Free Will and Loving/Rejecting God

[Neo-Scholastic]

Biblically speaking no one can nor will choose God (Romans 3:10-12, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Ephesians 2:1). If a person's free will cannot be used to choose to love God, it would therefore follow that the purpose of free will cannot be so that we can freely choose to love God.

Given how often God calls people to repentance it seems odd to interpret those passages to mean that people cannot respond to that call. I offer alternative interpretations to your proof texts based on the Word’s ubiquitous call to repentance:

Romans 3:10-12 – Paul’s reference to Man’s current sinful condition does not negate our ability to repent. True people do not seek God, but God does come to us. And when he does we can reject His Grace or repent.

1 Corinthians 2:14 – Paul’s reference to the ‘natural man’ not receiving the spirit refers to our earthly nature, i.e. the “body of death”. Man is also a spiritual creature which is the part that receives Christ.

Ephesians 2:1 – This passage hinges completely on what you think has been predestined. Those who, like you, profess the doctrine of election say that our eternal fate has been predestined, some to heaven, others to perdition. However, placed within the light of all Scripture, it is better said that God has prepared beforehand (pre-) a place in heaven (destination) for all, even if only some accept.