FREE WILL? Where do you read that? Is that biblical?
Tonight I will watch TV for awhile, go to bed at 10:00 PM and wake up at 7:00 AM in the morning. Fry two eggs, some bacon, toasts, and make a pot of coffee. After breakfast put on my golfing outfit and play golf, etc., etc., etc. Yes I have “free will.”
But in the things of God, especially “salvation” I have no free will. I am dead, that is “spiritually dead!” To understand this we must go back all the way to the creation of man;
When Adam was created not only was he given life, but that as long as he obeyed God, the potential to live forever was present, and that eternal life was possible through the spirit of Jesus.
Then came the test, and Adam who was a perfect being disobeyed God, I don't know the reason why anyone who had free will could disobey God but he did. The rest is history.
When Adam was thrown out from the Garden of Eden, God also took away from him the spirit of Jesus, thus Adam became subject to spiritual death. “The wages of sin is death.” The rest of humanity was infected with the sin of Adam and became subjected to “spiritual death.”
SALVATION AS SEEN IN THE RAISING OF LAZARUS
After telling Martha He is the resurrection and the life, Jesus arrives at the tomb of Lazarus and cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” Could Lazarus hear the command? No, he was physically dead! But Lazarus did come forth. What had to have happened? Jesus had to qualify him and reached into the tomb to give him life.
As Lazarus was physically dead so are we spiritually dead (impossible for us to understand spiritual things, unless given from above).
As Lazarus was physically deaf so are we spiritually deaf (our ears are dull in hearing the true Gospel).
As Lazarus was physically blind so are we spiritually blind (we cannot see the truths of the Bible).
As Lazarus was physically closed lip so are we spiritually dumb (we are incapable to speak spiritual things).
DID LAZARUS MAKE ANY KIND OF CONTRIBTION TOWARDS HIS RESURRECTION?
DID HE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACCEPT OR DENY JESUS FROM RAISING HIM UP? SO TOO, WE CANNOT MAKE ANY KIND OF CONTRITION TOWARDS OUR SALVATION, BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO CHOOSE! JESUS ALONE DID THE WORK TO SAVE US.
All the miracles performed by Jesus we read about in Scripture were not only to show He is God, but also to show through those miracles man's condition that he is a reprobate creature.
Tell me, what part in the raising of Lazarus did Lazarus make a contribution of? None... not one iota... Zilch!
If we do not understand and accept that we are spiritually dead, I'm afraid many of us will have a rude awakening on Judgment Day.
To God Be The Glory