1. Let My Will Be Lost in Thine
Matthew 26:36-44

4. The Bondage of the Will
Jesus’ relationship to the Father was different than ours
He had a purely free will to lay before the Father
He was free in a way we are not—especially before salvation

5. The Bondage of the Will
Many people wrongly correlate the will’s ability in one area with all areas
Thus we use common language of saying people have “free will”
People wrongly assume that in “free will” people will give themselves to God

6. The Bondage of the Will This is surely not right
This is the heresy of Pelagianism
Our Baptist Faith and Message (statement of our beliefs), teaches that our wills have been affected—our entire nature has been affected by the Fall

7. “In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God.”

8. The Bondage of the Will Volitionally we do not seek God (Rom. 3:9-12)
Intellectually we do no understand God (1 Cor. 2:14)
Behaviorally we do not submit to God’s will (Rom. 8:7)

10. The Bondage of the Will
We are “free” moral agents, in that we are not compelled by God to do the wrong thing
We freely choose to turn from God; we love sin; we are bound by sin
We have MORAL INABILITY but not physical inability (Rom. 6:19-20; Mt. 23:37)

11. The Merciful Call of God
From the Word of God we see the pattern of God’s calling established early on
He came calling Adam and Eve in the Garden
He called Abraham
He called Moses
He called Samuel
Jesus called the disciples

12. The Merciful Call of God
With the coming of Jesus and now the Holy Spirit, God continues to call in two key ways
THE OUTWARD CALL OF THE GOSPEL—The Gospel always has an invitation to respond; it is a call to receive eternal life. “The Hour of Decision”
THE INTERNAL CALL OF THE SPIRIT

13. The Merciful Call of God
If the outward call was the only call nothing would ever happen in regards to people coming to have eternal life
The Holy Spirit effectually works with our wills so that we will be enabled to freely turn from sin to Christ

14. The Merciful Call of God
Jesus said we must be enabled (John 6:65)
The Spirit is the one who calls and enables
Rom. 8:30
Rom. 1:6-7
1 Peter 2:9
1 Cor. 1:26-30; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2

15. The Empowered, Dedicated Will
Our salvation is about more than just going to heaven
In salvation our wills are liberated and empowered to serve and obey God
Romans 6:16-23