Grace and The Will

When grace comes into the will, it gives us new power, new strength that we never had before. It gives us a new ability to resist temptation. Too often in this world as soon as anyone becomes a slave of sin, we speak of him as having a compulsion. We say, “Oh, he is a compulsive drinker.” “He is a compulsive eater.” Now that is true. The word that our Lord used to explain that compulsion was slavery. But this does not mean that these people have completely destroyed their freedom. Believe me, there is always a little area of freedom left in an alcoholic or in anyone who is given over to the slavery of sin. Sins which started with free acts of our own weaken our will, but they do not completely destroy it.  It is possible for grace to establish a beachhead. Grace has its D-Day, and God can get in to anyone. After all, when we are trying to cure people of vices, we can never drive out a vice. We can only crowd it out. How do you crowd it out? You crowd it out by putting in something else. The grace of God comes in. When we begin to love him, then these vices begin to be pushed out. Once a new love comes in, we are changed.