Of Free Will

I. God has endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced, nor, by any absolute necessity of nature, determined good, or evil.[1]

II. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom, and power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God;[2] but yet, mutably, so that he might fall from it.[3]

III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation:[4] so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good,[5] and dead in sin,[6] is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.[7]

IV. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, he frees him from his natural bondage under sin;[8] and, by his grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good;[9] yet so, as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he does not perfectly, or only, will that which is good, but does also will that which is evil.[10]

V. The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to do good alone in the state of glory only.[11]

Reference texts

[1]. Deut 30:19; Mat 17:12; James 1:14.

[2]. Gen 1:26; Eccl 7:29. • [3]. Gen 2:16-17; 3:6.

[4]. John 15:5; Rom 5:6; 8:7. • [5]. Rom 3:10, 12. • [6]. Eph 2:1, 5; Col 2:13. • [7]. John 6:44, 65; 1 Cor 2:14; Eph 2:2-5; Titus 3:3-5.

[8]. John 8:34, 36; Col 1:13. • [9]. Rom 6:18, 22; Phil 2:13. • [10]. Rom 7:15, 18-19, 21, 23; Gal 5:17.

[11]. Eph 4:13; Heb 12:23; 1 John 3:2; Jude 1:24.