And that is precisely the problem. For man to turn the fallen will towards God’s Grace would be a righteous work of God. But we know from scripture man is incapable of doing any righteous act before God (Romans 3) and is a “slave to sin” (Romans 6). How then can unrighteous man do a righteous act?
If man’s will is lethargic and God brings man around to make the right choice, why doesn’t every man make the right choice? Is God incapable of bringing everyone to a point of repentance and salvation? He certainly was able to bring Paul around. He simply spoke to the disciples, “Come follow me” and they dropped everything they were doing to follow Christ. Some like Jeremiah and John the Baptist never made a choice as they were filled with the Holy Spirit in the womb and consecrated before they were born.
Any act of man in his salvation, be it cooperation or faith, cheapens the act of God’s grace. It lacks honesty before God in the role that God’s mercy plays in the election of believers and the sovereignty of God in our life. This is why this was so roundly condemned by the early church fathers at the Council of Orange.
The fundamental flaw in reasoning rests with those who support free will.
I was listening to some preacher read a piece of a devotional that was quoting CS Lewis...I don't know which of Lewis' works it comes from.
Summarizing from memory, it suggested that God has put together an inviolable framework of events (a plan) that will not be affected by any creature's activity, but that within that framework he permits free activity on the part of his creatures.
It was an interesting thought. I wish I knew the source. Anyone have any idea?