Of free will, part 4

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Day 112 of 365

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Confession of Faith

Chapter 9: Of Free Will

4. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin;¹ and, by his grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good;² yet so, as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he doth not perfectly, nor only, will that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil.³

Colossians 1:13

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

John 8:34

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

John 8:36

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Romans 6:6-7

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.

(ESV)

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Philippians 2:13

for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Romans 6:14

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 6:17-19

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

Romans 6:22

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

(ESV)

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Galatians 5:17

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Romans 7:14-25

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

1 John 1:8

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 1:10

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

(ESV)

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Copyright © 2015–2026 Tim Hopper. Based on Calendar of Readings in the Westminster Standards by Dr. Joey Pipa. Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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