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Regeneration does not make a man perfect
To the Editor:
When we say that man has a free will, what does that mean?
Free will means that man is not forced to do by some external force something that he does not want to do. It means man is free to do what he wants within the limits of his ability.
Liberty and ability are not the same. Man may have the Liberty to do but not the ability to do what is right or evil toward God.
Man's will is a faculty of his soul or personality. Will is determined by the soul and cannot escape the moral character out of which it comes.
Man originally had a sinless personality and desired only what was pleasing to God. He had both the liberty and ability to do what was right or wrong before God. When man fell (sinned) he still had the liberty but not the ability to do what was right or wrong before God. He had the liberty to do right but only the ability to do evil (Gen. 6:5; 8:21; 1Cor. 2:24). Man after the fall had no desire to please God and could not because he had only the ability to do evil (Rom. 8:6-8).
Because of man's spiritual deadness he must be given the ability by God to desire to please Him. God by his Grace by the Holy Spirit gives man a new heart (personality) and the ability to please Him. Since he again has both the liberty and ability to please God, being presented the Gospel he has in his heart the desire to please God.
Regeneration does not make man perfect because the ability to do evil is still within him (Rom. 7:21-23). But as he grows in grace by the Holy Spirit his desire to please God grows stronger and the desire to do evil is less. Even though the liberty is there, full redemption comes when he is glorified with Christ and his only desire and ability will be to please God and glorify Him forever.
Jim Batt
Mexico, Pa.
It takes courage
to be vulnerable
To the editor:
Tip of the hat to my kind friend, Brian Carson. It takes courage and stamina to share life experiences. "Complete" openness to spare others from consequences from less than healthy choices.
Aside from our friendship, I admire his gift of communication, Earnest Hemmingway being one of his role models. Able to tell it simply without fanfare. Simply put...with "style"!
Love you, my friend. Keep writing. It's a gift and so are you.
Tom Fletcher
Lewistown