Westminster and Free Will

The Westminster Standards teach "Free Will."

What is meant is that Adam sinned by the exercise of his Free Will.  Likewise, men act in accordance with their nature, in exercising their wills freely, whether they are good or evil.  Evil men cannot rise to will the good, because they don't want to.  Those made good by grace can freely will the good, because they want to, but only in part, as they are empowered by the Holy Spirit.  In the resurrection we will be truly and entirely free to will only the good.

Thus, there are two senses of freedom when "Free Will" is spoken of.  The first sense is the ability of the uncoerced will to act in accordance with its own nature, whether good or evil.  The second sense, seeing that true freedom is only freedom to do the good, is that true freedom was only had by Adam before he sinned, and is only had by us in part, when empowered by the Spirit, and will be had by us perfectly in the resurrection.

True freedom (to freely do the good) and false freedom (to freely fall short) both take place within the sovereign ordinance of God.  So, every instance of true freedom acting to do the good is an act freely done which is ordained by God.  Do not miss this.  The acts, which to a free man are truly free, are from God's perspective ordained.  True freedom and divine sovereignty are simultaneous.

WCF 5:2 "Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably, and infallibly; yet, by the same providence, He ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently."

God immutably decrees the events which come to pass truly freely. The language of the Confession agrees that man is free to act in accordance with his nature, and that our good works are freely done, by the power of the Spirit.  Men are free, but God is most free.  Note the use of the term "most free" when reading the Confession.

From above, God governs through his providence, determining all things that come to pass.  From below, we are truly free to act in accordance with our nature.  And, if freed by Christ, we are truly free to do the good.

The Confession is not teaching determinism.  It is not teaching that there is no free will.  On the contrary, it is teaching that there is free will.  But, there is also divine sovereignty. The point here is that divine sovereignty and human freedom both are true.  The sovereignty of God is a mystery, because by his sovereignty he makes us truly free, in our own sphere, while remaining sovereign over all the actions of truly free men.

This mystery cannot be resolved.  Though it is an irresolvable mystery, it is also truth in which we can rest.  Any human attempt to resolve this mystery will lead to a distortion.  It will lead to a determinism which denies Scriptural freedom and responsibility in the Christian life, or to a determinism that denies God's free and well-meant offer of the gospel.

The mystery is manifest in Christ's own deportment.  Christ mourns over his rejection by Jerusalem, but then later sovereignly prays for "his own," and not for the world.

In the myriad sides of his own behavior, he shows himself the sovereign comforter in whom we can rest.

He infallibly calls many who hate him into his fellowship -- but not all.   Yet, he receives all those who desire him, and weeps over those who reject him.