Lord’s Day, June 28, 2026, Man’s Free Will

Romans 8 sets the contrast plainly: to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. The Canons of Dort put that same truth into confession form, not as a Protestant slogan or a Reformed specialty, but as the truth of God's Word. Total depravity does not mean that man is as bad as he possibly can be. Total depravity means that every part of man is stained with sin, his thoughts, his words, his actions, his mind, heart, and will.

The question of free will has to begin with the question, what man? Created man was made in the image of God, furnished with true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. Adam had a truly free will. He was able to sin, and he was able not to sin. Adam was tempted, but he was not compelled. Adam freely chose to go against the law of God.

That fall changed the condition of man's will. Fallen man can still make ordinary choices, like choosing Rice Chex or Captain Crunch, but fallen man cannot choose God in the matter of salvation. Romans 8 says the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God, does not submit to God's law, and indeed cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Man's will is not neutral. Man's will is bound in sin, hardened against God, and always freely choosing against him.

Scripture does not describe sinful man as merely sick, wounded, or struggling to stay afloat. Ephesians 2 says man is dead in trespasses and sins. The gospel is not God throwing a life preserver to someone who still has enough strength to grab it. The true picture is a dead man at the bottom of the ocean, and God coming to that dead man and bringing him back to life. Sin does not need a Band Aid, a splint, or a balm. Sin needs resurrection.

Adam's corrupt nature was passed on to his children, not merely by imitation, but by propagation of his perverted nature. Therefore all people are conceived in sin, born children of wrath, unfit for saving good, inclined to evil, dead in sin, and slaves to sin. Yet Romans 8 also gives the hope: the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead gives life. God takes dead sinners and makes them alive in Christ, and that renewed will begins to desire obedience, gratitude, and the glory of God.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Total depravity stains every part Total depravity does not say that fallen man commits every possible evil. It says that sin has reached the whole person, so that mind, heart, will, words, and actions are all corrupted. That truth removes any idea that salvation can begin from some untouched spiritual corner inside man. [41:02]
• 2. Free will depends on which man Created man had a true freedom, able to sin and able not to sin. Fallen man still makes real choices, but his will is no longer free toward God. The question is not whether man chooses, but whether dead, hostile, flesh-bound man can choose saving good apart from grace. [44:39]
• 3. Fallen flesh cannot please God Romans 8 does not merely say that sinful man fails to please God. It says that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. That word “cannot” is the hard edge of the doctrine, because the problem is not weak effort but spiritual inability. [48:56]
• 4. Sin needs resurrection, not repair The picture of a drowning man grabbing a life preserver still gives fallen man too much life. Ephesians 2 gives the truer picture: dead in trespasses and sins, then made alive by God. Grace is not assistance offered to the nearly helpless, but resurrection given to the dead. [52:37]
• 5. Renewed wills follow after God The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead also gives life to those who belong to Christ. That new life does not leave the will untouched, but begins to bend desire toward obedience, gratitude, and God's glory. The redeemed person therefore does not boast in a wise choice, but in the God who made the dead alive.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [37:15] - Romans 8 And Life In The Spirit
• [38:47] - Man’s Fall And Corruption
• [40:44] - Total Depravity Properly Understood
• [42:31] - The Question Of Free Will
• [43:12] - “Whosoever Will” And Scripture
• [45:02] - Created Man Had True Freedom
• [46:37] - Adam’s Free Choice To Sin
• [47:41] - Fallen Man Still Makes Choices
• [48:56] - The Flesh Cannot Please God
• [51:48] - Dead In Trespasses And Sins
• [55:12] - Not Drowning, But Dead
• [56:49] - Corruption Passed To Adam’s Children
• [58:17] - The Spirit Gives Resurrection Life
• [60:23] - All Glory Belongs To God

Bible Reading

Romans 8:5-8
“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” [49:33]

Ephesians 2:1-5
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” [52:55]

Romans 8:9-11
“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” [58:32]

Observation questions

1. In Romans 8:5-8, what contrasts are made between the mind set on the flesh and the mind set on the Spirit? [49:04]
2. According to Ephesians 2:1-5, how is man’s condition described before God makes him alive with Christ? [52:37]
3. What ordinary example was used to show that fallen man still makes real choices, even though he cannot choose God for salvation? [48:16]
4. In Romans 8:9-11, what repeated role does the Spirit have in the life of the believer? [58:24]

Interpretation questions

1. Romans 8 says the mind set on the flesh “does not submit” to God’s law and “indeed, it cannot.” What does that word “cannot” show about the problem of sin—is it mainly unwillingness, inability, or both? [49:16]
2. If Adam was created with true freedom and freely chose to sin, how does that help explain why fallen man still chooses voluntarily, yet never chooses saving good apart from grace? [46:37]
3. Ephesians 2 describes sinners as dead, not merely weak or wounded. How does that change the way grace should be understood? [53:16]
4. Romans 8:9-11 connects new life to the indwelling Spirit. What does that suggest about where a new desire for obedience comes from? [59:16]

Application questions

1. Total depravity means sin stains thoughts, words, actions, heart, and will. Which part of life is easiest to excuse as “not that serious,” and what might honest repentance look like there? [41:14]
2. Fallen man can make many daily choices, but cannot choose God apart from grace. Where is there a temptation to trust in personal wisdom, effort, or spiritual self-improvement instead of depending on God to give life? [48:35]
3. Those in the flesh cannot please God. Is there an area of outwardly good behavior that may still be driven more by pride, fear, or appearances than by love for God? [49:22]
4. Sin needs resurrection, not repair. When thinking about personal sin, is there a tendency to ask for a small fix when what is really needed is deeper renewal? What would it look like to ask God for that kind of help? [58:45]
5. The Spirit gives life and begins to bend the will toward obedience. Where has there been even a small new desire for holiness, gratitude, or love for God that should be recognized as the Spirit’s work? [59:24]
6. Adam’s corruption is passed on to his children, and all are by nature dead in sin. How does remembering that shared condition affect the way fellow sinners are viewed—especially difficult people, unbelieving family members, or children being raised? [57:14]
7. The one who has been made alive in Christ does not boast in a wise choice, but in God’s mercy. In what area of life is there a need to replace self-congratulation with gratitude and praise? [01:01:08]