Dr. Doom, you are correct, we have to understand the
Bible in it's entirety. If you follow the Church and her
interpretation of Scripture, not one verse in the Bible conflicts with the other. She has the authority to interpret
it, not us. Private interpretation of the Bible is from
Luther, so it's man-made not from God. You are ignoring
some verses in Scripture.

Here are some verses that conflict with your belief that
we have no free will.

+ + + +

Free Will



"I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him." Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Not only is each individual free to choose, he is obliged to choose.



"No one experiencing temptation should say, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." James 1:13-15

This passage cannot make it much more clear. The Protestant position relieves each person of the responsibility of making a choice. But it is obvious that it is not God who tempts us and therefore not God who "makes" our choices for us.



"Because I called and you refused, I extended my hand and no one took notice" Proverbs 1:24

Yes, God calls us but we can refuse. He invites us but does not compel us.



"But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? Of course not!" Galatians 2:17

The Protestant doctrine begins to look more and more like an easy out for those that do not want to accept responsibility for their own salvation.



"Ever since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened." Romans 1:20-21

Paul here warns us that the glory of God is evident to all but not everyone chooses to acknowledge it. Notice that all do have the choice. particularly like the line in the above passage "they became vain in their reasoning". By what reasoning could the Protestant Reformers been using to "invent" their doctrine of "salvation by faith alone?"