Resources by Topic: Sovereignty and Free Will

The Bible calls upon people to choose to take action, speak up for, and help the poor and needy (see, for example, Proverbs 31:8–9 and James 1:27). This is the polar opposite of fatalism.

God’s sovereignty is real, but not every statement people make about it is true. Scripture emphasizes God’s sovereignty, yet it fully recognizes the role of evil people as well as Satan and demons.

“Providence” is a word we use frequently in talking about God, but we may not have thought deeply about what it means. Theologian Timothy George defines it as “God’s faithful and effective care and guidance of everything which He has made toward the end which He has chosen.” God’s providence was a deep comfort to both Nanci and me as we faced her cancer.

Randy Alcorn was interviewed on The Thinking Out Loud Podcast with Kevin and Kyle about his book If God is Good. In this audio clip, Randy talks about the garden of Eden and why God allowed evil to enter the world.

Many Christians are not only weary from life in the COVID era but are also disillusioned and disappointed by political outcomes and financial prospects. But as this song powerfully conveys, God is on the throne and Jesus will win! This should lift heavy hearts and heavy spirits.

In this video Randy Alcorn is interviewed by Scott Lindsey with Faithlife on the topic of suffering, God's sovereignty and the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Last year John Piper wrote an article titled “No Maverick Cells in Me: My Deepest Hope During Cancer.” Nanci and I first read this while she was undergoing cancer treatments, and it really encouraged us. It’s an apt reminder for us again, as we are in another season of waiting and uncertainty related to Nanci’s latest test results.

In this audio clip, Randy Alcorn speaks about the depth of God, referencing Isaiah 40 and Romans 11:33-36. 

The hardening of the heart is essentially a sort of final judgment of God that takes place before someone dies. It’s as if God considers now fixed someone’s evil heart as it has become over a lifetime.

In this audio clip, Randy answers a question about God's plan and our free will.

In April 2017, Randy Alcorn taught a course at Veritas Evangelical Seminary on the subject of evil and suffering. In this clip, he talks about how free will and suffering relate to one another. 

We won’t all, in this life, meet someone whose story will suddenly shed light on God’s purpose in our loved one’s suffering or death. But I think most of us will have that very experience one day on the New Earth.

If we imagine our position on sovereignty and free will is the only one without problems, we’re kidding ourselves, and need a dose of humility.

Most proposed solutions to the problem of evil and suffering have been around for a long time, but Open Theism is more recent.