Yes, God gives us free will to choose Christ........"BELIEVE".
But our conversation, is not about that.....as what im pointing out is that you say that a person has to come to The Cross, to be saved, ONLY AFTER agreeing to commit to the Christian Lifestyle FIRST.....= as a large part of the Reason that God will accept them..to begin with.
If you are not teaching that < that , then step right up and clearly explain ...
I'll step right up and explain that I think you're constantly harping on something that I'm not saying, and probably something we would agree on. It seems you're constantly arguing that we do not save ourselves? If so, I completely and 100% agree with that.
1) God loved us before we loved Him.
2) God reached out with His Salvation before we reached out to Him. It is by *His revelation* that we are able to respond and be saved.
3) Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection is the work that atones for our sin and saves us. There is nothing that sinful Man can do to get saved apart from our appeal to Christ's work of atonement.
4) Human works have no value with respect to attaining to Eternal Life except the work in which we choose to respond to Christ's offer of Salvation through his atonement and through our choice to live a life dependent on God. This means that all men are able to do good works. But no works achieve Eternal Life or Salvation unless they begin with a choice to follow Christ and to adapt to a life in partnership with Christ, the "branches being connected to the vine."
You seem to eliminate human volition or human will in the matter of our choice to be saved? If not, please explain in the context of our discussion?
I will just add this for clarity. You accept human volition or free will. At least, you do so in the matter of the "choice to believe." We both agree this is a "human work?"
So I would go farther and say that when we choose to believe in Christ we are simultaneously choosing to *follow Christ.* That is, we choose to follow what he represents, as well--his righteousness and the basis of his atonement for our sins. We agree to live in partnership with God, dependent upon the Holy Spirit for our virtue, obedience, and spirituality.
We are not constantly being told what to do in life, what time to get up in the morning, what job to do, who to marry. God does guide us in these decisions, and sometimes even tells us specifically what to do. But many decisions we make in life are choices God gives us to make, in consultation with Him. He wants us to be responsible, and not slaves. He wants to see if we're willing to lean on His wisdom, and to obey Him when He specifically wants something from us.
Over all, we know that everything we do must be done in His love. So whatever freedom He gives us to do, we must ensure that love is part of it. Otherwise, there are things God may specifically tell us to do, but many things He leaves to our judgment, to see if we depend upon His wisdom and guidance in all things.
I think we're having problems because you're arguing one side of the coin, and I'm arguing the other? Or, is it that you limit human freedom only to the choice to believe, and think that human will has nothing to do with choosing for righteousness? In other words, do you reject the operation of human will in doing good works entirely, including works done in partnership with Christ?