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Spiritual Journey Dilemma

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DougE6:
Yes, and Jesus sweat blood in the garden of Gethsaname.  And Jesus fasted for 40 days and was extremely hungry. And he was tempted in all points as we are.  Even though God did the work, Jesus was the means, and He was very much in the thick of it, and suffered greatly in it, and yet He pressed on through and overcame, persevered to the goal, and pleased His Father. It was no walk in the park for Jesus.  Great effort He put forth, even though the Father did the work.

Deborah-Leigh:


Those "itty, bitty, little bits" are the bad leaven!

Imperfect information distorts perception, and produces conflict.

Wisdom turns away, accompanied by sympathetic insight and considerate understanding.

Milk and meat don’t mix, is an experience we have to all suffer to endure learning.

God’s the Author of all.

hillsbororiver:
Hi Everyone,

Ray explains the difference between "making choices" and having (non existent) "free will" right here;

The Myth of Free-Will Exposed

There was a time when I too was hoodwinked into believing that man has a "free will." I believed free will to be man’s ability to make choices, change his mind, learn from experiences, etc. And since it is a fact that man can indeed do these things, it seemed evident to me that man has free will. But then I learned that these are not the definition of free will at all........................

It is useless to have a study on this term "free will" unless we stick to a strict, concise and precise definition of the term. As can be seen from our dictionaries, "free will" does not have for a concise or precise definition the ability to "make choices." Yet this is the way it is often defined.

Notice that our dictionaries are specific in stating that it is "FREE choice" that is the definition of "free will," rather than just "choice" alone. To be an expression of "free will," choices must also be free. Free from what? We just read it:

Free from "PRIOR CAUSES."

Free from "CONSTRAINT."

Free from "EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES."

Free from "FATE."

Free from "DIVINE WILL."

Free from "DIVINE INTERVENTION."

Those who would argue for free will, however, refuse being held to these precise and concise definitions. They want the mere ability to "make a choice" to be considered an act of "free will." Well it is nothing of the kind. Making a choice has absolutely nothing to do with the doctrine of "free will." This is easily demonstrated. Computers make "choices." They can make trillions of choices per second. It would take a trillion people to make that many choices in a second. All that these marvelous machines do is make choices.

Now then, will anyone contend that computers have unprogrammed and uncaused, free wills? So now we have proof that making choices is not the same as "free will."

We are not speaking of "Hal" in the Hollywood science fiction fantasy: "2001—A Space Odyssey." Computers do not have "free wills," yet THEY CAN MAKE CHOICES, but those choices are anything but free. Their choices are all a matter of PRE-programming. They cannot think and act independently of "causes." Neither can man think or do anything outside of the realm of "causes." In order for an effect to be present, there must first be a cause, and once something is caused, the effect must follow, and neither could have been prevented.

There is not one example that can be presented by scientific a method, that can demonstrate that man’s will is free from causality. Neither is there an example in all Scripture that can be shown to be the exercise of a will that is free from causality. And that certainly includes all that our Lord Himself ever thought, said, or did.

http://bible-truths.com/lake15.html

Peace,

Joe

hillsbororiver:
I thought it would be a good thing to add this (also from "Free Will" Part 1)...

It is helpful to reread the articles from time to time.

I have said and taught for decades now that God never FORCED anyone to sin or go against whatever their will is at the precise time that his will is changed by a cause. Men volunteer to sin. They don’t need to be "forced"—they are SINNING MACHINES! Most men (not all) can be made to sin at the drop of a photograph. (That is, if the photograph is that of a sexy young lady in high heels and a mini-skirt). He doesn’t need to be ‘FORCED’ to lust and sin over the young lady, even though it may not have been his conscious will TO LUST just prior to seeing the sexy photograph.

Who created man with such passions and desires? Dah! Who created Testosterone?

http://bible-truths.com/lake15.html

Peace,

Joe

Deborah-Leigh:


Very well edified Joe!

Our choices are our preferences.

Our preferences arise from our heart condition.

Our experiences purge to strengthen, our weak hearts.

God writes our circumstances to purge and purify our preferences to bring us into right standing with Him.

Potter and the Clay.

Arc

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