How Free is the Will pt 2
- We should speak of free agency instead of free will.
o Free-will, generally speaking, refers to man’s inherit ability to choose either good or evil.
§ This affects the scriptural view of man which states man does NOT have any ability to choose good.
· Romans
o Free agency refers to man’s ability to make free choices in accordance with who he is.
§ Our choices are always a reflection of the heart, agreeing with what we think and feel.
· Another way of saying it–man will choose what he pleases.
§ This is the kind of freedom everyone has and is the reason we are accountable for our choices.
- God does not prevent man from coming to Him or believing in Him.
o Man has the physical ability and mental capacity to come and believe in Him BUT….
§ Man loves his sin and hates God.
o In fact, because man does understand God’s truth and realizes the demands of the gospel, he does NOT want to come.
§ Look at the Pharisees and the Jews in the gospel of John who understood Jesus’ teaching.
· They were offended by what Jesus was saying.
o They understood it and rejected it.
§ See also Romans 1:18-21.
o So man’s problem does not relate to his physical or mental ability - man's problem is his moral inability.
§ Man has NO innate desire to repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.
· For a fuller study see our original study on sin and its effects.
o Do we deny that people have a choice? No!
§ Everyone has a choice
· What’s the problem then?
§ People do not want to choose God, but they do want their sin.
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