<> Ask the Pastor The Rev'd Walter Snyder Q: Can you please tell me the church's teaching about free will? Do we have free will at all times, or does God control our will? If we decide to "do God's will" and pray for God to direct us, to the extent that we succeed are we exercising free will? Is free will an important human attribute or is it something to be sublimated to that of God? (Sorry, that's more than one question, but I'm sure you get the gist). Sincerely interested in your reply. A: One of Martin Luther's most noted writings was ~The Bondage of the Will~. Following the ancient teachings of the Christian Church, especially those of St. Augustine, Luther emphasized that man is, by nature lacking a truly free will. We'll compare teachings along with some pertinent Scriptures so you can consider the various approaches. Please note that while the doctrines expressed are at the source of the teachings of many of today's churches, adherence to them and their modern interpretation may vary. To define free will, we must first decide whether we believe the doctrine of Original Sin. Thus, a person first asks Scripture whether it teaches total spiritual alienation, depravity, and death from conception and birth. This was the conclusion reached by St. Augustine and echoed by Luther and others. The same question will come into play if we discuss infant baptism and children's need for forgiveness. While rejecting fatalism, the Lutheran Church has said that the will of man is free only in the "civil" realm. Thus, I choose what to wear or whether to obey the speed signs; I cannot choose to come to God or to trust in him. The Scriptures say that man is "dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1)"; that "the carnal mind is enmity against God (Rom. 8:7)"; and that "no man can say Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3)." The spiritual good we "choose" to do is actually chosen and empowered by "God who works in you both to will and to do what is his good pleasure (Phil. 2:13)." Pelagianism--a heresy in the early church--claimed that Adam damaged only himself; his heirs are born in the same state as Adam. Thus, each is born sinless and with a will free to choose good or evil. This was later modified into semi-Pelagianism, which said that the "good" could start toward God, then God would take over the rest. Arminianism--named for Jacob Arminius--taught that man's free will could cooperate with God in salvation, although most of the work might be God's. Arminianism was espoused in Wesleyanism, which is the root of modern Methodism and related bodies, including part of the Baptist Church. Calvinism's Belgic Confession states, "Through....Adam, original sin is extended to all mankind...a corruption of the whole nature, and an hereditary disease, wherewith infants themselves are infected even in their mother's womb, and which produces in man all sorts of sin...; and...is so vile and abominable in the sight of God that it is sufficient to condemn all mankind." Such is taught by conservative Reformed and Presbyterian Churches, parts of the Anglican-Episcopal Communion, and others, including some Baptists. In Roman Catholicism, free will is defined as the freedom to either act or not act. Those who have full use of reason are saved only by cooperating freely with God's saving grace. Thus, in the fall man did not lose free will, since it is considered a natural rather than a supernatural gift. Lutherans sound much like Calvinists, with some differences. Following the above-quoted Scriptures, we believe that natural man is God's enemy; his will is so deformed as to be able to choose no good work, since no work is good which is done outside faith in Christ Jesus. But once man is converted, the Holy Spirit indeed "works in you both to will and to do" good. Thus follows the struggle of sanctification, expressed by Paul in Romans 7. He admits not understanding his actions, doing what he didn't want, and not doing what he wanted (7:15). His old nature ("flesh") had nothing good within it, denying his ability to do the right that his converted spirit desired. Paul's sinful flesh remained under God's condemnation. Yet Paul the New Man, the child of God, could say, "In my inner being I delight in God's Law, but all through the parts of my body I see another law fighting against the Law in my mind and making me a prisoner to the law of sin which exists in the parts of my body. What a miserable person I am! Who will rescue me from this body which brings death? (Rom. 7:22-24)" Paul was caught. His newly freed will was urged toward righteousness by God, but dragged into sin by his own nature. Yet he knew the answer: "Thanks be to God--He does it through our Lord Jesus Christ! So on the one hand I serve the Law of God with my mind, but on the other I serve the law of sin with my flesh. (7:25)" Free will? I leave you "free" to decide! I follow the line established by Paul: I cannot choose to save myself or to serve God. When God saves me, I am made new and gladly seek to love God and serve my fellow man. Yet even now, I am in bondage to my sinful nature, which tries to cast off God. I'm also in another "bondage," but it is the light yoke and the easy burden of following my Savior on the path to heaven. He freely willed to save me, and my will is his contented prisoner. Please write back if you'd like to consider this in more detail. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1998 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.