“Was it your will to be born?”
Nope. But, of course, that has nothing to do with free will since my conception happened before I had consciousness.
“Was it your parents’ will?”
Yes. But their will does not supersede God’s. Still they were not forced to will me by God. They had freedom to do so and did.
“Did they “make” you?”
Yes. But their will does not supersede God’s who must be given ultimate credit for anything or anyone coming into existence. Still they were not forced to make me by God. They had freedom to do so and did.
Your consciousness has nothing to do with it. God knit you together in your mother's womb. God determined that you would exist. Therefore, it's His will...
Yes. But their will does not supersede God’s. Still they were not forced to will me by God. They had freedom to do so and did.
Incorrect yet again. Your parents' sheer force of will did not cause your conception. Not in the least. It was God's will that caused it. Again. God's will. HIS choice.
Yes. But their will does not supersede God’s who must be given ultimate credit for anything or anyone coming into existence. Still they were not forced to make me by God. They had freedom to do so and did.
And you made the wrong trifecta. Your parents did not "make" you... God did. They had the freedom to do that act, but they didn't make you -- God made you!!! HIS will... HIS choice...
Since it has nothing to do with our "will," how are we free? We are free to sin because that is what we do because we are born into sin. We want to do nothing else until or unless God, in HIS will and mercy, chooses to save us.
Let's skip ahead a little to Romans 5:6-11 :
"6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
We were dead in sins. The only thing we wanted to do was sin. That was our choice. We can't "choose" to be saved. God chooses. He sheds his grace. He changes our hearts. Where's our will to do that?
And, likewise, Mary could no more have said "yes" -- she said nothing of the sort. It was God's will.
And a little further, just to be clear, in verse 17, the beauty of it shown:
" 17For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ."
We receive the gift; we don't choose it.
Hoss