Free Will and The Good Shepherd

[WeberHome]

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God's free will trumps everybody else's free will, including Christ's. For example:

"This is the will of the one who sent me; that I should not lose anything of what He gave me." (John 6:39)

One of the many things that God gives His son is sheep. (John 10:27-30)

Now, whether the sheep like it or not, they're struck with the good shepherd because Jesus is determined to always satisfy his superior's wishes.

"I always do what is pleasing to Him." (John 8:29)

Were Christ to fail-- fail in any way at all --accomplishing the will of the one who sent him; then it would be dishonest of Christ to claim to "always" please God. Christ might be able to claim pleasing the one who sent him a high percentage of the time, but certainly not always.

Bottom line: The good shepherd's will trumps the sheep's will. (It would be a pretty dim-witted wrangler that lets the wishes of a herd overrule him; as if animal husbandry were somehow democratic. HAW!)

"You are not your own; you were bought at a price." (1Cor 6:19-20)

Q: What if a believer decides to leave his faith and worship Satan instead?

A: Assuming the "believer" is one of the sheep that God gives His son to keep, then no soap. Regardless of what the sheep think, feel, say, or do; once they're brought into the sheepfold, they're stuck.

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me shall be saved." (John 10:9)

Were Christ a so-so shepherd; then he wouldn't dare say "shall be" saved; no, he'd have to tone it down a bit and say "can be" saved. That would leave him some room for error. But when Christ says "shall be" he's claiming a 0.0% failure rate. That's how confident Christ is that he will lose nothing of what his Father has given him.

Cattle ranchers whose livestock roam on BLM lands, typically brand their stock for easy identification later on at round-up. Well; God doesn't brand the good shepherd's sheep but He does mark them.

"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13)

The Greek word for "seal" is sphragizo (sfrag-id'-zo) which basically refers to the impression that a signet ring leaves in wax and/or soft clay.

Well; the good shepherd's sheep might wander far and wide and even attempt to blend in with another flock, but any and all attempts to escape and/or repudiate their rightful owner are futile. That seal will always give them away as belonging to the good shepherd and it's only a matter of time before he comes looking for his investment.

Nowhere to run to baby
Nowhere to hide.
(Martha Reeves and the Vandellas: Motown, 1965)

The sheep's hope to be saved isn't based upon their willingness to comply with the shepherd's wishes; no, their hope to be saved is based upon the good shepherd's willingness to comply with his Father's wishes; a willingness proven by blood.

"I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10:15)

Were the good shepherd only human, then I would be inclined to agree with skeptics that Jesus might fail to keep his sheep safe. But the Bible teaches that Christ is not only human, but also the divine architect of the entire cosmos with all of its forms of life, matter, and energy (John 1:1-3, Col 1:16-17). So then, the good shepherd has at his disposal all the powers and abilities of the supreme being to utilize in order to succeed at keeping his sheep on the books.

NOTE: Jesus spoke of himself as "the good shepherd" (John 10:14). Well; in my estimation, shepherds that lose sheep don't deserve to be called good.
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[jamie]

The Father offers salvation through Jesus Christ.

It's our choice to accept it or not.

God doesn't force eternal life on anyone.

Here's the conclusion: "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15)

 

[Squeaky]

MANS WILL(FREE) MAN HAS THE WILL BUT NOT THE WAY

2 Cor 8:12
12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
Col 3:5-6
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
Jude 1:19
19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
Jude 1:16
16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.
2 Cor 6:12
12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own passions
Luke 16:15
15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
1 Tim 6:4-5
4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,
5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.
Rom 8:20
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
Rom 9:16-18
16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth."
18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
Rom 9:23
23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
Rom 11:32-33
32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Heb 10:26
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Rom 9:19-21
19 You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?"
20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"
21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
Rom 9:33
33 As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
Heb 10:5-7
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come-- in the volume of the book it is written of Me-- to do Your will, O God.' "
Phil 2:13
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Eph 5:17
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Rom 7:15-21
15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
Rom 7:23-25
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 I thank God-- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
John 14:1
1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:5-6
5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 6:29
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
John 5:23
23 "that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
Acts 4:12
12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
I Jn 2:1-2
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
John 14:16
16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever
John 14:26
26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
Titus 1:7
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,
2 Pet 2:19
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.
1 Cor 7:23
23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
Rom 6:5-6
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
Rom 6:16-20
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
Rom 6:21-23
21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Acts 17:27-29
27 "so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 "for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'
29 "Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising.
(NKJ)

XXX We have an inner man, and an outer person. Our inner man is our spirit(mind of our inner man) and soul(body of our inner man). Our spirit makes all the decisions on who and what to believe, our soul is where our affections come from. Our outer person is where our flesh and emotions(unclean spirits) live with our guardian angel, the devil, and if we are blessed the Holy Spirit lives. Our inner man is who is going to be held responsible on judgment day. For who it submitted to. Our will is our desires to do what is right.They get covered up pushed back and blocked by our flesh. Desire is not an absolute. And will is desire. That that I will to do I do not do(Without Gods help) that that I will not to do is what I do (because of emotions, unclean spirits). So you are free to will it, but how to perform it has to come from God. So we have choices and we have free will. What we dont have is ability. We need God for ability. Now the big question is how to get God to help us. Prayer, humility, submission, changing our beliefs. One step or verse at a time.



Rom 7:11-25
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.
12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 I thank God-- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
(NKJ)

xxx God didnt give us our emotions, we enherited them from our parents. But they are the reason we dont have ability to do our will. Our will comes from our inner man. Will is to desire . Our inner man desires to please God. But our outer person where our emotions dwell deceive us. And the more we give into our outer person the stronger it gets. Until it controls us.

John 6:44-45
44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.
(NKJ)

John 6:65
65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."
(NKJ)


2 Cor 8:1-3
1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:
2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.
3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,
(NKJ)

How many different wills are working in you? The will of the flesh, mans will, Gods will, your will?

John 1:12-14
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
(NKJ)