One of the greatest offenses to modern Americans is the notion that we do not truly have a free will, especially as it relates to salvation. Our society as a whole is caught up in pride — pride in our sexual orientation, pride in our country, and ultimately, pride in self. Even a large portion of Christians hold to a foundational belief of a completely free will, particularly as it is found in salvation.  And while it is not absolutely essential to salvation to understand the nature of the will rightly, we should as Christians seek to see ourselves clearly.

Of course, we do have the ability to make moral decisions within the framework of our lives, the surrounding environment, and the various influences that affect our decision-making skills. However, the Bible makes clear that we are slaves to our sin and so it would be incorrect of us to truly see ourselves as having a completely free will. You can see this most clearly in those most obvious addictions (sex, drugs, etc.).  And yet, I would argue that we all have many more addictions that are utterly subtle and permanently overlooked, though they clearly impede our alleged free will.  Whether it be an addiction to food, money, or even Facebook, I would argue that the word addiction is underused in our world.  We are slaves to the fleshly desires within us.  And what I find most interesting is that these subtle addictions do not offend our sensibilities as much as a sovereign God does.

What I would ask you to do, if you are a Christian, is consider how you became a Christian.  Is it fair to suggest that God did not lead you to Himself?  If God were not actively engaged in drawing you to Himself, would you ever choose Him?  I would argue that not a single person on the planet would actually submit to God without God granting them the gift to do so.  In fact, Jesus says as much (John 6:44).  The real difficulty that we have with a God that is sovereign in salvation is that we somehow believe it is not fair.  And yet, Paul answers this challenge by upholding God’s sovereignty (Romans 9:14-16).

For the sake of argument, let’s say we do have a free will in salvation.  Let’s say that at any moment, should we choose to, we could decide to go to God of own free will to ask for forgiveness.  In that scenario, can we still say we are truly free?  As I stated in the opening two paragraphs, we humans are addicts, slaves to our fleshly desires.  Even if God leaves the ultimate “decision” up to us, it is nonetheless a result of God’s will to save us in that it is only through His drawing us to Him that we can even submit to God.  So, whether you are a full blown Calvinist or not, your will is not completely free.  Even if you believe God has left the ultimate decision up to you, there should be no doubt that left to your own devices, you would never actually choose God.  And thus, your sinful will must be broken before you can be saved.

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