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To: Mr Rogers

I would agree with this.

Our response is in response to HIS calling us.

A big question is... can we, on our own, decide to reject God? I would say No. God gave them over to their sins (Romans 1). Again it was God acting.

I look at it like this: A natural man (one still in his sin nature) can choose, if you will, two actions in every circumstance; he can choose to sin, or he can choose to not sin. Those are his only choices.
A regenerated man, however, has three choices in any given circumstance; he can choose to sin, he can choose to not sin, or he can choose to glorify God.

It goes something like this: instance 1. Natural man - I am either going to punch you in the nose, or I am not.
Regenerated man: I am either going to punch you in the nose, not punch you in the nose, or I am going to tell you why Jesus would rather I not punch you in the nose.

In short, unregenerated (natural) man cannot choose to please God. He does not have the free will to do so. It takes an act of God.

I hope this makes sense. Oh, and by the way, I love the give and take without the namecalling some tend to do. Thank you very much.


86 posted on 08/27/2011 6:42:08 PM PDT by irishtenor (Everything in moderation, however, too much whiskey is just enough... Mark Twain)
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To: irishtenor

“A big question is... can we, on our own, decide to reject God?”

Well, I think the answer is yes. Why?

“6The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” - Gen 4

“46And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.” - Acts 13

” 28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.” - Matt 21

There again, Jesus presents us as having a choice: “And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went...And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go.” There is no hint that God forced one son to go, and held the other back. Instead, it is obvious the sons are exercising their own choice - and Jesus then compares that to the salvation of the religious leaders vs the scum: “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.”

Again, no hint of compulsion, or that God had made the choice for these folks before time.

And yet, it is also obvious it is God reaching to us: “A man had two sons. And he went to the first and...John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him”.

God innitiates it all. We make a choice - we believe what God presents to us (faith) or reject it (unbelief). And that response to God is what brings us into his grace, or leaves us outside: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”


97 posted on 08/27/2011 7:31:50 PM PDT by Mr Rogers ("they found themselves made strangers in their own country")
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