Jonathan Edwards dveloped the argument that men ONLY do what they most want to do.
The Apostle Paul wrote that he does things that he does not want to to and fails to do what he wants to do..
Inventing an argument, that elaborates levels of desire to make one’s self seem correct in the face of the Bible, yet claiming to hold to scripture 100% is contradictory.
But in the end, the claim that we do what we want is just affirmation of free will.
The fact that men are willing to do what we do not want to do shows free will, and also shows, at times, goodness in men. God calls me righteous, not all but some, in scripture.
Saying that men do what they want, does not show Calvinism’s Total depravity, nor any other point. that it is pretended and claim to do just that is error.
Arthur, Edwards is speaking of unbelievers…Paul, speaking of himself as a believer.
Blocking. This user only posts false teaching and is not open to correction or rebuke. Troll/controversy maker.
This is the effect the law produces in mankind and what it was designed to do to increase sin. But in Christ we are freed from the law engraven upon stone and its now written on tablets of flesh “our hearts” and having the helper the Holy Spirit we can over come our flesh which is still sinful and has desires that are against the laws of our hearts.
The strength of sin is the Law
I would encourage you to reread Edwards and Paul’s epistle to the Roman’s. You will find they are in agreement on total depravity and the inability of men to exercise freewill apart from saving grace.
I agree that men are sinful by nature without doubt but even so many people like Noah and Job and Able were able to overcome this apparent total depravity of course they all called upon the name of the Lord to get help to overcome their sinful state, we have to remember the spiritual fruit of the forbidden tree was the knowledge of Good and Evil but without Gods help evil would win. When God speaks to Cain about sin crouching at the door of his heart, God tells Cain that he must master it, proving that a man could do that with Gods help but on his own yes impossible.
How about this… Men do exactly what they want, and have free will.
Then when they die, God shows them the script they acted out for him.
Free will and foreordinance. Perfectly synchronised.
Paul is talking about the conflict between his old Adam and the new man in Christ.
You show yourself an expert at misreading scripture.
the difference between Edwards and Paul is: Edwards speaks of unredeemed man lives as if he is accountable only to the self while Paul speaks of the struggle with sin that the redeemed endure daily in no longer living for self while desiring to live for the glory of God.
Only a true believer can understand this tension. It’s obvious by your thesis here is you won’t.
Might I suggest “Free Will Revisited” by Robert Picirilli..
But can one choose what they want?
Hmm..when Paul states that he does what he doesn’t want to do he is referring to sin. Thus Edwards agree with Paul in that man has a broken will, the elect still have a broken will. The abnormality which disproves free will is that fallen man wills to do God’s will in the first place, and thus you have God supervening human will. Paul nowhere states that he does God’s will under compulsion despite wanting sin..that is missing the entire point of romans 7. You are forgetting the phrase: simul justus et peccator that Luther wrote about. We are both saint and sinner. Our will has been liberated in some things but is not completely liberated. We sin according to our sinful nature (Romans 7), and led by the Spirit (Romans 8) in obedience in relation to our new nature.
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