Is free will a failed concept?

[Fenris]

Being slaves then we cannot claim to have freewill

And yet some people choose to make the world a better place; to ease suffering, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to heal the sick, to tend to the widow and orphan, just as the bible tells us to do. In Christian terminology, to lead a Christ-like life.

While others choose to make a worse place. This very week, we saw an example of that. A young woman was dragged off into captivity with her two young sons. All three were murdered for the "crime" of being Jews; the children were strangled to death by hand. And when the bodies were returned, it was to great fanfare, as though it were a carnival, so proud were the killers of their actions.

No free will? No difference? On the contrary, all the difference in the world.

[Slug1]

You know what's really scary? When you engage in some particular sin but have the option not to. And then when you say, "But God, my nature is corrupted, I adopted an Augustinian ontology based on his poor Greek exegetic, and I simply had no choice in the matter!" God will say, "Bro, you didn't have to sin".

Everyone of course *will* sin, but that doesn't mean we *have* to sin, such that our nature is corrupted (not found in Genesis), or because our will has been devastated (not found in Genesis), or some other thing (not found in Genesis).

Hooah!!!

Since we will be held accountable for the choices we have made, reveals our free will.

[Billy Evmur]

Not quite, rather the fact that God visits our sin with punishment even death shows that we did not have freewill.

if we do well we are doing God's will
if we do sin then we will die ... dead men do not have freewill.

The concept of freewill is in fact the deception by which the devil 1st deceived man for he said "thou shalt not surely die" that is freewill in a nutshell.

Our wills are in bondage to the one we obeyed.

Jesus came and rescued us to the praise of His glorious grace.

[Athanasius]

The concept of freewill is in fact the deception by which the devil 1st deceived man for he said "thou shalt not surely die" that is freewill in a nutshell.

On the one hand, you want the "concept of free will" to be a Satanic deception ("thou shalt not surely die" is not about the will), and on the other, you want to say that Adam had freewill given to him by God.

Adam had freewill, we do not, we are bound to sin and we are bound to die

So which is it?

[Fenris]

dead men do not have freewill.

But the living do.

[IMINXTC]

Would seem that for any "concept," particularly a biblical one, to have failed, would require clear scriptural, contextual proof - not merely circular reasoning, which can go on forever without vigorously establishing what has actually been written.

Like trying to put socks on a rooster.

[Fenris]

Like trying to put socks on a rooster.

Strangely compelling.

[Billy Evmur]

The concept of freewill is in fact the deception by which the devil 1st deceived man for he said "thou shalt not surely die" that is freewill in a nutshell.

On the one hand, you want the "concept of free will" to be a Satanic deception ("thou shalt not surely die" is not about the will), and on the other, you want to say that Adam had freewill given to him by God.

Adam had freewill, we do not, we are bound to sin and we are bound to die

Yes Adam had freewill obviously not freewill to anything he pleasedbut the ability to choose, to obey God and live or to rebel against God and die.

We are says Paul servants of the one whom we obey. The devil tricked Adam [Eve] that they could act against God with no consequences. He works today in the very same way. Sin has consequences.

We are now servants of sin unto death. "as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned." We were in Adam when he sinned, we were part of that rush of blood to the head. Make no mistake if we had been in Adam's place we would have sinned.

Whereas Adam was made in God's image, we are born in Adam's image alas.

We have but one hope, that God will have mercy upon us and send a Saviour as He promised to do.

[Fenris]

Whereas Adam was made in God's image, we are born in Adam's image alas.

Basic math and logic:

If A = B and A = C then B = C.

We are, all of us, created in the image of God. We have intellect and free will. Just as Adam did.

[Slug1]

Whereas Adam was made in God's image, we are born in Adam's image alas.

Hey brother, can you post some verses that have led you to say we're born in Adam's likeness, and not God's?

Asking because, if I do a quick look at some verses, these come to mind (there are more) and none mention us as in the image of Adam.

James 3:9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

Ephesians 4:24 And to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

1 Corinthians 11:7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man.

[ProDeo]

The concept of freewill is in fact the deception

1. The phrase free will is not in Scripture.
2. What is in Scripture are the will of God and the human will.

Pred 12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
Pred 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Be well.