Paul says very clearly that God is the Potter and we are the clay. He even says who are we the clay to argue with the Potter who molds us. How does this not destroy the free will argument?
I'm down with being made any way God chooses. This takes the onus off me to worry about anything. I don't even need to judge myself. I'm just made the way God wants me.
Paul is saying we dont have free will here.
Do you disagree and if so why?
Two additional verses are needed for context on Romans. When Paul is speaking of clay inRomans 9 , he is directly referencing Jeremiah 18 , and I quote.
Note, the clay is able to choose its fate though repentance.
If this is not clear enough, Paul is wise enough to clarify this in2 Timothy 2:20-21 .
Paul makes it clear in verse 6 that he is addressing the concept of Gods covenant with the Jewish people. Context makes it apparent that he isn’t addressing individual free will in the following verses - including the ones you refer to.
I guess it depends on how you are using the word free will, there are multiple definitions. If we are talking about libertarian free will (which is the more prominent view of freewill in Christianity) then I would agree. I am a compatibilist,
I think it is important to maintain God's sovereign choosing in molding because of verses like Romans 9, but it is also important to maintain human choice to the degree to which we may be held accountable to our actions. We even see these things happen simultaneously in Scripture (Gen 50:20 & Isaiah 10)
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.
That's from the bible too. Everything I do has already been approved. It's all known, all approved, all accounted for. No need to judge myself or worry about a thing.
Why should I judge myself? You aren't even allowed to testify against yourself in a human court.
When I read Romans 9, I don't see any verse where Paul is stating or implying that you don't have free will.
P.S. Unlike some of the other responders, I'm non-Calvinist.
So what do you suppose this free will is for and how does it fit into the idea of salvation by grace or God giving disciples to Jesus?
Because it's a metaphor? (Clearly... We are not literally the material known as clay)
But the metaphor must hold or its useless.
Are we molded or not? Is Paul wrong when he tells us we have no right to argue back with the way God has made us?
What Paul was talking about is basically the conclusion of the story of Jonah. The point is that God is the authority over creation. We can't argue with God and win. We see it all the time, people arguing about how God is wrong. God can't be wrong, he is the author of life. That doesn't mean you don't have the power to make your own choices, it just means God has the authority to judge you for whether you are doing what you were designed for.
What is the free will argument?