Paul, writing to the Romans, enters upon his argument for the grace of God against ‘free-will’ as follows: ‘The wrath of God’ (he says) ‘is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold down the truth in unrighteousness’ (Rom. 1:18). Do you not hear this general judgment against all men, but that they are under the wrath of God? What does this mean, but that they merit wrath and punishment? He assigns the reason for the wrath by saying that they do only that which merits wrath and punishment—that they are all ungodly and unrighteous, and hold down the truth in unrighteousness. Where now is the power of ‘free-will’ to endeavour after some good? Paul makes it merit the wrath of God, and pronounces it ungodly and unrighteous! And that which deserves wrath and is ungodly is endeavouring and availing, not for grace, but against it. (Luther, Bondage of the Will)
While it may not appear on the surface that Romans 1:18 and following is a formidable argument against ‘free-will and for free-grace,’ if we look a little deeper, Lord willing, we will see things a little differently. The will is only free to the extent that it is free from influences within it. The will is only free if it is free from both bad and good influences or powers which move it. If those things are true, then Romans 1:18 and following is demonstrative evidence that the human soul is in utter bondage to sin and cannot do anything apart from that sin. The only way that a soul in the bondage of sin that is set out in Romans 1 is grace and grace alone. Romans 1:16-17 sets out the Gospel as the power of God for salvation. It is not that the Gospel is the power of God and then we move to the ‘free-will’ of man who makes up what God lacks in order to save man, but the Gospel is the power of God for salvation. Romans 1:18-32 show us very clearly why the Gospel is the power of God and the power of God alone for salvation. Human souls are in bondage to sin because they are turned over to their sin and their hearts are hardened by God. Is the human soul free enough to free itself from the judgment of God?
Verse 18 tells us that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them.” The hearts of men are not just neutral in terms of God, but they hate God and work to suppress the truth about Him. Some of the truths about God that men hate are the power of God and the grace of God. The will of men who hate God and are trying to suppress the truth of God are not free to love God and to do all to His glory. These people are acting according to their own nature and that nature is fully against God. They work to suppress the truth of God in their minds, hearts, and lives of unrighteousness.
Romans 1:24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
What is the punishment of people who exchange the truth of God for a lie? They are given over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity. Verse 26 continues: “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions.” Verse 28 sets out the same thought as well: “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper.” What we see, then, is that those with sinful hearts desire and seek to suppress the truth of God and their punishment is to be given over to futile speculations and darkened hearts. They are given over to hardened hearts and depraved minds. They are given over to the lusts of their hearts and degrading passions. A passion is a strong desire that the soul follows along “passively.” In other words, a passion drives the soul rather than the soul being free to do what is holy, right and good.
What Romans 1:18-32 does, then, is set out what Luther says. It stands against the teaching of ‘free-will’ and the assertions that human beings must have it. The human soul is not free to overcome its own passions. The human soul is not free to overcome the power of God who is the One who turns the souls over to sin and darkened hearts. The soul is in bondage to sin and can do nothing right or good unless it is set from its bondage by grace and grace alone. The soul that is described in Romans 1:18-32 is a soul that is utterly dependent on grace to make it alive as it has nothing to make itself alive with. It is the soul that is dead in sins and trespasses and by nature is a child of wrath (Eph 2:1-3). It is a soul that must be made alive God and God alone as set out in Ephesians 2:4-10. It is a soul that cannot help itself at all and is utterly dependent on free grace rather than having a ‘free-will’ to assist.
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