5 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

1 Samuel 16-17
Luke 19:28-48

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Luke 19:41-44 (CSB): “As he approached and saw the city, he wept for it, saying, ‘If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you when your enemies will build a barricade around you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you and your children among you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in your midst, because you did not recognize the time when God visited you.'”

Reflecting on God’s Word

At least a few things in Scripture must be understood as paradoxical. By that, I mean that certain things are taught in Scripture that would seem to contradict something else in Scripture, and yet they are both true.

For instance, the belief in the sovereignty of God and the free will of man should be understood as a paradox. Why? Because they both seem to cancel each other out.

After all, if God is fully in control of all things so that He “works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:11), that would seem to negate humanity’s ability to have legitimate free will. And if mankind truly has been given a free will and we can make our own choices, then how can we understand that God doesn’t merely play catch-up (a.k.a. not a game He plays if He is sovereign) as He responds to each of our choices.

Simply put, the Bible teaches that God is sovereign and mankind has been given free will. God didn’t create robots; He created people capable of making personal choices. But God is also sovereign and accomplishes anything and everything He pleases to do.

One of the places this “debate” shows up is in regard to the salvation of a lost soul. Some hang out on the side of God’s sovereignty and argue that God is the one who ultimately determines who will be saved. Verses like the following are used as proof texts.

Ephesians 1:4-5 (CSB): “For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”

Then, others will argue back that people are free to choose Jesus or reject Him. When they choose to believe in Him, they are saved. They use verses like the following as proof texts where mankind’s failure to believe and not God’s predestination are the reason for someone missing Heaven.

John 3:18 (CSB): “Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.”

So, which one is right? Is God sovereign? Does mankind have legitimate free will?

Yes! And yes! They are both true! And they are to be understood as a paradox. You’ll never fully understand how they work together, but you dare not reject either truth.

I have elaborated on this point because I wanted to put the verses I have chosen for today in context. Jesus isn’t feeble. He doesn’t want things to happen and then just hopes that He is powerful enough to accomplish His purpose. No! Instead, He is absolutely sovereign over His creation.

But as a sovereign God accomplishes His purposes, He (paradoxically) allows us to make our choices. That’s why we see Jesus weeping in Luke 19:41. It’s not because He has lost His sovereignty. It is to show us that while He reigns over all, He has given us free will, and He responds to our choices in appropriate ways, even as He continues to “work out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:11).

So, as you read your Bible, realize that there are truths taught that seem to cancel each other out. In those situations, we believe both and hold them to be paradoxical. Maybe, once we get to Heaven, God can help us understand what we struggle to understand in this moment.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you cultivate a growing, biblical understanding of His sovereignty so you can rest in His complete control over all things.
  • Ask God to help you cultivate a growing, biblical understanding of our free will so that you feel compelled to make wise choices that are in tune with God’s Word.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into how we are to understand how God’s free will and our free will work together, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“How does God’s sovereignty work together with free will?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)