Where does scripture ever say that mankind does not have a free will ability to choose?
Dear JBO,
You asked:
Where does scripture ever say that mankind does not have a free will ability to choose?
I quoted some of the verses to you - you simply do not believe them.
Prov 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
Prov 20:24 Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
Prov 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
Jer 10:23 I know, Jehovah, that the way of man is not his own; it is not in a man that walketh to direct his steps.
Closely read what Isaiah said below:
Isa 44:18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
When Christ came in the flesh, Christ shut the Nation of Israel's eyes and heart so that they could not understand who He actually was.
They did not have a free will to decide for themselves. The answer from their tongue to reject Christ came from the Lord and not from themselves.
When a person is saved, they are saved not because they made a free will decision to accept Christ. They are saved solely because Christ came to them (without their asking and without their permission) and gave them the
Early Rain of the Spirit. With the Spirit, the person will have a "measure of faith" and will confess that Jesus is "Lord".
1Cor 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.
Without the Spirit, a person will only reject Christ:
Rom 3:10 As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
1Cor 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (the Spirit is required as 1Cor 12:3 says).
If Christ doesn't freely give a person the Spirit (without their asking or permission), they would NEVER have any faith or call Jesus "Lord". But because of Christ's Grace, Christ will come to all mankind someday. In this age, Christ is only coming to those who have been chosen from the foundation of the world (the Elect). When Christ comes to them, He will freely give them
both the Early and Latter Rains of the Spirit. With the Spirit, they will be converted and saved.
A person's salvation happens not because it was their "will" for it to happen, but because it was God's "will" for it to happen:
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
In this same way, Christ will come to all mankind someday (at a time of His choosing) and freely give them the gift of salvation, too.
1Tim 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; 4 who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Mankind contributes nothing to their salvation. It is truly a free gift from God:
Rom 5:15 But shall not the act of favour be as the offence? For if by the offence of one the many have died, much rather has the grace of God, and the free gift in grace, which is by the one man Jesus Christ, abounded unto the many.
The gospel you are following requires certain "works" from a person in order for them to be saved. Your gospel mixes man's works with faith. When a person does this mixing, they are trying to follow two masters (Satan & Christ).
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Satan is the crooked serpent because he teaches a
salvation by man's works. Man's works is what the Old Covenant of Law is founded upon and why it is called the crooked way.
Lam 3:9 He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stone (man's works), he hath made my paths crooked.
Because the Old Covenant of Law is the crooked way, Moses raised up a
serpent in the wilderness. When a dying person would look upon that serpent, it would give the person a temporary salvation as provided by the Old Covenant of Law.
However, the Old Covenant of Law could not change a person from within (spiritually) so as to make them "perfect".
Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Because the Old Covenant of Law was lacking, Christ came to institute a New Covenant with mankind. Under the New Covenant,
Christ does 100% of the works needed to save a person. And He does His works solely because of His grace. Mankind contributes nothing toward their salvation.
When Christ is ready to begin saving a person, He will come to them and give them the Early Rain of the Spirit. With the Spirit, they will then have a measure of faith and will accept Jesus as Lord. They can make no other decision (no free will to decide differently). When Christ is ready to convert a believer, He will "come again" to them and pour out the Latter Rain of the Spirit. The Latter Rain of the Spirit is the Baptism of the Spirit and is what the physical act of water baptism foreshadows.
Paul's conversion is presented in great detail in Acts chapter 9 because it teaches the pathway to salvation that Christ causes all the Elect to travel. Paul had no intention of ever accepting Jesus as Lord as He travelled the road to Damascus. But when Christ came to him and gave him the Early Rain of the Spirit, Paul immediately fell to his knees and called Jesus "Lord". Then, later in Damascus, Christ came to Paul a
second time and gave Paul the Latter Rain of the Spirit. With the "Spirit of Truth" (John 16:13), the scales fell off Paul's eyes and Paul was able to "see" Christ (Word of God) for the first time.
What I have explained above is how Christ saves the Elect in this age. Mankind's falsely claimed "free will" ability to choose never plays into it. The Elect are saved solely because it was Christ's "will" to save them. To accomplish their salvation, He does all the work to make it happen. This is why the Elect have nothing from which they can boast about concerning their salvation.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
If a person does not understand this foundation of the Gospel of Christ, they will not be able to build upon it (line upon line, precept upon precept, Isa 28:9-12). It is for that reason, I won't respond to your other comments - they would only fall on deaf ears.
Joe
