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

Psalm 46-49
Romans 9:14-33

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.

Romans 9:15-16 (CSB): “For he tells Moses, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then, it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

One question that could easily get two Bible college or seminary students into a verbal debate is: “Do people actually have free will?”

That’s an age-old question. People on both sides of the fence often point to Scripture for their views and hold to those views tightly.

When we read Romans 9, it is clear that God is sovereign and is in control. We read in verse 15 of how he shows “mercy to whom (he) will show mercy, and (he) will have compassion on whom (he) will have compassion.”

Then, the Apostle Paul, led by God’s Holy Spirit, brought up Pharaoh’s response to God’s 10 plagues upon Israel. He made it clear who hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

Romans 9:17-18 (CSB): “For the Scripture tells Pharaoh, I raised you up for this reason so that I may display my power in you and that my name may be proclaimed in the whole earth. So then, he has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden.”

Clearly, Paul is saying that when Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, it was God who did it. Clearly, this is what the Bible presents as true.

Yet, when we look at the narrative in Exodus, it would seem to get a bit murky. It’s not as clear-cut.

  • Verses that say God hardened Pharaoh’s heart: Exodus 7:3–4; 9:12; etc.
  • Verses that say Pharaoh hardened his own heart: Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34; etc.
  • Verses that seem ambiguous: Exodus 7:13; etc.

So, is it true that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart? Yep! But is it also true that Pharaoh did exactly what Pharaoh wanted to do? Yep, again!

Let’s consider another question: “Who chooses whether or not I get to be saved?” This question seems to be answered in Romans 9:16.

Romans 9:16 (CSB): “So then, it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy.”

In other words, people receive the gift of eternal life because God chooses them. Choosing God is not something that is within our realm of options (Romans 3:11).

And yet we hear where Jesus placed the blame when someone spends an eternity in Hell. Hint: He didn’t blame God. He didn’t say that people end up in Hell because God didn’t choose them.

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.” (emphasis mine)

Clearly, Jesus says that people end up in Hell because they didn’t trust in Him to save them, not because God didn’t choose them.

I spent years trying to reconcile God’s sovereignty and mankind’s free will. I found that when I fully embraced one truth, I felt like I logically had to deny the other. I eventually came to the following conclusion…

There are many doctrinal truths in Scripture that we can understand almost completely. But when we dive into the doctrinal truths of 1) who God is or 2) how God acts, we can only go so far. We can never, ever plumb the depths of those truths.

The tension between God’s sovereignty and mankind’s free will falls within the doctrinal truths of God’s actions. We will never be able to fully figure it out. But we believe it because the Bible proclaims it as truth, even though we cannot fully understand it.

Therefore, I resolutely believe that God is sovereign. He does whatever He pleases. Yet, His sovereignty doesn’t turn us into robots. It doesn’t take away our ability to make our own choices.

When I’m sharing the Gospel with someone, I never ever think: “I wonder if God chose them.” That thought never comes into my mind. Instead, I share the Gospel and pray that God gives them the grace to understand, to feel conviction, and to trust in Jesus to save them. I rest in God’s sovereignty, but I act in the realm of choices.

And when we make good choices, we thank the Lord. When we make sinful choices, we repent.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you find comfort in the fact that He is fully in control.
  • Ask God to help you continually make good, righteous choices that glorify Him and that are for your good.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into God’s sovereignty and our free will, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“How do God’s sovereignty and humanity’s free will work together in salvation?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)