Reconciling God’s Sovereignty With Man’s Free Will, Part Five
Proposing An Appropriate Solution for 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 fifth and final post, while lengthy, we propose a working and appropriate solution to the problem that feels present.
Biblical Reconciliation Of The Two Sides
It is here, after examining the historical and biblical evidence, where the supposed contradictions and challenges mentioned historically and theologically emerge. Why is this the case? Anderson shares that, “In the Bible, we do not find a neatly packaged doctrine of God’s sovereignty.”[1] Nor is the Bible clear and systematic regarding the doctrine of human responsibility. Thus, the need for synthesizing the biblical, historical, and theological aspects becomes imperative. Is there a way to strike a biblical balance between diving sovereignty and human responsibility? The answer to this should not be a denial, but perhaps rather an admission of human limitation in understanding.
Apparent Contradiction And Paradox
Biblically speaking, the concept of viable contradictions is a familiar idea for the regular reader. Paul’s statement that “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10) encompasses the life lived within the context of surrender in the expression that true strength in the God’s economy is really embracing weakness. The idea of a triune God who is both three in persons and one in nature at the same time further confirms the seemingly contradictory nature of the faith. Yet, these contradictions are only apparent. Anderson writes, “If certain Christian doctrines appear contradictory (as they do) but the notion that they involve real contradiction is logically and theologically anathema (as it is) then the only acceptable option for Christians is to treat these doctrines as [merely apparent contradictions].”[2] Because man is limited in his capability to fully understand how God works, then the mystery that exists within such apparent contradictions should not alarm or deter the searching heart but serve as a reminder that there are things not meant for full comprehension in this life.
Another more appropriate way to explain apparent contradictions is by way of paradox, which removes the negative connotation from the discussion and further qualifies the nature of the perceived chasm between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Elwell defines the term as “a form of expression which seems to be either self-contradictory or absurd, but which at another level expresses fundamental truth.”[3] The concept of paradox is what Jesus used in his ministry often, most notably in Luke 9:24 when he says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Taking the topic at hand and understanding it considering not only contradiction, but paradox reinforces and solidifies the truth claim inherent to the discussion. Therefore, it brings the searching heart to the end of his or herself, making clear that man cannot fully make sense of either side. DeVito and McNabb express the idea most clearly in saying, “Due to our limited cognitive abilities, it is reasonable to conclude that at some point our knowledge of God (and the concepts we use to describe him) is going to ‘bottom out’ into paradox.”[4] It is in this “bottom” point that God is at work.
Antinomy As The Solution
Yet, paradox is not the end point of such a conversation. While paradoxes, the most colloquially familiar figures of speech that express the proposed solution, have qualities and natures that one can comprehend, the better explanation for the interplay between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is the antinomy, two facts that appear at odds yet make logical sense. If paradox, as stated previously, reinforces a truth claim, then antinomy affirms a more philosophical and theological angle of the purported opposing yet cooperative sides. In progressing the conversation to this point, there comes an accept-it-and-live-with-it reality with which believers must wrestle: man, a responsible moral agent, is also divinely controlled, and conversely, God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are both realities.[5]
Consider Acts 2:23, where Peter declares in his Pentecostal sermon, “Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” If God, who divinely enacted the salvific plan, could cooperate with man, who Peter identifies as the ones who carried out said plan, then it stands to reason that antinomy is woven into fabric of creation. Such a concept reframes and harmonizes the monergistic assertion of God’s efficacious grace, both at the point of conversion and within everyday life, with the synergistic proposition of man’s participation and cooperation in the two events.
As a solution and method for reconciling divine sovereignty and human responsibility, antinomy meets the necessary requirements, affirming that man has a part to play in God’s master plan. God orchestrates the world throughhuman actions, exercising his providential control.[6] In cooperating with human action, God divine constructed man to be such an active participant, creating him “in [his] image, after [his] likeness” (Gen. 1:26-27). Because of this, humanity, as a whole, possesses a nature encompassing all that constitutes divine personality or selfhood, including intelligence, will, and emotions. This is the heavenly image in which humans were created, granting them the divinely intended relationship with God and with fellow humans, as well as the ability to exercise dominion. [7] Man images God by exercising responsibility and, in doing so, partners with God in bringing about his divine purposes, when man yields control and surrenders his being to God. It is this interplay and balance that still acknowledges God’s supreme control and magnanimous position as Creator while ensuring that man understands his role as creation.
Conclusion
In grappling with the complex relationship between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility, both are affirmed in Scripture and throughout Church history. While the two concepts may appear contradictory, they coexist as a mystery of the Christian faith, much like the Trinity or the paradox of strength in weakness. The sovereignty of God, his ultimate control and authority over all creation, is evident in His creation, sustenance, and guidance of all things. On the other hand, human responsibility, man’s capacity to make choices and decisions of his own accord, is rooted in his creation in the image of God.
Throughout history, theologians and scholars have wrestled with the apparent tension between these two concepts. Some have emphasized God's sovereignty to the point of seemingly negating human freedom, while others have stressed human freedom to the point of appearing to limit God's sovereignty. These attempts have led to potential confusion about how the Christian is to interact with God and their fellow man through prayer and evangelism, exposing the pitfalls of imbalanced emphasis. However, a careful examination of Scripture reveals that both God's sovereignty and man's free will are upheld. The key to reconciling these two truths lies in recognizing the paradox and mystery inherent in their relationship.
While fully comprehending how God's sovereignty and human free will coexist is not possible, believers can trust in the wisdom and revelation of God as found in Scripture and throughout Church history. It is difficult to fully grasp how God's providence and human freedom interact because humans possess the genuine ability to make choices.[8]This mystery invites those who endeavor to understand the antinomy to embrace the limitations of human understanding and to marvel at the infinite wisdom of God.
[1] Bernhard W. Anderson, "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: The Sovereignty of God in the Bible," Theology Today 53, no. 1 (April 1996): 6.
[2] James Anderson, Paradox in Christian Theology: An Analysis of Its Presence, Character, and Epistemic Status (Milton Keynes, UK; Waynesboro, GA: Paternoster, 2007), 221.
[3] Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Paradox,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1615.
[4]Michael DeVito and Tyler Dalton McNabb, "Divine Foreknowledge and Human Free Will: Embracing the Paradox," International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 90 (2021): 99, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-021-09791-1.
[5] Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, 25-28, 30.
[6] Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 441.
[7] Erickson, Christian Theology, 471.
[8] R. C. Sproul, Does God Control Everything?, First edition., vol. 14, The Crucial Questions Series (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2012), 64.