"To the Praise of the Glory of My 'Free' Will." ...? (2of3)

[RomansGalatians]

If man had power over his sinful choices, he wouldn't need a savior.

[RomansGalatians]

Christ tells us to "choose" to serve him. People should not believe that Calvinism tells people to NOT "choose" Christ, and wait passively. It just means that our salvation does not originate from our will power. We still have wills, and it's great to exercise them by taking action. Does such action save us? No. But your choices and actions express the change that God has wrought in your heart.

[HermitintheRain]

@leeti329 You will cry out to the Lord. As Romans 10 quotes, all who call upon me shall not be ashamed. If in spirit and truth, you find yourself calling out to the Lord for his mercy, you are only able to do so if the Holy Spirit is bringing you to that point. The prayer you pray at that point is as David said, I found in my heart a prayer to pray, because it is the Holy Spirit in that hour that fills your heart with it.

[buzzbbird]

Ezekiel 18:21-24 seems to argue contrary to this theme, especially when it talks about the unrighteous turning from unrighteousness and the righteous turning fron righteousness.

[curvalecce]

Surely the point of Ezekiel chapter 18 is the personal nature of judgement

[OctaneSquid]

leeti329,

I agree with LaneCh. The fact that you would call out to God for mercy is indicative of the Holy Spirit stirring up these desires in your heart. The unregenerate man despises God and would never do something so self-denying as asking God for forgiveness.

I just noticed this comment was put up 11 months ago! I hope your faith is it's strongest yet.

[blessedjohn]

No matter a mans "Christian" theology, if his heart is not pure and right with God through Christ, then all of his actions and videos are in vain and does not truly know the God of the Bible. All of your intellectual reasoning can trip you up and Satan can use your pride very easy. So would you declare someone who does not believe in calvinism a heretic worthy of hell??? Man does have a freewill no matter how bad you don't want to take responsibility for YOUR actions!

[WarrantedFaith]

You are certainly right in saying that getting too caught up in the intellect can blind a person of his need to simply be right with God. But how exactly are you suppose to know whether or not you are right with God if you don't study theology? You can't know you are right with God if you don't know what God's truth is.

[WarrantedFaith]

And the comment about responsibility ... where in the world did that idea come from? You're just making stuff up about another person. And was it not you who was just saying we need to be sure we're right with God?

[DEG1BZ]

Thank you. One more thing. Long ago when studying both sides of salvation security. I asked the lord which is true. I felt Him say "why have you forsaken me?" shocked I answered "Lord, How have I forsaken you.?" He answered,"You have doubted My Salvation!" Was that God's Mercy? "Lord I believe, Help my unbelief!" thx again.

[DEG1BZ]

I Thank you for sharing. I thought the Reformed church did not witness to people. I do believe only God can change the heart. I Also believe God's message has not changed "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand." No one can come to the Father unless the Father draws him. If I turn from my sin and call to Him to save me from my sin and iniquity "bent toward sin" and i believe He paid the price on calvery. How can I continue to do that very same sin? God forbid me! I need saving daily. Pray4me!

[LaneCh]

I will pray for you. I think these two videos will help you. Give it until about 3/4 of the way through and into the second video where he really gets into Calvinism and Evangelism:

watch?v=2vFxo3-XYKU

[LaneCh]

Of course. Paul wrote Romans 7 AFTER his conversion. I think you'll take great comfort in reading that and knowing that.

As far as that inner voice, I've struggled with that myself. The worst was when I was hanging out with people who basically considered themselves to be good people. It was easy for me to compromise. I had to leave that situation, and those thoughts eventually went away.

[LaneCh]

The things you've mentioned will not "trigger God to save you", but if you are contrite of heart, repenting of your sin, and trusting in Christ alone for salvation, that is proof that you have been regenerated. Calvinists aren't against asking God for mercy, but we are against thinking that God somehow is obligated to us if we are. Grace, not getting what our sin commands us to get, isn't something deserved.

Why are you leaning towards Hyper-Calvinism?

[talithakoumi]

I like this but I cant stand whatever translation they use. i heard someone mention free will once and got confused because everything i had read in the word pointed to slavery to sin and inclination towards being enslaved to the devil rather than God.

[DeadtosinalivetoGod]

Thank you for posting these up brother.

[LaneCh]

I'm glad to. It's one of the most misrepresented or misunderstood doctrines in Christendom. I saw this and thought it would help clear some of those. Take care.