Free Will

Comment–

Is Free will a delusion inherent in natural man resulting from the lie offered by the Serpent in The Garden of Eden? Is the believer in free will still unregenerate believing in a God of his own creation?

The Serpent said “You will be like God”, knowing good and evil, alluding to the belief Eve would have some sort of control; but it was a lie. Man experienced good prior to the fall while covered and in the protection of God but became evil by nature after the fall in the Garden of Eden after being subjected to outside influences

In this sense, he knew good but now knows evil because he became evil by nature through spiritual death; but this wasn’t the lie offered by the Serpent.

The Serpent was alluding to freedom through the lie that Eve could become like God, knowing, alluding to freedom to choose. No such freedom exists unless you can show me one person that has never lied except the eternal God made flesh.

God says no flesh will be justified through seeking to establish your own righteousness through law keeping . In other words, no one can generate a perfect righteousness to please God in order to dwell with him; but he must be imputed with Christ’s righteousness at the time of God given faith in the Gospel of Christ

God said “Dying you shall die” That is exactly what happened. Man became a liar by nature and spiritually dead with eventual physical death; with no way to please God. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through the work and person of Jesus Christ, the eternal God became flesh.

Man is dependent on God; not God on man. Believing in a god that is dependent on man’s free will is a false god and not the biblical God. If God was dependent on man, could God get frustrated by the free will of man? Yes . Doesn’t the Bible say God does all that he desires? Psalm 115:3, Job 23:13, Isaiah 46:10 If he desired to save everyone, he would save every single individual; since he does all that he desires.

The Sovereign Lord overall his creation is the true God and The Sovereign God that became flesh died John 1:14, John 10:11, 15, 26, 27, 28 29 only for the sins of the ones The Father gave him and chose unconditionally from before the foundation of the world.

Why would God die and pay for the sins of everyone and still punish some of them for their sins and send them to hell? Why would he pay for the sins of those that he knew he wasn’t saving? In that case, The cross didn’t really make the difference between heaven and hell and it wasn’t true when Jesus said on the cross “It is finished” or paid in full. John 19:30

There would have been more work from some other place, if it wasn’t finished. Plus, there would have been no guarantee anyone would be saved if it was just an offer to natural man who can’t come to God effectually unless it is granted to him by the Father and He is drawn by the Spirit. John 6:44, John 6:65, John 6:37-44

Free will would give the glory of salvation to man instead of God and would identify some merit in certain people but God said he will not share his glory with any idol or anyone. Jonah 2:9 says Salvation is of the Lord Isaiah 42:8, Ephesians 2:8-10, John 3:27

The Bible says Jesus Christ died on behalf of his sheep, his Assembly. The Assembly of Believers that he would build and the gates of hades would not be victorious over. Matthew 16:18

He said he would save all that the father gives him. So, it is apparent he only paid for the sins of his people given to him by the Father.

He told the Pharisees that they didn’t believe because they weren’t his sheep. (John 10:26)

He did not say you aren’t my sheep because you don’t believe.

He makes vessels fitted out for destruction to display His wrath and to make his power known and endured with them in much long suffering in order that He make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy before prepared for glory. Romans 9:21-24

The Potter has the authority over the clay, out of the same lump, to make one vessel to honor, and to make one to dishonor? There isn’t any freedom from God in the creatures that God created since he is omniscient and knows exactly what he has created according to his purpose and the counsel of His will. If God wasn’t in control of all things then he couldn’t keep any of his promises.

The creature is responsible because God is Sovereign not because he has free will.

Dying as a substitute for his people and imputing his righteousness to his people he represented shows him to be a just God and a savior effectually providing an atonement for his people Matthew 1:21, Romans 4:3-8, Romans 3:10-27, Romans 1:16-17, John 10, Isaiah 45:24, Luke 19:10, John 6:37-44, Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 8:28-31

The following verses demonstrate God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent and creator of all things. He created all things, causes all things, is in control of all things and decreed all things that come to pass to demonstrate his attributes, wrath, power, justice, love and mercy all to his honor and glory Revelation 4:11

Deuteronomy 32:39

39 ¶ See now that I, I am He, and there is no other God with Me. I kill, and I keep alive. I wound and I heal, and there is no deliverer from My hand.

1 Samuel 2:6-8

Jehovah causes to die and keeps alive; He brings down to Sheol, and He brings up.

7 Jehovah brings out, and He gives wealth; He brings low; yea, He lifts up.

8 He raises the poor one from the dust; He lifts up the needy one from the dung- hill, to cause them to sit with nobles; yea, He causes them to inherit a throne of honor; for to Jehovah are the pillars of the earth; and He sets the habitable world on them.

Job 12:14-25

Behold, He breaks down, and no one builds; He shuts against a man, and no one opens.

15 Behold, He holds back the waters, and they dry up; and He sends them out, and they overflow the earth.

16 With Him is strength and sound wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are His.

17 He causes counselors to go barefoot; and He makes judges to be boastful.

18 He loosens the bonds of kings, and He binds their loins with a girdle;

19 making priests walk away barefoot; and He overthrows the ever-enduring ones;

20 turning aside the lip of the trusted men; and He takes away the reason of the aged,

21 pouring scorn on nobles, and He loosens the girdle of the strong;

22 revealing deep things out of darkness; and He brings the shadow of death to light.

23 He gives greatness to the nations, and He destroys them; spreading out the nations, and He leads them out;

24 turning away the heart of the heads of the people of the land; and He causes them to wander in a waste in which is no path.

25 They grope in the dark, and there is no light; and He makes them stagger like a drunkard.

Job 23:13-14

¶But he (is)in one (mind),and who can turn Him? Yea, His soul desires, and He does it.

14 For He fulfilled my lot, and many like these are with Him.

Psalm 115:3

But our God is in Heaven; He has done all that He has pleased.

Psalm 135:5-7

For I know that Jehovah is great, and our Lord is above all gods.

6 Every thing which Jehovah was pleased to do, He did, in the heavens and in the earth, and in the seas and all deep places.

7 He causes the vapors to rise from the end of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His storehouses;

Proverbs 16:33

¶ The lot is cast into the bosom, but all the ordering of it is from Jehovah.

Proverbs 21:1

As streams of waters, the king’s heart is in the hand of Jehovah; He extends it wherever He desires.

Isaiah 40:21-26

Have you not known? Have you not heard? Was it not told to you from the beginning? Did you not discern from the foundations of the earth?

22 He abiding over the circle of the earth sees and ones living in it are like grasshop- pers; He who stretches the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in;

23 who gives potentates into nothing. He makes judges of the earth as nothing.

24 Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they are not sown; yea, their stem is not taking root in the earth. And He also blows on them, and they shall wither, and the tempest shall lift them up like stubble.

25 To whom then will you liken Me, or am I to be equated, says the Holy One?

26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who has created these? Who brings out their host by number? By greatness of vigor, and mighty of power, He calls them all by names; not one is lacking.

Isaiah 42:9

Behold, the former things have come to pass, and I reveal new things before they spring forth, I cause you to hear.

Isaiah 45:5-7

I am Jehovah, and there is not one besides; there is not one except Me. I will clothe you, though you do not know Me,

6 that they may know from the rising of the sun, and to its going down, that not one is God, except Me; I am Jehovah, and no one besides Me,

7 forming light, and creating darkness; making peace, and creating evil. I, Jehovah, do all thse things.

Isaiah 46:9-11

9 Remember former things from forever, for I am God, and there is not any God besides, even not one like Me,

10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from the past those things which have not been done, saying, My counsel shall rise; and, I will do all My desire;

11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My counsel from a far off land. Yes, I have spoken; yea, I will bring it; I have formed; yea, I will do it.

Jeremiah 18:6

O house of Israel, am I not able to do to you as this potter? a statement of Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

Lamentations 3:37

37 ¶ Who is this who speaks, and it occurs, though the Lord does not command it?

Ezekiel 17:24

And all the trees of the field shall know that I, Jehovah, have brought down the high tree. and have exalted the low tree, and have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree flourish. I, Jehovah, have spoken and acted

Matthew 13:10-15

And coming near, the disciples said to Him, Why do You speak to them in parables?

11 And answering, He said to them, To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to those.

12 For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have overabundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

13 Because of this, I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

14 And the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled on them, which says, “In hearing you will hear and not understand, not ever; and seeing you will see yet not perceive, not ever.

15 For the heart of this people has grown fat, and they heard heavily with the ears, and they have closed their eyes, that they not see with the eyes, or hear with the ears.

John 5:21

For even as the Father raises the dead, and makes alive, so also the Son makes alive whom He wills.

John 6:37

All who the Father gives to Me shall come to Me, and the one coming to Me I will not cast out, not ever,

John 6:65

And He said, Because of this, I have told you that no one is able to come to Me if it is not given to him from My Father.

Acts 13:48

And hearing, the nations rejoiced and glorified the Word of the Lord. And as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

Romans 8:28-30

But we know that to the ones loving God all things work together for good, to the ones being called out ones according to purpose;

29 ¶ because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First- begotten among many brothers.

30 But whom He predestinated, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Romans 9:11-24

11 for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of the One calling,

12 it was said to her, “The greater shall serve the lesser”; Gen. 25:23

13 even as it has been written, “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.” Mal. 1:2, 3

14 ¶ What then shall we say? Is there not unrighteousness with God? Let it not be!

15 For He said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will pity whomever I pity.” Ex. 33:19

16 So, then, it is not of the one willing, nor of the one running, but of the One having mercy, of God.

17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very thing I raised you up, so that I might show forth My power in you, and so that My name might be publicized in all the earth.” Ex. 9:16

18 So, then, to whom He wills, He shows mercy; but to whom He wills, He hardens.

19 You will then say to me, Why does He yet find fault? For who has resisted His will?

20 Nay, rather, O man, who are you, the one answering back to God? Shall the thing formed say to the One forming it, Why did You make me like this? Isa. 29:16

21 Or does not the potter have authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make one vessel to honor, and one to dishonor? Jeremiah 18:6

22 But if God, desiring to display wrath, and to make His power known, endured in much long-suffering vessels of wrath having been fitted out for destruction,

23 and that He make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy which He before prepared for glory,

24 whom He also called, not only us, of Jews, but also out of nations.

Ephesians 1:3-6

¶ Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms with Christ,

4 even as He elected us in Him before the foundation of the world, for us to be holy and without blemish before Him in love,

5 to Himself predestinating us to adoption through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of His will,

6 to the praise of the glory of His grace in which He has favored us in the One being loved,

Ephesians 1:11

in whom we also were chosen to an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of the One working all things according to the counsel of His own will,

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

¶ But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, having been loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth,

14 to which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:9

the One having saved us and having called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace given to us in Christ Jesus before eternal times,

1 Peter 2:7-8

7 Therefore to you, the ones believing, belongs the preciousness. But to disobey- ing ones, He is the “Stone which the ones building rejected; this One became the Head of the Corner,” Psa. 118:22

8 and “a Stone-of-stumbling, and a Rock- of-offense” to the ones stumbling, being disobedient to the Word, to which they were also appointed. Isa. 8:14

Isaiah 64:6-7

6 ¶ But we are all as the unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as a men- struation cloth. And we all fade as a leaf, and like the wind our iniquities lift us up.

7 And there is not one who calls on Your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us, and have melted us away into the hand of our iniquities.

John 6:44

No one is able to come to Me if not the Father, the One having sent Me, draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.

Romans 3:9-12

What then? Do we excel? Not at all! For we before have charged both Jews and Greeks all to be under sin;

10 according as it is written, “There is not a righteous one, not even one!”

11 “There is not one understanding, there is not one seeking God.”

12 All turned aside; together they became worthless, not one is doing goodness, not so much as one!” LXX-Psa. 13:1-3

Roman 8:5-8

For the ones being according to flesh are mindful of the things of the flesh. And the ones according to Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace.

7 Therefore the mind of the flesh is enmity towards God; for it is not being subject to the law of God, for neither can it be.

8 And the ones being in the flesh are not able to please God.

1 Corinthians 2:14

But a natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know them, because they are spiritually discerned

John 3:3-8

Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, If one is not generated from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus said to Him, How is a man able to be generated, being old? He is not able to enter into his mother’s womb a sec- ond time and be generated.

5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, If one is not generated out of water and Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God.

Comment

The natural man must be presented with the Gospel of Christ (Water) and be generated with a new heart and spirit unto belief of the Gospel to enter into the kingdom of God

6 The thing having been generated out of the flesh is flesh, and that having been generated out of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Do not wonder because I said to you, You must be generated from above.

8 The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice; but you do not know from where He comes, and where He goes; so is everyone having been generated from the Spirit.

John 10:27-29

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

Comment

His people generated from above or God with a new spirit and heart; hear his voice and they follow him out of love for receiving his substitutionary work and imputed perfect righteousness

28 And I give eternal life to them, and they shall not perish to the age, not ever! And not anyone shall snatch them out of My hand.

29 My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

21 But He confirming us and anointing us together with you in Christ is God,

22 even He having sealed us, and having given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Ephesians 1:13-14

13 in whom also you, hearing the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also believing you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

14 who is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of the purchased pos- session, to the praise of His glory.

Philippians 1:6

being persuaded of this very thing, that the One having begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1:21

21 And she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.

Matthew 20:28

Even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

John 10:11

11 I am the Good Shepherd! The Good Shepherd lays down His life on behalf of the sheep.

John 10:15

15 Even as the Father knows Me, I also know the Father; and I lay down My life on behalf of the sheep.

John 10:26-28

26 But you do not believe, for you are not of My sheep, even as I said to you.

27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

28 And I give eternal life to them, and they shall not perish to the age, not ever! And not anyone shall snatch them out of My hand.

Acts 20:28

28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit placed you as overseers, to shepherd the assembly of God which He purchased through His own blood.

1 Corinthians 15:3

For I gave over to you among the first things what I also received, that Christ died in behalf of our sins, according to the Scriptures,

Ephesians 5:25

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Assembly and gave Himself up on her behalf,

Hebrews 2:17

For which reason He is obligated in all things to become like (His)brothers, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the things respecting God, in order to propitiate for the sins of (His)people. For in what He has suffered, being tried, He is able to help those being tried.

Romans 1:16-17

¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is (the) power of God to salvation to every (one)believing, both to Jew first, and to Greek;

17 for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; even as it is written, “But the just one shall live by faith.” Hab. 2:4

Romans 10:3

3 For not knowing the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God.

Mark 16:16

The one believing and being baptized will be saved; but the one not believing will be condemned.

Comment

The one not believing is unregenerate

2 John 9

Everyone transgressing and not abiding in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. The one abiding in the doctrine of Christ, this one has the Father and the Son.

Galatians 1:6-9

I wonder that you are so quickly turning away from the One having called you in the grace of Christ to another gospel,

7 which is not another of the same kind; if not there are some troubling you, even de- termined to pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we,or an angel out of Heaven, should preach a gospel to you beside the gospel we preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, and now I say again, If anyone preaches a gospel beside what you received, let him be accursed

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Do not be unequally yoked with faithless ones. For what partnership does right teousness have with lawlessness? And what fellowship does light have with darkness?

15 And what agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what part does a believing one have with a faithless one?

16 And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God, even as God said, “I will” dwell in them and “walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Lev. 26:12; Ezek. 37:27

17 Because of this, “come out from among them” “and be separated,” says the Lord, “and do not touch the unclean thing,” and I will receive you. Isa. 52:11

18“And I will be a Father to you,and you will be sons” and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty. 2 Sam. 7:8, 14; Isa. 43:6

Ephesians 5:11

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them.

2 Timothy 3:1-7

¶ But know this, that in the last days grievous times will be upon us.

2 For men will be lovers of themselves, money-lovers, braggarts, arrogant, blas- phemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 without natural affections, unyielding, slanderers, without self-control, savage, haters of good,

4 betrayers, reckless, being puffed up, lov- ers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it; even turn away from these.

6 For of these are those creeping into houses and leading silly women captive, the ones having been heaped with sins, being led away by various lusts,

7 always learning, but never being able to come to a full knowledge of the truth.

2 John 9-11

9 Everyone transgressing and not abiding in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. The one abiding in the doctrine of Christ, this one has the Father and the Son.

10 ¶ If anyone comes to you and does not bear this doctrine, do not receive him into the house, and do not speak a greeting to him.

11 For the one speaking a greeting shares in his evil works.

Comment

The one that calls a person a brother in the Lord (greeting) that believes in a false gospel is participating in their evil deeds; and is unregenerate because he is following or agreeing with a stranger and is not abiding in the doctrine of Christ

Jude 3

Beloved ones, making all diligence to write to you about the common salvation, I had need to write to you to exhort you to contend earnestly for the faith once given over to the saints.

All verses taken from KJ3 Literal Translation

Jay P. Green

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