The Sovereignty of God: Session 2 – God’s Sovereignty and Our Free Will

Notes:

God’s Sovereignty and Our Free Will    See Session Slides Here

God is in control and works all things according to His eternal purpose. Don’t we have a free will? Both truths are taught in the Bible. Some say they are irreconcilable. Only if either is seen as absolute is there a problem.

  • Does the unbeliever have a free will? Free, but not absolutely free. E.g. He is free to choose, yes, but only what he wants, not what God wants. This is the Biblical definition of an unbeliever’s free will, Rom.6:20.
  • The operation of the will always involves the refusal of one alternative and acceptance of another. It responds to the greatest influence upon it. Therefore it is not a self-determining agent. It is servant to the strongest influence, i.e. the heart, Prov. 4:23. The unbeliever’s heart at enmity towards God, Rom.8:7-8.
  • Only as the heart is renewed by the Holy Spirit can a person choose to come to Christ, Jn.6:44; Jn.8:36.
  • So the sinner’s free will is really bondage. God allows the unbeliever to walk in his wicked ways. But…
  • Sometimes He restrains unbelievers, and other times He softens their hearts, Prov.21:1; Ezra 1:1;7:27.

What about the believer? Does it mean we don’t need to pray, serve, preach, etc.?

1) We worship God and honour Him as we acknowledge His sovereignty and submit to His will

  • See Jas 4:13-15; Acts 18:21.
  • Why was Stephen stoned, James beheaded but Peter escaped? Sometimes suffering is in God’s will, other times it isn’t, 1 Pet.3:17.
  • We glorify God by testifying of our peace and security because of His sovereignty. We are in His hands.

2) We see salvation from God’s perspective

  • Remember, the doctrines of God’s sovereignty and man’s free will only become error when we teach absolutes in either area. Paul reveals salvation from both views. Man’s perspective: Rom.10:13-15. God’s perspective: Rom.8:28-30; 2Tim.1:9; 2Tim.1:9;  Jn.6:37,39,44;  Are you secure because you are holding God’s hand or because He chose you and He is holding your hand? (Jn.17:1-2,9).
  • Note order in these verses: ‘Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you”’ (John 10:25-26). They did not believe because they were not His sheep, not vice versa.
  • Whose decision determines our salvation? See 2 Thes.2:13; Jn.1:12-13; Rom. 9:16; Acts 13:48; Titus 1:1; Rom.11:5).
  • If we say ‘It’s not fair’ we have moved away from the meaning of grace. We should rather say, ‘Why me?’
  • Does this discourage or encourage evangelism? It encouraged Paul’s evangelism at Corinth, Acts 18:9-10.

3) Prayer does not change God’s mind, but aligns us with His purpose

Someone said, ‘Earth is changed, souls are saved and God’s policy shaped by prayer.’ Is this true? No! God is working all things according to the counsel of His will, which is eternal.

  • Much of prayer is endlessly pleading for things we want, hoping we will get lucky. The more praying, the better. But God already knows what you need, Mt.6:32.
  • Matt.6:10. Jesus taught us to pray according to the Father’s will, Matt.7:7; Lk.11:13.
  • Rom.8:26. How do your children know what’s good for them? They don’t but we do. How do we know what is good for us? We don’t but the Spirit does. We can pray for a new car but maybe His will is that we are imprisoned for the gospel!
  • If we pray according to God’s will all our prayers will be answered, 1 John 5:14.
  • So why pray? Because it connects us with God and His purposes. Prayer is talking to God; but it’s far more. It’s listening to God. It ‘is the process of discovering what the Lord is doing and coming alongside Him in that’
  • In prayer: 1) Sometimes God changes things; 2) Other times He empowers us to change things, ‘And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward’ (Exodus 14:15);  3) Other times things don’t change but we do; He changes us!


# Answers to this quiz are found in the notes above. Click on quiz to commence. Only correct spelling is recognised. A minimum 70%  correct is required to advance to the next session.