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Chapter 9, I'll begin reading 
in paragraph 1. God hath endued the will of man 
with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice that 
is neither forced nor by any necessity of nature determined 
to do good or evil. Man in his state of innocency 
had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good 
and well-pleasing to God, but yet was mutable so that he might 
fall from it. Man, by his fall into a state 
of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual 
good accompanying salvation. So as a natural man, being altogether 
averse from that good and dead in sin, is not able by his own 
strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto. When God converts a sinner and 
translates him into the state of grace, he freeth him from 
his natural bondage under sin, and by his grace alone enables 
him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good. 
Yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruptions, he doth 
not perfectly nor only will that which is good, but doth also 
will that which is evil. This will of man is made perfectly 
and immutably free to good alone in the state of glory only. Amen. Well, certainly the doctrine 
of free will is a much debated teaching that the Bible presents 
and persons have grappled with throughout the history of the 
church. It's not just an intramural debate wherein Calvinists and 
Arminians or Calvinists and Pelagians disagree, but obviously outside 
of the church. Philosophically, persons in general, 
they all have this idea of free will and what it means. I appreciate 
that our confession of faith and that the church as a whole, 
by incorporating such statements in confessions of faith, have 
confessed what scripture teaches concerning free will. So if somebody 
were to say to you, oh, you're a Calvinist or you're Reform, 
you must deny free will. That's not true. That's not correct. That's not accurate. It's very 
helpful and very important that we define our terms and understand 
what we mean by free will. And so this teaching, or this 
chapter, is very essential in understanding God's plan of salvation, 
redemption through our Lord Jesus. It comes in a particular setting 
within the confession itself. Remember that if we were to outline 
the confession, chapters 7 to 20 deal with the covenant. The 
covenant is defined in chapter 7, the covenant mediator is set 
forth in chapter 8, and chapter 9 provides the particular context 
in terms of the expression of the covenant of grace. It highlights 
man's will as created. man's will fallen, which necessitates 
covenant grace, man's will renewed, which is the application of covenantal 
grace, and then perfected, which consummates covenantal grace. So it's in a particular place 
as a result of the ingenuity of the original framers. There 
is progression, logical progression within the confession of faith 
where doctrines build upon one another. So as we look at this 
particular chapter, I think first we see a general statement in 
paragraph 1, and then paragraphs 2 to 5 outline the fourfold state 
of man. Notice the general statement 
in paragraph 1. God hath endued the will of man 
with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice. 
So in the first place, we ought to appreciate that free will, 
however we define it, is from God. In other words, man does 
not operate in some sort of a vacuum wherein God cannot touch him. 
God created man in a particular way, and as the Confession says, 
He hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty and 
power of acting upon choice. You can have a cheeseburger for 
dinner, or you can have pizza. Perhaps you might go with a better 
option and have a salad. But whatever it is, you have 
the ability to choose. So man does have natural liberty 
and power of acting upon choice. It goes on to say that is neither 
forced nor by any necessity of nature determined to do good 
or evil. Now, I think there's a world 
of theology and philosophy in this particular statement. I 
just didn't have a world of time to sort of look into it. But 
I think what we see here is that man by nature or man as man, 
it's not a mechanistic view. It's not a formulaic view. He 
doesn't respond in particular ways because that's the way he's 
been sort of formulated to do. Notice specifically, nor by any 
necessity of nature determined to do good or evil. So I think 
this would be helpful in terms of discussion with reference 
to sin in man, whether it's genetic or hereditary or all that sort 
of thing. As I said, I think philosophically 
and in terms of just real life issues, I think that latter portion 
of paragraph 1 in chapter 9 really does need to be fleshed out and 
detailed Perhaps next time around, Pastor Porter can take a stab 
at that and give us, you know, Jonathan Edwards and the various 
sorts of things concerning the freedom of the will. But I want 
to focus on the fourfold state of man, and essentially this 
is what the Bible says concerning free will. Again, we can't just 
sort of have this definition of free will and plug it in with 
reference to man, irrespective of where man finds himself, because 
it's not that free will or this liberty and power of acting upon 
choice isn't there. It's just conditioned by, not 
by nature, but with reference to his own heart and the predilection 
to do evil, we have to understand man before God in these various 
places so that we can have a proper understanding of free will. Note 
in the first place the state of innocency in paragraph 2. Man in his state of innocency 
had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good 
and well-pleasing to God. This is called the pre-lapsarian 
state. Lapsarianism has to do with the 
fall. We have pre-lapsarian prior to 
the fall, post-lapsarian after the fall. This is the pre-lapsarian 
state, and it highlights the reality that God made man upright. You can turn to Ecclesiastes 
chapter 7, where we ought to see this presented very clearly, 
very candidly in terms of God's creation, our original integrity. Ecclesiastes chapter 7, verse 
29, Solomon says, truly this only I have found, that God made 
man upright. that they have sought out many 
schemes." Now, the rest of the confession in this chapter will 
flesh out this seeking out of many schemes, but we need to 
appreciate this. God made man upright. He made 
man in His image. He made him in this state of 
innocency, and specifically, this means that He had the state 
wherein man was able to sin and not to sin. Now, the reason I 
say he's able to sin is the latter portion there of paragraph two, 
but yet was mutable so that he might fall from it. Genesis 3.6 
is the proof text there. He was mutable. We say that God 
is immutable. God cannot change, but man is 
mutable. He was mutable so that he might 
fall from it. So this is the state wherein 
man was able to sin and able not to sin. So Adam did have 
that capacity to not sin against God. Now this state, this was 
the state wherein man was unconfirmed. He was not confirmed in this 
inability to sin state. He was mutable so that he might 
fall from it. Van Dixhorn says, we have a natural 
liberty that our wills are free in a genuine sense, although 
not in an unqualified sense. So even at the original creation, 
this is true, a natural liberty that our wills are free in a 
genuine sense, although not in an unqualified sense. In other 
words, Adam had mutability. Adam had the capacity to fall. 
Adam had the capacity to transgress against God. So he's made upright, 
but he seeks out many devices. So this is man in the state of 
innocency. Notice, secondly, man in the 
state of sin in paragraph 3. Man, by his fall into a state 
of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual 
good accompanying salvation. So this is the post-lapsarian 
state. And notice what he loses. He 
loses all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying 
salvation. So it's not the case that he 
always does everything that's as bad as it can possibly be, 
but he has lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying 
salvation. And this is important to understand. 
This is the whole sort of argument that Martin Luther launched against 
Erasmus in his bondage of the will. The will is ultimately 
dictated, not mechanistically, not in terms of behavioralism, 
not in some sort of materialistic way, but because the heart is 
in rebellion against the living and true God, The will willingly, 
if I could say that, follows the heart. Because the heart 
is bound, because the heart is at enmity with God, the affections, 
the will, the mind, everything follows suit from that particular 
point. And we see plenty of places in 
the New Testament that highlight this lack of or this loss of 
ability. You can turn to the book of Romans. 
the book of Romans, just to highlight this loss of ability. This is 
the state wherein man was not able not to sin. So the first 
state, he's able to sin, able not to sin. In this particular 
state, he's not able not to sin. In other words, that's our default 
position at this particular juncture. Because of Adam's rebellion, 
because we died in him, because our hearts are totally depraved 
and totally unable, we engage in those things which are displeasing 
to God. We are not able not to sin. It's something that is part and 
parcel of our being now. Again, not mechanistically, not 
behavioralistically, but because of that heart bound in sin, the 
will necessarily follows as a result. But notice specifically in Romans 
chapter 6 at verse 6, this is highlighting redemption in Christ, 
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that 
the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no 
longer be slaves of sin. This language of slaves of sin, 
what do slaves do? They do what their master demands. 
They do what the master commands. And as slaves of sin, we do what 
our wretched hearts command and what the devil certainly whispers 
alongside of it. Notice in Romans chapter 8. Again, 
showing, demonstrating this loss of ability. Romans 8, 7, because 
the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to 
the law of God, nor indeed can be. So you see, as we discuss 
free will and as we consider what Scripture says concerning 
it, it is most important that we see man in his particular 
condition, man in the state of innocency. He was able to not 
sin and able to sin. Man in the state of sin, however, 
post-lapsarian, man is not able to do that which is good. Now, 
that doesn't mean he can't do civil good. It doesn't mean he 
can't cut his grass, and paint his house, and make his dwelling 
place look presentable on the street. It means with reference 
to God. He has no ability to do that 
sort of good that God looks upon favorably, and either A, rewards 
him, or redeems him, or some such thing as that. And then, 
of course, in Ephesians 2 at verse 1. Again, these texts ought 
to be familiar to all of us, but they certainly bear upon 
this discussion of free will. When we talk about free will, 
we ought to put it in the context, or at least have some sub-context, 
of total depravity and total inability, because that's what's 
being described here in chapter 9, paragraph 3. Notice in Ephesians 
2.1, "...knew He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins." 
You see, a proper understanding of man in the state of sin ought 
to induce us to plead with God for the salvation of sinners. 
You see, brethren, as Calvinists, we ought to be the most evangelistic. We ought to be the most missionary-minded. We ought to be the most zealous 
in gospel preaching. If Arminianism or Pelagianism 
was true, it wouldn't press upon them as much to go out and evangelize 
and to go out and engage in missions, because their target audience 
isn't dead in trespasses and sins. They're just a bit hindered, 
a bit crippled, a bit lame. We'll get to them when we get 
to them, or there might be some other things that come along 
and cause them to choose rightly for the Lord God Most High. Ask 
Calvinists, ask people who understand Ephesians 2, 1 to 10, because 
he tells us we were dead in our trespasses and sins, and then 
he highlights it was God who made us alive. Shouldn't we be 
the most evangelistic people? the most earnest in proclamation 
of the gospel, and going therefore to the highways and the byways, 
and compelling men to come in, and funding gospel missionaries, 
and church plant works, and that sort of thing. If God Almighty 
is the one alone who can raise dead sinners from the dead, that 
ought to induce us to be evangelistically and missionary-minded. You see, 
the problem with man is not he's a bit hindered. He is dead in 
his trespasses and sins. And unless God raise him up and 
make him alive, he will die in that state and perish in hell 
for eternity. Now we understand this. We know 
it's God that can make alive dead sinners. I hope everybody 
here on Sunday morning prays to God to save sinners who come 
to this place. One of the things I oftentimes 
thank God for is the number of sinners that do come to this 
place. Persons that I suspect make no profession of faith whatsoever, 
and yet they're in this house of God every Sunday morning, 
and many of them even on Sunday night. That is a blessed privilege, 
but their being here isn't enough. If the Spirit of God isn't here, 
they will not be regenerated, they will not be made alive, 
they will not receive the truth, believe the truth, and be saved 
by the grace of God. I hope that all of us understanding 
that those who come into this place who are outside of Christ 
are not just a little bit hindered, but they're dead, and they need 
sovereign grace, they need divine power, they need the spirit of 
the living God. If you don't pray on Sunday mornings 
that the Holy Spirit come in power, then may I encourage you 
to do so. I don't want to guilt manipulate 
you, I don't want to browbeat you, but if you don't, Please 
do, perhaps even before the service. God, please come and save sinners, 
because we're dealing in a real-life battleground here. You know, 
it looks nice, the building is maintained well. I would say, 
you know, mad props to all of our deacons. In fact, Josh was 
able to share with Roger yesterday. Those of you who know Roger sort 
of maintains the lawn. Josh was talking to a friend, 
I guess, an old friend, and was identifying our church. And this 
kid's a wretch. I mean, this kid, just the stuff 
that Josh was telling me about this young man, he needs prayer. 
But he said, oh, you mean the church with the really nice lawn? 
And Roger thought, hey, that's good. You know, you see a man 
who excels at his work, he'll stand before kings and even before 
Josh's friends. But it looks nice and it looks 
respectable and everybody's friendly and kind. But it's a battleground 
here. This is the, you know, the battle 
to the death. I mean, that's what's happening 
when the gospel is preached. I think at times it just becomes 
sort of routine. I think about this and I sometimes 
struggle with this. I hope people are involved or 
engaged in, you know, for the long haul. You know, when you 
get married Not everything from year two till the year you die 
is like year one. There's that zeal, there's that 
freshness, there's that vigor, and then you settle in and then 
you've got, you know, 30, 40, 50 years that may not be fireworks 
filled. What do we do? Divorce? This 
seems to be symptomatic with people in the church. I don't 
get the razzmatazz or the thrill that I had before. Now, there 
could be several reasons for that, or it could be the case 
that you're looking for things that the God of heaven and earth 
has not called you to look for. I mentioned to Pastor Porter 
yesterday, I'm sure, or the day before, I'm sure all of you have 
driven by First Avenue, the church there, the great big church. 
They have an egg-stravaganza yesterday. Egg-stravaganza, an 
Easter egg hunt. Now, I'm not out here to tell 
you that if your kids pick up an Easter egg on, you know, sometime 
next week, you're all going to hell. But is that where we've 
come? The church is about Easter egg 
hunts? Is that what we've degenerated 
into and that's what people are looking for as they shop for 
a church? What happened to 16 ounces to 
the pound faithful exposition of God's word and some attempt 
to apply that word or doctrinal instruction? You know, there's 
churches that don't have, and I'm not here, we're great, that's 
not my point. The point is that if the gospel 
is preached and dead sinners are here, we ought to pray that 
the Holy Spirit save them. That ought to be a bare minimum. 
I suggest that as those who understand man in a state of sin and what 
paragraph 3 actually asserts concerning his lostness and his 
condition, we ought to be the zealous ones in prayer, in evangelism, 
and in missions. It's an incredible thing that 
we're not more broken when we consider how bad things really 
are. And then in Ephesians 1, 5, even 
when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, 
by grace you have been saved. And then of course John 6 highlights 
this loss of ability, all ability of will to any spiritual good. Hopefully these are all familiar 
passages to you. John 6, 44, no one can come to 
me unless the Father who sent me draws him and I will raise 
him up at the last day. A. A. Hodge explains, the moral 
condition of the heart determines the act of the will, but the 
act of the will cannot change the moral condition of the heart. That's a very perceptive understanding 
of what we find here in paragraph 3 of chapter 9. Notice, it highlights 
his inability in the first part, man by his fall into a state 
of sin hath only lost all ability of will to any spiritual good 
accompanying salvation. So as a natural man, being altogether 
averse from that good and dead in sin, is not able by his own 
strength to convert himself or to prepare himself thereunto. The doctrines of total depravity 
and total inability ought to be understood by all those who 
profess saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They are conspicuous. sort of confined to an antiquated 
document like the Second London Confession of 1689. There is 
text after text after text that highlights this reality of man's 
total depravity and man's total inability. The prophet Jeremiah, 
he says, the heart is deceitful above all things. Who can understand 
it, right? It's desperately wicked, the 
prophet says. When we read the Psalms, how 
does David treat, you know, babies in the womb? The wicked are evil 
from the womb, they go astray, speaking lies as soon as they 
are born. You see, brethren, it is a real 
problem that ought to highlight for us the necessity, say, of 
effectual calling. You see, there's no accident 
in the placement here. We've got the covenant mediator 
introduced in chapter 8. We've got the effects of the 
benefits of redemption in chapters 10 and following. But we need 
to see chapter 9. What necessitates that? Or what 
has demanded that? Or what has argued for that or 
this particular display of the covenant mediator's work, and 
then the application of redemptive benefits. You see, if man just 
needed a little bit of help, there would nest no need for 
a chapter on effectual calling, or justification, or any of these 
things. If man was Pelagian, or was as 
Pelagianism maintains, we wouldn't need all these supernatural doctrines 
to bring us out of darkness into marvelous light. You see, it 
is man in sin that necessitates, and when I say necessitates, 
I'm using it in a very strict way. I'm not saying, you know, 
God is necessitated by the creature or anything like that, but I'm 
suggesting that this plan of redemption comes about as a result 
of man's total depravity and total inability. Now notice, 
in paragraph 4, we have man in the state of grace. So you see 
man in a state of innocency, man in a state of sin, man in 
a state of grace, the fourfold state of man. Notice, in paragraph 
4, when God converts a sinner. and translates him into the state 
of grace, he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin." 
Now that word convert, we need to understand what conversion 
is, and we need to understand how in the history of theology 
this word has a bit of a a broader meaning than sometimes I think 
we plug into it. You'll see this if you read some 
of the older authors, even with the word regeneration. You'll 
see that it may not be used exactly or precisely the way, say, in 
Calvin as it would have been later in other authors. That's 
just the way it goes. I mean, it wasn't like God gave 
us the Bible and then Muller's Dictionary of Latin and Theological 
you know, terms. He didn't, you know, sort of 
hand all that in one package deal. So over the history of 
the church there has been, you know, development and fine-tuning 
and definition and all that sort of thing. Typically when we talk 
about conversion, conversion speaks to man's response to the 
grace of God. Now again, we need to put that 
in its proper context. Man's response to the grace of 
God comes as a result of the grace of God. In other words, 
man doesn't respond to God in faith and repentance unless God 
makes him alive, unless God regenerates him, unless God exercises His 
sovereign grace and calls that sinner out of darkness into marvelous 
light and grants him the graces of faith and repentance. So typically 
we use conversion that way. Conversion is the man-word response 
to the grace of God, faith and repentance. That's what conversion... I don't even know if that's the 
strict definition, but that's pretty much common parlance. 
But we can also speak like it's spoken here, when God converts 
a sinner. That's the work of Almighty God. So conversion, when you hear 
that word, it may have different meanings depending on who the 
subject is with reference to conversion. Here it's God converting 
a sinner. And even when we use it as man's 
response to the grace of God, we need to make sure we explain 
that man's response to the grace of God comes as a result of the 
grace of God. See, it's not Arminianism or 
Pelagianism. where I have decided to follow 
Jesus, unaided by sovereign grace, unaided by the Holy Spirit. I just woke up one morning and 
saw my life was a mess, and so I chose to give my heart to Jesus. 
Now, anybody who chooses to give their heart to Jesus has been 
predetermined by God from before the foundation of the world. 
And in God's timing, the Holy Spirit regenerates or makes them 
alive and gives them the graces of faith and repentance. And 
even if they say silly things like, I decided to give my heart 
to Jesus, we can praise God that He took their heart by His sovereign 
grace and for His glory. So anyways, God converts a sinner, 
translates him into the state of grace. He freeth them from 
his natural bondage under sin. This is a particular state where 
man now has an ability not to sin. Remember, man in his innocency 
was able to not sin, and he was able to sin. Man in the state 
of sin is not able to not sin, or not able not to sin, rather. 
And here in the state of grace, he now has an ability to not 
sin. Now, we don't always exercise 
that ability as we ought, but nevertheless, it is there. And 
notice what it goes on to highlight. He freeth him from his natural 
bondage under sin and by his grace alone enables him freely 
to will and to do that which is spiritually good. So the blessing 
of conversion. We ought to praise God that God 
has converted us. We ought to praise God that He 
has effectually called us, that He has regenerated us, that He 
has given us the graces of faith and repentance. Notice that He 
frees us from this natural bondage under sin. You can turn to John's 
gospel, John chapter 8. John chapter 8, where we see 
this freedom. John 8. Specifically at verse 
31, then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, if you 
abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed and you shall 
know the truth and the truth shall make you free. They answered 
him, we are Abraham's descendants and have never been in bondage 
to anyone. How can you say you will be made free? It's an amazing 
statement, isn't it? Did they forget Egypt? Did they 
forget Babylon? Did they forget the reality that 
they were indeed in bondage? Notice in verse 34, Jesus answered 
them, �Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is 
a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in 
the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, if 
the son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.� That is ours 
in Christ. Notice Colossians 1. Verse 13, 
Colossians 1 verse 13, this freedom from bondage. Colossians 1.13, He has delivered 
us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom 
of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His 
blood, the forgiveness of sins. So there is that liberty now. There is that freedom now. There 
is this freedom from our natural bondage under sin. And then notice, 
and by His grace alone enables Him freely to will and to do 
that which is spiritually good. That's a blessed thing too. Look 
at Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2. I think 
at times Calvinists or Reformed people struggle with the concept 
that we can do good. Now again, we'd want to put that 
in its larger theological context. God has saved us, He has changed 
our heart, He has given us new affections, new desires, a new 
willingness to want to do those things that are pleasing to Him. 
And we can actually do things that are pleasing to Him. Look 
at the book of Revelation, not necessarily physically, but Revelation 
2 and 3. Jesus condemns the churches of 
Asia Minor for their evil works, but he commends them for their 
good ones. He commends the church in Ephesus because they tested 
those who said they were apostles and were not. Jesus was pleased 
by that conduct, that they didn't just willingly receive someone 
into their pulpit who said, I'm the apostle Benny. No, you tested 
him and made sure that he was not supposed to be in that pulpit. There's a commendation, not Benny 
Hinn. I don't know why Benny jumped 
into my head. I see Isaac over there, Benny Hinn, I'm thinking. But God or Jesus Christ commends 
the good. When Paul says in 1 Corinthians 
10, so then whether you eat or drink, Or, whatever you do, do 
all to the glory of God. Are we supposed to surmise that 
we can't really glorify God? That's a concept that's, you 
know, it's just sad, but we really can't do. Note Philippians 2, 
verse 12. Therefore, my beloved, as you 
have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much 
more in my absence, work out your own salvation. Notice he 
doesn't say work for your own salvation. We can only work out 
what God has graciously put in there. The text is not teaching 
works unto salvation. He says, work out your own salvation 
with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you both 
to will and to do for His good pleasure. So again, when we do 
evil, we get the blame. When we do good, God gets the 
glory, and that's the way we ought to approach this particular 
subject. But it is the case that we can 
do that which is spiritually good. Obedience is pleasing to 
God. Obedience is what we ought to 
pursue. We ought to seek the favor of 
God. Again, we can use those anthropomorphisms. We want to 
seek the smile of God. Why would we want to seek His 
frown in our disobedience or in our lackluster pursuit of 
the things of God? We ought to pursue with vigor 
because we have been freed unto pursuing with vigor those things. By His grace alone enables Him 
freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good. We 
didn't have that potential or that capacity or that ability 
in the state of sin. We now possess that capacity 
or ability in the state of grace. So let's utilize it. Let's capitalize 
on it. Let's pursue those things which 
are pleasing to the Father. But notice, it goes on to highlight 
that even so He has this, it's not perfect. Yet so as that by 
reason of His remaining corruptions, He doth not perfectly nor only 
will that which is good, but doth also will that which is 
evil. So we have this ability not to 
sin, perfect, and we have this remaining corruption. So we have 
this sort of, you know, the good that I wish to do, I don't do, 
the evil I don't want to do, I find myself doing. In fact, 
that's a particular proof text here with reference to the confession. But this highlights the doctrine 
of remaining corruption. So in the state of grace, it's 
not perfection. Perfection lays in paragraph 
5. This is the state of glory. Notice in paragraph 5, we'll 
just deal with this quickly. This will of man is made perfectly 
and immutably free to good alone in the state of glory only. In 
other words, confirmation of our free will unto a state where 
it only ever is good awaits heaven. We're not going to find that 
on this side of heaven. We're not going to have perfection 
here. There's not going to be a sinlessness 
here. Most of us, all of us in the 
state of grace, find ourselves in this tension described at 
the end of paragraph 4. Yet so as that by reason of his 
remaining corruptions he doth not perfectly. So we have the 
ability, we have the will, We have the ability, rather, to 
freely will and to do that which is spiritually good, yet we don't 
do it perfectly. And we all acknowledge that, 
I think, I trust, I hope, but it is intriguing. Nor only will 
that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil. 
The confession is conspicuous with this doctrine of remaining 
corruption. And I just find that such a helpful sort of tonic 
to weary souls, because I think at times we get very discouraged 
about our lackluster performance, our lackluster obedience. So the fact that we start well, 
and then after a day, we sort of decline again, and we try, 
and we continue to fail. And I'm not suggesting that the 
doctrine of remaining corrupt should encourage you to embrace 
that and just say, well, I'm a mess. I'll always be a mess. 
But for conscience and for sensitive souls, this doctrine is most 
helpful. And I think the confession does 
accurately reflect what we find in Romans 7, and then again in 
Galatians chapter 5. The Galatians 5 one you can turn 
to very specifically at verse 17, well, verse 16. I say then, walk in the Spirit, 
and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh 
lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, 
and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do 
the things that you wish." You see, that's going on in the hearts 
of God's people. That's going on in the hearts 
of the believer. Notice in Romans 7. Romans 7 
is very dense and, well, like the book of Romans as a whole, 
very dense and tightly argued. And I think it's very difficult 
to just sort of plop into a particular chapter or context, just kind 
of know everything that's going on. But let's just read the passage 
in Romans 7, beginning at verse 14. And there is considerable 
debate here. Some suggest that this is Paul 
prior to his conversion. I think the majority reform report 
is that it's Paul after conversion dealing with remaining corruption. Now, this Paul before conversion 
view, I think it was most popularly held by Martin Lloyd-Jones. I think Douglas Moo holds this 
particular position. I think it's actually increasing 
in terms of reception within evangelical and reform circles. 
I still remain convinced to the older view that what we have 
is Paul as a Christian with the remaining corruption that does 
typify or characterize God's people. So verse 14, we know 
that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 
For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to 
do, that I do not practice. But what I hate, that I do. If 
then I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that 
it is good. But now it is no longer I who 
do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me, that 
is in my flesh, nothing good dwells. For to will is present 
with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the 
good that I will to do, I do not do. But the evil I will not 
to do, that I practice. Now, if I do what I will not 
to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in 
me. I find then a law that evil is present with me, the one who 
wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God 
according to the inward man, but I see another law in my members, 
warring against the law of my mind. and bringing me into captivity 
to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that 
I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself 
serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." Again, 
a very dense, compact portion of scripture that would take 
a lot of time to sort of go through line by line and by every jot 
and tittle, but you get the point. The good that I should be doing, 
I don't always do, and the evil that I should be resisting and 
rejecting, sometimes I choose that. Isn't that descriptive 
of us in our Christian lives? Now, you might be embarrassed 
to, you know, nod along and say, yeah, that's me. But Paul says 
it. I mean, I'm not suggesting that 
that makes our sin okay. I don't know, you know, that's 
kind of the mindset of sinners. Well, he did it. Well, okay, 
goody for him. That's not an argument for why 
you're not a wretch, because he did it. But I think there 
is some safety or some encouragement or some of the blessed balm of 
Gilead for needy souls when they find this going on, that there 
was a man like the Apostle Paul that engaged in this same sort 
of thing. And I find it intriguing as well 
in verse 21, I find then a law. that evil is present with me, 
the one who wills to do good." It's interesting. I find then 
a law. When? When I'm willing to do 
good. If I'm not willing to do good, 
I'm not really conscious of this, am I? If I'm just, you know, 
walking the dog in the park, thinking about how beautiful 
the trees are, I'm not really thinking about this. But when 
I'm willing to do good, I'm supposed to be in church, or I'm supposed 
to be preaching at church, or I'm supposed to be, you know, 
reading my Bible or praying. That's when we see it, don't 
we? That's when we see the struggle. When we will to do that which 
is good, that's when we find that principle of opposition. 
When we're out there doing things that really don't take any, you 
know, concern or consideration, you know, we're reading about 
something in the local, you know, newspaper, that principle isn't 
as conspicuous as it is when we put down the paper to pick 
up Romans chapter 7. Then we find that principle, 
don't we? Then everything in us demands 
our attention. It can be the case with reference 
to prayer. You know, I need to go pray, 
but let me go look at my prayer journal first and review my notes. 
And let me, you know, call someone or so-and-so and find out how 
they're doing. Does the dog have food? You know, 
was the ground, go pray. You see that opposition in the 
midst of trying to do that, which is good. Just try to live a life 
of discipline and consistency and faithfulness. Every time 
you get up to do what you're supposed to do, I guarantee you're 
going to find this opposition. You say, I'm going to be really 
holy and get up at 4 AM and read my Bible. I'm not telling you 
to do that. But at 4 AM, you're going to understand this principle 
that Paul is speaking about. And I'm not saying you have to 
get up at four. I'm just giving you an illustration. I always 
fear that, you know, Butler thinks holiness is getting up at four. 
Well, if Butler thinks that, he's not holy. Don't get up at 
four. Four o'clock is made for sleeping, 
unless, of course, your job demands that you're up at four. That's 
perfectly legit, perfectly great. You know, praise God Almighty. 
But you see, that opposition is obvious when we are engaged 
in trying to do that which is good. Spiritually good, good 
with reference to God. I find then a law that evil is 
present with me, the one who wills to do good. So in this 
willing to do good, that's when we will highlight or see that 
opposition that rises up and mounts up. What are we supposed 
to do? Give in to it? No, we're supposed to overcome 
it by the grace of God and do that which is pleasing in His 
sight. So remaining corruption acknowledged 
here in chapter 9, paragraph 4, acknowledged obviously in 
Galatians 5 and in Romans 7 and other places in Scripture. I 
mean, how do you explain David, king of Israel? If you don't 
have a doctrine of remaining corruption in the life of the 
believer, I can't imagine how you could explain David. David 
wasn't saved after his fall into sin. David wasn't saved, lost 
it for a time, and then got saved again. David was a saved man, 
engaged in wretched conduct. This highlights the reality of 
remaining corruption. I mean, brethren, if you don't 
have a doctrine of remaining corruption, there are going to 
be tremendous difficulties in the interpretation of Scripture. 
But as well, notice the confessional expression of this particular 
doctrine. Notice in chapter 13, paragraphs 2 and 3. Chapter 13 
of Sanctification. Notice it doesn't tell us there 
is such a thing as perfectionism, entire sanctification on this 
side of heaven. This doctrine is still alive. 
I don't know how well it is. Warfield dealt a death blow to 
the doctrine of perfectionism in the 19th century, 20th, 19th 
century, but it is still alive and well in those who think that 
there is such a thing as Christian perfectionism on this side of 
heaven. Notice in chapter 13, paragraph 
2, this sanctification is throughout in the whole man, yet imperfect 
in this line. There abideth still some remnants 
of corruption in every part. Whence ariseth a continual and 
irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the spirit and 
the spirit against the flesh. You see, the divine's never tired 
of reminding us of this stuff. And that's why I've said many 
times that the confession of faith is not just some heady 
doctrinal treatise that informs the mind and fills the void of 
those cerebral Christians that need their cerebral itches scratched. It's very practical. I find at 
times brethren don't have a proper understanding of justification, 
sanctification, remaining corruption, and it does damage to their spiritual 
well-being. They don't acknowledge what Scripture 
so clearly teaches like our confession does. Notice in paragraph 3, 
in which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much 
prevail. Again, that's not written so 
that you'll go out and let it prevail, but it's written so 
that you with David can say, praise God, there is forgiveness 
with thee that thou mayest be feared. It much prevailed for 
a time in the life of David, didn't it? It much prevailed 
for a time in the life of Peter. You're going to deny me. And 
he did deny him. We're not talking about some 
small thing in the life of Peter. He denied his Lord to a servant 
girl, brethren. This was monumentally bad. This is terrible. We should never 
deny our Lord. I don't want to say especially 
the servant girls, as if they're somehow not image bearers, but 
we certainly shouldn't deny the Lord. And yet he did. For a time may much prevail, 
yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying 
spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome. And so the 
saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, 
pressing after an heavenly life, and evangelical obedience to 
all the commands which Christ has had in King in his word hath 
prescribed to them. So you'll see that it may prevail 
for a time, but the genuine believer comes back. The genuine believer 
responds to Nathan's rebuke. The genuine believer weeps bitterly 
when he sees Jesus look at him after he's denied him. The genuine 
believer will renew repentance. The non-genuine, the fake, the 
one who has made an empty profession, there will be no remorse, there 
will be no repentance, there will be no, you know, feelings 
of of paying with reference to God. Now, I know everybody says, 
well, Judas felt bad and he threw the money, but it's not repentance. 
Everybody goes to that text in Hebrews 11, and Esau wept and 
he shed tears, not because he was genuinely repentant, but 
because he wanted the gift that God provided. His tears were 
not because he had offended God. His tears was because he didn't 
get the blessing of God. That's a big difference with 
reference to the people of God. Their tears come because they 
have offended God most high. That's the spirit of David in 
Psalm 51, Psalm 130. And then notice as well in chapter 
17, paragraph 3. Again, you see the practicality 
of the confession of faith. This is a study in the Second 
London Confession, so it's helpful for us to underscore its practicality 
in the church, not only in terms of setting forth in small compass 
an excellent presentation of doctrinal truth, but this ought 
to be balm for the souls of those who struggle with sin. Paragraph 
3, Chapter 17, and though they may, through the temptation of 
Satan, this is of the perseverance of the saints, and of the world, 
the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect 
of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins, and 
for a time continue therein, whereby they incur God's displeasure 
and grieve His Holy Spirit, come to have their graces and comforts 
impaired, have their hearts hardened and their consciences wounded. 
Doesn't that explain you? It explains me. It's a very accurate 
description of the kinds of things I go through. I suspect I'm not 
alone. Have their hearts hardened, their 
consciences wounded. Hurt and scandalize others and 
bring temporal judgments upon themselves. Yet they shall renew 
their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus 
to the end. That's encouragement. You know, 
this higher Christian life, this victorious Christian living, 
you know what, brethren, that's not always the way it is for 
us. We're not always standing on 
Mount Shem, ready to take on the world for Jesus. Sometimes 
we can't even get out of bed, and we need these chapters in 
the Confession. not so it will encourage our 
indolence and sloth, but so it will salve our consciences with 
the reality that Christ has atoned for our sins, and that with Him 
there is forgiveness that He may be feared, and that the Spirit 
is real, and He will renew us by His grace for our good. And then in chapter 18, paragraph 
4, chapter 18 of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation, See, I don't think any modern 
literature that deals with the doctrine of sin does it nearly 
as good as what these guys did. I just don't. I don't think that 
Christians today are as honest as what we find in the Confessions 
or what we find in Paul. I mean, typically Christians, 
well, I would never will to do that which is evil. I would never. Really? You would never? You always do 
that which is pleasing to God? Are you serious? Because if so, 
then Christ died in vain. You cannot be honest and suggest 
that somehow you never have these tendencies or temptations to 
do that which is evil. Now, evil in your world may not 
be getting a machine gun and going into the local bank and 
slaying everybody and taking sacks of money. It may be evil 
and a different sort of explanation, but evil is there. And our confession 
knows it, understands it, and highlights this so that the people 
of God are properly informed. 18, 4, true believers may have 
the assurance of their salvation. Diver's ways shaken, diminished, 
and intermitted as by negligence in preserving of it, by falling 
into some special sin which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the 
spirit, by some sudden or vehement temptation, God's withdrawing 
the light of His countenance and suffering even such as fear 
Him to walk in darkness and to have no light? Yet are they never 
destitute of the seed of God and life of faith, that love 
of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience 
of duty out of which by the operation of the Spirit this assurance 
may in due time be revived, and by the which in the meantime 
they are preserved from utter despair. So my purpose here is 
not to present the doctrine of remaining corruption so that 
you'll find safety and encouragement to sin. But the doctrine of remaining 
corruption hopefully encourages you to go back to the cross each 
and every time to renew by the grace of God those fresh supplies 
of His healing blood and to resolve with purpose of heart not to 
go out and do the same sorts of things over again. Just in 
conclusion of this fourfold state, again, I think Hodge sort of 
nails it well. He says, Adam. was holy and stable. Unregenerate men are unholy and 
stable. That is, they are fixed in unholiness. 
Regenerate men have two opposite moral tendencies contesting for 
empire in their hearts. They are cast about between them, 
yet the tendency graciously implanted gradually in the end perfectly 
prevails. Glorified men are holy and stable. All are free and therefore responsible. Well, let's close in a word of 
prayer, and if there are any questions, we can deal with those. 
Father, we thank you for this doctrine of free will, and we 
know, God, it is true, it is taught in Scripture, but we need 
to qualify, we need to appreciate what we're speaking about concerning 
free will in the state of man. We thank you that you have saved 
us. We thank you it was not the primacy 
of our will that chose for you, but the primacy of God's will 
that chose us. How we thank you it doesn't depend 
upon him who wills or him who runs, but on God who shows mercy. 
We would ask that your Holy Spirit would come in the preaching of 
the word. We ask that your Holy Spirit would come in the hearing 
of the Word, and that the Spirit would cause the Word to be received 
and to be believed on. And may it be the day of salvation 
today for sinners, both young and old, for all those who come 
in among us that are dead in their trespasses and sins. May 
they be raised by the power of God Most High. May they confess 
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and may they leave from this 
place rejoicing that God has saved their souls. Be with us, 
we pray, through Christ our Lord. Amen.