Kathy writes:

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A big gray area for me.. of course, has to do with ‘free-will’ or not...

This was my big gray area too. It kept me from understanding just about anything else of God's sovereignty until someone put it this way to me, and the light came on <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/idea.gif" alt="" /> :

"Only Christians have free will," he said. "All others are enslaved." To back up this seemingly arrogant claim, he took me to Romans 6:6 and 12-18 and of course the very familiar "I end up doing what I don't want, and not doing what I should, who will free me from this body of death" passage in chapter 7:18-25. Paul describes our enslavement to sin and liberation in Christ.

Another way of looking at it is that people are only free to do what they can do. A male is not "free" to become pregnant because he is incapable of it. He is bound by his male nature. In (sorta kinda) the same way, sinners are bound to a totally corrupted nature and unable to avoid sinning in thought, word, and deed.

Christians, however, are free. Only Christians are free, because only Christ can set anyone free from the corruption and condemnation of sin (Romans 8).

Well, this is what finally helped turn the light on for me. I hope it helps you see it a little better too.

Still seeing "through a glass and darkly,"
Robin