Truth's Transforming Power
"And the truth shall make you free!"
John 8:32
Paul J. Bucknell
Index
#1 Drifted Away from the Truth
#2 Developing Confidence in the Truth
#3 Being Set Free by the Truth
A. Have we really drifted from the truth?
3. What is the difference between bondage and freedom of will?
The bondage of the will
The world says: Inhibition of expression
The Lord says: Sinning against God
Luther popularized this term, 'the bondage of the will.' Man is not free. He is constrained by his corrupted conscience, knowledge, heart, and mind. In this condition, his will can in no way be considered free but is best seen as chained up. This heart condition will affect his behavior and reveal this through sinful actions.
For them, freedom is that ability to live out what they believe to be true. Freedom of expression has become the world's prized moral for life. Anyone who takes away from this becomes as an oppressive Lord. This explains, in part, the intensity of animosity between those who want to see freedom of expression and those who see those 'freedoms' threatening their own freedoms to do what is right and good.
The Freedom of the will
The world says: Expression of self
Lord says: Obeying God
'Freedom of will' does not mean one has to choose one or the other way. Because of Adam's sin, all people inherit a sin nature. They do not have a free will. His depraved heart, conscience, and mind make it impossible to have a free will. This is the argument between Arminius and Calvin several hundred years ago. The real evidence is set against us because of man's propensity to sin (John 8:31).
