THEME: SIN Salvation: Who makes that choice? Gods sovereignty or mans free will? I think before any explanation of the way Gods sovereignty works alongside mans free will can be attempted, it is important to define these terms. Biblical description of Gods sovereignty is His kingship, His rule, and that He has the final authority in everything. Sovereignty means that from the highest king to the smallest atom, everything bows, ultimately, to His power (Romans 14:11, 11:36). Free will, is the choice we make to accept or reject salvation. The phrase free will is popularly used to describe the concept of mans ability to make choices as he goes through his life and his responsibility to make the right choices. That said, it is not possible for mans ability to choose to somehow overrule Gods sovereignty. Our choices cannot be made outside of His will. Many questions arise in our minds when looking at these two realities side by side. Are we truly free to choose if His will is sovereign over ours? And how is it fair that we are held responsible for our actions if our salvation is according to His will? It is true that mans salvation is determined, and effected, by God (Romans 8:29; 1 Peter 1:2). God chose to save His elect before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), and those elect people are consistently referred to as the chosen of God (Romans 8:33, 11:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2, 2:9). The Bible repeatedly confirms that believers are both predestined (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:5, 11) and elected (Romans 9:11, 2 Peter 1:10) to salvation. It is also true that man is responsible to repent and believe in Christ (Romans 10:9-10). The experience of every Christian confirms that repentance from sin and belief in the blood of Christ to cover our sins is something we must do, willingly, to be saved. Does this mean that our wills are free? That is a more difficult question. The Scripture seems to indicate that the first step in salvation is not taken by us, but by God. Our hearts are changed by Him, making us new creatures, with a new desire for Him, and a new trajectory in life (2 Corinthians 5:17). I remember when I returned to Tanzania in 2002, I went back to my old church, Azania Front. Whilst there i developed a restless heart, I felt my thirst and hunger for God wasnt being quenched after hearing the sermons there, I felt a void that needed filling. The day I went to DPC there was an altar call for those who wanted to accept Jesus in their lives and I was one of them. This I believe is Gods part in the salvation process, He gives you hunger, thirst and some restlessness to search for Him and He then let us do our part/respond by turning to Him, this to me is us now exercising our free will. It is a fact that our hearts must respond to His love and to His call and that the heart that responds to His call is by necessity a changed heart. It is not possible for a us to grasp the intricacies of Gods infinite will (Romans 11:33-36). People have been discussing free will and sovereignty for ages and will continue to do so. Its good to think about it, to read the Bible, and to ask for wisdom to understand it. Yet, in the meantime, we must not forget that He has given us commands to follow. We are to take the gospel to the whole world (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). We are to turn away from sin and follow Him, forsaking this world. We are to love Him and love our neighbors, our brothers, and our enemies in emulation of Christ. My dear friend...do you feel a void in your heart and are restless /unsure about where you stand with God? Are you suppressing that urge to seek Him? Remember God wont force you, you need to exercise your free will now... Have a blessed Thursday..
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 08:28:11 +0000