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Okay, our next question is on 
free will. So how do we explain that differently 
than the Armenians? I don't know who wants to take 
that one on. Go ahead. Yeah, so I just will start with 
an anecdote. I think when I was becoming reformed, 
I used to not think that we believed in a free will. And someone said, 
after I talked to him about Romans 9, well, what about free will? And I laid into him pretty good. 
And I realize now that I didn't know as much as I should have, 
especially when it comes to really the doctrine of man. I know there's 
a lot of subjects we like to study, the doctrine of God, eschatology, 
salvation, but perhaps the doctrine of man kind of gets push to the 
side a little bit. And so as I understand it, with 
the nature of the debate in the 17th century, it doesn't really 
have anything to do so much with that we have a free will, but 
whether or not man in his state of sin can be inclined toward 
that which is spiritually good. And so we believe we have a free 
will. Our confession talks about that in chapter nine of the confession. 
We believe that God has endowed us and given us that will. It's one of the faculties of 
the soul with the intellect, and the intellect and the will 
work when we choose, when we make decisions. And so I've heard 
it said that as the intellect knows, so the will goes. And 
so we could say that the will is that desire, that inclination 
for that which is good, which flows out of our knowing that 
which is good. And the free aspect refers to 
the fact that we're not coerced. Our confession also says God 
doesn't offer violence in chapter three of the decree. And so we 
are free from coercion, free from compulsion. So we do believe 
we have a free will and we were made and inclined toward that, 
which is good. But the problem is that Adam 
sinned. And so now that will is only 
inclined toward that which is sinful and wicked. And that's 
why we need it to be changed. And so Psalm 110 does say that 
the Lord makes them willing in the day of his power. And so 
we praise the Lord that he does regenerate our hearts and changes 
our will towards that which is good. But we definitely believe 
that we do have a free will and God has made us with that will. 
No debate there, but really over what can man do in a state of 
sin. Yeah, I think I would add to that too, there is free will, 
it's just where is man in terms of as a creature before God. So, usually we make a fourfold 
distinction with reference to man. Man prior to the fall, so 
what Adam had in terms of free will, and then you have man after 
the fall, what we have as a result of Adam's sin affecting his posterity. and then you have man in a state 
of grace and then man in a state of glory. So, the will of man 
is free, but man on the continuum needs to be located so that we 
know what it is he's capable of choosing. So, as Mike said, 
in that state of sin, The carnal mind is enmity against God. It's 
not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. Jesus says, 
no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws 
him. So obviously the will is bound. And so, we need to be 
freed, we need to be liberated, and that's the grace of God that 
gives us the ability then to will in the right direction, 
to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. So, free will is right, 
it's true, it's biblical, but it needs to be qualified in terms 
of where man is relative to his own sin and his place before 
God. Yeah, so in evangelism and preaching, 
even though we know sinners are all depraved, and we know we 
depend on the grace of God that they will listen and will come. 
Right. And I think there's a good sort 
of, at least an illustration of that at the gravesite of Lazarus, 
when Jesus issues the command, come forth, he has the power 
to enable compliance with that command. So, when we call sinners 
to believe and repent, we're not appealing to their free will. 
we're appealing to God's free grace, trusting, hoping, and 
praying that he will open their ears and their hearts to receive 
the truth and then come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Pete Yeah, perfect. Thank you.