Reconciling God’s Sovereignty With Man’s Free Will, Part Four
The Biblical Interpretation of the Relationship
Few theological tensions have stirred as much discussion, reflection, and controversy as the relationship between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. I distinctly remember debating this with my undergraduate peers, and have yet to experience a conversation where one side of the relationship doesn’t need to be addressed. How can God be absolutely sovereign—directing all things according to His will—while simultaneously holding human beings accountable for their choices? Is there a way to faithfully affirm both truths without compromising either?
We will seek to explore this profound and perennial question through historical, theological, and biblical lenses. Drawing on the wisdom of Church Fathers, the insights of the Reformers, and the witness of Scripture, we will examine how these seemingly paradoxical realities are compatible and essential to a robust Christian worldview.
Whether you are a student of theology, a pastor, or simply a thoughtful believer, this series invites you to wrestle with divine mystery—not to unravel it, but to embrace it. For in doing so, we do not diminish God’s glory or man’s dignity, but rather stand in awe of the God who ordains and empowers, who governs and invites, and who reveals truth not in contradiction, but in divine harmony.
In this fourth post, we begin to breach the subject matter regarding Scripture. Starting with historical and theological perspectives allowed us to start from a more subjective stance, yet now, we see what God’s Word says.
Biblical Interpretation
When examining the stated definitions of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility alongside the historical and theological perspectives that undergird the modern conversation, it becomes apparent that the two appear to be at odds with one another. If God is sovereign, then where does human responsibility fit into the picture? Conversely, if man has responsibility and choice, does this then limit God’s ability? To move towards a reconciliation of the two, a survey of biblical content must commence. It is imperative to first address at further length where in Scripture one concept is emphasized and highlighted over the other, first with God’s sovereignty, then with human responsibility, to gain a better understanding of the biblical landscape. With these in view, identifying the theological challenges will grant greater exposure to the problem that exists within the task of reconciling the two. Finally, building a theological solution to the supposed problem will allow for the harmony that exists between providence and human responsibility to shine forth as the best way forward in the conversation.
God’s Sovereignty
In passages that seem to emphasize God's sovereignty over human choice, the focus centers around God’s oversight and dictation of man’s actions. In Exodus 7:3-4, God tells Moses that he will “harden Pharoah’s heart,” marking a definitive moment regarding his intervention in human operation. In the precipitating instances where Moses encounters Pharoah, such as with the fourth plague of flies, Pharoah’s heart softened if only momentary; but, because God said he would harden the ruler’s heart, there was no thwarting his purpose. In the wisdom literature, Proverbs 16:9 and 19:21 discuss how man may plan, but “the Lord establishes his steps” and “it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” over and against such plans, indicating that the prevalent belief is that God is “intricately involved in ordering all the events of every one of his creatures right down to the smallest detail.”[1]
Arguably the most encompassing passage regarding God’s sovereignty from start to finish is Romans 8:28-30:
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
The pattern followed indicates the fact that a work that God begins will not be stopped or paused. Even further, such a pattern, traced from before creation and the fall to the restoration of the creation, infers and confirms that God cannot fail in accomplishing his purposes.[2] Most importantly in the passage, as it relates to the topic addressed, is the conformity expressed of the believer to the Son, applying directly to the decisions man makes in everyday life as it relates to his sanctification journey.
Human Responsibility
In passages that seem to emphasize human responsibility in daily life, the locus of control rests on man’s decision-making abilities. In Judges 21:25, after the horrific downward spiral of the people of Israel, the author notes that “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” The subjectivity of the world around made the Israelites, in the absence of a ruler and presence of evil, believe they knew best, thus supporting the existence of free choice as part of human responsibility. They embodied what Erickson says: “I am free to choose among various options. But my choice will be influenced by who I am.”[3] In the same vein, 1 Corinthians 10:13 presents the existence of a choice in the presence of temptation in that God “will provide the way of escape,” which entails a decision needing to be made regarding giving in or opting out.
While this problem does not directly correlate to soteriological matters, the most well-known and frequently quoted passages of Scripture pertain to how one interacts with or responds to the Gospel message. Verses like John 3:16, Joel 2:32, and Romans 10:9-10 all stress the same message, that anyone who chooses to follow Christ will experience the salvation offered to them. Beyond the salvific content found within the verses, the authors point to the choices one must make that are in line with who he truly is, which includes both human and spiritual elements that are often indistinguishable, where it is impossible to determine where one ends and the other begins.[4] Thus, in the act of salvation, as with the act of daily choice, there exists a burden of participation on the individual.
[1] Conrad Mbewe, Is God Really Sovereign?, 9Marks: Church Questions (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023), 21.
[2] John Piper, Providence (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 562.
[3] Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013), 329.
[4] Erickson, Christian Theology, 492.