Man has NO sovereign ability at all. There is but One Sovereign Being, the
Lord God. Man's "free" will is always limited to the choices available to
him. His choices are not infinite. In fact, his choices have been chosen
for him by the One who is Sovereign. Even then, his choices are not free
from consequences beyond his own control.
Before regeneration, man is in bondage. Have you ever considered the fact
that those in bondage are not free? Man's sinful nature disposes him toward
sinful choices, though some parade themselves as righteousness.
No one will arrive in heaven kicking and screaming because they have no
desire to be there. Neither will anyone in hell be able to protest that
they deserve better. God will not be surprised by any who will arrive in
heaven, nor will He be perplexed that someone He expected is missing.
The ways of God in salvation are truly mysterious and wonderful. Like a
bridegroom courting the bride, He woos the souls of men to Himself.
Unquestionably, He is worthy of the greatest love and devotion anyone could
offer, but sinful men do not find holiness attractive. Until He grants them
repentance unto life, they choose what pleases them most: sin. Afterwards,
they choose Him as their righteousness, wisdom, and sanctification. Why do
they make such a choice, because they once were blind, but now they see.
You see, blind men have limited choices compared to those who see. Choices
that a seeing person would find unthinkable might be the normal course for
someone without sight.
Those who come to faith in Christ (the only evidence of eternal life), are
born again. This is a totally new spiritual condition. There is a radical
change in their disposition toward God, toward sin, and toward
righteousness. As partakers of His divine nature, they find delight in Him.
Could they turn away? Could they cease to believe? Is this a hypothetical
question about the powers of regenerate human nature, or about a more
realistic issue of choice. God truly is sovereign. He is also both eternal
and omnipotent. Being omnipotent, He would have the power to change His own
nature, perhaps even His eternality, but that would be contrary to His
nature because He is also immutable.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, I now have a new nature. It is evidenced in
many ways, but one of its characteristics is disposition to follow Him. "As
many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Romans
8:14). I now belong to Him, preeminently by His choice, but contingently by
my own. I am my Beloveds, and He is mine. Is something about Him going to
so change that I will be disappointed with Him? Are His rewards so trivial
that I would cast them aside as worthless? I don't think so.
GARY WEBB
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven G. Rockhill" <revrock@...>
To: <pastorsforum@...>
Sent: Friday, April 13, 2007 12:17 PM
Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] Is there free will to unchoose God?
> If a person has the free will to choose salvation in Christ, then _*they
> must*_ by virtue of the nature of their free will have the ability to
> unchoose salvation in Christ. Does God take away their free will once
> they become saved? Does God keep someone saved, kicking and screaming
> against their will? I think not. If man has the sovereign ability to
> choose Christ while he is a sinner, then he must also retain that
> sovereign ability once he is saved and have the sovereign ability to
> unchoose Christ. Certainly God's sovereignty cannot overrule man's, can
> it?
>
> Peace,
> Steve O:-)
>
>
> Gary Webb wrote:
>> Are you saying that someone who is truly born again, a partaker of the
>> divine nature, a new creature, a saint rather than a sinner, would
>> actually WILL to reject Christ? How unthinkable! I'll grant that some
>> have a false assurance of salvation without actually having become new in
>> Christ, but that's not what was asked. Someone who is genuinely saved
>> has passed from death unto life, from darkness into the marvelous light
>> of God's own Son.
>>
>>> From another perspective, does Christ unknow someone? Does He know them
>> (intimately as one of His own), then unknow them? Do those who are elect
>> according to the foreknowledge of God become non-elect?
>>
>> Now, looking at a related issue, there are those who "for a while
>> believe" (Luke 8:13). The parable leaves no indication that these are
>> any more saved than those by the way side (Luke 8:12). A faith that
>> doesn't endure under the various tests of faith should cause alarm. It
>> is an indication of the need for regeneration, not just a minor incident
>> to be overlooked.
>>
>>
>> GARY WEBB
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steven G. Rockhill"
>> <revrock@...>
>> To: <pastorsforum@...>
>> Sent: Friday, April 13, 2007 10:33 AM
>> Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] Is there free will to unchoose God?
>>
>>
>>> They must, otherwise they would be held against their will!
>>> Oh wait I wasn't supposed to respond was I .... oops sorry.
>>>
>>> Peace,
>>> Steve
>>>
>>> Derick Dickens wrote:
>>>> I am curious on where our non-reformed brethren stand on this issue.
>>>> Does a person have free will to unchoose Christ after choosing Christ?
>>>> What say ye?
>>>>
>>>> Derick
>>>>
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>> --
>>> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>> Pastor Steven G. Rockhill
>>> Lisbon Reformed Presbyterian Church
>>> PO Box 88
>>> Lisbon, NY 13658
>>> 315-393-9041
>>> revrock@... http://lisbonrpc.port5.com
>>> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>>
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>>>
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>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Pastor Steven G. Rockhill
> Lisbon Reformed Presbyterian Church
> PO Box 88
> Lisbon, NY 13658
> 315-393-9041
> revrock@... http://lisbonrpc.port5.com
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