Augsburg Confession: Of Free Will

IMG_2271-0.JPGAugsburg Confession Article XVIII: Of Free Will.

Of Free Will they teach that man’s will has some liberty to choose civil righteousness, and to work things subject to reason. But it has no power, without the Holy Ghost, to work the righteousness of God, that is, spiritual righteousness; since the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2:14; but this righteousness is wrought in the heart when the Holy Ghost is received through the Word.

These things are said in as many words by Augustine in his Hypognosticon, Book III: We grant that all men have a free will, free, inasmuch as it has the judgment of reason; not that it is thereby capable, without God, either to begin, or, at least, to complete aught in things pertaining to God, but only in works of this life, whether good or evil.

“Good” I call those works which spring from the good in nature, such as, willing to labor in the field, to eat and drink, to have a friend, to clothe oneself, to build a house, to marry a wife, to raise cattle, to learn diverse useful arts, or whatsoever good pertains to this life. For all of these things are not without dependence on the providence of God; yea, of Him and through Him they are and have their being.

“Evil” I call such works as willing to worship an idol, to commit murder, etc. They condemn the Pelagians and others, who teach that without the Holy Ghost, by the power of nature alone, we are able to love God above all things; also to do the commandments of God as touching “the substance of the act.” For, although nature is able in a manner to do the outward work, (for it is able to keep the hands from theft and murder,) yet it cannot produce the inward motions, such as the fear of God, trust in God, chastity, patience, etc.

One response to “Augsburg Confession: Of Free Will

  1. Or one can submit to Jesus’ teaching:

    “Apart from Me you can do no good (God) thing” — John 15:5

    “If you then, BEING EVIL, know how to give good gifts to your children…” — Matt 7:11

    Then you have the sabbath-pretending SDA’s who refuse to call themselves evil, but Jesus does, masquarading as commandment keepers, prancing around like they are Jesus-obeyers, sinning all the more. Total big, fat, juicy, hypocritical sin, canceling all their boasts of sabbath keeping, see James 2:10.

    They hear Matt 7:11, but fail to apply it to themselves, thereby deceiving themselves, see James 1:22. Being deceived is more big, fat, juicy, sabbath-negating, commandment-negating sin! Add to that the sin of idolatry — promoting a false christ and a false she-prophet in the case of Adventism. Promoting a false christ and false mediatrix in the case of Catholicism. False christ and false John Darby prophet ideations for all Dispensationalists. Ditto for Joseph Smith promotors and Charles Taze-Russell promotors

    It is true that those who venerate and pretend to observe OT law merely increase sin for themselves, see Romans 5:20. So much for claims of free will, plus, such claims are merely a failure to deny self, sinning even more against Jesus’ command to deny self. That is why He has the right to say “Get away from Me you lawless ones — I never knew you”, Matt 7:15-23. All connected to listening to false prophets!

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