Ability or Inability

"It is within you." I think that is what he said. I think the context is within all of humanity. All people have the ability. Perhaps I missed it. Perhaps I need to get the CD and listen again. But I am very certain he said it.

It is within you to love God? It is within you to come to Christ? It is within you to obey God? Was he referring to some kind of "prevenient grace"? Even referring to John 15 "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." Whatever it was, he certainly had departed the text.

Let's see what Jesus and Paul had to say about human ability.

John 3:3 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Joh 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

Joh 6:65 And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father."

1Co 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Rom 8:8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

I hate to proof text, but there are other passages that speak of the inability of man. Lest we think too highly of ourselves, we might consider that a man has nothing to offer God. That is what makes grace so amazing.

Soli Deo Gloria