Understanding Christianity

What exactly is free will? How is natural liberty different than libertarian free will? Dr. Sean Cole explores Chapter 9 of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession which teaches how the will operates in the four states of mankind. First, how did free will operate for Adam before he fell in the Garden? Second, how does free will operate for sinners who have not been regenerated by the Holy Spirit but are still dead in their sins? Third, how does free will operate for a saved person who has the Holy Spirit living inside of them but still struggles with sin? Fourth, how does free will operate when we get to heaven and will live eternally in our glorified and perfect bodies? The rest of these paragraphs answer those questions, and they come from Augustine, who first articulated these four areas: State One: Adam Pre-Fall: He had the power NOT to sin and the power to sin. State Two: Unregenerate Man: Man lost the power NOT to sin and can only SIN and continue to sin. State Three: Regenerate Man: Saved