Free-will changes the whole idea of Christianity and entirely perverts it. If Christ came to save that which is lost, free-will had no more place. God employs all possible motives—everything—to exert influence over the heart of man. Yet this only proves man’s heart to be so corrupt—his will so determined not to submit to God—that man will have none of it (Psa. 14:1,31<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.>> The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (Psalm 14:1)
3They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Psalm 14:3); John 3:3232And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. (John 3:32)).
It may be the devil who encourages man in his sin, but nothing can induce him to receive the Lord and forsake his sin. Of course, no one forces man to reject the Lord (John 5:4040And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. (John 5:40)). But man cannot voluntarily escape from his condition and choose the good, even though he acknowledges it to be good. He has no liberty whatever, for he is not subject to the law, neither indeed can be, so that they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom. 8:7-87Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:7‑8)).
Further, we ask: Is it the old man that is changed, instructed and sanctified, or do we, in order to be saved, receive a new nature? For myself, I see in the Word and recognize in myself the total ruin of man. The cross is the end of all means that God employed to gain the heart of man. Consequently, the cross proves the thing to be impossible. God, as it were, has exhausted all His resources; man has shown that he is wicked beyond recovery; the cross of Christ condemns man—sin in the flesh (Rom. 8:33For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (Romans 8:3)).
But this condemnation has been expressed in Another’s undergoing it. Thus, for those who believe, it is their absolute salvation. Life has come out of this condemnation in resurrection. We are dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:1111Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11)). The very word redemption loses its force if we allow these ideas of the old man.
Christianity teaches the death of the old man (Col. 3:33For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)), not an amelioration of or practical deliverance from that moral state. Redemption has been accomplished by Christ. A new life—eternal life—come down in His person is communicated to us when Christ enters into us by the Word.
False doctrines rampant in Christianity today teach that man can choose, and thus the old man is improved—made better—by the thing he has accepted. But this means that the first step is made without grace—an infinitely costly step in this case.
While I believe we ought to keep to the Word of God, philosophically and morally speaking, free-will is a false and absurd theory. Free-will is a state of sin. Man ought not to have to choose, as being outside good. He ought not to have a will—ought not to need to make a choice; he ought to obey and enjoy in peace. But why is he in such a state? If he has to choose good, then he has not got it yet. He is without that which is good in himself, at any rate, since he is not decided.
In fact, the truth is that man is disposed to follow that which is evil. What cruelty to propose the duty to choose good to a man who is already turned to evil (Rom. 3:1212They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:12))! Furthermore, to make a choice, he must be absolutely indifferent; otherwise, he has already chosen as to his will. Then, if he is indeed absolutely indifferent, what is to decide his choice? A creature must have a motive—yet he has none since he is indifferent. But if he is not indifferent to good and evil, then he has already made his choice.
In fact and in truth, it is not so. Man has a conscience, but he also has a will and lusts (Eph. 2:33Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:3)), and it is they which lead him. In the paradise of Eden man was truly free—but then it was in his enjoyment of good. Sadly, he made use of his free-will to choose evil, and consequently he is a sinner.
To leave him to his free-will now that he is disposed to only do evil would be cruelty. God has indeed presented to him the choice. But it was to convince his conscience of the fact that, in any case, man would have neither good nor God.
For man to believe that God loves the world is all right. But for man to refuse to believe that he is in himself wicked beyond remedy (and not withstanding the remedy) is very bad (Jer. 17:99The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9); Rom. 7:1818For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Romans 7:18)). They know not themselves and they know not God. The Lord is coming and the time for the world is passing away. What a blessing! May God find us watching and thinking of only one thing—of Him about whom God thinks—Jesus, our precious Saviour.
J. N. Darby (adapted)
Ed. Note: The original letter written by Mr. Darby on the subject of free-will is available in individual tract format, as well as in the 3volume set of his letters. A few Scripture references have been added as suggesting some of the many scriptures which support this true and vital teaching.