I think you have hit on a key to this whole issue. The whole key to the issue for me is acknowledging that there is only one will that is truly free from bondage and this has been a hard pill for me to swallow . . .
Try this on: All of our ‘decisions’ in the context of a fallen world are made based on the ‘knowledge of good and evil.’ Yes, but I believe this knowledge is debilitating my will, not freeing it.
Could such knowledge be the context for defining ‘limited free will’? I believe my will has limitation, yes, go on
Before the fall there was only one choice to make, acknowledge God or eat from the forbidden tree. Adam had to name the animals, but I get your point about the one choice . . .
That choice could not have been made based on such knowledge as good and evil because before the sin there was no such knowledge. Yes, the choice was made without the knowledge of good and evil, but I think sin or at least missing the mark had to exist, because they obviously missed the mark . . .
After the fact to continue living in absolute free will leads to all the downward spiraling Paul described in Romans 1 and 2. Could the worm in the apple have been the deception ... Unlimited free will .... thinking our selves to be right and good by comparing ourselves to what we think is wrong or evil?
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools . . . changed the truth of God into a lie . . . yeah yeah, go on
Now, God gives us a single choice to make: JUST LIKE HE DID ADAM AND EVE
continue making our own decisions based on that fallen state or surrender our will and defer to the Lordship of Jesus (as “slaves of righteousness by grace instead of ‘unlimited free will’.
I still do not think I ever had unlimited free will, but every thing else is sounding cool . . .
In that regard, we have only one decision to make, but from the apposite point of view ... to repent and return. Once that decision is made by the grace of God all else is a matter of obedience to His will. So in a very real sense, ‘unlimited free will’ which could be viewed as a fallen state, is surrendered in obedience and the only freedom is to continue in Christ or not.
It opens up a real can of worms in all camps. This is NOT the position of OVT! It’s just thinking out loud keyboard style, but I’m curious as to what others might think. It doesn’t solve the issue as to one’s freedom to make that single choice or God’s pre-knowledge, but perhaps it finds some validity in the overall resolution of a “universal free will” that contradicts absolute meticulous sovereignty in a give and take relationship.
Yeah, I will just stay away from the rest of what you had to say, you said it, I will continue to say what I believe and why, hopfully we catch some more fish . . .