. We infer this. The same with John 3:16. We know whosoever believes, but it never tells you how sinful man believes. It is by grace through faith, a gift from God according to Ephesians 2:8-9. And Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), therefore the faith is given by God. The bottom line, man's will is not free, but bound by his sin nature that dictates his decisions. And sinful man will always decide not to choose what he hates, which is God (again, John 15:18-23). He must be spiritually brought to life before he can respond, not unlike Lazarus was brought to life so that he could come when Christ called him from the tomb.
Well said
Hi Eric - where can I listen to your preaching on Matthew 11:27-30.
Regards
Hi, erna, I just want to disclose up front that my church sends different members to a homeless shelter in my home city of Rochester, NY to preach a gospel message or give a testimony at their Sunday night chapel service. I teach regularly at my home church but have welcomed the opportunity to actually give a gospel message from time to time, so I've signed up at least five times this year. Not every message I've preached is recorded and the messages are certainly not polished. I've recorded the last few messages myself to critique and evaluate my own preaching (which is quite raw and needs work), but I do have the Matthew 11:27-30 message on my RUclips page (I'm not computer savvy, but I managed to upload it). I would greatly appreciate and would be humbled if you listened and would give me any type of critique (something I missed or something I may have been incorrect on Biblically). I want to handle the Word of God rightly. This is the link: ruclips.net/video/gziwSY1IcFk/видео.html
Please comment after you listen; I truly welcome anything you have to post. God bless.
Eric Smith QANTAS
What if God created free will as a useful illusion to men? If God is sovereign and omnipotent ( all knowing ) and created the universe, and orchestrates our salvation by sending the spirit (for nobody can come to the father unless God sends his son Jesus), then we do not have any free will as it relates to our salvation. Furthermore how could we have any free will with respect to any other decision that we make? It could be the case that free will is just an illusion created by God.
Excellent I totally agree thank you
In Jeremiah 19:5 God says, "they have also built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I did NOT COMMAND or speak, nor did it come into My mind)" So, who do we believe, Jeff Durbin, RC Sproul, James White, John Piper or God Almighty and His Holy Word, the Bible? So, while God does predestine some things, this verse says clearly NOT everything. It's like a university predestining a football team but giving free will to players themselves to decide whether or not to come out for that team.
I just love your explanation.......God bless you both
Sovereignty and free will aren't really that difficult to explain... I'm always confused when I hear people say that it's some kind of a profound or inhuman mystery. Sovereignty is an expression of authority, and power is an expression of ability. For God to be sovereign just means he's in charge - authority doesn't have an effect on people's will - power might, but not authority. My being president doesn't mean no one will act contrary to my wishes - my authority doesn't change what people are able think, feel or decide. So maybe the question could be: "If God is all-knowing and all-powerful, then how can human will be free?" but I have yet to hear someone explain to me clearly and coherently how it is that God's authority as King and Lord somehow strains logic, or contradicts or confuses human volition...
CJ Michelli The President is not Sovereign over the people. We create govt and endow the president, as head of the Govt, with certain powers. But if you are a Christian you don't believe that man created God well that God gets his power from man. That analogy doesn't exactly work.
@@CWHankerson but the point remains: Calvinism redefines "sovereignty" to fit its theology.
free will Agrippa heard the gospel from Paul and he rejected it he said Paul you almost convinced me to be a Christian free will choose this day whom you will serve free will...
Psalm 73:28
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge
excellent - wanted to little dig what others say about this and the first and shortest vid exactly what I believe God is 100% sovereign and at the same time we have 100% free will - are 100% responsible - and there is more to it - the power of prayer - anyway digging little into this here in the videos I upload here on YT
The problem with this is God is also ALL KNOWING. He already knew what was going to happen before the foundation's of the world. So with knowing that, how do we have true free will? What He set in motion is going to happen.
THANK YOU! I know I come off as ecstatic because my first knowledge of Calvinism and Arminianism was observing a very violent debate, lol, so all I knew was there was reason to be concerned and involved. After looking in to it, I could not find one single piece of unbiased information and it actually began to make me worry about my salvation but upon watching this I see clearly now what this is all about. I've got a fully loaded life to live and worry about already so taking this off my plate is a God-send. Thank you 1,000 times over and God bless.
Sincerely,
Chase (The Calminian)
So good 🙏🏽
Boom!
I've never understood the need for this argument. We're saved by faith, right? Faith comes through hearing the message (Romans 10:17), which was shared with me by a young Christian fellow. After hearing the good news about what Jesus had done for me, I obviously had a choice to believe & repent, or just walk away. Read the caption on the screen at 3:02 , it literally says God wishes all to come to repentance. This is a choice that humans, who were created by God, must make. Grace is a gift from God, faith is not.
I needed this, I've been torn on this lately.
I've come to understand that God cannot be totally understood. He gives me the grace to live in the mystery of our Great and Loving Father.
Without Him there would be no opportunity, but it’s our responsibility to take advantage of it
This is for sure the question of the world. Good answer to boot I think
No matter what there is a serious problem with God's foreknowledge if you allow freewill.
Foreknowledge does not contradict free will. Knowledge of our free will choice isn't the same thing as a predetermination of said choice.
Tough man tough. I don't know if I should say Amen or O me:) For real....I've been struggling with this lately... I wished I had this pastor's faith is all I can say...
The reason sovereignty and free-will don't contradict is because sovereignty does not mean that God is determining every single action of everything, which is what Calvinism teaches which is why you hear calvinists say that we don't have free will. It's because their creeds consistently teach that God decrees (not allows) WHATSOEVER occurs.
If God know exactly what the outcome of our life will be before he even created us , how then could we have free will? Would we only have the illusion of free will? God would never have a , i didn't see that happening moment. Would love to get different views on the topic
We don't know the future ,..only calvinists seem to know the outcome ,..
Veleicema Johnson we don't, but God would. God would know what happened to us before he even created us. That would not be free will, in my opinion .
Mannie C
I see it as though you were watch a replay of sports event. You may have full knowledge of the outcome and every play if you've watched it enough. This doesn't mean that you had to have controlled any of their moves. They exercised their free will and you simply witnessed it.
Now when you watched the replay, it is true that the players were bound to do exactly what had been recorded and so in a sense the outcome was determined. It was determined by their own free will choices.
I do believe however that God does interfere with our free will at times. He accomplishes His will through hardening of hearts and raising kingdoms against others for judgement etc. But I believe he uses a wicked man for the day of evil and doesn't have us do anything outside of what our own wills would have allowed.
Mannie C that's bc there is no such thing as free will. Google L Ray Smith on the subject...volumes of info. Don't take my word for it look it up and read the passages.
The answer isn’t that difficult. Nonetheless being that your a Calvinist ingrained and taught error since you believed, hold your breath and pay attention. Jesus said, he didn’t know when the time of His coming was, only the Father. Matthew 13:32, When the disobedience of Adam from God in the garden of eden happened, when God arrived he said “Adam where you?” What this tells us, (since I am speaking to Calvinist) that GOD IN HIS SOVEREIGNTY CAN CHOSE NOT TO BE AWARE OF EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING. Not that He can’t, He can chose not to, PERIOD, ACCEPT IT THIS IS A FACT. This is why God said Adam, where are you? When God gave Adam dominion, (here comes another TULIP Correction) over the garden, God meant what he said, and said what he meant. If only Calvinist applied the same RULES to other words as they do to the word SOVEREIGNTY. a word that is not even used in scripture... gee if it was that IMPORTANT DONT YOU THINK GOD WOULD HAVE PUT IT IN WORD, MEANING LITERALLY. NO HE DID NOT. Dominion, means dominion, God GAVE Adam dominion AND STEPPED AWAY, GODS SOVEREIGNTY DECIDED THIS. YEAH FREE WILL WAS GIVEN TO ADAM, PERIOD.
Genesis 1:26-31 NKJV
[26] Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." [27] So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. [28] Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." [29] And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. [30] Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so. [31] Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
There you see, when Jesus is the Lord of your Life, and you believe, that GODS SOVEREIGNTY DECIDED THAT ALL MEN come to knowledge of Jesus Christ, knowledge of the TRUTH. TULIP IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE KING OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST...
1 Timothy 2:3-6 NKJV
[3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, [4] who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,
thank you so much!
God chose me to have Fellowship and to spend eternity with Him, it's up to me to choose Him and receive what He has to offer.
We are puppets but our strings are invisible. We in our human minds have "free will". We can do whatever we choose. BUT God is still the puppeteer and in control of our lives. I for one find JOY in knowing that it is ALL in God's hands!!!
When you say "all," do you mean your sin, too? Or just the good things? If your will is not under your control, how then is it free? Perhaps you and I are thinking of "free will" differently.
It is free will in our human minds....In other words I can type this right now because "I" want to. I have the freedom to do this, I don't feel restricted. BUT God is the one doing the driving ultimately. His plan is being fulfilled no matter what we do. The choices we make will be made by us will be made because He willed it
+Thomas Cleveland , you didn't answer CJ Michelli's question... Does God cause and dictate people's sin also?
Michael Hanchera I think I understand what you mean. First question, I have to ask you is are you a born again Christian?
Marcos Simian
Yes. And God sends people to hell because of their unrepentance of sin
If I have free will and I do something wrong that doesn't get me into heaven, I'd rather have no free will and make it to heaven
Well, you have free will. Enjoy it and praise God for his gift.
Daniel Randall Why not God create us happy to be controlled? That would be ethical, in my opinion- as we wouldn't have to "fight our evils" and such misery.
Refreshed Mind,
Of course, God could have done that. But he didn't. He made us in his own image. God is a free being, and thus we are also free in our choices. It is what makes us human. We are not slaves to our desires our drives like the animals. We transcend the mundane and the ordinary to ponder the transcendent, the beautiful and the sublime. Only through our free will can we appreciate and love our families and friends. Without free will, there is no love as love can't be coerced, nor can true happiness. If God created us as robots to be "happy", we wouldn't be, since true emotion requires freedom of expression. Moreover, free will is itself a product of supreme love, since it is a gift from God who is love.
It is true that evil originated due to free will, but it wasn't necessarily so; it could have been otherwise. Satan rebelled against God in hubris, arrogance, and greed. Adam and Eve were likewise created innocent but fell into sin due to their choice to disobey God. The fight of good vs evil has been raging ever since but it isn't an eternal battle. A Christian fights against sin and evil through prayer, good deeds, fasting etc, but knows that their sin is accounted for, and they are redeemed. Persevering and enduring in this world are tasks given by God to purify us and do his will as we become salt and light on the Earth. In the end, we know that Christ will establish his kingdom in its fullness, and creation will be renewed as evil is destroyed for good.
Whatever happens, God works all to his own glory and for the good of those who love him.
It would have been highly unethical if God had created us in his own image, but then taken away our freedom.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Well you can only make that decision or have that preference because you have free will...
Daniel Randall Wow. Detailed response, but I believe happiness is a mind-state, and like all others can be synthesized, as is love. We might not "notice" it without a contrast, but we would still feel the same. I just want a nice experience- like most everyone else- in which free will gives us the opportunity to avoid evil, whereas we could have no evil to avoid in the first place. Though, I am a determinist, I believe that you and I and everyone is one and the same of the world and universe we live in. Everything was created by occurrences, our political views, our thought process, and our religious beliefs. Me typing this right now is a consequence of everything that had happened before.
But I do not know what originally set everything in motion, there I leave absolute opportunity for a higher entity, or god.
I think myself and everyone too fallible to know the whole truth, so I will "go by" what sits well with me. That may change.
How can we pray for people to be influenced in a certain way, have it answered, and still say free will exists?
Even if someone is influenced in favor of one decision, they still may choose a different path (happens quite often - take parents and children, for instance). So influence doesn't really destroy the idea of free will.
You have a will but it's anything but free. , it's under the law of cause and effect. A mans heart devises his ways but the lord directive his steps, it's him in you that wills and does all his good pleasure
That's easy to answer. It was God sovereign will that we be assigned the responsibility of Choice. However it's not freewill at all. Choosing comes with consequences. Every choice we make has consequences, either positive or negative. It God's way of teaching us to make the right choices not only in everyday life but in those things that concern our spiritual life. So it's not freewill, it's responsibility of Choice. Let's call it what it really is.
Loving this show!
Because God loves us he gives us free will to love him back. Love doesn't force.
I don't know about humans but I think God does not have total free will...
1. You can choose to cease to exist by committing suicide (God forbid!)...but God can never cease to exist...come what may...
So, how can God be called free?
2. You can choose to leave the path of goodness and start doing bad deeds...God can never ever even wish to do bad deeds..
So how come God has total free will??
John 1:13- “not the will of man but of God”
I believe that God is the cause of the love for all those who love him by giving us the ability to love him. (John 12:32).
Anyone down for personal bible studies? 😇🙏📖✨🤗🙌🏼
He literally just answered the question in the first 45 seconds of this video. "We don't know." He admits that it's absurd. But you should believe it anyway....
Millions of idiots still believe the Big Bang but don’t know what happened
I love how you said you lean to calvinist but preach like Armenian.
To me thats showing love to all.
It's not out job to determine whos elected or not.
eXCELLENT ! God bless you guys.
Thanks! I’ve been struggling with this.
Great videos guys!
Have you considered the term "free agency"? Meaning we have the choice to do what we like... ie when the Spirit opens our eyes to the gospel, we choose to accept Christ freely.
It's wrapped up in what AA Hodge wrote on pg 339 (I think) of his "outlines of theology"
"The permanent affections of the soul govern the volitions, but the volitions cannot alter the affections"
Simply stated, if your child whom you love, is about to fall off a cliff, you do not have the free will to let them fall because your love for them will not let you. Think about any conscious decision you are to make and the outcome is always due to your affection, whether it's to do something you don't want to, but do it anyway to obey God or maybe choose something else you don't want to do because the consequences are worse than if you decide otherwise... all other decisions that come from what you WANT to do, are obviously because it's what you desire
Point is, your will is decided by your affections and the only reason any of us chose to love God, is because he "effectually" loved us first & that was our ONLY response
Just my 2 cents, I honestly love your quick videos, I just found them this eve & have been enjoying them
Keep it up👍
Is this what happens when you mix Bible with Calvinism? I think so if it’s a mystery.
I like this Guy … he said I sleep like a Calvinist and I preach Christ like an Arminian … this guy gets it …
Arminianism is Calvinism.
Provisionism is the opposite of Calvinism.
@@Th3BigBoy you know good and well that ain’t true …
@@Muzicboy3 I know that it is after looking into it.
@@Th3BigBoy bro don’t foo yoself … one makes salvation about them willing themselves to change while the other preaches the inability of man to do so apart from the Holy Spirit intervening first to allow them to do so .. opposite perspectives
Wonderful
Very helpful
Amen He chose us yet we have to say yes !!!!
*Isa 30:1 "Woe to the rebellious children," declares the LORD, "Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin;
How can God say I wish all men to be saved and receive eternal life "meaning he wishes people to come to salvation by their own choice" but then it also says he chose men to be saved in John 1:13 by God's will not our own. So if it's actually not our own doing that brings us to salvation then only God can choose who is to be saved. Confusing!
It can be brotha. But God reveals himself to us to come to Him and be saved. He does wish all men to be saved but we know that all won’t. I think lol. Like he said, we can’t wrap our minds around everything, especially mine
God is simply more free than we are. Faith is a gift(that no one may boast). God has the most freedom in being able to chose some, rather than all or none. And quoting 1 Timothy 2:4 that God desires all men to be saved could easily be speaking to all kinds of people as verse 2 indicates. OR Paul is saying God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked in another way. Because God COULD bestow Christ's sacrifice on all if he truly desires to above all else, as He is God. Whoever the Father gives to Christ will be saved.
Btw the Bible says God hates certain people, so to say its clear God loves every person is wrong in my opinion.
In consideration of your last statement for sake of argument, FWIW, IMHO, (insofar as hate is even a thing in the same sense that love is a thing) hate and love are not exclusive to one another. I can conceive of hating or feeling hatred towards someone for their actions and being desirous of justice being executed. I can likewise conceive of at the same time finding joy in and experiencing joy at the prospect of God having mercy on whom he will have mercy, including the aforementioned person. And I am just one of the pea-brained with mere creature-ly capacities (as opposed to Creator-ly capacities).
The John 1:13 verse, I looked up the surrounding verses, and I think this video might be taking it out of context:
(NIV) 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
Verse 11 describes humanity in general betraying the creator when he tried to seek them out. But in verse 12 it says that those who did receive him he gave the right to become children of God. So he gives the right based off of WHO WILL RECEIVE. Then it goes on to describe what a child of God is in 13 as not being "born" of natural decent, nor of human decision or husband's will, but of God. It doesn't describe how you become a child of God, but what a child of God is.
I could be wrong about the interpretation above, I'm no scholar, but that is what it seems to describe when I read it.
Anywho, all that is to say, you have to be careful with listening to Calvinist (or Calvinist-like, this video wasn't completely saturated) teaching. You have to really pay attention to the verses they are citing, the surrounding verses, and the Greek and Hebrew words as well. Most, if not all of the time, the verses that are cited are being used out of context to prove a point it wasn't written to prove. I disagree with most Calvinist teaching for that reason. However, I do agree that lots of other factors of God's Sovereignty are a complete mystery, and we just have to walk in faith and trust that God knows what he is doing. The nature of choice, along with God electing leaders, makes no sense to me sometimes. But as far as salvation goes, there is definitely choice involved. God won't program you to accept, all he does it make himself look as attractive as possible. Sometimes Christians (or people who claim to be Christians) act weird and mess the whole attractiveness-thing up (historical events such as the Salem Witch Trials and the Crusades), but in general God isn't the puppet master over who goes to Heaven and who doesn't.
I am very thankful that God provided a way for us to go to be with him forever though. Jesus paid the ultimate, brutal price to earn salvation for everyone who receives.
Isaac Callaway
Amen brother.
I look at those verses like this...
Being born of God, is being born again, which is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I can't choose to be born again. God chooses that. I can choose to repent and believe the gospel. He looks at the heart of man and chooses those who are sincere, to which He will give His Spirit to. He promised He would.
God bless
That dude is smart
This is a great explanation
Good stuff. Thank you
I don't mind tension, I don't need every question I have answered, I don't mind divine mysteries. As a matter of fact, I realize we need divine mysteries. If we knew everything about God, He would no longer be God. God is infinite, we are finite.
That being said, there simply is no tension or mystery between God's sovereignty and man's freewill. And yes, the Bible teaches both God's sovereignty and man's freewill. The problem though, is that Calvinists fundamentally misunderstand what God's sovereignty is and how His sovereignty governs the world and man. Divine sovereignty simply means the God is in complete control, it does not mean, though, that God has to be completely controlling of every decision that man makes.
The Bible DOES NOT teach TULIP! So there is no tension in scripture regarding God's sovereignty and man's freewill, because God's sovereignty is not described by Calvinism!
No scriptural quotations equals failed Biblical truth.
@@majesty774 You're referring to Muttley's comment? I would disagree, and one need not have to submit "scriptural quotes" to validate truth. What I just said there is logical and can be substantiated by the Word, but I digress.
*Gen **1:28* "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and *SUBDUE* it..." To "subdue" it would allow us to *CONTROL* things...call the shots, make choices. Further in *Gen **2:20* it says that Adam then *NAMED* the animals which entailed *FREE WILL* , "And Adam gave names..."
Well at the fall, Adam's free *WILL* was not taken from him...I see nothing in the bible to indicate that at all. When Calvinism suggests that because we are *DEAD* (Eph 2:1 and Col 2:13), that our *WILL* died, that's just not so...it's a separation from God. Total depravity does *NOT* mean total *INABILITY* . We're not brain dead nor *INCAPABLE, INANIMATE, INCAPACITATED* . A "decision" on our part to trust Christ for Savior is not a "work" or s/thing we "bring" to salvation any more than our "belief". I think you'd agree with *Acts **16:31* and also *Romans **4:24* where it says, " But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe..."
The "deadness" we experience is like that of the prodigal son. What did the father say of his son when he returned, which was his *CHOICE* by the way..."for this my son was *DEAD* and is alive again", *Luke **15:24*
Cheers!
Kman
First we must understand human nature. Because of Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:11), sin entered the world and became part of human existence. Because Adam is the common ancestor of every human being, we all inherit that sin nature. We are born with a natural desire for rebellion, self-interest, and disobedience. In Romans 7:18, Paul says, “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” In ourselves, we cannot seek after God, for the simple reason that seeking God is a good and holy thing. Sinful flesh is incapable of good and holy things (Isaiah 64:6).
Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them” (John 6:44). In other words, the only way we can seek God is if the Holy Spirit has first stirred our hearts with a desire for God. It is God who draws us to Himself. Ephesians 2:8 underscores this truth: “By grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.” Even the faith to believe for salvation does not originate within our fleshly nature. God enables the fallen human heart to seek Him, when in our own self-centered rebellion we would never do so. Every good thing originates with God (James 1:17). Faith in God is a good thing, and so it also originates with God.
"Why worship a God I can fully understand"
Uhh why would you worship a God you cannot understand?
Someone told me this: every week there is a football game and someone at the club predicts the outcome every week. After a view months they tell the predictor that they are not gonna play the game because he or she can just tell them the outcome. But he or she cant because there is no game that has been played!
no one comes to the son unless the father draw him. why BECAUSE NOONE CAN WILL THEMSELVES ALIVE> We are dead in our sins. DEAD DEAD DEAD a DEAD man can not choose GOD PERIOD... Does GOD pick and choose who the Elect are in the lambs book of life you better believe it. It is by Gods grace he picks and choose you for heaven bound if you believe. One can not come of their own free will to chose God. its Gods grace that we are saved. GOD DOESNT SAVE EVERYONE ONLY THE ONES THAT HIS GOOD PLEASURE SAYS SO. We are all hell bound every last one of us and it is solely by his grace that he chose you for salvation. Why did he pick me and not my mother i dont know im not GOD but i do know this and that is we all deserve hell and GOD decides whom he is going to bestow grace too. Esp 2 8 and 9 spells it out CRYSTAL CLEAR! for it is by GRACE you have been saved and that not of your free will but by GOD. PERIOD
Calvinism vs Arminianism seems mostly academic. Either way, God is gonna do what God is gonna do. All we can do is follow His commands by loving Him and loving each other with all we have.
I thought im the only one who says God is sovereign yet we have free will. Finally! Thanks Lord
When we are born we have something from our father and other things from the mother,than we go to school and the teacher tell us is opinion and the kid next to me and the television and the songs and my grand parents...
As i became Christian,iread other books as i was in esoteric.
(Free will is an illusion)
GB
I always believe God's Sobering, no doubt about it. But not how Calvinist will look into it. He will give us free will because He please to do so! It's He's choice and will, nothing we have anything to do about it or to approved or desapproved. He's sobering!
Very poignantly put!✊🏾🥺
God Is sovereign,but man is responsible!
This gentleman comes off as very angry, and is using religion as a form of power. Not the message of God I know
I call it righteous indignation. Which is sometimes needed to battle evil and wickedness. The hippy pacifistic Christianity of the modern secular world clouds you.
@@vinnyv949 hahaha.....The most religious people I know are the kindest and happiest. They also are frustrated with what's happening to Christianity, but they don't come across as uncontrollably angry.
I'm Glad finally i see sovereignty clearly+
Thanks! We're glad the video was helpful for you.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, NOT OF BLOOD nor of THE WILL OF THE FLESH nor of THE WILL OF MAN, but of God.
When the Calvinist reads this passage he sees man’s responsibility in V12 and God’s sovereignty in V13. He then attempts to harmonize the conflict between man’s responsibility and God’s sovereignty by appealing to mystery.
V12 speaks of us becoming sons of God and V12 tells us what DOESN'T save us.
Not of blood - this refers to Jewish heritage. No-one is saved because they are born Jewish.
Not of the will of flesh - we cannot save ourselves.
Not of the will of man - this refers to man-made systems, ie, religion. Religion cannot save.
We can only be saved when God saves us and He saves all those who receive Him.
Hence, this passage does not support the view of God’s sovereignty in Salvation.
*Greg* You basically put for the same thing the pastor did in the video, but is so doing, it supports *BOTH*
Verse 12 says that *HE* gave the power to even become His child. Some Calvinists I believe, believe in "prevenient grace" which is an enabling or preparing of the elect's heart to even receive truth. Be it as it may...one can argue for *EITHER* side and find much scripture to support his/her point of view. Cheers~~~:)
Notice when reading scripture no Calvinist nor Arminian dogma need be added...
Dude, that’s good!
Is there free will in Heaven? If so, then why didn't a loving God start with that sort of a set up from the get go? And... If NO free will exists in heaven, then why not and why would we have free will here on earth to mess up our salvation? Hmmm?
This was so clear
The last words of scripture revealing God's glorious plan for mankind are recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, not the last verse of the unveiling . All things are subdued to become the King of Kings subjects , every knee has bowed and every tongue has sworn allegiance to Him Isaiah 45:23 and every tongue has declared that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Philippians 2:11
No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 12:3
God is sovereign and His purpose and will to save all men 1Timothy 2:4 can not be thwarted Job 42:2 The Almighty works all things according to the purpose of His will Ephesians 1:11
Whether or not man has free will (which he does not) has nothing to do with salvation from sin and sins penalty : God owns us firstly by right of creation and also He purchased us with His blood "You yourself are not your own for you were bought with a price " 1Corinthians 6:19-20
God made us from the dust and He owns the land/dust and His law declares the land can not be sold permanently Leviticus 25:23 Psalm 24:1 We can not be sold to sin permanently and as the owner of us God is responsible and liable for us. His law of liabilities compelled Him as our owner to buy the debt we owed to the law because of sin so He came in the flesh and freed our slavery to the law of sin and death so that we are now bond slaves to Himself who now owns our debt to the law as well as all that we are in His creation .
There is no " tension " in scripture ; only in men's misinterpretation and mistranslation of it because God did not give them understanding yet
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth law of God also compels Him to set us free . God is so gracious ! " If a master puts out his servants eye he shall let them go free ' Exodus 21:26 " For He has shut their eyes so that they can not see .." Isaiah 44:18 Luke 8:10 etc The tooth law , same thing
God's glorious law of Jubilee in the end sets all creation free Hallelujah but few know God's word and laws at present but God's glorious promise is that all will know Him from the greatest to the least because He will write His law on our hearts Hebrews 8:10 Deuteronomy 29 makes the same covenant with with all who were there present and all who were not there present which means everybody Hallelujah
God ordained freewill within his parameters. not Calvinism.
All of this conviction and believe sounds eerily familiar...
Yes, Zeus....this is how convicted the Ancient Greeks were when they spoke and wrote about their God(s).
He is correct, but his monologue may be dangerous for some because he leaves out critical information. Here it is: because of Adam's sin, every member of the human race possesses a will that is in bondage to sin (Romans 5:12). A will that is in bondage is not free! Every human being that has not received Christ is dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1). As a result, we need the Holy Spirit to revive us so that we can choose God (John 3:3-8, 1 Peter 1:3). We must be born again in order for our wills to be free to choose God.
The troubling part about this pastor's answer is that he leaves open the idea that humans have power over their salvation because they have the power to choose God. Not so. Humans are powerless to choose God, which is why Jesus says in John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."
In John 11, Lazarus was dead. This story is a metaphor of the salvation process. It was not Lazarus' cooperation with God that resulted in his resurrection. It was the word of Jesus (John 11:43) that raised Lazarus from the dead.
GREAT TEACHING-LOVE IT !!! SO MUCH LIKE ROGER OLSON.
Thanks Lake! We're glad the video has been useful to you.
Hope to hear from you soon.Yay.
Wow so he preached instead of answering the question
I’ve been in a religious family my whole life and up until a couple years I’ve never questioned it I saw religion as a beautiful thing but as I got older and saw many different things I’m not sure I can believe any more I’ve tried to have people explain it to me but they can’t and their logic always has flaws to me
Sovereignty vs determinism pls?
Weak.
The Spaghetti Monster also has unexplainable mysteries, but I do not choose it as my God.
Let go of the Calvinism guys; for all practical purposes God has given us ability and holds us accountable for what we choose to do.
If "Calvinism" is so biblically sound - why not preach like a Calvinist and go to bed as a Calvinist?
He never answered the question like every Calvinist I listen to
If God controls everything then he controls who goes to hell. Which makes God evil.
People choose their path and if that path leads to hell God is not evil in allowing them to choose that. He gives us Jesus as a way not to go to hell. You can choose to follow Jesus or not. You can choose heaven or hell. If you don’t choose God here on earth, why would u want to be with Him for all eternity ?
The problem with his Trinity analogy is that there is a consensus on the doctrine of the Trinity. Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and the vast majority of Protestants all affirm the Trinity. The Calvinist view on sovereignty is far from being a consensus view. It is a minority view within Protestantism. If you want to convince us that your view is right you need to do better than "that's what the Bible says!".
It cracks me up when guys like you call your contradicting views as "tension."
TL;DW They don't answer the question. Say it's the mystery of divinity.
The answer is that both are true, but that we lack the ability to understand how. They back up this point by pointing to multiple places in scripture where God states, essentially back to back, that both are true.
He answered the original question with questions. That seems shifty to me and immediately causes distrust.
..... peganism.has invaded the judeo Christian church truly..
I'm not sure why he bashes prayer in this video. How does he know God didn't hear a prayer and move in someone's life to save them for the prayer? That too is God's kindness.
Good luck trying to explain this to Calvinists.
A joke. He said only God knows. God elect. And contradict it in revelation..🤣😆😅
so the answer is we don't know? i've been to alpha, ive done a few book steadies, and ive researched my self. but the more i look into Christianity the more problems i find. non definitive answers, contradictions, and acts that make god seem evil (old testament). so many people i love are christians, i just cant find good enough reason to believe.