In 3:37 of Imitation Thomas a Kempis mentions a paradox that has often challenged me in regard to the idea of depravity.

Kempis, personifying God’s voice, writes, “In all things I would find you naked and poor, and bereft of your own will.  How can you be Mine, and I yours, unless you are clearly deprived of your own will within and without? (124).  This seems pretty clear.  God, according to Kempis, wants us deprived of our self volition.

Kempis continues God’s voice, “And the sooner you can bring this about, the sooner will it be better for you, and the more fully and clearly you can do it, the more fully you will please Me and the more will you win” (126).  God wants us to give Him our will … to will Him our self will.

The next paragraph, Kempis, again personifying God, writes, “such persons will never come to perfect cleanness and freedom of heart, or to the grace of familiarity with Me, save through a complete, perfect forsaking of themselves and a daily offering of themselves and all that is theirs completely to Me.” (124).  It would seem that Kempis is implying that God gives freedom to those who surrender their will.

Sin and self-centeredness have the ability to create volitional bondage, although I don’t know if it every produces inability, it seems to at least produce an incredible lack of ability.  The paradox is that which Kempis highlights: self-willed bondage must be replaced by a bondage to God. A bondage whereby we will our will to God.

It is in that act of willing, the practice of our volition to something outside ourselves (God is enough to inspire us OUT of ourselves and INTO Him), that we begin to learn discipline of the will and so find “perfect cleanness and freedom of heart.”

When we learn to discipline the will to God we find freedom of the will.

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