ELECTION VS FREE WILL - THE MOST HATED DOCTRINE, PT 3

 

Part 3: Slaves to Sin

“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.” — Romans 6:6

In this final installment of the Election vs. Free Will series, we turn to a crucial question: How can humanity possess true free will if Scripture declares that we are “slaves to sin”? The Apostle Paul repeatedly emphasizes this reality in Romans 6:6, 6:16, 6:17, and 6:20—our natural state apart from Christ is not one of moral neutrality or spiritual freedom, but one of bondage. Before redemption, our master is sin itself, and behind that tyranny stands the adversary, Satan. We are bound by our fallen nature, enslaved to the desires of the flesh, and incapable of choosing righteousness on our own.
Through the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross, however, the elect are redeemed and liberated. By grace, we are set free from the dominion of sin and made alive in Christ. The chains of spiritual bondage are broken, not by human decision, but by divine intervention. As a result, those who were once captives to sin are now servants of righteousness, delighting to obey the will of God (Romans 6:18).

A Transformed Will, Not a Forced One

One of the most common objections to the doctrine of Election is the claim that God forces people into salvation against their will. Yet this misunderstands the nature of divine grace. God does not drag sinners into the kingdom “kicking and screaming.” Rather, through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, He transforms the will itself. Regeneration does not coerce; it renews.

Apart from this transforming grace, no one can or will come to Christ. As Jesus Himself said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). Salvation requires more than mere intellectual assent—it requires a new heart. The prophet Ezekiel spoke of this divine transformation centuries earlier:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes.” — Ezekiel 36:26–27

This new heart is the gift that enables faith. Only after the Spirit softens and renews the heart can a person respond to the gospel. The response of faith is genuine, but it is made possible solely by God’s preceding work of regeneration.

The Potter and the Clay

Paul anticipates the objections that arise from this doctrine in Romans 9, where he reminds us of the Creator’s absolute sovereignty over His creation:

“What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So, then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” — Romans 9:14–16

God is the Potter, and we are the clay. The clay does not determine its purpose; it yields to the hands of the Potter. Some vessels are formed as instruments of mercy, others as vessels of wrath—all according to the counsel of His perfect will. This truth may humble us, but it should never lead us to despair. Instead, it magnifies the mercy and love of a God who chose to redeem any of us at all.

Paul echoes this same truth in Ephesians 1:11–12:

“In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”

And again in 2 Thessalonians 2:13:

“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.”

These passages remind us that salvation is not an act of human willpower but an outpouring of divine mercy. From beginning to end, salvation is the work of God alone—planned by the Father, accomplished by the Son, and applied by the Holy Spirit.

As we conclude this series, we are left with awe at the majesty of God’s sovereign grace. The doctrines of Election and Free Will are not opposing truths but complementary ones: God’s sovereignty and human responsibility coexist in perfect harmony within His redemptive plan. Understanding this mystery leads us not to pride or division but to worship—for salvation truly belongs to the Lord.

Series Conclusion: The Sovereign Grace of God

As we conclude this three-part study on Election and Free Will, one truth stands unshaken: salvation belongs entirely to God. From eternity past, the Father chose His people in Christ; the Son accomplished their redemption through His death and resurrection; and the Holy Spirit applies that redemption, calling the spiritually dead to new life.

Scripture leaves no room for boasting. Humanity, enslaved to sin and powerless to seek God on its own, is rescued solely through divine grace. What begins with election in eternity culminates in regeneration and sanctification in time and will one day be perfected in glorification. Each stage reveals the harmony of God’s will and human responsibility—a mystery that humbles the intellect and stirs the heart to worship.

The doctrine of Election is not meant to divide or discourage but to deepen our awe of God’s mercy. It reminds us that every believer is a living testimony of sovereign grace—a soul once dead, now alive; once enslaved, now free; once blind, now able to see the glory of Christ.

May this truth lead us, not to debate for its own sake, but to adoration—to fall before the God who saves, and to echo the Apostle Paul’s doxology:

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” — Romans 11:36