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.

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.

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.

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.

Charles Simeon (1758–1836) reinvigorated the English church with his emphasis on the primacy of Scripture and the necessity of practical application.

I once spoke to eighty college students about a sensitive theological question: “Can true Christians lose their salvation?” 

Believing in God’s sovereignty is immensely practical because if I view my life as random and in the hands of evil people or demons, then they can ruin my life. 

What good can come from studying the mysterious and often upsetting subject of God’s sovereignty and human free will? I believe one compelling reason to study them is to better understand what we cannot fully understand. 

Prayerful examination of the deep questions of God’s sovereignty and our choices ought to humble us, especially when it seems mysterious and we can’t see how everything fits together.

It’s absolutely true to say the Creator’s choices are far weightier than his creatures’ choices. But you cannot read the Bible without concluding that human choices really do matter.

I think it has some valid aspects to it, but I also think it breaks down. (Which doesn't mean it's a bad analogy, just a limited one. An analogy that is limited can still illustrate a valid point.)