The Antichrist and Free Will

[Purple Knight]

The Antichrist and Free Will: What if he Doesn't Want the Job?

Question for debate: Does the antichrist have free will? Sub-question: If he does have free will, what if he doesn't want the job? What if, for whatever reason, he refuses to do what he has to do? Will another one be born until one accepts?

Is it possible for the antichrist to be good, if he chooses to be good?

Is the antichrist not a specific person, but a pool of potential candidates perhaps born around the right time?

[Miles]

1.) As far as humanity is concerned, yes, all people, organizations, or groups that falsely claim to represent Christ or claim to be the Messiah or that oppose Christ and his disciples can properly be called antichrists.

How about those people, organizations, or groups that truly claim to represent Christ? How does one tell the difference between the two?


,

[PinSeeker]

How about those people, organizations, or groups that truly claim to represent Christ? How does one tell the difference between the two?

As humans, we can never be absolutely sure, because only God sees the heart and thus knows, without fail, who is actually heart-regenerate and thus in Christ or not.

However, we can make judgments for ourselves -- personal assessments about whether we think they are heart-regenerate and thus in Christ or not. Of course, that has absolutely no bearing on whether we are to love them or not, because we are to love our neighbors (everyone) as ourselves.

But, to answer your question, Jesus spoke of those who are not in Him, and said it would be evident to believers who they are by their "fruit," or their work, which would be a reflection of their hardened hearts (Matthew 7:15). Actions speak louder than words, right? One can say he/she is a believer in and follower of Christ, but if his/her actions show otherwise... Right?

Grace and peace to you, Miles.

[William]

[Replying to PinSeeker in post #10]

A common tactic of Satan is to imitate or counterfeit the things of God in order to make himself appear to be like God.

A common claim by Christian Religion which tends more toward confusing than revealing.

Basically it is the same as saying "Without Satan, how could we tell who God is?"

Tricksie...

[onewithhim]

Here is the Biblical answer.
Anti: Meaning opposite or opposed to
Christ: The Son of God

Anyone can be an antichrist. There is no singular antichrist.
"Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either.​—1Jo 2:22, 23

Antichrists have been around since the time of John the Apostle.
"Young children, it is the last hour, and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared, from which fact we know that it is the last hour." - 1 John 2:18

Do they have a choice to be opposed to Christ? Most certainly! Many are former Christians and they might still call themselves Christians.
"From among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves." - Acts 20:30
"They went out from us, but they were not of our sort; for if they had been of our sort, they would have remained with us. But they went out so that it might be shown that not all are of our sort." - 1 John 2:19

We are enticed by our own desires.
"But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn sin, when it has been carried out, brings forth death." - James 1:14, 15

Yes, indeed. The "antichrist" is not an individual but, if you will, a frame of mind that is exhibited by those who are against Christ. As John said, there are MANY anti-christs and they have been around, as timothy said, for 2,000 years.

I will say it again...."Antichrist" is not an individual that will make his entrance onto the scene sometime in the future and work marvelous works to fool the people. Antichrist can be compared to "the man of lawlessness," or, "the son of perdition," referred to in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. This "son of perdition" is a COMPOSITE "son" and refers to the whole gamut of false Christianity on Earth today, including the RCC, Orthodox, Protestants, Mormons, and anyone else who considers themselves Christians but prove false to the name by their actions. The "Antichrist" is usually compared to the Beast of Revelation, but that is not correct. There is no good reason to say that the two are the same. The Beast is a governmental figure, allegorically representing all of the earth's governmental powers. These governments fall WAY SHORT of perfection, thus their number is "666." (Perfection is number "7." 666 emphasizes the terrible imperfection of all governments by man. Can anyone present a good argument concerning what I've said, stating succinctly why what I say is wrong?

[2timothy316]

Here's a question for everyone.

Who here says people should listen to them? Their ways? Do things their way or some unscriptural doctrine's way? There are many here that do not look to the Bible but listen to their own dreams, voices, numerous sources, and say God or Jesus talks to them this way. How many here on this forum look to, not the Bible but themselves as the conduit for Jesus or God and then encourages others they should do the same? Who is arguing that they are able to convey what God or Jesus says using anything other than the Bible?
"Draw away the disciples after themselves." - Acts 20:30

If you are the source of your beliefs about Jesus or God and are trying to covert others to your ways......ya might be an anti-christ

[William]

[Replying to 2timothy316 in post #16]

So then - based upon your claim here, which denomination would you recommend one joins in order to be sure you are not an anti-Christ?

[Tcg]

If you are the source of your beliefs about Jesus or God and are trying to covert others to your ways......ya might be an anti-christ

Everybody is the source of their beliefs about Jesus and God. It is indeed the individual who chooses to believe or not believe based on the choices they make concerning what they consider authoritative.

If this is the deciding factor, then everyone is an anti-christ.


Tcg

[William]

If you are the source of your beliefs about Jesus or God and are trying to covert others to your ways......ya might be an anti-christ

Everybody is the source of their beliefs about Jesus and God. It is indeed the individual who chooses to believe or not believe based on the choices they make concerning what they consider authoritative.

If this is the deciding factor, then everyone is an anti-christ.


Tcg

No. There is wiggle room with the phrase "might be"...maybe is maybe in't.

Always a loop hole there is

[onewithhim]

If you are the source of your beliefs about Jesus or God and are trying to covert others to your ways......ya might be an anti-christ

Everybody is the source of their beliefs about Jesus and God. It is indeed the individual who chooses to believe or not believe based on the choices they make concerning what they consider authoritative.

If this is the deciding factor, then everyone is an anti-christ.


Tcg

No. There is wiggle room with the phrase "might be"...maybe is maybe in't.

Always a loop hole there is

I want that toy!

[2timothy316]

If you are the source of your beliefs about Jesus or God and are trying to covert others to your ways......ya might be an anti-christ

Everybody is the source of their beliefs about Jesus and God.

Mine isn't. My belief comes completely from the Bible. There is nothing I believe that the Bible doesn't say.
Here are a couple of my favorite scriptures.

“Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, And do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, And he will make your paths straight.”​—PROV. 3:5.
and
"For prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will." - 2 PETER 1:21

No person is the source of truth.

"Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth." - JOHN 17:17

I do not sanctify myself by means of my own beliefs about what is true. Interesting word, sanctify. One of its meanings is to "make legitimate". I do not legitimize myself. Another meaning is to declare holy. I certainly can't myself holy.

Truth about God and what He wants and how we should live can only be accomplished through study of God's Word the Bible and not through my own interpretations by dream, by what I feel is right, hearing some disembodied voices, drug induced meditation, or through piecing together some dogma from all of mankind's knowledge from around the world.