The scripture that I use to substantiate our non-mythical free-will in God's image as preimenent, is Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. <br><br>God affords us this choice to have a choice to choose. I see man's sovereignty and this God-given free will in God's image in Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and in Gen 1:27 So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. I for one cannot deny this. It would seer my conscience.<br><br>Under Romans 8.6 I see the flesh, that is the sin of the body and the self of the soul, having no means to come to Christ, so it is not the flesh that comes to Christ, but that God's likeness that does of Gen. 1.26 and Gen. 1.27 that when accepting God's life, receives eternal salvation. Similarly, John 6.44, without legalizing this verse, says ultimately still, before that salvation is received God ordains it, not man, therefore we must fulfill the absolute necessary condition that is well pleasing to the Lord before He ultimately gives us His life, and never before for that is His condition for the gracing us. Amen.<br><br>Same is true of 1 Cor. 2.14, that is not man's natural part that receives God, but that part which is like God that receives God, that is a free-will bestowed at creation, that can reject or accept the truth. Rejecting unto eternal damnation and accepting unto eternal life.<br><br>By these words of God, therefore, we can accept God's emphasis, and not a prideful emphasis, and thus we can reject such statements as:<br>"Philosophy and religion both discard at once the very thought of free will;", so it is not our natural free will that comes unto Christ, but that will bestowed to us by God that has a God-given right to choose God and receive eternal life by the grace of God fulfilling His requirement, for this is what our Lord and Savior has provided.<br><br>And the ultimate consequence of the calvin edict is this, "It may seem a harsh sentiment".<br><br>Yes. It is harsh. This is not my God. Martin Luther understood it was grace that saves and a free-will that is graceable that is savable by saving grace.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

Last edited by waronthesaints; Sun Aug 17, 2003 2:55 PM.