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CM-053 - WCF 9.2: Able to Stand, Able to Fall
Westminster Confession of Faith 9.2
“Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God; but yet mutably, so that he might fall from it.”
In this episode of Confessional Moments, we continue in Chapter 9 of the Westminster Confession of Faith by considering the will of man in his original state. Before sin entered the world, Adam was upright. He possessed true moral freedom and real power to obey God. He was not created broken, nor inclined toward evil. He was able to stand.
Yet he was mutable.
The Confession teaches that Adam’s righteousness was genuine, but not confirmed. He stood in covenant with God under probation—capable of obedience, yet capable of falling. His fall was not forced, nor inevitable, but voluntary. By understanding man’s original freedom, we better grasp the depth of our ruin in Adam and the necessity of a greater, immutable Head.
This doctrine is both humbling and hope-giving. If Adam, in paradise, could fall, then our hope cannot rest in ourselves. It must rest in Christ, the Second Adam, whose obedience cannot fail and whose righteousness cannot be lost. Where the first Adam stood and fell, the last Adam obeyed and secured an unshakable salvation for His people.
Scripture Reading & References
Genesis 2:16–17
Ecclesiastes 7:29
Romans 5:12–19
Hosea 6:7
Puritan & Reformed Sources Referenced
William Perkins – A Golden Chain (1591)
John Owen – Various treatises on the will and original righteousness
Thomas Goodwin – Works (Vol. 1)
Thomas Watson – A Body of Divinity (1692)
Stephen Charnock – Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God (1682)
Key Doctrinal Themes
Original Righteousness
Adam was created upright, endowed with knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.
Mutability
Adam’s holiness was real but capable of being lost.
Covenant Probation
Adam stood under the covenant of works with true ability to obey.
The Second Adam
Christ’s obedience is immutable and secures an unlosable salvation for His people.
About the Host
Confessional Moments is hosted by Pastor Tim Beauchamp, teaching elder at Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA). Pastor Tim has served in pastoral ministry since 2010 and is committed to helping God’s people grow in doctrinal clarity, spiritual maturity, and confidence in Christ through the riches of the Reformed confessional tradition.
Church Website
Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA)
https://www.trinitypresbyterian.church
View all episodes
By confessionalmomentsWestminster Confession of Faith 9.2
“Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God; but yet mutably, so that he might fall from it.”
In this episode of Confessional Moments, we continue in Chapter 9 of the Westminster Confession of Faith by considering the will of man in his original state. Before sin entered the world, Adam was upright. He possessed true moral freedom and real power to obey God. He was not created broken, nor inclined toward evil. He was able to stand.
Yet he was mutable.
The Confession teaches that Adam’s righteousness was genuine, but not confirmed. He stood in covenant with God under probation—capable of obedience, yet capable of falling. His fall was not forced, nor inevitable, but voluntary. By understanding man’s original freedom, we better grasp the depth of our ruin in Adam and the necessity of a greater, immutable Head.
This doctrine is both humbling and hope-giving. If Adam, in paradise, could fall, then our hope cannot rest in ourselves. It must rest in Christ, the Second Adam, whose obedience cannot fail and whose righteousness cannot be lost. Where the first Adam stood and fell, the last Adam obeyed and secured an unshakable salvation for His people.
Scripture Reading & References
Genesis 2:16–17
Ecclesiastes 7:29
Romans 5:12–19
Hosea 6:7
Puritan & Reformed Sources Referenced
William Perkins – A Golden Chain (1591)
John Owen – Various treatises on the will and original righteousness
Thomas Goodwin – Works (Vol. 1)
Thomas Watson – A Body of Divinity (1692)
Stephen Charnock – Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God (1682)
Key Doctrinal Themes
Original Righteousness
Adam was created upright, endowed with knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.
Mutability
Adam’s holiness was real but capable of being lost.
Covenant Probation
Adam stood under the covenant of works with true ability to obey.
The Second Adam
Christ’s obedience is immutable and secures an unlosable salvation for His people.
About the Host
Confessional Moments is hosted by Pastor Tim Beauchamp, teaching elder at Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA). Pastor Tim has served in pastoral ministry since 2010 and is committed to helping God’s people grow in doctrinal clarity, spiritual maturity, and confidence in Christ through the riches of the Reformed confessional tradition.
Church Website
Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA)
https://www.trinitypresbyterian.church