Doctrine:
Sovereignty and Responsibility
Bro. Thomson B Thomas, Mumbai
The sovereignty of God and human responsibility, in human affairs, have resulted in much contention among theologians from early times. A W Pink calls it ‘the Gordian knot of theology.’1 We do not intend to add anything to the tension or reduce it. We only aim to state the impossibility of a conclusion with our limited understanding of things. At the same time, it should stir us up to, positively, respond to this important truth in the scripture. This we attempt with the realization and the acknowledgement that these are beyond human grasp. However, the imperceptibility of matters about God should not make us give up any earnest inquiries.
God is Sovereign
The title ‘Sovereign’ means the one who is in complete authority, a king, a lord, or the supreme. Applied to God, it means God is in full authority over all His creation. Thus, He controls all things, and as He is present everywhere, there is no area where this authority is not exercised. The truths about God’s sovereignty are associated with the facts of His omnipresence, authority, and control.
God’s sovereign actions are seen throughout the scripture. He made all things for His glory and regulated them with recompenses and rewards. In Abraham, He chose Israel and kept them alive as a nation, in adverse situations. He promised them the land of Canaan. In due time, they were brought into the land and He planted them there.
Their existence, despite all the attempts of their enemies to wipe them out, is a testimony to His sovereign control. His control is over, all nature and nations. As it is often said, “History is His story.” As the psalmist says, “Our God is in the heaven; He does whatever He pleases” (Psalms 115:3). Testimonies to these in the scripture are numerous. Human life, attitudes, and decisions come under this sovereign control. The scripture attests that even human sin and salvation are determined by Him.
The sovereign control of God on all things is efficacious, eternal, universal, and total.
Freedom of Humans
Juxtaposed to the sovereignty of God is the freedom or free will of man. When God created man, He was not creating robots or machines, but men and women with the freedom to decide and choose freely. Though Adam and Eve were forbidden from eating from the tree of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, they had the freedom to do whatever they wanted. John M Frame mentions two types of freedoms, freedom in the compatibilist sense and with the sense of libertarianism, the former being “the freedom to do want you want to do” and the latter being “the freedom to do the opposite of everything you choose to do.”2 In the light of the sovereign control of God over everything, he asserts that human freedom is compatibilist.
Throughout the scripture, we see God’s call to man to exercise his will and obey the commands of the Lord. The words of the Lord, while He called people to follow Him, “If any man will come,” “whosoever believes” and other similar phrases indicate the freedom of man to accept or go contrary to the word of the Lord. Further, for human failures, paradoxically, God holds man morally responsible also.
Sovereignty versus Freedom
Humanly speaking, these two ideas, of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, cannot coexist. If God is in control of all things, how can anyone say that man is free and vice versa? These look like an apparent contradiction, a paradox. But the contradiction is in the limited human understanding. The scripture presents both these equally. According to it, God is sovereign while man is free. Any attempt to reconcile both these truths seen in the scripture has only been futile.
J I Packer, in his book ‘Evangelism and God’s Sovereignty,’ calls them an ‘antinomy.’3 Antinomy is defined as “a contradiction between two beliefs or conclusions that are in themselves reasonable, a paradox.” In the human body and nature around, there are many antinomies in existence. They are contradictory. But they, whether elements or principles exist without destroying each other, which humans are not able to explain. Packer asks why cannot we accept these two contradictory truths in the Scripture, just as it is. Yes, God is sovereign and at the same time, humans are free also.
Human Response
The truths about divine sovereignty and human responsibility are seen evidently in the scripture, as explained above. They are active in every area of our lives, whether salvation, prayer, daily life, future, or any other area. As God’s revelation demands a response, in what ways must we respond to these truths?
Firstly, these truths call us to a worshipful life. Just think about God in control of all things, even our thoughts and decisions! Thoughts of these should lead us to awe and respect for God who is sovereign.
Secondly, it demands an attitude of submission. If God controls all things, it demands that He should be preeminent in all things of our lives.
Thirdly, it provides confidence to the believers in all situations. Quoting Hodge, Henry Theissen writes, “This sovereignty of God is the ground of peace and confidence to all his people. They rejoice that the Lord God omnipotent reigneth; that neither necessity, nor chance, nor the folly of man, nor the malice of Satan controls the sequence of events and all their issues.”4
These truths revealed in the scripture, are not for us to contend upon, but to appreciate and appropriate its worth and respond with our lives in obedience. G&P
- Arthur W Pink, The Sovereignty of God, Pg. 178
- John, Frame M, The Doctrine of God, thegospelcoalition.org
- Packer, J I, Evangelism and God’s Sovereignty
- Theissen, Henry, Lectures on Systematic Theology
