Free will or free men?
March 23, 2011
"In light of what we have considered, we see that it is inaccurate to talk about free will, as though there were an autonomous thing inside of us, capable of acting in any direction, regardless of the motives of our hearts. If such a thing existed -- a creature who made choices apart from the desires of the heart -- we would not applaud it as a paragon of free will but rather pity it as a collection of random, arbitrary, and insane choices . . . Choices made apart from the desires of the heart would be an exhibition, not of freedom, but of insanity . . . It is far more biblical to speak of free men than of free will...
"Slavery to sin is true slavery (i.e. the opposite of moral liberty). But even sin does not negate natural liberty. The slave to sin is free from righteousness, but is still not free from his own desires. Sin's slave loves sin, and consequently obeys his impulses. As a creature, the slave to sin is naturally free to do what he wants, which is to continue in sin . . . Like all men, he is not free to choose what is repulsive to him, and true godliness is repulsive to him"
Back to Basics, pp. 21 & 22
HT: Doug Wilson
"Slavery to sin is true slavery (i.e. the opposite of moral liberty). But even sin does not negate natural liberty. The slave to sin is free from righteousness, but is still not free from his own desires. Sin's slave loves sin, and consequently obeys his impulses. As a creature, the slave to sin is naturally free to do what he wants, which is to continue in sin . . . Like all men, he is not free to choose what is repulsive to him, and true godliness is repulsive to him"
Back to Basics, pp. 21 & 22
HT: Doug Wilson
