Article X

Article 10 – Human Ability and Responsibility

1. In his original creation man was endowed with the ability to will and do good or evil and was accountable for his willing and doing.
   1. Gen. 2:16,17; And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
2. But through the fall of Adam man lost his ability, apart from God’s grace.
   1. Eph. 2:1-3; And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
3. To will and to do those things necessary for a right relationship with God.
   1. Rom. 3:11; There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
   2. Rom. 8:8; For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
4. However, he is still accountable to God for obedience to all of His commands.
   1. Rom. 2:6-10; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.
   2. Acts 17:30; And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.
5. Man has not lost his ability to make decisions,
   1. Deu. 30:11; For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
   2. Deu 30:19; I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
6. But left to himself, he acts only in accordance with his fallen, sinful nature.
   1. Rom. 3:10; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.
   2. Rom. 3:12; They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
   3. Jer. 13:23; Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
   4. See also section 2
7. Only by God’s infinite grace can man will or do anything necessary to his salvation.
   1. Rom. 9:16; So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
8. By that grace, God saves those men whom He causes to will and to do good.
   1. James 1:18; Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
   2. John 1:12-13; But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
9. However, He does this without nullifying man’s ability to act responsibly.
   1. Phil. 2:12,13; Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.