Abolishing The Myth Of Free Will
Human kind conceived and born in sin perceives that one has a choice between doing good and doing evil. This is the way things appear to be. It is a lie and self deception to hold to such a myth. However because we are enslaved to it we cannot see that we are so enslaved. As a consequence we cannot see that we are enslaved to sin.
Intervention has to come from the outside in order for us to see our enslavement. This comes from the Holy Spirit who using The Law of God (Ten Commandments) smashes our illusions and exposes our condition as it really is.
Paul sets this out in the 7th Chapter of Romans where he writes, “…if it had not been for the law, I should not have known sin. I should not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin finding opportunity in the commandment (9th and 10th Commandments), wrought in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died…” Continue reading through Chapter Seven. What Paul describes is our hopeless state. We cannot do the good period. All we can do is evil. Thus Free Will simply does not exist!
Whenever Scripture writes that something applies to all people it means there are no exceptions. If Scripture declares that all are equally sinners then it means there are no exceptions. But Free Will demands that there be exceptions. Otherwise there is no choice to be made. If one person can do the good then Free Will exists. But Scripture declares again and again and again that such a person does not exist.
Romans Chapter Three is loaded with references to the fact that no one does good, no one is righteous, no one is seeking for God (3:11). In verse 9 Paul writes, “for I have already charged that all men… are under the power of sin. No one and all take care of the entire human race.
Isaiah shuts off any avenue of escape when he writes, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” 64:6. The argument of Free Willers that some do righteous deeds is defeated by Isaiah head on. The best that we do is filthy. Women’s periods with bloody discharges is referred to here. The “polluted garment” was the tampon used in Isaiah’s day.
The rich young ruler who approached Jesus was stuck in Free Will. (Mark 10:17-18). He called Jesus, “Good Teacher,” and then went to say, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Notice he did not see Jesus was God in the flesh. Secondly he saw Jesus was only human and because the rich man was ensnared by the lie of free will saw Jesus as a good person. Thirdly, because of the lie of free will he believed he could do something to get eternal life.
Jesus’ reply confounds him at every point. “And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alonge.”(verse 18). Jesus rejects the title “good teacher” because denies Jesus divinity. Secondly he rejects the lie of free will by declaring that no one is good but God alone.
Then Jesus elaborates on the fact that good cannot be done by humans by putting the Law right at the young man.
The response of the part of the man shows how we, stuck in free will, cannot see our dilemma. Contrast that with Paul in Romans Seven where confronted by the Law he is “killed.” Why did Paul “see” the problem and the rich man did not? The difference is not rooted in the person. To think that it is rooted in the person would suggest the person has “Free Will.” But Free Will simply does not exist. The difference does not lie with Paul and the rich young man. The difference lies with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit moves where he wills. In the case of Paul there came a time when the Holy Spirit moved. And we know about that narrative in the Book of Acts.
In the case of the young ruler we don’t have any further narrative. We know that at this point the Holy Spirit had not so moved. Maybe the Holy Spirit moved in this man’s life later on. But we have no knowledge of that.
Because it is totally the work of the Holy Spirit, Martin Luther (I believe) wrote, “The end of free will is the beginning of faith.” That is, when one “sees” free will for the lie that it is, this is the beginning of faith because all of this taking place is the work and only the work of the Holy Spirit.
Luther says it so well in his Small Catechism, explanation to the 3RD Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel enlightened with His gifts and sanctified and kept me in the true faith…”
The Law kills us dead. The Spirit gives us new life which is Christ Himself as our life. All this is God’s doing in Christ through the Holy Spirit.
As Paul would remind us, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we too might live a new life.” (Romans 6:3-4).
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). As Martin Luther wrote in his treatise entitled, “The Babylonian Captivity of the Church:” “One thing only, as I have said, has been enjoined upon us to do all the days of our lives-to be baptized, that is, to be put to death and to live again through faith in Christ.” That is what the Law does every day. It convicts of sin and puts us to death. And in death it gives us Christ as our Life! All of this is by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Article By: Richard J. Smith
A special thanks to Pastor Shawn for sending this article into PM Notes.
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