The 39 Articles of Religion: Articles IX & X

Article 10 states that, “The condition of man after the Fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon God.” It goes on to state that “without the grace of God preventing [that is, initiating or going before] us” we have no good (i.e. ‘free’) will, and that it is only through God’s working that we can have a good will. Christianity from the beginning has always upheld that humans are in bondage to sin, including our wills. Only three humans have ever been granted true, unadulterated free will:  Adam, Eve, and Jesus Christ. Two used their free will to reject God, while the third obeyed him with it.

All humans are born under Adam, with Adam’s sin tainting them (see Article 9, Of Original Sin) such that God has not given us ‘free will’ in the sense that we have a neutral or untainted capacity to choose or reject him if we so desire. In fact Scripture teaches quite the opposite, that God turned us over to a depraved mind and subjected us to futility (Romans 3:21ff; 8:20), specifically so that He and He alone might demonstrate himself as just and the justifier, and that sinners would know and rejoice that God has saved wretches like them. Such is the extent of sin’s corruption that even our wills are unable to choose the righteous things of God. If we could do so, then we could obey the law and obtain righteousness through it (the law). Then, Christ would have died for nothing (Gal 2:21). Instead we must receive a new righteousness through faith.

IX. Of Original or Birth Sin.

Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk;) but it is the fault and corruption of the Nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation. And this infection of nature doth remain, yea in them that are regenerated; whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek, Φρόνημα σαρκός, (which some do expound the wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection, some the desire, of the flesh), is not subject to the Law of God. And although there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized; yet the Apostle doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature of sin.

X. Of Free Will.

The condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith, and calling upon God. Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.