According to the Westminster Confession, which ability is lost after the fall?

According to the Westminster Confession, which ability is lost after the fall?

• A. The ability to follow God's will
• B. The capacity for existential understanding
• C. The instinct to do good deeds
• D. The desire to seek knowledge

Answer: (A)

The ability to follow God's will is indeed recognized as being lost after the fall, according to the Westminster Confession. This reflects the theological stance that, due to original sin, humanity is inherently inclined towards sin and away from righteousness. The fall resulted in a corruption of human nature, which impairs the ability to naturally choose or pursue God's will. This notion is central to Reformed theology, emphasizing that without divine grace, individuals cannot choose to follow God's will on their own. In contrast, the other options reflect different concepts that are not directly tied to the theological implications of the fall as posited by the Westminster Confession. For example, existential understanding and the instinct to do good deeds may not have a direct biblical basis linked to the fall’s effect. Similarly, the desire to seek knowledge, while affected by sin's introduction to the world, is not specifically identified in the Confession as an ability that is entirely lost. Thus, the emphasis on the lost ability to follow God's will aligns closely with the Reformed understanding of humanity's state post-fall.

The ability to follow God's will is indeed recognized as being lost after the fall, according to the Westminster Confession. This reflects the theological stance that, due to original sin, humanity is inherently inclined towards sin and away from righteousness. The fall resulted in a corruption of human nature, which impairs the ability to naturally choose or pursue God's will. This notion is central to Reformed theology, emphasizing that without divine grace, individuals cannot choose to follow God's will on their own.

In contrast, the other options reflect different concepts that are not directly tied to the theological implications of the fall as posited by the Westminster Confession. For example, existential understanding and the instinct to do good deeds may not have a direct biblical basis linked to the fall’s effect. Similarly, the desire to seek knowledge, while affected by sin's introduction to the world, is not specifically identified in the Confession as an ability that is entirely lost. Thus, the emphasis on the lost ability to follow God's will aligns closely with the Reformed understanding of humanity's state post-fall.