On the Bondage of the Will
Latin: 'De Servo Arbitrio', literally, "On Un-free Will", or "Concerning Bound Choice"), by Martin Luther, was published in December 1525. It was his reply to Desiderius Erasmus's De libero arbitrio diatribe sive collatio or On Free Will, which had appeared in September 1524 as Erasmus's first public attack on Luther, after being wary about the methods of the reformer for many years. At issue was whether human beings, after the Fall of Man, are free to choose good or evil. The debate between Luther and Erasmus is one of the earliest of the Reformation over the issue of free will and predestination.
Erasmus's argument
Despite his own criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church, Erasmus believed that the church needed reformation from within and that Luther had gone too far. Erasmus had asserted that all humans possessed free will, and that the doctrine of predestination was not in accord with the teachings contained in the Bible. He argued against the belief that God's foreknowledge of events was the cause of events, and held that the doctrines of repentance, baptism and conversion depended on the existence of free will. He likewise contended that gracesimply helped humans come to a knowledge of God and supported them as they used their free will to choose between good and evil - choices which would lead to salvation through the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Content of Luther's response
Luther in response maintained that sin incapacitates human beings from working out their own salvation, and that they are completely incapable of bringing themselves to God. As such, there is no free will for humanity because any will they might have is overwhelmed by the influence of sin. Central to his analysis, both of the doctrines under discussion and of Erasmus's specific arguments, are Luther's beliefs concerning the power and complete sovereignty of God. Luther concluded that unredeemed human beings are dominated by Satan; Satan, as the prince of the mortal world, never lets go of what he considers his own unless he is overpowered by a stronger power, i.e. God. When God redeems a person, he redeems the entire person, including the will, which then is liberated to serve God. No-one can achieve salvation or redemption through their own choices—people do not choose between good or evil, because they are naturally dominated by evil, and salvation is simply the product of God dominating a person and forcibly turning them to good ends. Were it not so, Luther contended, God would not be omnipotent and would lack total sovereignty over creation, and Luther held that arguing otherwise was insulting to the glory of God. As such, Luther concluded that Erasmus was not actually a Christian.
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Comments: 9
I think the boys got it wrong :)
God says in Eccl 3:15 that he lives in 3 dimensions of time.
All of your yesterdays and all of your ending days plus today are before the throne of God. That's what he says.
None of us deserve salvation (which I'm sure you agree:) because God said we are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. That was one of the best things I learned when I accepted Christ.
I had always suspected that about myself but God already knew it and wanted me anyway! Happy Days!
Since we died in Adam, God allowed our old sin nature to corrupt. He says we will start all over. That He would give truths to those that love truth. When we accept Christ and He comes into us He brings us a whole new nature. A perfect one that will live forever.
But of course, we still have the old one and it is complaining and demanding attention all the time and wanting it's own way. So the fight is on :)
God looks and sees all the days of your life right now. Once we're a child of God he said He would never forsake you or leave you.
He already knows we're a mess so He rolls up His sleeves and begins to, little by little, change us into the Sons we were born to be :)
John "They are so consumed with this notion of being a filthy rag and sinner that they loose sight of the glory of God."
Hmmmm. That's funny John. It works the opposite to me. I'm not worse or better than anyone. God knows exactly what I am & gave me new life. His expectation is for me to love Him; learn to know Him through talking to Him and reading His word, and let Him change me. I never have to worry about my own wickedness anymore. I know He gave me perfection when I was reborn with the everlasting live of Christ. All my evil is gone. Up till I was 22 I figured I was going to hell and was scared all the time.
It's true people sometimes get caught up in rules and regulations, but they pretty much rest in the fact that our eternal life was just given to us, don't you think?
Since time doesn't pass for God, when He creates someone, He somehow creates or allows a whole life of changes to happen immediately. He sees the end, from the beginning. He said it is all before Him.
Is it predestination or free choice? It's closer to being both rather than neither. Several places, especially Romans 1, tell how God has definitely revealed Himself to every person through nature.
When the Apostles had been sent through one of the cities, and returned, the Bible said when all who were called, accepted Christ the men left.
God still at some time in their life revealed Himself to each of the lost. They said 'no' the day they were created in God's sight, so their choice was made even if we don't see it down here. God sees it. So He sent the men in to ring out the gospel to those that He already knew would receive Him..
So in the future, they rejected Him but God knew from the beginning and only CHOSE TO CALL those that wanted Him.
We have only 1/2 of a time dimension here. we go, minute by minute into one direction, never ceasing. When you realize He has dimensions we don't have, it helps you understand more of what you're reading.
I believe God said 'I saw Satan fall from heaven..." but he doesn't do that till later in Revelation. But to God all things exist now. If Satan will ever fall from heaven, then he has already fallen :)
this is not allowed in collaborative artworks