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My perspective: Every person has that free will gifted by God. God did not design a world where people are slaves, nor does he enforce such slavery. Yes, there is totally that natural inclination for sinful/laziness, but each person has that choice. And God sends the Holy Spirit to minister to each person, and show them that His Truth, His wonders. And He offers each person the keys to a free mansion.
My perspective: Every person has that free will gifted by God. God did not design a world where people are slaves, nor does he enforce such slavery. Yes, there is totally that natural inclination for sinful/laziness, but each person has that choice. And God sends the Holy Spirit to minister to each person, and show them that His Truth, His wonders. And He offers each person the keys to a free mansion.
Interesting conjecture. Actually, all outside of Christ are slaves due to the fall of man and are enslaved to sin. We are then according to God decreeing the fall, decreeing sin, he has then decreed man to be in this bondage as the result of disobedience. Of course it was also decreed by God that the Son save man from this bondage, namely his people, Matthew 1:21. None then are free until the Son sets them free, John 8:32-36.
My perspective: Every person has that free will gifted by God. God did not design a world where people are slaves, nor does he enforce such slavery. Yes, there is totally that natural inclination for sinful/laziness, but each person has that choice. And God sends the Holy Spirit to minister to each person, and show them that His Truth, His wonders. And He offers each person the keys to a free mansion.
Again, just sharing perspective here, not trying to argue/convince you of anything:
I believe that God gives His gift to ALL individuals. Not just some, but ALL. God's love is just that immense. Yes, some do spit in His face, but that's not because God isn't loving them and handing them keys to a free mansion.
Thank you for the respect and politeness as well. It's a rare and precious commodity.
Sooooo...... you saved yourself out of your own goodness? God is so lucky you pitched in and helped him do what he always wanted but could not.
You are using the OT law which could not save to teach salvation by works for the self-righteous.
Nowhere in the text is it referring to gaining eternal salvation, nor is Joshua extending an "offer of the Gospel."
Am I? I simply quoted the verse. Why do you read things into it that I did not say? In any case has God ever changed? Has God ever been a respecter of persons? Has He ever offered more or less to one person than to another? It would appear that God made available greater things to people after the crucifixion and that day of Pentecost in Acts 2 than was available to those prior to that [OT included?]. So then would not God require less of them than He required of us to receive the same reward?
Essentially the same choices have been offered to us as to them: God or mammon. In the Garden of Eden God's Way was to leave the tree alone whereas they chose instead the way of mammon. Most people have been choosing the way of mammon without regard to OT or NT:
All outside of Christ chooses "the way of Mammon", if you will, yet, man is still not saved via decision. I see passages that show we are saved by grace through faith, and exactly zero verses that say we're saved via decision.
Everyone believes that it is faith which saves.
All of his are gladly saved once in Christ, although many kick against the goads. Faith is not inherent, not innate, but comes externally; Romans 10:17, and is the same power that raised Christ from the dead; Ephesians 1:19, which is how we come to believe. It is of no surprise that faith comes from the Creator's Word, where all things have come. So yes, it is God's gift; Romans 12:3.
Everyone agree with what you said thus far, and that is is God's glory that we are saved.
“Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;” (1 Timothy 1:9–10) (KJV 1900)
It's highly doubtful everyone agrees with what I've said, lol.
Does such a man also have the free will to *not* come to Him?
No man is free outside of Christ, in their will, or otherwise; John 8:36.
I am fully aware of the Calvinistic born-a-slave viewpoint.
No problem, but it is duly noted you have used zero Scripture in your conclusions. Nor have you addressed any offered that refute your position and present the biblical case.
