God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Responsibility has been the age old debate for centuries. It’s really not all that difficult to understand, once you realize you’re not as smart as you think you are. God is Sovereign. Its really simple. That means He’s the boss. That means no one can resist God and win the day. Man is also a free moral being. That means that God isn’t going to force man to do His will. God has His part, I have my part.
His part, which is a great truth, is to will my salvation.
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
If anyone goes to hell, it is because they choice to reject God’s plan.
I really like what A.W. Tozer said in regards to God’s Sovereignty and Human Responsibility. He used the illustration of a ship going from New York to Liverpool. He said that a ship left the harbor of New York and headed for Liverpool. The Captain set the course, and the destination was going to occur no matter the will of the passengers. However, the passengers had a choice regarding what they did on the ship. They could roam around and do whatever they willed. They could go to the dining room and eat. They could go listen to the musicians. They could go mingle with other passengers. They could choose to do whatever they want within the confines of the ship. They could not change the fact that they were going to Liverpool, but they had a measure of freedom. He made the point when he said that God also has set the course. No man can change that course God has set no matter how hard they try. We enter God’s ship the moment we are born, and the destination is death. We cannot stop that no matter how hard we try. We are free to choose what we do with our life while we are here, but we cannot stop the fact that we are going to die someday. We also cannot change the fact that God will judge us. He gives us the choice in this life to turn to Jesus Christ for salvation, or to reject Jesus Christ and face judgment.
We also have a choice as believers. God is not going to force us to be joyful. But He is willing to, “fill you with all joy and peace.” He’s not going to make us be joyful and full of peace. I can try to put it on. I can try to make myself joyful. I can’t make that last. I can’t fabricate Heaven’s joy. I can imitate it, and convince myself I have joy, but the moment I’m squeezed in the vice of life, joy doesn’t come out. Something else does. Frustration. Webster defines that word as to break or interrupt, hence, to defeat; to disappoint. I was happy before my circumstances squeezed me. That’s the limitations of human joy.
But there is another joy. This is the joy that God fills us with. Its the joy that caused Paul and Silas to sing praises while they were in chains in a dungeon. Its the joy that caused Peter and John to rejoice after they had been beaten by the Sanhedrin for preaching in the name of Jesus. Its the joy that John Wycliffe experienced as he sang hymns when the Catholic church burned him at the stake for translating the Bible into English. Its a joy that cannot be mustered up, but must be poured in. God wants to pour that into us, but we can’t have our hands over the cup. We must lift our cups up unto Him.
Our responsibility is “believing.” The text says, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” This isn’t a one time action. “in believing” is a concentrated effort on our part to dispel our doubts. When our circumstances shake us, and we find ourselves joyless, we should recognize immediately that we are walking by sight and not by faith. We must quickly get back to the source of faith-building, and that is the Word of God.
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
God wants us abounding in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. He wants us walking in His power, and to be filled with His joy and peace. That word peace is important as well. Peace is that which fills the heart with contentment for any circumstance God allows us to be in. It is a gentle consignment to accept God’s will for our lives. The lack of peace indicates we are upset because our will isn’t being done. That’s our problem. God is Sovereign, and He withholds peace for the purpose of showing us that we are not walking in His will. His will is for us to walk by faith. His will for us is to yield to the Holy Ghost.
If we find ourselves lacking in these areas, we have a throne of Grace we have access to for restoration. Let’s go there today. Let’s admit we are in need of His joy and peace. That’s our responsibility. To believe that God WANTS to fill us with joy and peace, and to believe Him for it. I’m reminded of what John Van Gelderen said, “I am weak, and will always be weak this side of heaven. He is strong and will always be strong. The key to the Christian life isn’t me becoming stronger, but recognizing that I am weak and depending on His strength.”
God, I am weak. I thought I could run along and have joy and peace, until the test came. I recognize that I was not trusting You for all my joy and all my peace. I repent and believe joy comes from Your giving hand. Fill my life with Your joy and Your peace, that my praise might bring You honor and glory. Amen.
God's Praise and Our Part
God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Responsibility has been the age old debate for centuries. It’s really not all that difficult to understand, once you realize you’re not as smart as you think you are. God is Sovereign. Its really simple. That means He’s the boss. That means no one can resist God and win the day. Man is also a free moral being. That means that God isn’t going to force man to do His will. God has His part, I have my part.
His part, which is a great truth, is to will my salvation.
1 Timothy 2:4
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
My part is to respond, and it is my choice.
John 5:40
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
If anyone goes to hell, it is because they choice to reject God’s plan.
I really like what A.W. Tozer said in regards to God’s Sovereignty and Human Responsibility. He used the illustration of a ship going from New York to Liverpool. He said that a ship left the harbor of New York and headed for Liverpool. The Captain set the course, and the destination was going to occur no matter the will of the passengers. However, the passengers had a choice regarding what they did on the ship. They could roam around and do whatever they willed. They could go to the dining room and eat. They could go listen to the musicians. They could go mingle with other passengers. They could choose to do whatever they want within the confines of the ship. They could not change the fact that they were going to Liverpool, but they had a measure of freedom. He made the point when he said that God also has set the course. No man can change that course God has set no matter how hard they try. We enter God’s ship the moment we are born, and the destination is death. We cannot stop that no matter how hard we try. We are free to choose what we do with our life while we are here, but we cannot stop the fact that we are going to die someday. We also cannot change the fact that God will judge us. He gives us the choice in this life to turn to Jesus Christ for salvation, or to reject Jesus Christ and face judgment.
We also have a choice as believers. God is not going to force us to be joyful. But He is willing to, “fill you with all joy and peace.” He’s not going to make us be joyful and full of peace. I can try to put it on. I can try to make myself joyful. I can’t make that last. I can’t fabricate Heaven’s joy. I can imitate it, and convince myself I have joy, but the moment I’m squeezed in the vice of life, joy doesn’t come out. Something else does. Frustration. Webster defines that word as to break or interrupt, hence, to defeat; to disappoint. I was happy before my circumstances squeezed me. That’s the limitations of human joy.
But there is another joy. This is the joy that God fills us with. Its the joy that caused Paul and Silas to sing praises while they were in chains in a dungeon. Its the joy that caused Peter and John to rejoice after they had been beaten by the Sanhedrin for preaching in the name of Jesus. Its the joy that John Wycliffe experienced as he sang hymns when the Catholic church burned him at the stake for translating the Bible into English. Its a joy that cannot be mustered up, but must be poured in. God wants to pour that into us, but we can’t have our hands over the cup. We must lift our cups up unto Him.
Our responsibility is “believing.” The text says, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” This isn’t a one time action. “in believing” is a concentrated effort on our part to dispel our doubts. When our circumstances shake us, and we find ourselves joyless, we should recognize immediately that we are walking by sight and not by faith. We must quickly get back to the source of faith-building, and that is the Word of God.
Romans 10:17
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
God wants us abounding in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. He wants us walking in His power, and to be filled with His joy and peace. That word peace is important as well. Peace is that which fills the heart with contentment for any circumstance God allows us to be in. It is a gentle consignment to accept God’s will for our lives. The lack of peace indicates we are upset because our will isn’t being done. That’s our problem. God is Sovereign, and He withholds peace for the purpose of showing us that we are not walking in His will. His will is for us to walk by faith. His will for us is to yield to the Holy Ghost.
If we find ourselves lacking in these areas, we have a throne of Grace we have access to for restoration. Let’s go there today. Let’s admit we are in need of His joy and peace. That’s our responsibility. To believe that God WANTS to fill us with joy and peace, and to believe Him for it. I’m reminded of what John Van Gelderen said, “I am weak, and will always be weak this side of heaven. He is strong and will always be strong. The key to the Christian life isn’t me becoming stronger, but recognizing that I am weak and depending on His strength.”
God, I am weak. I thought I could run along and have joy and peace, until the test came. I recognize that I was not trusting You for all my joy and all my peace. I repent and believe joy comes from Your giving hand. Fill my life with Your joy and Your peace, that my praise might bring You honor and glory. Amen.