Hi, Brothers – I guess I didn’t express myself very well, because I don’t think I disagree with any of what you three have said.
Yes, I agree that I can choose whether or not I commit this or that particular sin. However until I have reached complete freedom in Christ, I can’t choose whether or not I will EVER commit sin. If I COULD choose that, well then, I DO choose it right now! Just a couple of days ago I fell prey to an “outburst of wrath” upon discovering one of my dogs on the picnic table chowing down on the bread I had only JUST set there to cool a bit! I barely turned my head and she wasn’t even close when I set it down, but there she was!!! Aaargh!!! I was soooo angry. My husband and everyone else thought it was hilarious when I told them what had happened. He pointed out what I of course knew, that she is “just” an animal. But really, it’s not as if it had been a squirrel. SHE did know better.
Anyway I’m getting off track. The point is that I was out of line. (note – I didn’t hit the dog – didn’t want to – I’m not THAT mean!) But, I’d never have acted that way if anyone but the dog had been around and I would be ashamed for anyone to have seen (or heard!) me. But in a very real sense, I did not consciously CHOOSE to sin. It just sort of . . . happened. In order NOT to do that, I’ll have to watch myself and consciously CHOOSE NOT to sin.
So, I guess my point was that I think we progressively grow into freedom of will. My littlest grandson does have a will (which he’s not entirely responsible for as of yet). He is very good at saying NO! But he doesn’t have a lot of freedom. He can SAY no, but he doesn’t get what he demands. He can hit his sister, but what he really wants – that is, to feel good instead of cranky and angry, is beyond his little abilities. He is not free to live by the Spirit of God or even by the dictates of his conscience. He’s largely a slave to his immediate desires and impulses. As he grows he will have both more freedom and also more responsibility. (I’m speaking only on a human scale here – not trying to imply any spiritual maturation process in the natural development of a child, though of course that can be concurrent.) So while he is now “free” to do whatever he can do, he can’t actually DO much. And the thing he, and everyone else, truly desires – joy, or at least happiness – is beyond his grasp. He doesn’t even know how to PURSUE happiness beyond the next few moments.
In the same way, the natural man is slave to his natural desires and impulses. He may, as a mature adult mortal human being, choose whether or not to harm another person. But what he truly desires – to achieve happiness and (typically) immortality with that happiness, is beyond his ability to even know HOW to pursue. He is a slave to this natural realm and however he may try, there is only one way out of that slavery – by the strength of Another. He needs a champion. He cannot save himself from sin. Yes of course he can choose whether or not to smoke or drink or fool around with wanton women. But he cannot choose whether or not to sin at all.
Yes, God is angry with the wicked every day. And He was angry with King David, who chose to do a very wicked thing, for which he paid dearly for the rest of his life. But David resorted to his God when he was made to see his wickedness, and that is what all sinners must do, because that and that alone is the way to freedom.
I still don’t know whether I’m making any sense here to anyone beyond myself. Let me try another example . . .
If my little grandson hits his older sister in my presence, then I AM angry with him. I’m not angry because I think he is ready to control his impulses, but because it is wrong of him to hit her and I want him to stop doing that. Can he help what he did? In a general sense, probably not – he just isn’t in control of himself yet. But my scolding and instruction and even my anger are meant to teach him the self control he needs to learn in order to behave in a loving manner in his relationships. It’s not that I sit down and say to myself, “This boy deserves my anger because he’s acted unrighteously and he consciously chose to sin.” In fact, he probably DOES deserve my anger, but that’s not why I’m angry with him. I’m angry because he’s been unloving to his sister and I need him to stop.
And I should probably stop here too! Hopefully I’ve managed at least in small part to explain better what I meant.
Love, Cindy