davidmcy
|
I think the question you intended to ask was, "How does one reconcile God's sovereignty and man's responsibility?"
Paul deals with this question in the New Testament in Romans 9, and gives God's summary answer to someone who hypothetically asked it. In verses 19-21 he says, "You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault, for who resists His will?' Oh man, who indeed are you to answer back to God? The thing formed will not say, will it, to the one who formed it, 'Why did you make me so?' Or doesn't the potter have authority over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for honor and one for dishonor?"
You may have to read these verses in the context of the entire chapter to confirm that Paul is addressing exactly your question.
God's summary answer in these verses is, "Who are you to challenge God with this question?" This answer is consistent with the general direction taken in the Bible that knowledge and understanding are given to the one who is willing to obey the Lord in what He has already revealed, and not necessarily to the one who is merely seeking to satisfy intellectual curiosity. In other words, in God's economy as revealed in the Bible, knowledge is primarily a moral issue -- not an intellectual one.
Another example of this principle is found in John 7:17, where Jesus said, "If anyone is willing to do His [God's] will, he will know concerning the [His] teaching whether it is from God or whether I speak from myself." Notice again that knowledge is promised to the one who is willing to obey God.
What I have written below is a complete and well-rounded basic answer to the question, "How does one reconcile God's sovereignty and man's responsibility?" It answers the question using Biblical priorities rather than man's.
"How does one reconcile God's sovereignty and man's responsibility?" The Biblical answer is, "Exercise your responsibility to trust and obey Him in His sovereignty."
Here's the sovereignty part: Specifically, He has sovereignly declared that:
1. He is the creator of all (Genesis 1-3), and
2. as Creator, He is King over all (Psalm 24:1,2), and
3. as King, He is Judge over all (Acts 17:31), and
4. as Judge, He has already judged you and me for not fulfilling our only created purpose of seeking Him, for not loving Him with all our hearts, mind and strength, for having gone astray, turning from His perfect way to our own (Isaiah 53:6; John 3:19; Romans 3:10-18)
5. the penalty is eternal separation from God in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15),
6. He has provided a Way to avoid this judgment altogether (John 3:18).
Here's both the sovereignty and our responsibility: To avoid the judgment, He has sovereignly declared that you and I are responsible to:
1. accept by faith and admit that we deserve the judgment and penalty,
2. decide that we want to turn from our own rebellious path and be right with Him on His terms, submitting to Him as Lord (Matthew 4:17; Acts 17:30),
3. believe in Jesus Christ -- that He rose from the dead and is that very Lord we decided to obey (Romans 10:9,10)
4. believe in Jesus Christ -- believe His words and trust His promises.
Here's the greatest sovereignty part of all: To anyone who turns to Christ in this way, He has sovereignly promised:
1. forgiveness of all sin (Acts 10:43)
2. re-birth into a new life that CAN please God (John 3:3)
3. eternal life beginning now and extending on into Heaven with Him forever, and a complete escape from the judgment and eternal punishment (John 3:16-18; 5:24)
4. the presence of His Holy Spirit to comfort believers (John 14:16,17) and teach us more about our beloved Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:26)
I sincerely hope and pray that you will exercise this responsibility in the light of His sovereignty and receive all the blessings that will follow.
 Posted 254 day ago
|
