How is the teaching of free will related to spiritual matters?

The teaching of free will, particularly concerning spiritual matters, poses a significant theological issue. The idea suggests that individuals have the capacity to choose God independently, which contradicts the biblical assertion of human depravity and need for God's grace. As Norm Wells points out, the flesh profits nothing, and spiritually dead individuals will not seek God without His intervention. Ephesians 2:1 states we were dead in trespasses and sins, affirming that apart from God’s grace, no one can turn to Him. A proper understanding of grace holds that it is God who initiates salvation, drawing those He has elected to Himself.