I don't understand this Mitspa,
Free-will is just a silly term to describe the obedience of the Cross,
I don't see how free will could be called silly, to me the restoration of my free will at my regeneration is my faculty I use to show my love to my Father and Lord, God didn't create robots that were programed to love Him, that's not true love any more than forcing my wife at gun point to say she loves me, God took a chance in creating Man, a chance that they would reject Him, even though He loves them so much, that's why the marriage between a man and a woman is a type or illustration of the love relationship between God and man.
My free will is the action, or acts, of my love for God, just like after years of marriage with my wife my acts of love are knowing what flowers she likes, or what is her favorite candy, or trinkets that flip her switch, ...so too with my Heavenly Father, I have learned His character from studying His Word, when presented with a test I have the choice to follow my will, my natural inclinations, the old carnal man, or I can use the lessons I have learned from studying my Lord and choose with my free will to please my Father, Jesus could say I do everything to please the Father, ...I can't say that, but that is the goal of my will, so I don't understand how that could be called silly.
Blessing,
Gene.
I agree with you Gene and here are some Scriptures that will help.
Some in the radical predestination camp claim that Jesus died only for the elect. However, the Bible teaches quite clearly that Jesus died for the sins of all people and wants all people to come to repentance. This does
not mean that Jesus' death provides salvation for those who resist God's call.
John 3"16
"For God so loved the
world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 12:32
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw
all men to Myself."
Rom. 6:10
For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for
all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
1 Corth. 15:22
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ
all shall be made alive.
2 Corth. 5:15
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one
died for all, therefore all died; and
He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
1 Tim. 4:10
For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of
all men, especially of believers.
Titus 2:11
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to
all men,
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for
all to come to repentance.
1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also died for sins once for
all,
the just for
the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;