9003	Forums / Main Forum / Do You Believe In Free Will?	on: June 01, 2006, 04:49:43 AM
First does this passage teach that man is not responsible? No it does not teach that man is not responsible. We need to take all of the scriptures on mans responsibility and Gods sovereignty. This passage is a literal passage, in which we take it literal. We do not try to explain it away. God is absolutely sovereign because He is God. Man is responsible because man chose to sin and  fallen and fell. We are responsible in Adam. The truth is God could have judged Adam the moment he sinned and been just. Then He could have judged all of Adams posterity and been just. But God chose before the creation of the world some people for Himself and sent the rest to hell, because God is God. Unless we acknowledge that His will takes precedence then we make His will subservient to our will and then that makes us all little gods whom God is dependent on us. God is not weak and unable and powerless to save. \"He does what He pleases in heaven and on the earth.\" Ps Man is born in sin with an ability to chose what pleases him most. He can choose for himself and is  fully responsible for choosing what pleases him. But man is spiritually blind because of his state in sin and cannot choose God. He does not see the value in God. He has a conscience and He knows that God requires man to respond to the requirements of the law but man cannot become righteous in himself. Every time man hears the word of God taught or preached he hardens his heart and will not submit or repent. The more man hardens his heart the more he is greasing the wheels for his judgement.  Rom. 1.21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. The only hope is for God to open mans spiritual eyes to see the truth. The Holy Spirit comes in the preaching of the word and turns the light on so that man can see the value of all the spiritual things. When man is regenerated then man can turn to Christ and believe. \"Salvation is by grace through faith and is not of ourselves.\"