Just before I wrote this comment I thought 'I will pick my nose"....but then I decided not to and wrote this comment
I exercised free will by not picking my nose
Just before I wrote this comment I thought 'I will pick my nose"....but then I decided not to and wrote this comment
I exercised free will by not picking my nose
Ezekiel 33 (10-07-2016), Quest (10-06-2016)
I suppose God telling someone to do something or not do it is somewhat different...and since that was he context of my statement, you just offered a moot argument....Originally Posted by FunFromOz
I picked.
Which proves we have a will and can make choices. However is your will totally "unconstrained"? I.E. you can make any choice under any circumstance.
Perhaps moot, but Jesus said in Matthew 5:48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect".
Can you do that?
I would assume most free will advocates recognise that the choices they make are subject to conditions.
At times I have broken the speed limit which was my choice but I also recognise I could pay the penalty
Been there done that and yes choices have results.
But can we chose not to sin?
Who is "we?" If you mean unbelievers, no. Paul makes it clear in Romans that we were slaves to sin and now we're slaves to righteousness. If you mean believers, we can choose to led by the Holy Spirit in which case we do not sin. We only sin when we fall back on our "old man."
Thanks Bookman. As you've indicated here believers and unbelievers are different. That's why we have to be careful with scripture, if God is saying something about believers we can't just attribute that same thing to unbelievers.
E.G because I can believe now as one who is righteous doesn't mean that I could have believed when I was unrighteous, a slave to sin.
Bookman (10-06-2016)
If that were true, then there would be zero consequences for sin regardless of if it's a believer or an unbeliever.Who is "we?" If you mean unbelievers, no. Paul makes it clear in Romans that we were slaves to sin and now we're slaves to righteousness. If you mean believers, we can choose to led by the Holy Spirit in which case we do not sin. We only sin when we fall back on our "old man."
Then, when someone told you or you otherwise heard salvation was available thru Jesus Christ... you would not have been able to choose to believe. All of us would have died and gone to hell if what you are saying is true.E.G because I can believe now as one who is righteous doesn't mean that I could have believed when I was unrighteous, a slave to sin.
Romans 6:11-16
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves (WHO does this??? - We do) to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof (WHO does this??? - We do).
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God (WHO does this??? - We do), as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (WHO does this??? - We do)
Interesting.. As I was reading, I thought about the current broughaha about some men *choosing* to be women.
the DNA doesn't change, so are they really?
Somethings we may WANT to choose, but can't.
(for example, I cannot choose to be 6' tall and blonde)
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