Does Man Have a Free Will?
This article addresses the apparent tension between Reformed teaching on total depravity and human free will by distinguishing between natural liberty (doing as one pleases) and true spiritual freedom (liberation from sin's bondage). Drawing on John 8 and the Canons of Dort, Laning argues that genuine freedom of the will is restored only when God infuses new qualities into the human will through His sovereign grace, making this a clarifying resource for understanding Reformed anthropology and soteriology.
Previous article in this series: September 1, 2013, p. 471. When people hear us say that an unbeliever is spiritually dead and completely unable to do good works, they sometimes ask us whether we are denying that human beings have a free will. The answer to that question depends on which human beings you are referring to, and what you mean by free. How our Lord explained freedom It is important that we speak of freedom and bondage the way that Scripture does. To be in bondage is to be a...
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