Free Will? Its In Bondage

It's good to have Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries back after months of health problems and hospitalization.

Here is a challenging article on the Bondage of the Will from which this quote is taken:

In closing this out, for now, let me point you to Recovering Reformation Theology: Rejecting Synergism and Returning to Monergism by Christian apologist Bob DeWaay. Keeping all of this in mind you’ll see that DeWaay begins with the core issue and is dead-on-target when he says:

Please realize that free will is more of a philosophical concept than a theological one, though it has theological implications… free will is not the simple solution to many important theological issues that many people think it is… I will be discussing two alternative definitions of free will. The first is the typical definition demanded by Arminians (those who believe that a free will choice to believe brings about salvation): “The ability to choose between options, either of which could be actualized by the act of choosing.” The second definition was proposed by Jonathan Edwards: “The ability to choose as one pleases”…

Free will is assumed from passages that teach human responsibility… [because of a ] most important problem: free will is never directly addressed in the Bible. Even in passages where prophets and others asked God why He allowed so much evil to harm the innocent, it was not discussed. The answer was never that God was committed to the principle of free will and determined that allowing evil was a necessary by-product of free will…

End quote. (emphasis, mine)

I say that there is no neutrality toward God and sin for any person at any time. Ever. This is supported by numerous passages, not the least of which is Romans 3 and Eph. 2.

Is there such a thing as "free" will? No, we are all enslaved to that which we obey:

Rom 6:16  Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

And "free will" is not an issue anywhere in the Gospel presentation in Scripture, by the way. You won't find it anywhere, even in Acts where we see great and powerful evangelizing. The will is not addressed, but the command is given. The inability is proven by the command to believe and obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ and those whom God regenerates, are given the ability to respond to the Gospel by faith (Lydia in Acts 13 is a good example). Those who will not respond, prove their inability and condemnation. The Gospel is an aroma of life to one, and death to the other.