How about might a free will become weakened? I hear of sin darkening the will and conscience and intellect and things like that, and I kind of find myself wondering how in the way of specifics this might work. Maybe in the fact that they now get irrational attachments and emotional energy-drainers… and even, habits of sin that take away from the capacity to act freely, as well as think clearly?
The first thing that comes to mind is passions darkening reason.
It all stems from man, since the fall, being the determiner of right and wrong for himself, a position only God can rightfully hold. This self-based righteousness is responsible for all sin, since our own “wisdom” must be the touch point-the final arbiter. So when we’re tempted to do something, we don’t simply decide whether or not we’ll do it-we generally first of all must decide whether or not we think it’s
right to do it. Now, this might take place in a millisecond, especially if the sin is already a habit, or if we’re reacting out of rage, but either way we must feel we’re in the right, at that particular point in time, in order to commit the act. Usually we’ve already justified/rationalized it in our minds beforehand.
In any case, this all means that selfishness (what we think is good for us) often rules and justice is comprised, our wills becoming even weaker as our consciences are hardened. Now, if God still reigned within mans being, the way we’re told He originally did, then *love *would be the standard for our actions, since God is love, and all the egos-in-conflict, disharmony, and moral evil in general wouldn’t exist in this world. And this is why Jesus is said to be the light of the world, who reconciles us with God so He can commune with and indwell us, becoming our God once again.
