Deep Dive into Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - Man Has Now Been Deprived of Freedom of Choice and Bound over to Miserable Servitude

Following the fall, human will underwent a significant transformation, becoming enslaved to sin and inherently incapable of willing or performing spiritual good without God's grace. This is a central argument of theologians like Augustine and John Calvin, contrasting with philosophical views that often emphasized the power of human reason to guide a free will towards virtuous action.Philosophers generally believed that reason could illuminate and govern the will, allowing individuals to choose good despite sensory temptations. Some early church fathers also leaned towards this perspective, aiming to balance scriptural teachings with philosophical thought and encourage moral effort.However, Augustine and Calvin argued that sin's dominion has completely overtaken human nature. They described the will as bound by evil desires, rendering it "unfree" without the Holy Spirit's intervention. This "unfree will" is considered free only in its ability to choose sin, but lacks the power to choose righteousness on its own. True freedom, in this theological view, is not an inherent human faculty but a gift bestowed through God's grace, liberating the will from its bondage to sin.Both Augustine and Calvin viewed the common understanding of "free will" as dangerous, potentially leading to self-reliance and diminishing God's glory. They emphasized the absolute necessity of God's grace for any movement towards good. While humans retain natural faculties like reason, their spiritual discernment is fundamentally impaired without divine illumination. The natural inclination towards perceived "good" (well-being) is distinct from the ability to will true virtue, which requires the work of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, this theological perspective asserts humanity's complete dependence on God for both the desire and the ability to do good.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianPatreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed