What is Free Will?

After posting a blog about free will and Calvinism or Reformed theology I received the following question:

Hey Pastor John,
I just read this post and I don't quite understand it. You say you believe in free will, but yet you say that people can't become a christian unless God extends an "irrisistable grace" to them. So if that is the only way that one can choose God, then how is that free will-if God has to choose you first?
By the way, my name is Tina and I met you up at Big Sandy this past week. :)

This is a great question, but it does make a fundamental mistake in its assumptions.  First, I do not believe in what is known as "Libertarian Free Will"  Those who believe in that kind of free will would say that when a person choses something they could just as easily have chosen something else.  This may be true when it comes to breakfast serial or even more important things like what college we go to.  Is it true of salvation, or choosing between good and evil, sin and goodness, etc...  I would say it is not.  I think I have good reason to believe this. 

• My own struggle with sin

If Libertarian Free Will was really at work I would be able to easily choose good instead of sin when I am tempted.  I don't know about everyone else, but I know the Apostle Paul and I both struggle with doing what we don't want to do (Romans 7)

• Scripture

Again the Bible tells us that in our sin nature we slaves to sin (where is the free will in that?).  It tells us that no one choses God on there own, and that there is no one righteous.  When left to ourselves or our own free will we always choose that which we perceive to be best for ourselves.  According to our will which has been severely tainted by sin we "will" not choose God or salvation.  It is not that God does not allow us to choose Him, we are all "free" to choose Him.  Instead it is that we won't choose God because our "will" is tainted by sin. 

In the end God has chosen to overcome the resistance of some by extending an irresistible grace.  I believe God has chosen to extend extra or more grace to some causing them to in essence change their will or to put into common language "change their mind."

It is not that God does not allow some people "come to Jesus."  If it were possible (I believe it is not) for a person to come to Jesus apart from an irresistible grace I believe that God would certainly allow that.  Both because of scripture and because of experience I do not believe it is possible. 

I hope this helps clarify what I believe and what I think scripture teaches.

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