Are humans "free"?

This is a tough question because "freedom" has different contexts. Political freedom is often tied to democratic, representative governments, free press, and market capitalism--people are in control of themselves in their nations to a great extent. Personal freedom is tied to independence--perhaps having a car or means of transportation and a sense of autonomy. Religious freedom is connected with an opportunity to discern and pursue different religious avenues. Yet Christians could affirm that one who is lacking political, personal, and religious freedom could still be spiritually free. By this Christians mean that this person is free to respond to their circumstances as Jesus would respond, empowered by his Spirit. This person is free to love, be joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and in control of their reactions. In short, they are free to choose their response.

But don't we think that everyone is free to choose what they do? Christians traditionally have said No. People are not free to choose what they do--they do not have "free will" because humans have an inward bent--they are "depraved." "Depraved comes from a Latin word that means to bend or make crooked. Humans, each and every one of us, are bent toward ourselves. Christians have not only affirmed this depravity, but a total depravity, meaning that every part of us is bent toward ourselves. John Drury says that total depravity does not mean that "we are as bad as we possibly could be, but rather there's no 'safe' part of us that we can count on as innocent and good over against our fallen parts." This means that humans are not free to choose; we choose what's best for ourselves because we are bent inwards.

This sounds like a bad situation, but by God's grace, it's not. While humans are not free in themselves, because God is at work in the world, we see elements of selfless activity. We see people sacrifice their own time, money, strength, life for others without thought of their own well-being. What does this mean for our discussion of freedom?

John Wesley affirmed that freedom is restored to humanity by the grace of God. Were it not for God's empowering grace, human freedom is completely lost. Yet God's grace enables the "first faint desire" (John Wesley) we have for God--and for others. Any sign of love is a sign of God's grace.

Notice what this means, then. It means that one can only choose to sin when God's Spirit is at work in that person. If God's Spirit is not at work, then one doesn't choose to sin; one acts in their slavery to sin. The only time we choose to sin is by the power of God enabling that choice in the first place. So, why does God graciously enable people in whom his Spirit is at work to sin? Because it's in that graciously restored freedom that God works with us to conform our wills to the good, to God. That's the free response of love that God is wanting and which he makes possible.