WCF 9.3

9.3. Of Free Will

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.

Proof texts

• Rom. 5:6 — [6] For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
• Rom 8:7 — [7] For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.
• John 15:5 — [5] I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
• Rom. 3:10, 12 — [10] as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; [12] All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
• Eph. 2:1, 5 — [1] And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved —
• Col. 2:13 — [13] And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
• John 6:44, 65 — [44] No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. [65] And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
• Eph. 2:2, 3, 4, 5 — [2] in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — [3] among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved —
• 1 Cor. 2:14 — [14] The natural person 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.
• Titus 3:3, 4, 5 — [3] For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. [4] But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, [5] he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

For discussion

1. The Assembly cited Rom. 5:6 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
2. 10 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
3. WSC Q29 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
4. WSC Q30 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WSC Q29 · WSC Q30 · WSC Q31 · WSC Q32 · WLC Q57 · WLC Q149 · HC Q53 · BC 6.1 · BC 6.2 · BC 6.3 · CD 3.1 · SC60 2.2 · IAR 4.5 · SHC 2.3 · SHC 2.4