What is INDEX?


What is INDEX? An index is 'a guide or pointer to facilitate reference' towards a goal. That goal is a Biblical one: "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:8). We want to guide and equip STUDENTS & YOUNG WORKERS (ages 17-30), for the physical life in this world; but more importantly to encourage your spiritual growth in Godliness so you grow up mature and closer to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

The Fountain of our Faith: God or Man? (Part 3)

Picking up where we left off (part 1, part 2), what do the scriptures say about the condition of man? Is he able to choose Christ? Indeed, would he ever desire to choose Christ?

Let’s see...what does the bible say about man’s natural condition?

Man is blind - 2 Cor 4.1-6
Man is a slave - Rom 6.20, John 8.32-34
Man is immobile in coming to Christ - John 6.44
Man is dead - Eph 2.1
Man’s will is impotent - John 1.13, Rom 9.16
Man does not seek God - Rom 3.11
Man is an enemy of God - 5.10
Man’s mind is death - Rom 8.6
Man is at enmity with God - Rom 8.7
Man cannot please God - Rom 8.8
Man is not able to understand the things of God - 1 Cor 2.14

Again, for our purposes here I don’t think comment is necessary on these verses. They are explicit. What does the bible say about man’s ability to come to Christ? He cannot and will not come.

BUT, does not man have free will? Does this make humans robots? Why does it matter what anyone does then? Why are any held accountable for not doing something that they are unable to do? [Paul answers that last question in Romans 9.19-23]

YES, man does have free will, BUT we must define what we mean by free will. I trust with the passages above that we will agree that it cannot mean ‘the ability to choose Christ.’

More on free will next time.
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