@God's Truth
When you consider free will, that would mean you have will power to do those choices you make, but scripture says no matter how much the spirit is willing the flesh is weak and so therefore what is impossible with man, is possible with God.
We can choose this day whom we will serve, the Lord Jesus Christ or something else in His name, but I have found that I needed His help to serve Him and nothing ese in His name like when I was confronted with that apostate holy laughter movement. I did not know what was going on and never made the connection that He was warning me about this very thing a week earlier even though it was impressed upon me to make that choice that day a week earlier.
Eventually, it don on me that He kept me from losing self control and "falling" in that movement to wind up serving that movement in seeking to share the glory of that movement towards other saved believers. All I had experienced was a hand pushing me 3 times on my shoulder behind me to go forward when there was no one behind me in the pew to do that. That was the spirit of the antichrist that was in the world that I had felt as He that is in me, kept me from falling.
It took Him also a while to set me free from all my yokes of bondages too. I was on the evangelical team to lead believers in making a commitment to follow Christ, but when I had accomplished this foul deed, I had thought to myself, I did it, but the Lord chastened me by saying "No. I did. " and He tried to tell me something else but I was unable to receive it at that time because I could not fathom the church had led me astray.
One day, I came across a pamphlet from Bill Rudge's Ministries which by use of scripture, had convicted me of the words of my mouth for cussing out at the warehouse to relieve stress whenever any one was not around. But on the back of the pamphlet, it led me to make a covenant with my mouth and so I did in not cussing out at the warehouse any more.
But the very next day, I was worse than I ever was before. After disregarding thoughts that I was not His for if I was His, He would have helped me with my covenant, I had asked the Lord why He was not helping me for truly I was at my wits end.
A small still voice, not audible but I heard Him say, "You made the covenant. You said you were going to do it. I made the Covenant and I said I will do it. All I ask from you is to believe in Me".
I was humbled that day. When Promise Keepers movement was abounding in my valley and my local church was leading the charge, I tried to warn every one that this was a movement men and not of God. I was attending 2 bible studies at the time and the men in one said PK was about making promises to men in helping one another be accountable and not to Gd because they knew it is wrong to make promises to God. And the irony is the other Bible study said the opposite, saying man cannot be around all the time to help us keep our promises so they knew better to make promises to men but only to God. I had never been to a PK convention but I knew from the literature that it was about both.
A Catholic/Mason was trying to defend it b saying, isn't a commitment to follow Christ like a promise? And then he said sure it is as if settling the matter, but that made me realize what the Lord was trying to tell me earlier in my life at that day on the evangelical team. Then He had set me free from that commitment to make Jesus Lord of my life to rest in him all the way in helping me to follow Him as it is written that the just shall live by faith. I had been doing the best I can and was miserable because I was failing but He would forgive me and help me get back up, but like an idiot, I would show my appreciation for His forgiveness and His help by trying to keep that commitment again, but yet failing again.
It is better to rely on the Lord all the time for any choices ( not commitments, nor pledges, nor promises ) I have made in regards to Him because by that choice, I am asking Him to help me to do His commandments and the Father's will. This is His Covenant and I believe Him to finish what He has started in me to His glory.
Philippians 1:
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. 8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.
11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage..... 5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure..... 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
I testify that Jesus is my Good Shepherd & Friend in helping me to follow Him as I could not follow Him by doing the best I can in the flesh in keeping my commitment, pledges, promises, nor the covenant with my mouth.
This is how I get to know Him and the power of His resurrection when I see myself following Him by His grace & by His help due to His Covenant for why I am living by faith in Him rather than by any boast of man by man made bondages.
hopefully the Lord has helped me to convey to you both of what He as done for me, is doing, and will finish to His glory where no flesh can glory in His Presence in Heaven.
1 Corinthians 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's; 23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
1 Corinthians 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
By the grace of God we have been saved by believing in Him as our Savior and by that same grace of God we can follow Him by believing in Him to be our Good Shepherd & Friend to help us to do this.
