The Bondage of the Will

This article is based on the translation made in 1823 by Edward Thomas Vaughan. The language has been modernized with the assistance of CoPilot AI, with further alterations and final approval by Thirdmill’s editorial staff.

Understanding whether human will plays any role in salvation isn’t a trivial or speculative concern — it’s absolutely essential for every Christian. In fact, this question is the very heart of our debate. We’re wrestling with what free will can do, what it permits, and how it relates to the grace of God.

If we’re unclear on these matters, we won’t truly grasp Christianity at all — and we’ll be worse off than nonbelievers. Anyone who doesn’t understand this issue should admit they aren’t yet grounded in the Christian faith. And anyone who mocks or dismisses it is, in truth, opposing the very core of Christian belief.

Why? Because if I don’t know what I’m capable of doing toward God by my own natural strength, then I also won’t know what God is doing in me — even though Scripture says God “works all in all.” If I’m ignorant of God’s work and power, then I don’t truly know God. And if I don’t know God, I can’t rightly worship, thank, or serve Him, because I won’t know what belongs to Him and what belongs to me.

So if we want to live faithfully, we must clearly distinguish between God’s power and our own, between His work and ours.

This question, then, isn’t just one topic among many — it’s central to the whole Christian life. Our understanding of ourselves and our ability to glorify God both hinge on how we answer it. That’s why, Erasmus, it’s unacceptable for you to call this inquiry irreverent, speculative, or pointless. We owe you respect, but we owe everything to true piety.

You yourself affirm that all goodness comes from God — and in doing so, you’re also affirming that God’s mercy accomplishes everything, while our will doesn’t act independently but is acted upon. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be giving all credit to God.

Yet shortly after making that claim, you say that even discussing this truth isn’t religious or helpful. But such contradictions come from a mind that’s unsettled and inexperienced in spiritual matters — and so it speaks in confusion.