Human Ability & Responsibility

Article 10: Human Ability & Responsibility

10-1 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 But through the fall of Adam man lost his ability, apart from God’s grace,2 to will and to do those things necessary for a right relationship with God;3 however, he is still accountable to God for obedience to all of His commands.4 Man has not lost his ability to make decisions,5 but left to himself, he acts only in accordance with his fallen, sinful nature.6 10-2 Only by God’s infinite grace can man will or do anything necessary to his salvation. 7 By that grace, God saves those men whom He causes to will and to do good;8 however, He does this without nullifying man’s ability to act responsibly. 9

The Flow of the Articles

Article 8: Man - What do we know about man?

Man is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27)

God gave man life, and as a result man is a living soul (Gen. 2:7)

Man rebelled against God through the deception of the Devil and by transgressing the command of God (Gen. 3:1-6)

Adam’s sin and guilt were passes onto all humanity since Adam was our covenant head (Rom. 5:12)

People are completely, that is totally depraved. This means that man is completely corrupt in that there is no part of us that is unaffected by sin.

In light of our total depraved condition, our just punishment is the wrath of God.

Article 9: Sin - What is the substance of our depravity?

Sin is rebellion against God.

Sin separates us from God.

God’s response to sin is judgement and wrath.

Sin is displayed in our unbelief and rebellion.

No part of the created universe is unaffected by sin.

Article 10: Human Ability & Responsibility - 2 questions

What can people do?

We can bear a shadow of the image of God. It has been marred by sin, but remains a dim resemblance (windshield illustration).

We can make make decisions.

What must people do?

Desire communion with God (Deut. 6:4-6)

Merit God’s favor through obedience (Rom. 2:12-13; 3:10-11, 19)

Repent and believe (Mark 1:14-15)

Framing the Problem

The disconnect

left to himself, he [man] acts only in accordance with his fallen nature.

If this statement is true, man is unable to do what he must do. The disconnect here is between what man can do and what he must do. Man is not able to do what he must do.

The crisis

He is still accountable to God for obedience to all His commands

God’s response to man’s sin is His wrath and since man is totally sinful, he cannot do anything to avoid the wrath of God.

The crisis that man faces is eternal judgement. He cannot do anything to change his plight.

The question

Why would God command all men to repent if he can’t unless He aids them?

God commands all men to repent (Acts 17:30)

The objection to this article (article 10) is sometimes illustrated like this: staircase

Assumptions

people desire to ask God for help.

God demands that people reach out for help before He is willing to help.

People care about what God demands in the first place.

Covenant & Compatibilism

Compatibilism

On the one hand, “God is absolutely sovereign, but his sovereignty never functions in such a way that human responsibility is curtailed, minimized, or mitigated.” On the other hand, “Human beings are morally responsible creatures—they significantly choose, rebel, obey, believe, defy, make decisions, and so forth, and they are rightly held accountable for such actions; but this characteristic never functions so as to make God absolutely contingent [i.e., dependent on something outside himself] - D.A. Carson

To simplify it, God is absolutely sovereign, and at the same time, people are truly responsible.

Acts 2:23.

The cross was God’s plan of redemption.

The death of Jesus is rightly considered a murder.

This same pattern of compatibilism is seen in salvation

John 1:12-13.

The responsibility people have to receive Jesus, to believe in His name, is clear and to all who receive and believe God grants them the right to become His children. People are responsible.

But the very next verse that all those who receive and believe and become children of God are to be understood as people who are saved apart from their own merit, their own efforts and their own wills.

Covenant

The Bible describes God’s relationship with His people in covenant language. The theme of covenant is throughout the Bible.

When it comes to our salvation, the New Covenant helps understand the disconnect between what we can do and what we must do.

Ezek 11:19-20.

a fundamental change was necessary for people to have a right relationship with God.

God brought about or accomplished this change.

Jer. 31:31-34.

God made it clear that He would establish a new covenant with His people

The people’s disobedience in the Old Covenant did not deter God from making the New Covenant.

God puts His law in the hearts of His people and as a result

Relationship (God will be their God and they will be His people)

Reconciliation

Heb. 8:6-13.

Throughout the book of Hebrews, we find an emphasis on that which is new and better. Christ is better (superior) than Moses, than Aaron… a better priest who inaugurated a better covenant…

What Heb. 7:12 makes clear is that when there is a change in the priesthood, there is a change in the law as well. A better hope was introduced with Jesus and the New Covenant.

We have a better covenant based on better promises and a better mediator.

Remember the book of Hebrews was written to Jews who converted to Christianity and were facing intense persecution. They were being tempted to revery back to the Old Covenant ways. The author makes clear that this would be futile because God did not intend the Old Covenant to be permanent. It was always to be temporary. The New Covenant was always the plan.

And in order to defend this, he quotes Jer. 31:31-34.

And what God’s plan has been and is now is that through the redemptive work of Christ, sinful people who have no ability to secure their peace with God, who are rebellious, transgressors and never meet the standard of God’s holiness have hope, not in themselves, but in the One who secured and mediates the New Covenant.

Conclusion

The fact that man needs God’s intervention to do what God commands is difficult to fully comprehend. As is often said, there is a degree of mystery to this that we must accept.

The mystery exists, in part because of what is clear:

People are totally depraved. Understanding this about people is what helps us with the tension between God demanding something that is impossible apart from His aid.

People are responsible (able to respond)

People reject God

People are culpable

God intervened by providing a Savior who secured a way to have peace with God.

People are responsible to and held responsible to believe in Christ for their salvation.

God enables His people to repent, believe and be saved.

His people - that’s article 11 - Election.