Is It God That Caused or Made the Believer to Choose to Believe?
1) Direct Answer
Yes—God is the author of the believer’s faith. He draws, reveals, and quickens the heart so that the believer willingly chooses Christ. He does not coerce against the will; He makes the will willing by His grace.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- John 6:44: “No man can come to me, except the Father… draw him.”
- John 6:37: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.”
- Ephesians 2:8–9: “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”
- Philippians 2:13: “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
- Acts 16:14: “The Lord opened” Lydia’s heart, and she attended to the things spoken.
- 1 Corinthians 12:3: “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”
- 2 Timothy 2:25; Acts 11:18: God “gives” repentance.
- John 1:12–13: We are born “not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
- John 10:27; John 8:47: “My sheep hear my voice… He that is of God heareth God’s words.”
- Psalm 110:3: “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.”
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Man will not and cannot come on his own; God must draw and open the heart.
- When God reveals Christ, the heart is quickened; the will is made willing, not violated.
- Therefore the believer’s choice is real, but it springs from God’s prior work of grace. The faith that believes is God’s gift, not man’s production.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, He chose you before you chose Him, He called you, and when His Voice struck your heart, you gladly came. That’s the mystery of grace—sovereign drawing, willing believing.
Existing Follow-Up Answers
- Explain in Detail Romans 9: 10-23 and in So Doing Answer This : Is It Not Unjust to Deliberately Raise Pharaoh and Harden His Heart in Order to Destr?
1) Direct Answer No. It is not unjust. Romans 9:10–23 shows God’s sovereign right to show mercy and His righteous judgment to harden the stubborn - Can We Not Also Say That It Is God That Caused or Made the Unbeliever to Choose Not to Believe?
1) Direct Answer No—not in the same way. God is not the author of unbelief or sin. Unbelief springs from man’s own fallen heart and love of darkn
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What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Paradox
64-0206B §88
Look at Judas, standing there as a clergyman up here, just walking in the light. Had power to heal the sick. Matthew 10 proves it. He sent them out, and they come back rejoicing. And devils was subject unto them, Judas with them. That's right. He said, "Don't rejoice that the devils are subject; but your names are written on the Lamb's book of life." Judas was with them. But when it come to taking the full Word of God, he turned it down. So does people today, see. Jesus said, "Man shall live by every Word..."---not...
Questions and Answers, Part 3
64-0830M §85
...ber down in, I believe, down in ... where she come from, down in the land of Sheba where she came from, the people would come through, you know, and tell about great things that's going on, that they had a God up there that has anointed their king, and how the king was anointed of God. I don't believe she thought that Solomon's name---or God's name was Solomon, 'cause if she did, that would make her a pagan again. See? So, she could have did that. In her heart she could have thought that God was Solomon---Solomon w...
The uncertain sound
55-0731 §20
Jesus told the woman at the well, said, "You worship, you know not what. We Jews, we worship... We know that we worship God, 'cause salvation is of the Jew." Now, and then the woman began to explain to Him how "One said, 'In the mountain'; one said, 'Jerusalem.' He said, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the Father will seek worshippers who'll worship Him in Spirit and in truth. For God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth."
Questions and Answers
61-0112 §77
Now, let them stumble and let them block along a little while. Now, when you have to correct them, if they resent it then you know yourself it wasn't God, 'cause the Spirit of God is subject... As you got here... a little bit, "The spirit of prophecy is subject to the prophet," see. That's right. QUESTION: [Brother Stricker says, "Brother Branham, I'd like some correction."] All right, brother. ["Many times I've sat in services and I've heard speaking in tongues and interpretation, and most of the times I've felt v...
Go wake Jesus
63-1103 §20
And this big job laid between Him and the next day, and He knowed this. And so while the ship crossed the sea, He took the opportunity for a little rest. Now the brother pastor, here, and the other ministers, knows what it means between the morning meeting and the afternoon meeting. Many times, especially when you get a few rough miles like I have, you'd like to lay down and rest a few minutes, you know. It's just ... it's ... tired. And remember, Jesus was human--so much human He could die, so much human He could...