[Nang]

God, as a matter of His own sovereign and free will, created mankind in His image, giving man possession of moral knowledge of right and wrong, and an intellect and will (often called "heart") in the bible).

But the knowledge, intellect and will of man cannot be compared with the knowledge, intellect and will of God.

For man is made of dust and finite. God is Spirit and infinite.

Man was created to serve the Sovereign will of God.

Man was given a will in order to function in serving his master

. God's will controls all things surrounding man in this material universe.

Exercise of human will to function is vastly different than exercise of the sovereign will that controls.

Nang

[Cross Reference]

Originally Posted by Nang

God, as a matter of His own sovereign and free will, created mankind in His image, giving man possession of moral knowledge of right and wrong, and an intellect and will (often called "heart") in the bible).

But the knowledge, intellect and will of man cannot be compared with the knowledge, intellect and will of God.

For man is made of dust and finite. God is Spirit and infinite.

Man was created to serve the Sovereign will of God.

Man was given a will in order to function in serving his master

. God's will controls all things surrounding man in this material universe.

Exercise of human will to function is vastly different than exercise of the sovereign will that controls.

Nang

Your premise for believing of a false one. Try again.

. . . . .and please show where "will" can be interpreted to be "heart"__from scripture that is__evens "sometimes".

[ttruscott]

If Man was created to serve the Sovereign will of God means to have loving communion with HIM then agreed.

Isaiah 43:7:21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

Matthew 22:
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

Revelation 14:7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory..."

1 Peter 1:13-16 "Be holy, because I am holy."


which taken together hint that a loving relationship is the goal of all commands which are not the reason for our creation:
Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

or as suggested, love is the fulfillment of our creation.

The proof is found in the fact that obedience without love is worthless is GOD's sight:

Peace, Ted

[tomlapalm]

In our state the Governor, in ultimately in charge of prison and prisoners. A prisoner is free to live in his cell, and roam about etc. But the prison system gas established boundaries and controls the actions of the prisoners. The prisoner can choose to live within the rules , boundaries and schedules of the Governors system or he can fight, not eat or misbehave but the prisoner is only acting as allowed by the system. His free will exists but it is limited by the will of the Governor to the Governor desired results. our free will is the same, God's will is supreme

[Cross Reference]

Originally Posted by ttruscott

If Man was created to serve the Sovereign will of God means to have loving communion with HIM then agreed.

Isaiah 43:7:21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

Matthew 22:
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

Revelation 14:7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory..."

1 Peter 1:13-16 "Be holy, because I am holy."


which taken together hint that a loving relationship is the goal of all commands which are not the reason for our creation:
Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

or as suggested, love is the fulfillment of our creation.

The proof is found in the fact that obedience without love is worthless is GOD's sight:

Peace, Ted

You mean "obedience without faith is, worthless".

[ttruscott]

Originally Posted by Cross Reference

You mean "obedience without faith is, worthless".

I was thinking like this: love fufills the law as per:

Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

but that doesn't mean that LAW fulfills LOVE, right? One can keep the law in earthly fashion without love.

As for faith, you are quite correct, of course, but no on can love GOD without faith so, "obedience without love" = "obedience without faith."

Peace, Ted

[Cross Reference]

Originally Posted by ttruscott

I was thinking like this: love fufills the law as per:

Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

but that doesn't mean that LAW fulfills LOVE, right? One can keep the law in earthly fashion without love.

As for faith, you are quite correct, of course, but no on can love GOD without faith so, "obedience without love" = "obedience without faith."

Peace, Ted

You are quite right. I won't come against any of that.

[sky.]

Originally Posted by Nang

For man is made of dust and finite. God is Spirit and infinite.

Man was created to serve the Sovereign will of God.

Man was given a will in order to function in serving his master


Nang

So what was it that God willed us to "function". I would say that this is the teaching of what we were "predestined" for.

What can we do to serve?

[Nang]

Originally Posted by sky.

So what was it that God willed us to "function". I would say that this is the teaching of what we were "predestined" for.

What can we do to serve?

Man was created under the moral law and commands of God. (Theologically taught as the "Covenant of Works.")

Every man is responsible and accountable to function according to the will and moral law of God as revealed by God's word.

Adam broke that first established relationship (covenant) with God and no person since has functioned as he should.

Thus the good news that God sent His Son into the world to volitionally function under the Law on behalf of His fallen children.

Jesus Christ legally did for His elect, what they could never do for themselves.

[sky.]

Originally Posted by Nang

Man was created under the moral law and commands of God. (Theologically taught as the "Covenant of Works.")

Every man is responsible and accountable to function according to the will and moral law of God as revealed by God's word.

Adam broke that first established relationship (covenant) with God and no person since has functioned as he should.

Thus the good news that God sent His Son into the world to volitionally function under the Law on behalf of His fallen children.

Jesus Christ legally did for His elect, what they could never do for themselves.

That being said. What's next?

We were predestined to do good works that God prepared in advance. If works don't get the saved saved. What are the works that we are predestined to do?

[Nang]

Originally Posted by sky.

That being said. What's next?

We were predestined to do good works that God prepared in advance. If works don't get the saved saved. What are the works that we are predestined to do?

The spiritual works of faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and manifesting divinely granted repentance from sins.

[sky.]

Originally Posted by Nang

The spiritual works of faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and manifesting divinely granted repentance from sins.

That sounds like a bunch of gobbledygook. What are you saying?

What works are the already saved predestined to "function" do?

[Nang]

Originally Posted by sky.

That sounds like a bunch of gobbledygook. What are you saying?

What works are the already saved predestined to "function" do?

The spiritual works of faith.

Does that help you to understand?

[sky.]

Originally Posted by Nang

The spiritual works of faith.

Does that help you to understand?

No. What are the "spiritual works of faith"? I thought the saved already had faith.

[Nang]

Originally Posted by sky.

No. What are the "spiritual works of faith"? I thought the saved already had faith.

No.

Those saved by the grace of God are gifted with faith to believe. They possessed and exhibited no such faith, until being born again by the Holy Spirit of God.

Regeneration precedes faith.