Freedom to Choose God

by UnDisfellowshipped 774 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • UnDisfellowshipped
    UnDisfellowshipped

    Deputy Dog,

    Everyone is unrighteous in God's eyes (until they have been Born Again).

    But, according to the Scriptures, I would say that those who choose to accept Christ are more humble than those who reject Him, obviously.

    Why are they more humble though? Because they submit to the leading of The Holy Spirit in their heart to repent and believe, instead of choosing to reject the leading of The Holy Spirit as some of the Jews did:

    Acts 7:51: "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.

    Jesus Christ is standing and knocking at the door of people's hearts. They can choose to either open up the door of their heart and allow Jesus to come in, OR they can slam the door shut and lock Jesus out of their heart:

    Revelation 3:20: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

  • Deputy Dog
    Deputy Dog

    Un Disfellowshipped

    Why did I choose to accept God's offer of His free gift of salvation? Because I had been drawn by Him to Jesus and had been enlightened with the truth of the Gospel by The Spirit and I truly believed in the Holy Scriptures, that they are the Word of God.

    Why where you "enlightened with the truth of the Gospel by The Spirit" and others are not? Why do you believe in the Holy Scriptures, "that they are the Word of God." and others don't? D Dog

  • Deputy Dog
    Deputy Dog

    UnDis

    But, according to the Scriptures, I would say that those who choose to accept Christ are more humble than those who reject Him, obviously.

    Why are they more humble though? Because they submit to the leading of The Holy Spirit in their heart to repent and believe, instead of choosing to reject the leading of The Holy Spirit as some of the Jews did:

    So you deserve eternal life because you are more humble?

    D Dog

  • Faraon
    Faraon

    undisfellow,

    Carmel said:

    Und, is there a point to this?

    Only if you care about the Bible and God and your salvation

    Pity the fool who was born before the babble was invented or where it is not known.

    Faraon

  • ellderwho
    ellderwho

    Undis,

    Weve been through this before and you still never answered by your definition " when was Pharaoh given a choice????

    Ro. 9:16,17 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, R455 but on God R456 who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR R457 THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT F158 THE WHOLE EARTH."

    Of Ro. 11:3-8

    Or R528 do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 "Lord, THEY R529 HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE." 4 But what is F183 the divine response to him? "I R530 HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL." 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a R531 remnant according to God's gracious F184 choice. 6 But if R532 it is by grace, it is no longer on F185 the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. 7 What then? What Israel R533 is seeking, it has not obtained, but those F186 who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; R534 8 just as it is written, "GOD R535 GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."

    1.Explain how the seven thousand "CHOOSE" not to bow the knew before Baal.

    2. Why was Israel seeking an unable to obtain it?

    3. Why are those choosen, do obtain it?

    4. Why are the rest harden with no "CHOICE"?

    5. Why would God give them a spirit of stupor if they were entitled to a choice?

    6. Why would God make their eyes not to see, if they were entitled to a choice?

    7. Why would God give them ears that were unable to hear, if they were entitled to a choice?

    Undis you want God on your terms not his.

    E.

  • Roddy
    Roddy

    God desires ALL HUMANS to be saved -- Jesus died for ALL HUMANS:

    But according to the WTS, Jesus is mediator for ONLY the 144,000.

  • Flash
    Flash

    Hi Agent 1 of 1, nice to meet you. Welome to the board.

  • Flash
    Flash

    Your Bottom Line section is a good idea for people like me.

    Bottom line:

    God KNEW that Adam and Eve would choose to sin when He created them, but to say that God created Adam and Eve WITHOUT freedom to choose whether to sin would be crediting God with evil and with creating evil and sin.

    I'm not so sure He knew Adam and Eve were going to rebel...or even Satan, but I am convinced that He knew somewhere along the eternal way 'someone' would cross the line.

    God DID NOT create Lucifer or Adam and Eve as robots who were PROGRAMMED to sin and do evil. God created Lucifer and Adam and Eve with the freedom to choose whether or not to sin and do evil, even though God knew what choice they would make.

    There is a big difference between allowing someone the freedom to choose to sin, and creating them in such a way that they MUST SIN.

    The Bible shows that the Devil is the originator of sin and death, not God.

    The Bible shows that God hates sin, cannot stand sin, must be separated from sin, is absolutely HOLY. So, there is no way that God created Adam in such a way that Adam HAD to sin without freedom to choose.

    God chooses who he wants to "draw" to His Son, and then He sends The Spirit to enlighten them with the truth of the Gospel. Then, the person makes a choice -- either repent and believe in Jesus and be saved, OR reject and deny Jesus and go to Hell.

    I agree that for God, sin (lawlessness) is untouchable. I believe that God is Love and does nothing un-loving. I think that God being/becoming love was a deliberate choice and the key to His eternalness. The Law of Love is His un-deviable standard and the standard for all creation. Lawlessness is Chaos which by nature is self-destructive. IMO

  • Carmel
    Carmel

    . O SON OF SPIRIT!
    Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.

    (Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)

    Perhaps something a little more upbuilding for a beautiful Sunday evening?

    carmel

  • Perry
    Perry

    Hi Undisfellowshipped,

    I have enjoyed this thread. Just wanted to say that my wife accepted Christ into her life tonight at church of her own free will. It was every bit as moving an experience as when I did some months ago. Praise God!

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