I feel it prudent to summarize these posts to stimulate further discussion. I do understand we are on sacred ground here discussing the almighty free-will. I have heard it throughout particular circles that even God will not go against man's free will. With all the evidence of scripture I find it hard to believe that Christians would even believe that,
but they do. Enough of a rant though, here we go.
My first case is this, according to scripture the
unregenerate is incapable of pleasing God. (cf. Romans 8:7-8)
This automatically, as long as you hold to the inherency of scripture,
disqualifies the unregenerate of possessing free-will, based simply on the fact that the unregenerate is incapable of freely choosing to please God or subject itself to His laws.
The logical conclusion is the unregenerate does not possess free-will but has a limited capacity of choice.
My second case is one of consequence. The premise is this, if one was to truly possess free-will or even freedom of choice by definition, one must be able to make that choice free from consequence and influence.
Man in any perception is incapable doing as such thereby his choices are limited. T
he only entity capable of such a feat is God, thereby God is the only one to have free-will or freedom of choice in it's truest sense.
My third case is on the sovereignty of God. If it is true, which I believe it is and scripture supports my claim, that God is sovereign over human affairs and God does intervene in the affairs of humanity, then it stands to reason that
God can and does trump free-will. Thereby it stands to reason that
man does not have a free-will but rather a limited-will, regardless if the agent is regenerate or unregenerate. Man does not have freedom of choice but has a limited capacity of choice.
I will use scripture to illustrate my third case.
Proverbs 21:1
1 The king’s heart is
like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.
Here is a clear illustration that God rules over the heart of the king.
The king is not sovereign over his own heart rather God is. (he does not have freedom of choice) Can the king do whatever his heart desires? The answer is yes and no.
Yes if God allows, no if God does not. Why is this, because if God decides He does not want to let the king say take an Egyptian wife, God will change the king's heart in the matter. The king then by no means has free-will but is rather limited to God's will. In the case of Satan I think all Christians can agree we are glad this is true, not that God changes Satan's heart, but that God does restrain Satan.
Now lets look at what the prophet Jeremiah says.
Jeremiah 10:23
23 I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.
What does the prophet mean here? The way of a wicked man is directed by sin and the devil. The way of a righteous man is directed by the Lord. The prophet knows that man is not his own master for he is either mastered by Satan or the Lord. Man does not have freedom of choice for his choices are influenced by sin or righteousness. (cf. Romans 7:14-25)
Now this is the most interesting case that I am making. Humanity is conditioned to evil and is sold into bondage to sin. Romans 7:14 Genesis 6:5
No one seeks after God. Romans 3:11
So then God must initiate action against the so called "free-will" of the unregenerate in order for said unregenerate to decide to seek Him. Acts 16:14
So then this conclusion resolves as follows:
No one can come to God unless God overrides their evil will.
Every act of salvation is initiated by God Himself not by anyone's free choice.
Note to King J.
Absolute and total omniscience.
As for God being no respecter of persons, as with all scripture I agree. This is expounded later in Romans 9:10-16
10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived
twins by one man, our father Isaac;
11 for though
the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to
His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,
12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”
13 Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!
15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.