Free Will

Does the Bible teach that people have “free will?”  That depends on how you define “free will.”  People do indeed have the ability in themselves to freely choose whatever they want.  The problem is that fallen human nature only wants to do what is sinful.  And every person born into this world has a nature corrupted by sin.  So, while people may freely choose what their nature desires, the only thing that nature desires to do is sin.  People do not have the ability in themselves to do what God’s law requires.  By nature, every person is hostile toward God and is not able to obey His laws (Romans 8:7).  In order to experience true freedom a person must be “born again,” they must have a new nature.