Freedom of the Will

Lesson Five

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  

John 8:36

Speaking to a group of spiritually regenerated, spirit filled Christians, the apostle Paul reminds them (and us) in Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Reading further we find that Paul taught, You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13

We, having been born anew like those Galatian believers, now have the ability to choose right from wrong; good rather than evil; Christ rather than Satan. Our flesh, that is sinful nature, still inclines our wills to do wrong but the Holy Spirit inclines our will toward obedience to the commands of God. His power to direct our thoughts and actions is greater than that of Satan; and progressively so if we are in fact growing spiritually in Christ. We learn that undeniable truth if we study God’s Word and put it into practice.  John 8:31-32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Fallen humans always act in such a way that seems beneficial in their own eyes at a particular point in time. Fallen humans act according to their inclinations, which are defined as the “whole of one’s imagination, purposes and desires.” It is clear from a biblical perspective that a person’s freedom of the will is contingent upon his or her ability. I may choose to fly, but lacking aeronautically sound wings I fall short of the ability to do so. I may choose to shoot a sub-par round of golf but lacking the ability I fail. Before being born again I had no inclination toward repentance or seeking God’s direction in my life. Now I have both the inclination and the ability to follow God’s commands.

The elect (those chosen by God) are enabled by God to receive willingly, the offer of His Son as a payment for their sin and are so inclined (by the regenerating action of God) to seek and do His perfect will as revealed in Scripture. In John 1:12-13 we are taught, Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. We are not genetic children of God (natural descent), no human (friend, relative or even we ourselves) decided that we were to become part of God’s family, and it was not our earthly father who willed that for us, but it was our Triune God and He alone who bore us into His eternal family.