Are People Basically Good? (Crucial Questions)

by R.C. Sproul

The Bible says that the desires of man’s heart are wicked continuously (Gen. 6:5). Augustine was explaining the biblical concept that freedom means the ability to choose what you want, whereas having free will means having the power to make choices according to what you want rather than according to what is imposed upon you by someone or something else. This introduces a new concept called determinism, which says that all of my choices are predetermined by something outside of me so that I don’t have any real choice in the matter. In opposition to determinism is the concept of self-determination. Self-determination still means that one’s choices are determined by something, that is, my own desires. Freedom does not mean acting without a reason, or having an effect without a cause; every time I choose something, there’s a reason for that choice. No choice is undetermined. Thus, to be free means having the ability to choose what you want, or having your choices determined by your desires. Not only may a free person choose according to his desires, but to be free means he must choose according to the deepest desire he has at the moment. We always choose according to the strongest inclination or the greatest desire that we have. We cannot choose against our strongest desires. If someone had a terrible temptation to do something he desperately wanted to do but which was against God’s law, but at the last minute he had the moral courage to say no, it would be because in the end ...