A letter I wrote to someone that said Calvinism is unbiblical because it believes man has no free will Hi.

Sorry for only responding now. I think ill answer your question by responding to the verses that youve attached. I think that it is very important that we look at scripture in its context and not isolate verses. Psalm 14:2 The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. The answer or conclusion on the state of mankind is found in the next verse. Verse 2 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. The verse says that God looked to see whether there are any seeking Him and then it says that no one is seeking Him and that they are All corrupt and that there is no one who does good not even one. This refers to mans inability to seek God. No one is seeking God, because they are ALL wicked. Unless God intervenes, it would be impossible for man to come to a place out of his own strength to want to seek God. Rom3:9-10 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; Proverbs 8:17 17 "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me. Again.. The context of this verse speaks of those who has found Wisdom. Scripture says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Those that found wisdom are those that fear the Lord. You cannot truly fear the Lord unless you have repented and savingly believe in His Son. And repentance is only brought about when there is godly sorrow. Look at this verse 2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. This verse speaks of two types of sorrow: one that comes from God, thus being godly sorrow and one that come from the world. It is God that moves you to repentance! Back to Proverbs.. Those that belong to Him will love Him and seek Him. This verse is not calling the sinner to seek God, but expresses Gods love for those whom He has saved by giving them wisdom to repent and faith to believe the gospel. Remember, the unregenerate heart cannot discern spiritual things and the preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that dont believe. Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: This is a call to repentance. Lets just first look at some fundamentals to build on: God is sovereign. Supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; as a sovereign ruler of the universe. God worketh all things according to the counsel of His own will (Eph1:11)

Salvation is of the Lord! The gospel is the power of God to salvation to them that believe. Man is dead in his trespassers and sin. We have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. He decided to choose us, dead people cant make decisions to live! My point is not that you did not decide to follow Christ, but that you could not decide unless God through the preaching of the gospel moved upon your dead wicked state and quickened your spirit to life so that you could see Him as Holy and yourself as utterly vile and hopeless; realizing that apart from Him you will perish; now filled with a godly sorrow you repent and believe. The evidence that you truly believe is that you keep on believing (trusting, throwing all confidence in Christ and rejecting any confidence in yourself for salvation) and that you keep living a life of repentance (walking away from sin daily), walking like Jesus walked (1John). So yes, we are commanded to preach the gospel and to call man to repentance and to command them to believe the gospel. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe (1Cor1:21) God chose those that would be saved before the foundation of the world. No one did that out of their free will. God works ALL THINGS after the counsel of His own will. And there is no man present at that counsel to make a decision, accept the Man Jesus Christ who is fully God! I hope you get my point? What is free will? It is the power to make decisions that are free from any influence whatsoever. Tell me Why did you decide to study for a certain career? Why did you marry the man you have? Why do you decorate your house the way you do? Why do you wear the kind of cloths you wear? Why do you use that particular brand of shampoo or toothpaste? Did you freely choose it or was every choice you made not influenced somehow? Maybe by a TV commercial or opinion of a friend or by what the package promised would be benefits of the product. Free will is to have no influence whatsoever on whatever you decide. The only one with a free will is God! Mankind are slaves to sin and slaves dont have rights. Jesus bought us from that slave market of sin and made us His slaves. The only rights we have are that which pleases Him and displays His glory. So yes, I am a Calvinist, but more so a Biblicist. I believe in the doctrines of grace. I believe its our duty to call man to repentance and to warn them against the wrath to come. To preach the gospel of Christ, the Cross and command man to believe the gospel. I believe that only those whom the father draws by His Spirit will come to Jesus; that my preaching does not get man saved, but that God alone can save a soul. The preaching of the gospel is the method God chose to use to draw man unto Himself and save them. I hope i clarified some things for you. Your brother in Christ Mario