The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Concerning the freedom of the will

In reply to:

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I am not saying that are willingness to receive the Gospel is not a miracle, I am saying that our desire to receive the Gospel is more of a miracle.

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Understood!

And my replies have been an attempt to stay on Topic: "Concerning the Freedom of the will"!

Thus, in regeneration is given "comprehension" (intellect) and the "desire" (emotive) to hear the Gospel, which results gives in the ability respond to it and embrace Christ (volition). The will is not autonomous but dependent and subject to the intellect and emotions. But we should err if we attempt to bifurcate these three elements as they are integrally woven into the fabric of the imago dei which man was created. All three elements were effected by the Fall. And thus, all three are in need of deliverance from the bondage of the sin nature. So, I don't believe that we can say that our desire to receive the Gospel (actually we believe the truth of the Gospel and receive the person of the Lord Christ) is more of a miracle than our willingness to receive it as they are inseparable one (imago dei) although distinguishable according to their respective functions. [think Trinitarian]

In His Grace,

In reply to:

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Our wills are guided by our desires, not the other way around. If we desire only evil, we will only do what is evil.

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An unregenerate heart will do nothing else but choose evil towards God for every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually (Gen 6:5) and though our wills are guided by our desires, which come forth from the heart, we must remember that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer 17:9). Thus, it is not IF we desire evil, it is that we ALWAYS desire evil in the unregenerate heart (even if it chooses a good deed it is chosen from an evil intent...). Even in the heart of the regenerate, where the will is freer--for it can now choose for God in all things, it still has an attachment of sin to it, thus we always are need need of grace, for where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Rom 5:20). It is only in Christ that our wills are free to chose for God and even here we fall short. But, cheer up, you are a far worse sinner than you ever thought you were and IN CHRIST, you are far more forgiven than you could possibly even imagine.