# Free Agency vs. Free Will Resources?



## thistle93 (Jan 4, 2013)

Hi! Does anyone know some good resources that discuss the huge difference between free agency and free will?

I think a lot of people assume these are the same thing but from my understanding they are very very different. 

Basically my understanding of free agency is that we do what our nature tells us (if unregenerate than enmity with God and if regenerate than spiritual) and not forced by God to do such things so we are responsible to God, whereas my understanding of free will is that it claims no one is truly spiritually dead as a result of the fall and all people are completely able to chose spiritual things whenever they like. To me this is a huge difference and why I think we must ask people what they mean by free will. I have actually heard some Reformed/Calvinists use "free will" but really mean "free agency" and I have heard some Arminians use "free agency" but really mean "free will". 

I do think there is a reason that the Southern Baptist (though not a majority are Calvinists) use the wording of free agency rather than free will in their Faith and Message statement.

So any leads on where to find out more on differences? 


For His Glory-
Matthew


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## Gforce9 (Jan 4, 2013)

I heard Jonathan Edwards _Freedom of the Will_ is excellent. I think R.C. Sproul's book _Willing to Believe_ is an excellent historical analysis of the various views of this (he also touches on Edward's view)


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## rbcbob (Jan 4, 2013)

Gforce9 said:


> I heard Jonathan Edwards _Bondage of the Will_ is excellent. I think R.C. Sproul's book _Willing to Believe_ is an excellent historical analysis of the various views of this (he also touches on Edward's view)



I think you may mean Martin Luther who wrote Bondage of the Will. Edwards wrote Freedom of the Will.


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## rbcbob (Jan 4, 2013)

I have found John Murray's chapter on Free Agency to be quite good. You can find it in his Collected Writings, Volume 2, chapter 6.


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## Gforce9 (Jan 4, 2013)

rbcbob said:


> Gforce9 said:
> 
> 
> > I heard Jonathan Edwards _Bondage of the Will_ is excellent. I think R.C. Sproul's book _Willing to Believe_ is an excellent historical analysis of the various views of this (he also touches on Edward's view)
> ...



Corrected.....one old guy confusing two other old guys is a recipe for......where did I put my false teeth...............


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## Matthias (Jan 4, 2013)

Gforce9 said:


> rbcbob said:
> 
> 
> > Gforce9 said:
> ...


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## moral necessity (Jan 5, 2013)

thistle93 said:


> Hi! Does anyone know some good resources that discuss the huge difference between free agency and free will?
> 
> I think a lot of people assume these are the same thing but from my understanding they are very very different.
> 
> ...



An excellent disection of things, Matthew! That is, in fact, the difference!

Blessings to you upon your study. I can refer to you to Luther's Bondage of the Will for now, as someone else already has.
Owen's works on the Holy Spirit are also pertinent (Vol.3-7 in general), as well as Edwards.

The will is a faculty governed by the larger entity that it is embodied within. It is similar to a toilet in a bathroom. The quality of the bathroom dictates the purity and direction of its facilities, if that makes any sense.

Keep at it...blessings to you in your study!


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