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In the beginning, it is said that free will (definition) was granted man since he was created in the likeness of God, (Image of God) Simply put, free will is the freedom that God has granted man to either do His “will’ or not. Thus, in Biblical terms, it is said that to obey is righteousness while to disobey is to sin. Some thought that it involves the will to do what other created beings can do, however, that does not involve a free will, for it pertains to design. God designed His creation based on purpose, thus not all His creation is alike, some can fly in the air, some can walk upright, some walk on fours, some implanted, some not visible, etc.
However, man lost his free will when he chose to disobey God in the “fall,” Gen 3. Thereon man lost, as well, his original nature (Image of God) and thereby adopted the fallen nature (likeness of Adam), then carried over from Adam to his sons and to the next generations thereafter. Wherefore this ailed man unto the present time. (Romans 3:10-12, Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3) In Paul’s writings, he attributes it to what he termed the flesh (Greek-Sarx; by extension human, humankind, with a focus on the fallen human nature, which is frail and corrupt in contrast to immaterial (spiritual) things, thus the NIV (1984) translation sinful nature, e.g. Rom. 7:5; 8:8 & 9 [see Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by W.E.Vine, M.A., FLESH (g) pg. 448] ); other translation renders it as the “sinful nature.” Paul describes it however as “sin living in me” (Romans 7:15-17). Now, this affects man’s free will in a way‒not the freedom of choice (definition)‒as it prevents man mainly in his ability to obey God. (Rom. 7:19)
Nevertheless, this did not negate accountability. For indeed, as we can see from Adam and even among His chosen people (Israel), their responsibility towards God’s “will” was not annulled despite the said impairment (Romans 5:13-14 cf. Deut.30:19-20).
Now this calling from God for man to be drawn (Greek-helkó, see DRAG, No.2. HELKOÚ, HELKÓ, John 6:44; 12:32, see Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by W.E.Vine, M.A. Pg.338) to Him in the New Testament, relates to man’s own discretion as the freedom of choice remains at hand, as has been said, what was suppressed is the Will, as a man cannot carry out the good he chose to do, which we now know, was on account of the “flesh” (sinful nature). To resolve the matter, God sent His son Jesus, to tear down the “flesh” (Col. 2:11; Rom. 2:28, 29; 1 Cor. 15:1-4); that whosoever (choice/decision) accepts Him by faith, as his Lord and Savior, of course, shall be restored the "free will" that has been granted in the beginning before the fall, man's original design. Through this, He provided man with a [re-]new nature, so to speak whereby he may now freely do his preference to obey God's will, see Rom.6:4-6; Rom.6:12-14; Eph. 2:10. Thus, it is said that we have freedom in Christ, not to indulge the flesh for we’re still able to do so, but instead to use the freedom unto righteousness, which otherwise we cannot without the [re-]new nature (Gal. 5:13 cf. John 8:34).
From the above, it is very plain to see that with a new nature (Eph. 4:24 cf. Eph. 2:10), the man now has the freedom to do “freely” what God has ordained him to do, as was in the case of Adam in the beginning, (Gen. 5:1-2 cf. 1 Cor. 15:49) if he so chooses.
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