He does not condemn people for sinning. He condemns people for sinning wilfully with a rebellious attitude to what is Good. Hate what is evil Love what is Good. God has provided the atonement for our mistakes. When people reject that atonement they are saying "I have no mistakes to be forgiven for" therefore they demonstrate that they are calling evil good and calling what God has provided evil. People are not condemned for sinning but for rejecting the idea of sin and rejecting the forgiveness God has freely provided as a gift.
5) In the Old Testament when Pharaoh was told to let God's people go he at one point agreed and told them to go. Then the Bible says God hardened Pharaohs’ heart. How is that free will when God manipulates someone after they repented?
Have you read the story of Pharaoh? You said you attended a "Bible College in the early 80's." Did you read the bible there? What do they do in Bible colleges anyway? I have never been to one. I would have through they would study the bible. I am really amazed that you have not read the story of Pharaoh. Maybe in a Bible College they do not study the bible but study doctrines of men? Lets have a look at the story of Pharaoh and see what happened.NKJV translation.
Exodus 88Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, "Entreat the LORD that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD." 9And Moses said to Pharaoh, "Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only." 10So he said, "Tomorrow." And he said, "Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 11And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only." 12Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. 13So the LORD did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. 14They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.
15But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the LORD had said. Note it says that he (pharaoh) hardened his heart. Did you read this before Sky_rail? If you have then why did you ask your question. Hey i am not trying to denegrate or humiliate you. I am trying to make you ask yourself an important question.Lets go on and read more of the story.
Exodus 828So Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Intercede for me." 29Then Moses said, "Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the LORD, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD." 30So Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD. 31And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. 32But
Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go. Once again here we see pharaoh after being given a second chance hardened his heart again against the will of God. Pharaoh was in total rebellion against the will of God. So how genuine was Pharaoh's repentance Sky_rail? The scripture above states that Pharaoh Hardened his Own Heart Twice. Note, No hardening was done by God up until yhis point. I ask again Sky_rail, did you ever read the story of Pharaoh or did you simply take the word of a teacher of doctrine about what happened?Lets go on and read more. This is important.
Exodus 98 So the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. 9And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt." 10Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused boils that break out in sores on man and beast. 11And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.
12But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses. Now we see God deciding to keep pharaohs heart hard to complete the series of signs to leave no one in doubt that it was God himself who was freeing the Jews from Egypt. Pharaoh was already lost, God chose to use him for his greater plan. By pharaohs stiff-necked rebellion he made himself available to God to be used as a vessel of Gods wrath.Not only did God harden the heart of pharaoh but he has hardened the heart of other people who have repeatedly rebelled against His will. This will happen in the future also.
2 Thessalonians 28 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish,
because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11
And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Corinthians 4 The Light of Christ’s Gospel 1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for this opportunity to ask a few of the questions I have. I did not come here to cause contention or start flame wars. I am happy to just pose the questions to you in private.Thanks again.
I hope these words prompt you to ponder carefully just who you are getting your information from. All Praise The Ancient Of Days