- God endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that it is neither forced, nor by any absolute necessity of nature determined to good or evil.
Matt. 17:12; Jas. 1:14; Deut. 30:19.
- Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good, and well pleasing to God; but yet mutably, so that he might fall from it.
Eccl. 7:29; Gen. 1:26; Gen. 2:16-17; Gen. 3:6.
- Man, by his fall into a state of sin, wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: so as that, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.
Rom. 5:6; Rom. 8:7; John 15:5; Rom. 3:10, 12; Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 2:13; John 6:44, 65; Eph. 2:2-5; 1 Cor. 2:14; Titus 3:3-5.
- When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He frees him from his natural bondage under sin; and, by His grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; yet so, as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he does not perfectly, nor only, will that which is good, but also wills that which is evil.
Col. 1:13; John 8:34, 36; Phil. 2:13; Rom. 6:18, 22; Gal. 5:17; Rom. 7:15, 18-19, 21, 23.
- The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone, in the state of glory only.
Eph. 4:13; Heb. 12:23; 1 John 3:2; Jude 24.