We all agree that no external force coerces the will of man. People have died rather than forced to choose something contrary to their convictions or feelings.
However, their concept of "FREE" will is a will that is FREE from any internal forces or coersion within the human nature. They believe the human will sits upon a throne as a soverign "god" within the human nature and abritrarily has ability to choose that which is contrary to both the inclinations of human rationale and feelings combined.
It is certainly true that the human will can choose contrary to the inclinations of one or the other (rationale versus emotions) but not contrary to both.
Here is their fundemental problem. The will is not free from internal coersion by either rationale or emotions. Indeed, the human will is nothng more or less than an absolute servant for expressing man's intellect and feelings. It may be expressed by one over the other but it cannot express anything contrary to both, because it has no existence, much less freedom from both. Indeed, the only two Greek words translated "will" in the New Testament are (1) boulomai - determinate will; (2) Thelomai - emotional choice. No other option exist because no will exists apart from rational determination or emotional determination.
The human will is not only the absolute slave of human rationale and emotions but it is wholly enslaved to a totally depraved human rationale and emotions.
Their problem is that the Bible teaches that the unregnerated man's rationale and emotions are in complete servitude to sin, dominated by sin, enslaved by sin in so much they are spiritually "dead in tresspasses and sin." In so much that the whole inner mind set (emotional/volitional) is at war with God and is not subject to the will of God and neither indeed can be and that is precisely why the unregenerated man cannot "please God" (Rom. 8:7-8) and one must come to God by "faith" to please God (Heb. 11:6).
Therefore, they do not merely believe in a "free" will but a "sovereign" will who has not only final decision over man's depraved nature but over the new nature in addition to the indwelling Person of the Holy Spirit. No such will exists in the universe.
The new birth is a CREATIVE work that gives a NEW HEART (Ezek. 36:26) or a new intellectual emmotional disposition that is created in "righteousness and true holiness" and NEVER inclined to choose contrary to the Spirit of God. In the reborn person the will to do evil does not originate from this new inward man but from indwelling law of sin:
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
It would seem to me, that anyone believing that the human will is independent of a depraved mind and heart before and after regeneration should be able to easily see that what really needs to be saved from sin is the human will since it is ultimately that which would damn the whole human being.
However, their concept of "FREE" will is a will that is FREE from any internal forces or coersion within the human nature. They believe the human will sits upon a throne as a soverign "god" within the human nature and abritrarily has ability to choose that which is contrary to both the inclinations of human rationale and feelings combined.
It is certainly true that the human will can choose contrary to the inclinations of one or the other (rationale versus emotions) but not contrary to both.
Here is their fundemental problem. The will is not free from internal coersion by either rationale or emotions. Indeed, the human will is nothng more or less than an absolute servant for expressing man's intellect and feelings. It may be expressed by one over the other but it cannot express anything contrary to both, because it has no existence, much less freedom from both. Indeed, the only two Greek words translated "will" in the New Testament are (1) boulomai - determinate will; (2) Thelomai - emotional choice. No other option exist because no will exists apart from rational determination or emotional determination.
The human will is not only the absolute slave of human rationale and emotions but it is wholly enslaved to a totally depraved human rationale and emotions.
Their problem is that the Bible teaches that the unregnerated man's rationale and emotions are in complete servitude to sin, dominated by sin, enslaved by sin in so much they are spiritually "dead in tresspasses and sin." In so much that the whole inner mind set (emotional/volitional) is at war with God and is not subject to the will of God and neither indeed can be and that is precisely why the unregenerated man cannot "please God" (Rom. 8:7-8) and one must come to God by "faith" to please God (Heb. 11:6).
Therefore, they do not merely believe in a "free" will but a "sovereign" will who has not only final decision over man's depraved nature but over the new nature in addition to the indwelling Person of the Holy Spirit. No such will exists in the universe.
The new birth is a CREATIVE work that gives a NEW HEART (Ezek. 36:26) or a new intellectual emmotional disposition that is created in "righteousness and true holiness" and NEVER inclined to choose contrary to the Spirit of God. In the reborn person the will to do evil does not originate from this new inward man but from indwelling law of sin:
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
It would seem to me, that anyone believing that the human will is independent of a depraved mind and heart before and after regeneration should be able to easily see that what really needs to be saved from sin is the human will since it is ultimately that which would damn the whole human being.
