BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH 1689 - ARTICLE : 9. FREE WILL
THE ARTICLE STATES....
1.GOD HAS INDUED (FURNISHED) THE WILL OF MAN, BY NATURE, WITH LIBERTY AND THE POWER TO CHOOSE AND TO ACT UPON HIS CHOICE. THIS FREE WILL IS NEITHER FORCED, NOR DESTINED BY ANY NECESSITY OF NATURE TO DO GOOD OR EVIL.
EVERY SINGLE DAY..... EVERY SINGLE MOMENT WE MAKE E CHOICES. —WHAT TO EAT. WHAT TO WEAR. WHAT TO SAY. WHAT TO DO. HOW TO ACT. —YOU’VE MADE ABOUT A THOUSAND CHOICES BEFORE YOU EVEN ARRIVED HERE THIS MORNING! NOW ARE THOSE CHOICES YOU MAKE EVERY SINGLE DAY FREE OR ARE YOUR CHOICES PREDETERMINED BY GOD? OR IS THERE A MIDDLE GROUND WHERE BOTH FREE WILL AND PREDETERMINED CHOICES MEET?
THE CONUNDRUM OF FREE WILL.
• THREE VIEWS.....
• FATALISM - A BELIEF THAT A PERSONS LIFE AND CHOICES ARE TOTALLY AND UNUTTERABLY THE RESULT OF AND ENDLESS SERIES OF CAUSE AND EFFECT SET BEFORE HAND.
• LIBERTARIANISM – A BELIEF THAT A PERSONS ACTIONS ARE UNCAUSED BY ANY COHERSION WHATSOEVER (ALSO KNOWN AS INDETERMINALISM) THE AGENT IS THE FIRST CAUSE OF THE EFFECT OF HIS/HER ACTIONS.
• COMPATIBILISM - THAT A PERSONS ACTIONS ARE FREE BEING DETERMINED BY HIS OR HER OWN DECISIONS AND DESIRES.
WHERE DO WE STAND? I BELIEVE THE MIDDLE GROUND OF COMPATIBILISM IS WHERE SCRIPTURES POINT US TOWARD.
SO DO YOU HAVE A FREE WILL?
TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, WAYNE GRUDUM SAYS THAT THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO ASK IS WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE WORD FREE WHEN WE ARE DISCUSSING FREE WILL...
IF YOU MEAN, WE ARE FREE TO ACT OUTSIDE OF GODS SUSTAINING AND CONTROLLING ACTIVITY , A FREEDOM THAT INCLUDES BEING ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE NOT CAUSED BY ANYTHING EXTERNAL TO OURSELVES. SCRIPTURE REAFFIRMS TO US THAT IN NO SENSE ARE WE FREE TO CHOOSE IN THIS WAY.......
AFTER ALL... HEB 1:3. 3THE SON IS THE RADIANCE OF GOD’S GLORY AND THE EXACT REPRESENTATION OF HIS BEING, SUSTAINING ALL THINGS BY HIS POWERFUL WORD.
EPH 1:11IN HIM WE WERE ALSO CHOSEN,[A] HAVING BEEN PREDESTINED ACCORDING TO THE PLAN OF HIM WHO WORKS OUT EVERYTHING IN CONFORMITY WITH THE PURPOSE OF HIS WILL,
IF THIS IS WHAT YOU MEAN BY FREE WILL, FREE TO CHOOSE OUTSIDE OF GODS SUSTAINING POWER AND CONTROLLING ACTIVITY THEN WE WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF HIS PROVIDENCE AND WOULD CEASE TO EXIST.
BUT IF YOU MEAN BY FREE WILL - THE ABILITY TO MAKE WILLING CHOICES – CHOICES THAT HAVE REAL EFFECTS - FREE CHOICES THAT WE ARE AWARE OF NO RESTRAINTS ON OUR WILL FROM GOD. DECISIONS MADE IN ACCORDANCE TO OUR OWN DESIRES. IN THIS SENSE, IT IS CERTAINLY CLEAR FROM SCRIPTURE TO SAY WE HAVE A “FREE WILL.”
MATT 17: 12BUT I TELL YOU, ELIJAH HAS ALREADY COME, AND THEY DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM, BUT HAVE DONE TO HIM EVERYTHING THEY WISHED. IN THE SAME WAY THE SON OF MAN IS GOING TO SUFFER AT THEIR HANDS."
JAM 1:14BUT EACH ONE IS TEMPTED WHEN, BY HIS OWN EVIL DESIRE, HE IS DRAGGED AWAY AND ENTICED.
SO WE ARE NOT FREE TO CHOOSE OUTSIDE OF GODS SUSTAINING POWER AND CONTROLLING ACTIVITY BUT WE ARE ABLE TO TO MAKE FREE CHOICES, FROM OUR OWN DESIRES UNAWARE OF ANY RESTRAINTS ON OUR WILL FROM GOD.
• A.W. TOZER EXPLAINS IT THUS...... "AN OCEAN LINER LEAVES NEW YORK BOUND FOR LIVERPOOL. ITS DESTINATION HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY PROPER AUTHORITIES. NOTHING CAN CHANGE IT. THIS IS AT LEAST A FAINT PICTURE OF SOVEREIGNTY. (GODS SOVEREIGN PURPOSES)
•
"ON BOARD THE LINER ARE SCORES OF PASSENGERS. THESE PASSENGERS, THEY ARE NOT IN CHAINS, NEITHER ARE THEIR ACTIVITIES DETERMINED FOR THEM BY DECREE. THEY ARE COMPLETELY FREE TO MOVE ABOUT AS THEY WILL. THEY EAT, SLEEP, PLAY AND LOUNGE ABOUT ON THE DECK, READ, TALK, ALTOGETHER AS THEY PLEASE; BUT ALL THE WHILE THE GREAT LINER IS CARRYING THEM STEADILY ONWARD TOWARD A PREDETERMINED PORT (WHICH THEY HAVE ACCEPTED AS THEIR DESTINATION).
"BOTH FREEDOM AND SOVEREIGNTY ARE PRESENT HERE, AND THEY DO NOT CONTRADICT.
• SO IT IS, I BELIEVE, WITH MAN’S FREEDOM AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD. THE MIGHTY LINER OF GOD’S SOVEREIGN DESIGN KEEPS ITS STEADY COURSE OVER THE SEA OF HISTORY."
THE CORRUPTION OF THE WILL
THE ARTICLE STATES ......
1. MAN, IN HIS STATE OF INNOCENCY, HAD FREEDOM AND POWER TO WILL AND TO DO THAT WHICH WAS GOOD AND WELL-PLEASING TO GOD, BUT HE WAS UNSTABLE, SO THAT HE MIGHT FALL FROM THIS CONDITION.
HERE WE SEE REFERENCE IS GIVEN TO (GEN 3:6) ACCOUNT OF THE FALL OF MAN . HERE ADAM AND EVE HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND HAD THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE TO OBEY OR DISOBEY GOD MADE MAN UPRIGHT (ECCL7:9)
BUT ADAM AND EVE WERE UNSTABLE AND CHOSE TO DISOBEY. ORIGINAL SIN ENTERED INTO HUMANITY THIS WOULD SYSTEMATICALLY EFFECT OUR OWN CHOICES THROUGHOUT HUMAN HISTORY AS ALL ARE BORN WITH A FALLEN NATURE INHERITED FROM ADAM AS OUR FEDERAL HEAD IN PARTICULAR OUR ABILITY TO CHOOSE GOD – WE ARE UNABLE TO DO SO.
2. MAN, BY HIS FALL INTO A STATE OF SIN, HAS COMPLETELY LOST ALL ABILITY OF WILL TO PERFORM ANY OF THE SPIRITUAL GOOD WHICH ACCOMPANIES SALVATION. AS A NATURAL MAN, HE IS ALTOGETHER AVERSE TO SPIRITUAL GOOD, AND DEAD IN SIN. HE IS NOT ABLE BY HIS OWN STRENGTH TO CONVERT HIMSELF, OR TO PREPARE HIMSELF FOR CONVERSION
• EPH 2:1-5 THE NATURAL MAN IS SPIRITUALLY DEAD UNABLE TO CHOOSE GOD.
ON 26TH JULY I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A FRIEND OF MINE WHOSE HUSBAND HAD JUST DIED I WAS CALLED OUT TO THE A+E DEPT. WE MUST HAVE BEEN THERE A GOOD WHILE, AND SHE WANTED TO LEAVE, BUT SHE COULDN’T DRAW HER SELF TO GO.... WE HAD PRAYED, CHATTED, SHE CRIED, SHE REMINISCED, SHE WAS SEEKING REASSURANCE FROM HER HUSBAND THAT IT WAS OKAY TO LEAVE .... SHE KEPT ASKING HIM IF IT WAS OKAY FOR HER TO LEAVE.....BUT HE WAS DEAD UNABLE TO COMFORT HER AND REASSURE HER IT WAS OKAY TO LEAVE. IN THE END SHE TURNED TO ME AND I COMFORTED HER AND REASSURED HER IT WAS OKAY TO LEAVE AND WE LEFT TOGETHER.
FRIENDS THE SCRIPTURES STATE WE ARE UNABLE – TO CHOOSE GOD - WE ARE ALL CORRUPT BY NATURE – DEAD IN OUR TRESPASSES AND SINS - OUR OWN WILLS ARE BIASED TO DO WRONG.
THE CONVERSION OF THE WILL.
THE ARTICLE 9 CONTINUES TO STATE..
3. WHEN GOD CONVERTS A SINNER, AND TRANSLATES HIM INTO A STATE OF GRACE, HE FREES HIM FROM HIS NATURAL BONDAGE TO SIN, AND BY GRACE ALONE HE ENABLES HIM FREELY TO WILL AND TO DO THAT WHICH IS SPIRITUALLY GOOD. BUT BECAUSE OF HIS REMAINING CORRUPTIONS HE DOES NOT ONLY (OR PERFECTLY) WILL THAT WHICH IS GOOD, BUT ALSO WILLS THAT WHICH IS EVIL.
SO GOD INTERVENES - BECAUSE WE ARE SPIRITUALLY DEAD IN OUR TRESPASSES AND SINS (EPH 2:1-4) WE NEED TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE..... SO IN AND THROUGH CHRIST GOD HAS CHOSEN PEOPLE TO BE SAVED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST (MARK 13:20, ROM 8:33, 11:5, 1THES 1:4, 1PET1:2, 2:9) ” EPH1:4, 11.)
BY GRACE GOD ENABLES US FREELY CHOOSE CHRIST , TO BE BROUGHT BOUGHT BACK TO LIFE , THE SPIRIT CONVERTS AND BRINGS ETERNAL LIFE. WE MAKE THE CHOICE, WE CALL UPON HS NAME TO BE SAVED BUT IT IS BECAUSE GOD IS AT WORK.
(BEHIND THE SCENES). REMEMBER WHAT JESUS SAID TO NICODEMUS ABOUT THE NEW BIRTH JHN 3:1- 8 YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN - V8 A WORK OF GODS SPIRIT - AS THE WIND BLOWS –WHERE IT WISHES – AND YOU HEAR ITS SOUND – BUT YOU KNOW NOT WHERE IT COMES FROM OR WHERE IT GOES.
THE CONFLICT OF THE WILL . (GAL 1:17)
THE ARTICLE CONTINUES....
4. WHEN GOD CONVERTS A SINNER, AND TRANSLATES HIM INTO A STATE OF GRACE, HE FREES HIM FROM HIS NATURAL BONDAGE TO SIN, AND BY GRACE ALONE HE ENABLES HIM FREELY TO WILL AND TO DO THAT WHICH IS SPIRITUALLY GOOD. BUT BECAUSE OF HIS REMAINING CORRUPTIONS HE DOES NOT ONLY (OR PERFECTLY) WILL THAT WHICH IS GOOD, BUT ALSO WILLS THAT WHICH IS EVIL.
GAL5:17FOR THE SINFUL NATURE DESIRES WHAT IS CONTRARY TO THE SPIRIT, AND THE SPIRIT WHAT IS CONTRARY TO THE SINFUL NATURE. THEY ARE IN CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER, SO THAT YOU DO NOT DO WHAT YOU WANT.
IN OUR CONVERTED STATE WE ARE ABLE TO THAT WHICH IS SPIRITUALLY GOOD - WE ARE FREE TO CHOOSE TO PLEASE GOD TO LIVE FOR HIM - BUT VESTIGES OF OUR OLD NATURE ARE PRESENT SO WE ARE ALSO ABLE TO MAKE WILLING CHOICES TO DO THAT WHICH IS EVIL, THERE IS NOW A CONFLICT WITHIN OUR NATURE...... WE ARE NOT PERFECT.
CONSIDER A WAR SETTING IN IRAQ FOR INSTANCE THE WAR AGAINST SADAM HUSSEIN HAS BEEN VICTORIOUS , YET THERE ARE STILL SMALL POCKETS OF RESISTANCE TAKING PLACE, TRYING TO UNSETTLE THE NATO FORCES.
AND SO IT IS WE HAVE BEEN VICTORIOUS WE HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED INTO A STATE OF GRACE – OUR BONDAGE TO SIN HAS BEEN FREED – AND WE ARE FREE NOW TO THAT WHICH IS SPIRITUAL GOOD. BUT OUR OLD NATURE IS STILL PRESENT AND RESISTANCE IS PRESENT IN OUR CURRENT STATE AS BELIEVERS.
THE CONSUMMATION OF THE WILL EPH 4: 13.
THE ARTICLE STATES
5. THE WILL OF MAN WILL ONLY BE MADE PERFECTLY AND IMMUTABLY FREE TO WILL GOOD ALONE IN THE STATE OF GLORY.
HERE UPON EARTH WE ARE BEING BUILT UP THROUGH THOSE MINISTERS GOD HAS APPOINTED TO MINISTER TO GODS PEOPLE V11- 12 BUT OUR WILLS ARE NOT PERFECTED, WE STILL HAVE THE PROPENSITY TO CHOOSE EVIL. V13 UNTIL WE REACH UNITY OF THE FAITH AND OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD, TO BECOME MATURE, ATTAINING THE WHOLE MEASURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST.
AT THE CONSUMMATION OUR WILLS WILL BE PERFECTED ABLE TO CHOOSE GOOD ALONE, GLORIFIED FOREVER.
