Does God give EVERYONE the grace to do it?
God desires that all men be saved, and come to the knowledge of the Truth. Those who are willing to accept that they need a saviour, and choose to receive the grace, get more grace.
2 Cor 3:18
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
To those that have, more will be given.
Where in this passage (Mark 10:17-27) does it suggest that Jesus was offering the rich man grace?
Grace came in the form of instruction,and the Word of Knowlege. He asked for the instruction, which shows that he had already been drawn by grace. Yet, when Jesus showed him the path for his salvation, he turned it down. Do you imagine, if the man had sold all that he had, and come to follow Jesus, that Jesus would not have empowered him for the task?
What greater grace is offered than “come and follow Me”?
I have never denied that we all get to make choices in life. And if our will didn’t get turned away from God by the fall, why is it that "our choices tend to be “hostile to God”?
Our minds and hearts are darkened, because we have been wounded by the fall, and separated from the relationship in which He created us to be with Him.
The tendency to sin is not the same as slavery to sin. This slavery can be broken, and we can choose life. It cannot be done apart from God’s grace, but neither can we be saved by grace unless we choose to mix faith with that grace. The grace comes from God, the faith is ours to add. God created us with will, and the capacity for faith. We decide where we will place that faith. The rich man chose to place it in his wealth.
I agree. If man was not capable of evil in the first place, he could not make an evil choice.
I am glad we can agree about SOMETHING!
Are you saying that Paul’s will was neutral–neither good or bad? If so, what was it about Paul’s “neutral” will that made him say, “I can will what is right to do, but I cannot do it.”
The ability to effect what the will desires does not necessarily equate to achieiving it. Mankind may yearn to be right with God, but he is not capable, of himself, to achieve this. This can only happen by the grace of God. So, if a man acknowledges his need for a saviour, and trusts God with his whole heart, mind, soul and strength, then one can have eternal life.
It is still enslavement either way.
Yes, and this enslavement is broken in baptism.
Again, you are subjecting God’s will and power to the helpless and feeble will of the addict. Is grace meant for God’s glory or man’s?
I don’t see how? God has decided that He will glorify Himself in the salvation of mankind. Why separate the two? God is best glorified in us when we are all that he created us to be.
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You also seem to be assuming that people who are completely enslaved to something worldly are able to be obedient to God's command BEFORE God pours His grace into their lives! You are, it seems, extremely confident in human willpower. Is this view of fallen mankind what the bible teaches?
No, I don’t think so. I just don’t think that God pours His grace into man without man’s consent. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, so it is essential that our faith be mixed with His grace. That is how He designed the recipe of salvation to work. Faith is a human faculty, as is the will. When one comes to believe, then acts with the will, then God can pour more grace, and work within us the will and the ability to obey HIs commands.
Heb 4:2
2 For good news came to us just as to them; but the message which they heard did not benefit them, because it did not
meet with faith in the hearers.
