First let me say that referring to various denominational labels is not very useful in determining doctrine. The reason is that in the various governing bodies for each denomination, and more so within the individual congregations, doctrinal beliefs can vary significantly. An atheist on a Lutheran board is an affront to Christian Orthodox beliefs and practice.
Also the use of the word “choice” might be non-specific; the doctrinal argument is usually framed in terms of “free will.”
Regarding free will, as with any important doctrine, one should go to the source documents. With internet access you can easily search for “reformed theology beliefs free will”. That search yielded much information on the subject of free will from notable authorities such as R.C. Sproul and his related Ligonier ministries, John MacArthur, reformationtheology.com/2007/11/understanding_free_will.php, etc.
The gold standard for setting out Orthodox Reformed Theology is the
Westminster Confession of Faith fashioned by an assembly of 151 theologians (mostly
Presbyterians and
Puritans) at Westminster Abbey in 1643 (the first convention). Many Baptist churches and other congregations, whether denominational or nondenominational, base their Reformed Theology on this document.
The subject of free will can be confusing, but let’s look at the Confession, chapter 9, entitled
Concerning Free Will.
- “God has given man a will, which by nature is free, that is, it is not forced or necessarily inclined toward good or evil
- Man had the ability to please God and do good in his innocent state. ”…”God also made man so that he could lose that freedom”.
- By falling into sin through disobedience man “completely lost his ability to will any spiritual good involving salvation. Consequently fallen man is by nature completely opposed to spiritual good, is dead in sin, and is unable by his own strength either to convert himself or to prepare himself for conversion”.
- “When God converts a sinner and brings him into a state of grace, he frees him from his natural enslavement to sin. By God’s grace alone, freely given, sinful man is enabled to will and to do what is spiritually good. However, since his old sinful nature also remains, the believer cannot consistently or perfectly will to do what is good but also wills evil.”
- “The will of man is perfectly free and permanently inclined to good alone only in the state of glory”.
All of these points have the supporting scriptures in the Westminster Confession book. Since the original confession was written in archaic English it has been updated into modern English. Also, the particular version I am using has been prepared by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and “includes a number of changes in the wording intended to more accurately reflect the precise sense of the original”. Of course the Internet can provide any version of the Westminster Confession, including the original in
olde English, that you might desire to examine. Another reference is the book
Willing to Believe -- the Controversy Over Free Will written by R.C. Sproul. Sproul is an eminent theologian of the reformed tradition and writes clearly and concisely; his books are very accessible to the lay-person.