How Does Augustine Explain The Origin Of Free Will

In Augustine being able to define the act of free will, helps him be able to define the origin of evil. Augustine was firm on the belief that there was only one God whose goodness was infinite. The question that always came up was, “how, then, can one explain the existence of evil?” He believed that God created will, and therefore its good, but will is still able to make its own decisions. It’s good for will to be free even though this could possibly create evil. Augustine answer to the question was that, evil comes from the bad decisions made by humans and angles. This definition made it possible for Augustine to be able to define the origin of evil, as well as the creation of all things by a good God. This doesn’t mean that evil is a thing,
Augustine believed that the power of sin can take hold of a person’s will and if that’s happens there is no way to get rid of it. The most a man can do is struggle between willing and not willing. He believed a sinner can only will sin. There can be good choices and bad ones, but they are all sin. This doesn’t mean freedom has disappeared, a sinner is still able to choose what he does, but it’s all sin. The only thing a sinner can’t do, is cease from sinning. Augustine believes that before the fall, people were free to sin and not to sin, but form the fall to redemption the only freedom people have is to sin. When people are redeemed, the grace of God works in them, and people can choose to sin and not to sin. Christians will still be free in heaven, but only free not to sin. Augustine beliefs that the believers will be able to make their own decisions, but it won’t be sin. Augustine states this to explain how one can accept grace. He believes they can’t, because when people are sinners they don’t have the freedom to not sin, so sinners can’t choose to accept grace or reject it. He believes God is the one who initiates grace. It is irresistible, and God gives it to the people he has predestined it