God’s Sovereignty and Human Freedom – An Introduction
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
(by John Kim) The dual truths of God’s sovereignty/providence and human freedom/choice are both clearly taught in the Scriptures, and therefore must not contradict one another, but somehow together paint a comprehensive picture of God's working among men.
Ephesians 1:11 states, "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will...", which tells of God's absolute sovereignty. God’s providence is God’s sovereignty as it relates to our daily lives, or according to Millard Erickson, “the continuing action of God in preserving His creation and guiding it toward His intended purposes.”
Just two verses later, Ephesians 1:13 states, "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit", which now says that an act of believing on the part of the individual is somehow involved in the process - in other words, a human choice.
Two additional verses which clearly teach both of these truths are found in Philippians 2:12-13 - "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Verse 12 commands that we work out our salvation, while verse 13 says that it is God who works in us to will and to act according to His plan for us. God works in, we work out. And the logical order in these two verses indicates that it is God who works in us first, so that we can then work out our salvation accordingly. In other words, as A.W. Tozer has famously said, "God is always previous."
Therefore, it seems that God's plan is supreme and He is completely sovereign in His dealings with men. Yet, the mystery of it all is that man's real choices are somehow encompassed within God's sovereignty in such a way that those choices actually do matter. And God is wise and powerful enough to make them matter, all the while remaining completely sovereign. So we believe in the decrees of God, which Wayne Grudem defines as “the eternal plans of God whereby, before the creation of the world, He determined to bring about everything that happens”; but we also firmly believe that “God works through human actions in His providential management of the world.” Since both teachings are affirmed in Scripture, it would be dangerous to lean too much to one side or the other; we must make sure that both sides of the issue are considered, lived out and implemented in our ministries.
Posted By: bukiewicz at 12:39 PM : Link : 0 Comments
