Free Will no longer exists.
People often read contemporary notions into the Bible text. Many assume the Genesis fruit was an apple, only 2 of each kind of animal went into Noah’s ark, and man has Free Will. Genesis never mentions an apple, 7 pairs of some animals went into the ark and Free Will no longer exists.
**ACT 1: Eden**
Man: created in the image of God; had sovereignty, authority and the liberty to make free and willful decisions independently without help. As God’s steward Adam needed the liberty to make free and willful decisions on his master’s behalf.
Serpent tempts, Eve freely and willfully independently chooses to eat and Adam likewise independently chooses to eat.
Epic fail, dire consequences
**Consequences**
1\. Deemed [“very good”](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis 1:31&version=ESV), creation now falls from it’s previous standing and subjected to futility, bondage and corruption. [Romans 8:19-21](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans 8:19-21&version=ESV)
2\. Part of creation, man also falls from his previous standing and is subjected to futility, bondage and corruption losing: sovereignty, authority, dominion and rule.
3\. *First man* now a slave to sin, trespasser, banished and “surely dies” (aka mortality.) Returns to prior state of dust from which he was made = **natural man**.
4\. Satan: for an appointed time becomes ruler-prince of this world, delivered authority over God’s creation. [John 12:31, John 14:30, Ephesians 2:1-3, Ephesians 6:12](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+12:31,+John+14:30,+Ephesians+2:1-3,+Ephesians+6:12&version=ESV)
5\. Satan later tempts Jesus ([“second man”](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Corinthians 15:46-48&version=ESV)) saying, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.” [Luke 4:6](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+4:6&version=ESV))
**Eden Caveat**
5\. Serpent’s consequence, God puts enmity between the serpent and the woman; her offspring “will crush your head.” [Genesis 3:15](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3:15&version=NIV)
The first Gospel message recorded in the Bible.
**END ACT 1:** Free Will made sin possible; [man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.” [Genesis 3:22](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+3:22&version=ESV) Hard stop, no Eden redo, no opportunity to choose to *not know* evil. The Free Will ship sailed, cow is out of the barn, Pandora’s box is open. A liberty lost is no longer a liberty. Free Will must wait in futility along with all creation until the Final ACT.
**ACT 2: Natural Man**
6\. Natural man: brought forth in iniquity, and in sin do our mothers conceive us. [Psalm 51:5](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 51:5&version=ESV)
7\. None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. [Romans 3:10-12](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+3:10-12&version=ESV)
8\. No one can come to Jesus unless the Father who sent him draws them. [John 6:44](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+6:44&version=ESV)
9\. Natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. [1 Corinthians 2:14](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Corinthians 2:14&version=ESV).
10\. By nature, man is dead in trespasses and sins, having a mind that’s set on the flesh – hostile to God and does not submit to God’s law because it cannot. [Romans 8:7, Ephesians 2:1](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8:7,+Ephesians+2:1&version=ESV)
11\. It depends *not on human will* or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. [Romans 9:16](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+9:16&version=ESV)
**Where’s the Genesis Crusher?**
12\.“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” [Ecclesiastes 3:1](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ecclesiastes+3:1&version=ESV)
13\. God changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings. [Daniel 2:21](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel+2:21&version=ESV)
14\. In due season, at the proper time and in that day the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. [Isaiah 7:14](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+7:14&version=ESV)
END ACT 2: Natural man: in earthly matters, to some extent, natural man may exercise freedom of will. That’s not Free Will. Natural man now depends on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
**ACT 3: Second Man**
16\. Second Man: first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. [1 Corinthians 15:46-48](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Corinthians 15:46-48&version=ESV)
17\. “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet …” [Matthew 1:20-22](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+1:20-22&version=ESV)
END ACT 3
**ACT 4: The Helper**
18\. Just as God did in Genesis, Jesus breaths on his disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” [John 20:21-23](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John 20:21-23&version=ESV)
19\. Jesus instructs them to wait. [Acts 1:4-5](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+1:4-5&version=ESV)
20\. Pentecost: enter Holy Spirit [Acts 2:1-4](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+2:1-4&version=ESV), the “quickener” Lord and giver of life who bears witness to our spirit aka [the Helper](https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?qs_version=ESV&quicksearch=helper&begin=47&end=73))
21\. Now we may confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6
22\. The Spirit intercedes and calls, “… no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” [John 6:44, 65](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+6:44,+65&version=ESV) No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. [1 Corinthians 12:3](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+12:3&version=ESV)
23\. Conversion is accomplished entirely through the Holy Spirit by the Gospel. God “hath saved us, … not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace”. [Jeremiah 31:18, 2 Timothy 1:9](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+31:18,+2+Timothy+1:9&version=ESV)
24\. Humility: natural man’s will may *humble itself* and *in humility* confess that it cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ or come to Him.
25\. Holy Spirit: the “office” and ministry of the Holy Spirit is to call, enlighten, gather, sanctify and keep us in the true faith. The Holy Spirit is the Lord and giver of life who quickens the dead and enlightens blind eyes to receive the Savior.
26\. Christian: a new creation *in Christ*. Not sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God … the Spirit gives life. [2 Corinthians 3:5-6](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+3:5-6&version=ESV)
**END ACT 4** This is why grace is so amazing. Once lost and blind; now found and see.
**TL;DR:** Natural man is a slave to sin, dead man walking, a prisoner sentenced to “surely die" and heading towards execution. Limited freedom to make limited choices. Assigning natural man the ability to freely and independently choose God, without help from the Holy Spirit, denies the office, work and ministry of the Holy Spirit.